Tag: Jackson Drake

Noam Dar in-ring return, Naraku debut part of next week’s WWE NXT lineup

Posted on by Bryan Rose

Noam Dar’s televised in-ring return is set for next week’s NXT.

Vanity Project were seen dismissing Evolve prospect Romeo Moreno when Naom Dar walked in, back after an extensive injury. He told the trio that he had just walked out of Robert Stone’s office and confirmed he was back in NXT. He told Drake that he would be the perfect opponent to face off against in his return, setting up a match for next week.

This would be Dar’s first televised match since last June, competing in a men’s Speed tournament final against Berto. He returned to NXT house shows at the end of April.

Meanwhile, Kendal Grey and Kelani Jordan will meet as Grey looks for revenge after Jordan took out Wren Sinclair last week. Birthright will also be in six-man tag action, with Fit Finlay and William Regal both making appearances on this week’s show to give Birthright a pep talk after their loss last week.

A tag team match will also take place after Zaria, Nikkita Lyons, and Lizzie Rain all made it clear they had their eyes on Tatum Paxley’s North American title. A brawl ensued with Zaria standing tall. Later, Stone announced a tag match pitting Zaria and Lyons against Rain and Paxley. Zaria was upset that she was being put in another tag team match.

Naraku, the former EVIL, will also be making his debut. He made his first televised appearance on last week’s NXT, handing Tony D’Angelo a shirt with the Japanese symbol for war on it. Naraku made clear in a promo on Tuesday that the two would soon meet for the NXT Championship.

WWE NXT (May 12)

  • Noam Dar vs. Jackson Drake
  • Kendal Grey vs. Kelani Jordan
  • Zaria & Nikkita Lyons vs. Tatum Paxley & Lizzie Rain
  • Naraku debuts
  • Birthright (Uriah Connors, Lexis King, and Stacks) vs. Sean Legacy, Tate Wilder, and EK Prosper

B&V: AEW Dynamite and NXT TV with backstage notes!

Posted on by Bryan Alvarez

The Bryan & Vinny Show is back with tons to talk about including a largely excellent edition of Dynamite with the exception of the Will Ospreay’s Decapitated Head storyline, and an NXT that was just sorta there with the exception of the phenomenon that is Jackson Drake. A fun show as always so check it out~!

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Robert Stone announces first name for upcoming NXT gauntlet match

Posted on by Vincent Verhei

Last week on NXT, Interim General Manager Robert Stone booked a gauntlet match to name a top contender for Myles Borne’s North American Championship. Now we know the first participant in that match. 

Stone made the announcement in an Instagram post before an NXT live event in Lakeland, Florida. The wrestler announced for that match: Jackson Drake.

Stone also said he would be announcing another new name for the match every day between now and Tuesday. The winner of the gauntlet match will challenge Borne at NXT Stand & Deliver in St. Louis, Missouri, on Saturday, April 4.

Drake, 22 years old, made his pro wrestling debut in 2017. After a few years working indies in and around his home state of North Carolina (plus appearances for AEW and on Monday Night Raw), he signed with the WWE ID program in November of 2024.

He appeared on WWE’s first episode of Evolve in March of last year. He then defeated Sean Legacy, Edris Enofe, Keanu Carver in a four-way to win the inaugural Evolve Championship. 

Earlier this year, he joined the NXT roster full-time, along with Vanity Project stablemates Ricky Smokes and Brad Baylor. He lost the Evolve Championship to Aaron Rourke on the March 18 episode of Evolve, which was taped in February. 

New men’s WWE Evolve Champion crowned

Posted on by Shounak Chakrabarti

On March 18, 2026, Aaron Rourke defeated Jackson Drake to crown himself the brand new men’s WWE Evolve Champion.

On the March 18 episode of Evolve, Rourke defeated Drake with a Molly-Go-Round. While Brad Baylor & Ricky Smokes interfered and tried helping their Vanity Project member, Drake, Rourke overcame all adversities to win the title.

The win tonight marked Rourke’s first reign as the Evolve champion. Announced as a WWE ID recruit in November 2024, Rourke has finally made his mark on the roster. Known to be inspired by WWE legends Lita and Trish Stratus, Rourke is now a champion.

Drake was the inaugural Evolve Champion and held the title for 301 days. In his lengthy reign, Drake made a total of 12 title defenses.

Vanity Project, Eli Knight, Keanu Carver officially join WWE NXT brand

Posted on by Bryan Rose

New faces have arrived on NXT.

It was announced early in the show that Keanu Carver was one of the newest members of the NXT roster. After Ava revealed her plans for the NXT Championship, a brawl broke out amongst the talent surrounding the ring. But after laying out people left and right, only Carver was left standing. Later in the night when an interviewer tried to get a word with Carver, he shoved the cameraperson to end the segment.

Carver originally made his debut in NXT back in late 2023, losing to Riley Osborne in the opening round of that year’s Breakout Tournament. Since then, he has been competing on EVOLVE and NXT house shows.

Right before Carver was seen backstage, Vanity Project (Ricky Smokes, Brad Baylor, and Jackson Drake) revealed in a backstage interview that they have signed their NXT contracts. Drake, the men’s EVOLVE Champion, said as champion he should be part of upcoming qualifying matches for the ladder match that will crown a new NXT Champion on February 3.

Interestingly, it was only reported last week by Bryan Alvarez that none of the three Vanity Project members were under TKO deals but rather under WWE ID contracts.

On social media, it was also announced that Eli Knight had been called up. He has also competed in EVOLVE and recently wrestled on NXT television, losing to Tavion Heights in a men’s Speed title qualifying match.

WWE contract note on The Vanity Project

Posted on by Josh Nason

While they have lost two members in 2025, The Vanity Project made it clear on this past Tuesday’s WWE NXT New Year’s Evil that they plan on being around more in 2026.

However, our Bryan Alvarez had an interesting note on the trios’ contract status, reporting Wednesday night that Jackson Drake, Ricky Smokes and Brad Baylor are not under TKO contracts. Rather, they are still on WWE ID deals. It’s unknown if WWE is working toward changing that.

According to previous reports, the WWD ID deals give WWE the right of first refusal to match offers to ID talent if another organization is to offer them contracts. With TNA under their own WWE partnership, that would leave AEW as the only other organization that could realistically offer any of them full-time deals.

The inaugural WWE Evolve Champion, Drake has held the gold for over 250 days, but has not wrestled since last November. Smokes and Baylor as Swipe Right appeared in a losing effort on last month’s NXT year-end awards show episode. Both men wrestle frequently for Massachussetts’ Wrestling Open promotion.

Former Vanity Project members Zayda Steel and Bryce Donovan were also WWE ID prospects, but both exited the program in 2025.

Inaugural WWE Evolve Champion crowned

Posted on by Josh Nason

A week after Kali Armstrong became the first-ever WWE Evolve Women’s Champion, the developmental brand now has its men’s WWE Evolve Champion.

On Wednesday’s WWE Evolve, Vanity Project’s Jackson Drake won the title in a four-way elimination match, outlasting Sean Legacy, Keanu Carver, and Edris Enofe. Drake picked up the win via a jumping knee and then a running knee on Legacy, just a night after they both appeared on WWE NXT on opposite ends of an eight-man tag team match.

Drake earned his opportunity through a play-in match in late-April, defeating Lince Dorado and Jordan Oasis.

Je’Von Evans presented Drake with the title as Drake was flanked by Vanity Project’s Brad Baylor, Ricky Smokes, Zayda Steel and Bryce Donovan. As both opponents and partners, Evans and Drake go back to the North Carolina indies dating back to 2018.

On last Wednesday’s show, Armstrong won the title, defeating Wendy Choo, Kylie Rae and Kendal Grey in a four-way elimination bout.

Three more wrestlers revealed as WWE ID prospects

Posted on by Josh Nason

Thursday night saw three more wrestlers get the WWE ID tag with more to come this weekend.

During a Wrestling Open show in Worcester, Massachussetts, Aaron Rourke got the designation which genuinely seemed to take him by surprise as seen below.

For the last six years, the 28-year-old has been a regular on the Northeast U.S. indie circuit and is a product of the Create-A-Pro Wrestling Academy owned by Pat Buck and Brian Myers.

Later in the night, another talent on the Wrestling Open show got the news in Brad Baylor. A two-year pro, Baylor was trained by former WWE and WCW wrestler Paul Roma. He is also a Northeast U.S. regular, teaming frequently with Ricky Smokes.

Jackson Drake was also given the designation Thursday during a Fire Star Pro Wrestling event in North Carolina of which he’s the champion. He’s been a pro for seven years, taught by Cam Carter and LaBron Kozone.

Here’s where more WWE ID prospects will be announced this weekend:

  • Friday at Chaotic Wrestling in Andover, Massachussetts
  • Sunday at Northern Crown’s Show IV in Toronto, Canada
  • Sunday for Memphis Wrestling in Memphis, Tennessee