Tonight’s WWE NXT will feature the return of Zaria after she brutally bid adieu to Sol Ruca in last month’s Last Woman Standing match, pushing her off the stage onto tables.
AAA Mixed Tag Team Champions Lola Vice and AAA’s Mr. Iguana will team up against Izzi Dame and Niko Vance as The Culling has been targeting the NXT Women’s Champion with the numbers in their favor.
Former WWE Evolve Women’s Champion Kali Armstrong will take on budding rival Jaida Parker after a recent confrontation.
The announced lineup is rounded out by Jackson Drake against Jasper Troy.
Our live coverage kicks off at 8 pm Eastern.
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NXT is back on the air in front of a live studio audience from the Performance Center in Orlando. Highlights at the start recapped last week’s reset episode.
Much like the whole show last week, there are so many debuts and run-ins that hardly any stand out, except for Tavion Heights attacking NXT Champion Tony D’Angelo. Clips of that run-in concluded the video package, and this week began with Stone Cold Tony D opening a can in a backstage pull-apart brawl.
D’Angelo spears Heights over a folding table set up backstage, and they are quickly separated around grappling on the floor. Chaotic skit to start the show.
Opening the show from the sound stage is a match set up in a locker room skit from last Tuesday.
Jaida Parker vs. Kali Armstrong
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They were in each other’s face before the bell, and the bout begins with a shoving match. They soon thereafter grapple with artful chain wrestling. The fight outside the ring and they collide both going for a lariat. Double down leads into a commercial break.
The match continues through the break, and Armstrong takes control soon after the show returns from commercials. Armstrong with a high cross, seemingly just for the heck of it. They go on to trade near falls.
Parker fires up and does a signature spot. Armstrong fights back, and eventually fights dirty. Armstrong rakes Parker’s face, and they do an awkward powerslam. Armstrong signals for a finisher, and she runs the ropes several times before flying into a shoulder tackle, much like the Ultimate Warrior. Armstrong then pins Parker after the finisher they dubbed “Kali Connection”. Armstrong goes over to establish her as a character on NXT, but the eye rake finish allows them to run it back.
Match result: Kali Armstrong defeated Jaida Parker via pinfall.
— Cameo from Fit Finlay as he cuts a promo on his son’s stable — Birthright. Finlay says they should be upholding tradition. Not being outmaneuvered by gamers with no pedigree, who are beneath them. Finlay has William Regal on speaker phone.
Regal says he has taken care of the matter, and he sent his son — Charlie Dempsey — back to the Snake Pit. Regal goes on to say Birthright has a six-man tag team match next Tuesday. Regal tells them to make the most to the opportunity and take care of business.
Evils gets a new name
The wrestler formerly known as Evil is the focus of a video package introducing himself to viewers. NXT is entering a new era, and this is his time to strike. He wants the biggest prize in NXT, which he says is the men’s NXT Championship. The items given to the champ, Tony D’Angelo, over the last few weeks were not gifts. Rather, it was a proclamation. Evil vows he and D’Angelo will meet for the NXT title, saying it is written in the rising sun. Naraku is revealed as his new name in WWE. Naraku debuts next week.
Jasper Troy vs. Jackson Drake (with The Vanity Project)
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The match goes through a commercial break. Vanity Project assists by distracting Troy, so Drake can knock him off his feet as the show goes into commercials. Troy is pummeling Drake when the show returns from the break. Drake counters Troy to drop him into a DDT. Kip up by Troy, and he comes to life with a surge of force. Drake leaps off the top rope onto the arms of Troy. Big chokeslam by Troy, and Drake soon flees the ring.
At ringside, Troy smacks down Ricky Smokes. Brad Baylor is pressed over Troy’s head and tossed into the ring. Suddenly, Myka Lockwood runs in and body slams Troy on the floor. Lockwood debuted recently in a skit with Vanity Project. Lockwood’s assistance helps Drake set up a 450 splash on Troy, and Drake upsets Troy.
Match result: Jackson Drake defeated Jasper Troy via pinfall.
— Tristan Angels is featured in a personality profile.
— Rhea Ripley’s journey in NXT is the focus of an “NXT Origins” video package.
Potential contenders brawl over shot at NXT Women’s North American title
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Zaria heads to the ring for a monologue, marking her first time to address the audience since besting Sol Ruca in a last woman standing match. Zaria says a change is in the air at NXT, and it could be anyone ballgame. For the first time in NXT, no one is holding Zaria back. No dead weight, nor fake partners. Zaria realizes she has to do it herself.
Zaria has her sights on the very thing that caused the rift between her and Ruca, which is the NXT Women’s North America Championship.
The reigning North American champ — Tatum Paxley — soon interrupts the monologue to confront Zaria in the ring. They are both soon interrupted by a fired up Lizzy Rain. She talks about the putting some heavy metal into the lineage of the Women’s North American title.
Out comes Nikkita Lyons for another interruption. Lyons cuts a promo that ultimately leads into a brawl with the potential contenders and the champion. Zaria stands tall and lays out the other three. Zaria stands over the champions and posing as the segment ends.
— Noam Dar returns to NXT in a backstage skit that sets up a match between him and Jackson Drake. Myka Lockwood walks in and Drake says he will accept a match with Dar for next week if Lockwood is in his corner for the bout.
— Kam Hendrix ambushes Tony D’Angelo in a backstage attack. Hendrix is pulled off D’Angelo as the show goes into a commercial break.
— NXT GM Robert Stone is rushing around backstage after the show returns from the commercial break. Stone grabs a headset and orders the mixed tag title match be moved up immediately because of the attack on D’Angelo postpones his match. The scheduled main event is up next.
AAA Mixed Tag Team Champions Lola Vice & Mr. Iguana (with La Yesca) vs. The Culling (Izzi Dame & Niko Vance with Shawn Spears) in a non-title mixed tag team match
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They had a really good tag match, and even had comedy spots with La Yesca. They wrestled through a commercial break. For the finish, Iguana is powerbombed on the floor by Vance. Vice is distracted by Iguana getting laid out, and she eventually ate a running knee from Dame. Dame then scores a pin. Vice got a near fall in he match where Vance stopped the referee from counting.
In winning, Dame scores a pin on the reigning women’s champ. The Culling also have a win over the mixed tag champs. That would seem to set up a mixed title match, but the outcome here seems to focus on Dame challenging for the singles title.
Match result: Izzi Dame & Niko Vance defeated Lola Vice & Mr. Iguana when Dame pinned Vice.
— Tavion Heights rants to North American Champion Myles Borne over Heights’ match tonight getting canceled. In walks Robert Stone, who says he kicked Kam Hendrix out of the venus. Stone also says D’Aneglo is good to go, and the match with Heights is on for later tonight in the main event slot.
Zaria enters the scene to confront Stone. He informs her that she is booked in a tag match next with Zaria teaming with Nikkia Lyons against Lizzy Rain and Tatum Paxley. Zaria is upset as she is done with tag team wrestling. Stone says if she wants a singles title match, she must get through the tag match.
— Nattie Neidhart in a cameo appearance tells Jaida Parker she has gotten soft. This came after a frustrated Parker was wrecking the locker room.
DarkState (Cutler James & Osiris Griffin with Dion Lennox & Saquon Shugars) vs. Hank Walker & Tank Ledger
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The match goes through a commercial break. Before the break, the dissension continues in Darkstate. Dion Lennox and Saquon Shugars must be separated at ringside after Shugars stops Lennox from using a metal folding chair. This plays on a similar spot from a previous episode. Lennox rages over Shugars blockmh a chair shot. Nevertheless, Darkstate is again in control as the match returns from commercial break.
They did several spots where teammates broke up a pinning attempt. Hot tag led to Hank & Tank running wild. They are cut off and Darkstate takes control again Darkstate catch Tank on a dive and slam him on Hank. Double-team powerbomb finisher by Darkstate, and James pins Hank.
Match result: Cutler James & Osiris Griffin defeated Hank Walker & Tank Ledger when James pinned Walker.
— Kelani Jordan has words with Lola Vice in a backstage skit. Kendal Grey takes up for Vice, but Vice scoffs at needing help. Jordan scoffs at Grey. Scoffs all around.
— Emily Agard is on assignment as a reporter looking to interview Keanu Carver. He does not want to speak on camera, so Agard gets the camera put down — but it still records the interaction. This was odd, but did its job in trying to get Carver over.
NXT Champion Tony D’Angelo vs. Tavion Heights in a title match
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Good match, but the studio audience seemingly never bought the title being in jeopardy. Cheap finish did not help. Runs in both during the match and afterwards. This was overbooked like much of the show.
Lots of great offense by Heights, especially his variations of a suplex. They traded near falls, and the work itself was really good.
Spear by D’Angelo as they go home. Heights counters D’Angelo’s finisher before a sudden run in by Kam Hendrix, who was supposedly kicked out of the building earlier on by Robert Stone.
Heights thwarts the run-in, and Myles Borne runs down to the ring to do a flip dive out of the ring — in street clothes no less. Borne brawls Hendrix. Meanwhile, D’Angelo with his chokeslam finisher before pinning Heights. And still…
Match result: NXT Champion Tony D’Angelo defeated Tavion Heights to retain his title.
In a post-match angle, Mason Rook (Will Kroos) runs in to ambush D’Angelo. Rook lays out D’Angelo before identifying himself as the show goes off air.
