A new episode of WWE NXT is in the books, and much of tonight’s show sought to lay the foundation for the upcoming NXT Heatwave. With the premium live event happening later this month, it’s understandable that NXT would get a few big-time matches set for the event, though a few other stories and potential rivalries got some extended time throughout the show as well, and fans even got some fun crossovers from SmackDown before the show came to a close. We’re here to break down the biggest moments of the night and reveal whether they were major hits or unfortunate misses, so let’s start with the first encounter of the night.
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Hit: Monroe Aura and Jordynne’s Rage
The first match of the night was between Blake Monroe and Kelani Jordan, though that was to mainly set the stage for another chapter in Monroe’s rising rivalry with Jordynne Grace. While we didn’t get a full match between Monroe and Jordan, what we saw was entertaining, and hopefully they’ll actually get to have a longer battle at some point it the future.
What we did get, however, was another amazing appearance from an anger-crazed Grace, who feels like she’s truly found a perfect pocket where she can stand out in NXT. Grace ran into the ring to chase Monroe down, full neck brace and all, and Monroe booked it out of the building and into a car as Grace almost had her cornered. This feud is turning into something really fun to watch, and at Heatwave, it appears that this feud could hit another gear entirely. Plus, Kelani getting a win, even a count-out win, is never a bad thing.
Miss: Darkstate Is Everywhere
DarkState had a substantial presence on tonight’s WWE NXT, as they attacked the Tag Team Division, delivered a pre-recorded promo, and then attacked the quartet of Oba Femi, Trick Williams, Moose, and Je’Von Evans. That’s a lot of DarkState, and it would be one thing if it were working, but as of now, I don’t think it is.
Taking something that’s struggling to find its rhythm and has been since its debut and then increasing its presence on the show is an odd decision, and after tonight’s results, I’m hoping that’s not the case moving forward. A little of DarkState goes a long way, and the promos aren’t exactly helping the group’s case either, as this crew still feels aimless and like it has no idea what it actually wants to do or be. Maybe they can figure that out as the story moves forward, but for right now, it would be nice to see just one DarkState segment a night until that happens.
Hit: Both Stars Shining
The match between Lexis King and Myles Borne wasn’t the longest, but it served both superstars equally well. Bourne is immensely talented in the ring, and while the Randy Orton comparisons are fun, the more you see him in the ring, the more the comparisons gain credence. Likewise, Lexis King continues to evolve as a despicable heel, and I love seeing him lean into that edge a bit throughout his matches. This time around, King even stomped Bourne’s head against the steel steps in a gnarly spot that helped keep him looking relatively strong despite taking a loss. Hopefully, there’s more to this feud moving forward, because I think both will continue to get something from it if there is.
Hit: Thea Hail 3.0
Thea Hail has evolved her persona quite a bit from the beginning of the Chase U era, though this latest iteration feels as if she’s found a compelling persona that mixes a bit from all those previous eras into a character that still feels authentic to her. Even before Hail stepped into the ring, we got a hilarious video of her talking trash about Jax that felt fresh and unmistakably her, and it set the table incredibly well.
Once in the ring, Hail shined in the David vs Goliath scenario against Jax, with Hail’s persevering spirit keeping her in the fight against imposing odds. Hail not only weathered the storm but then almost pinned the former Women’s World Champion, and that’s no small feat. Throw in a little edge with the double birds and you’ve got yourself an entertaining combo that will hopefully continue to soar over the next few weeks, because Hail more than deserves the spotlight.
Miss: NXT Championship Repeat
While DarkState would interrupt a segment revolving around the NXT Championship picture, it didn’t exactly squash a classic segment or anything. In fact, this felt like a segment we’ve seen a few times before, and even an appearance from Moose couldn’t save it from feeling like a repeat.
Oba Femi started out strong, addressing that he’s taken down just about everyone in NXT and there’s really no one left to challenge him. That’s when Trick Williams and Je’Von Evans came out to have their own interactions with each other and Femi, and if that sounds familiar, it should, as it feels like it happens every other week. Williams is still gold on the mic, and Evans gets more comfortable on the mic with each segment (the goofy as hell line made me genuinely chuckle too), but this all still feels remarkably tired at this point, and it makes Femi’s original point all the more accurate.
While Moose is a welcome addition to the mix, he’s mostly there because of Williams and the TNA Championship, so even his pretense doesn’t feel like it means anything for the NXT Championship. NXT is going to have to do something to freshen this main event picture up a bit after Heatwave (or during Heatwave), because unless Femi is moving on to the main roster, another month of this is going to get tired fast.
Hit: Say His Name, He Appears
Moose wasn’t the only TNA star to show up on NXT, as former TNA World Champion Joe Hendry appeared in one of the best moments of the show. Wren Sinclair and Charlie Dempsey were talking backstage when Sinclair sought to cheer Dempsey up a bit, and that involved singing Hendry’s theme song. While Dempsey wasn’t a fan, Hendry then showed up in a truly priceless way, as he emerged from a mini fridge.
Making this segment even better was Sinclair being a full-on fan, complete with her own Hendry-style outfit. While Dempsey and Hendry look to square off in the ring, Sinclair is a true believer and even got a selfie with Hendry to end the segment. Sinclair is one of NXT’s most delightful superstars in general, and teaming up with Hendry is a partnership I didn’t know I needed until now, and hopefully, that means we get to see them working together more in the future.
Hit: A Ringing Endorsement
Ethan Page has been on a stellar run over the past few months, though turning the NXT North American Championship into the new NXT Canadian Championship has only made that run even more entertaining. Tonight, Page was confronted by the newly solo Tavion Heights, giving us a fresh match-up around the North American Title, but that wasn’t the biggest highlight of the segment.
That honor goes to Chelsea Green, who arrived with the Secret Hervice to complement Page’s run as Champion. Green called Page the greatest North American to hold the North American Champion, and then proceeded to support Page (a fellow Canadian) and get in Heights’ face. That led to Heights clocking Page and then telling Green he would find someone to take her on as well. Whoever that ends up being will only make this (likely) mixed tag team match even more entertaining, and I can’t wait to see who NXT decides to include.
Hit: Complete Chaos in the Main Event
The final match of the night was an NXT Women’s North American Championship match between Sol Ruca and Tatum Paxley, though that was only one element of what ended up becoming an absurdly chaotic finish to the episode. Ruca and Paxley would go on to have a stellar match that pitted two fan favorites against each other, all while other stories collided with it throughout.
As Paxley’s story with The Culling and Izzi Dame played out in the final minutes, the match was then woven into the continuing brawl between Lash Legend and Nia Jax, which had been going on since Jax’s match against Hail. Those two tore each other apart, and even sent each other through a barricade, and in the midst of all that, the other members of The Culling would get in Zaria’s face at ringside, with Ruca settling things before they continued any further. Then the match in the ring ended with what is likely the best finishing move in WWE at the moment with Ruca’s Sol Snatcher, and you have quite the thrilling conclusion to a relatively lively NXT overall.
What were your favorite moments (and least favorite moments) of tonight’s WWE NXT? Let us know in the comments, and you can talk all things wrestling with me on Bluesky @knightofoa!
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