NXT Review – 01.13.26

A LOT has happened so let’s catch up: Evolve | Impact | Smackdown | Raw

Coming off of a very eventful end of last week’s New Year’s Evil show, NXT comes to the airwaves on the CW and Netflix from the Performance Center in Orlando, FL. The announce team for tonight’s show includes Vic Joseph and Booker T on match calls and analysis, Mike Rome on ring announcements, and Kelly Kincaid and Blake Howard on backstage interviews and breaking news segments. Let’s watch some wrestling!

Then, Now, Forever….TOGETHER

Here’s a look back at New Year’s Evil that culminated with Oba Femi vacating the Men’s title after defeating Leon Slater. Back live, the Men’s title is sitting in the ring to get the same shot last week’s show ended on, and here’s NXT GM Ava to pick it up and declare that the Men’s division is wide open at this point. Here’s Ricky Saints with his own entrance just to prove how special he is. Saints has a mic and thanks everyone for coming to the show and Ava for the chat. Saints says he ran the Stand & Deliver main event right out of NXT, and he’s the then, now, and forever that the beginning of every show mentions. Saints says Ava should hand the title over to him, and Ava declines because everyone deserves an opportunity. On February 3rd, there will be a six man ladder match and whomever pulls the title down will be the new champion, with qualifiers beginning next week. (I *HATE* LADDER MATCHES.) A giant brawl erupts and here’s Keanu Carver emerging from the back to start wrecking people. Carver powerbombs Brooks Jensen directly through the announce desk before press-tossing Jackson Drake onto a pile of dudes on the outside. Carver stands alone in the ring as Saints looks on in disbelief. (Not a horrible way to introduce a new person to the crowd but I’m not sure Carver got the reaction they were looking for. Poor Booker lost his candy stash in the first segment of the show, which is the real tragedy here. I think we should talk about THAT.)

Lola Vice and Kelani Jordan are making their way out to the ring as the show goes to commercials.

Ava is chatting with someone on the phone who will be arriving later. Tony D’Angelo is seen walking backstage in the background as Ava runs into Robert Stone who informs her that Blake Monroe is in the building and has a lot to say.

Kelani Jordan vs Lola Vice

This has been simmering since Vice lead the charge to kick then-TNA Knockouts Champion Jordan out of the NXT locker room. Jordan attacks prior to the bell and hits a huge cross-body to the floor on Vice. Jordan rolls her in and Vice responds with a right hand as the bell rings. They go to the mat and exchange rights, before Vice gains an advantage when they get back to their feet. Jordan grabs a quick roll-up for two. There’s some acrobatics and Jordan trips up Vice before starting to work her over in a corner. NXT Women’s North American Champion Izzi Dame has arrived and is flanked by Niko Vance and Shawn Spears as seen in an inset. Jordan hits a big back elbow and covers Vice for two. Jordan kicks away at Vice before Vice reverses an irish whip to lift a knee. Vice and Jordan exchange roll-ups for two. Vice works into an armbar submission but Jordan makes the ropes. Vice hits some punches in a corner and Jordan responds with a big slap to Vice’s face. They go to the floor and Jordan wallops Vice with a clothesline as we go to commercials.

They crash into each other after running the ropes when the show returns. They start slugging it out and Vice grabs Jordan to plant her with a German. Vice hits some kicks and drops Jordan into a corner. Vice misses a hip attack as Jordan bails to the floor. Vice gives chase and smashes Jordan with a leg lariat from the apron to the floor before saying “She’s not ready for the Latina Heat!” to the camera. Vice hits her hip attack but Jordan fires out with a short flurry. Vice shakes that off and puts on a body scissors but Jordan rolls her over and gets a quick two. Jordan hits a Pele kick and ascends to hit a big frog splash that gets two. Jordan goes back up and hits her springboard moonsault but when she lands Vice immediately slaps on a triangle choke. Jordan again smartly grabs a roll-up that gets two. Jordan hits a rolling Angle Slam and ascends, but her 450 attempt comes up empty. Jordan grabs the ropes during a roll-up attempt and as she’s being chastised by the ref Vice wallops her with a backfist. Vice’s cover is academic as the ref counts three.

This wasn’t bad, but I wouldn’t call it great or anything either. After all this time, Jordan still feels like she’s counting steps to me, and I don’t know if she’ll ever break out of wrestling so performatively. Vice has not updated her moveset in the slightest since she’s ascended to the upper portions of the card, and feels like she’s treading water. I would assume Vice might get a look at the NA title now that it’s held by a heel, but who knows. Technically this was fine and both performers put in the efforts they’re capable of, but I don’t see how it’s helping either one of them. 2.5*

Winner – Lola Vice (Backfist)

Here’s Tavion Heights cutting a promo about his 2025 accomplishments. Heights says he’ll show everyone in 2026 what real highlights look like when he beats Jasper Troy for the WWE Men’s Speed Title. Troy responds by saying that whatever momentum Heights thinks he has is coming to an end tonight. We go to commercials.

WWE Men’s Speed Championship: Jasper Troy (C) vs Tavion Heights

Five minutes on the clock as per the Speed rules for a title match. Heights hits a sling blade and covers for two. Heights works a headlock and Troy snatches him up to smash Heights in a corner. Heights hits a couple of standing splashes and Heights bails to the floor. Troy puts the boots to Heights when he returns to the ring, and then hits a running splash in a corner. Troy misses a charge and Heights puts up a short flurry. Heights cuts that off with a backbreaker and covers Heights for two. Troy works a submission hold that resembles an abdominal stretch. Heights breaks out of it and kicks Troy a couple of times before trying some forearms. Heights hits a bodyslam and a lariat before hitting an overhead belly-to-belly. Heights ascends and hits a frog splash for two. Troy fires up with a Black Hole slam and covers Heights for three.

Let’s run down the checklist for the Speed match post-mortems, shall we? Selling – very little. Psychology – very little. Finish – out of nowhere. Now, all that aside, they seem to have found something for Jasper Troy to do effectively and with that in mind, I’m fine with how this went. Tavion Heights desperately needs a focus, whether it’s singles, or tagging, or something that isn’t this current path. I hate being the guy to always say “maybe a trip to TNA for a bit would help” but well, it might. 1.5*

Winner AND STILL WWE Men’s Speed Champion – Jasper Troy

Post-match sees Lexis King attack a downed Heights. King barks at Heights while choking him.

Evolve Women’s Champion Kendal Grey and Wren Sinclair are outside Ava’s office discussing how Fatal Influence needed all three members to allow Jacy Jayne to retain at New Year’s Evil when they’re approached by Sol Ruca and Zaria. Zaria says either her or Ruca have next when it comes to Jayne’s title. Ruca points out that Jayne has beaten both Grey and Sinclair, and out pops NXT Women’s Champion Jacy Jayne to shush the group because “the champ is having a meeting”. Everyone ignores that and barges into Ava’s office. Ava tells the group (NXT Women’s Speed Champion Fallon Henley and Lainey Reid are in the room as well) that she’s spoken to Santino and a women’s tag team will go and take on the Knockouts tag team champions at some point. Next week will be a three way tag match between ZaRuca, the WrenQCC, and Fatal and the winners will get that shot. We go to commercials.

Here’s Lexis King striding around backstage with a big smile on his face. King approaches Chase U and Andre Chase says that was a teachable moment, and King brags that winning the NXT Men’s title is his birthright. Stacks and Arianna Grace wander over and tell Chase U they should be listening to King because he’s a visionary. Chase U leaves and King makes sure that Stacks is confident about beating the “toothless wonder” and Stacks says he’s ready to go. Robert Stone wanders in as everyone leaves and he has a quick word with Myles Borne who aggressively tells Stone he wants to be in a qualifying match. Stone assures Borne he’ll talk to Ava about it.

Here’s another look at Elio LeFleur. LeFleur was mentored by a luchadore called Nitro who gave seminars every year in LeFleur’s town. LeFleur promises to SLASH THE SKY to honor his mentor.

The ever-present Ava is now approached by NXT Men’s North American Champion Ethan Page who reminds Ava how much he likes the Vanity Project. Page is not getting a qualifying match for the NXT title, and Ava says if he wants a qualifier he has to vacate the NA title. Page runs down his history as champion including beating “zoo animals” and Ava does put over that he’s the longest reigning title in WWE right now. Ava says Page will defend the title next week against Elio LaFleur in his debut match.

Here’s Blake Monroe dressed in black and making her way to the ring. We go to commercials.

Blake Monroe makes her way to the ring and grabs a mic. Monroe admits to attacking Thea Hail but says it was a travesty that she was having to compete for her title in the first place. Monroe says she was in the middle of the conversation but then the narrative changed and she was walked out of the building like she was the problem. Monroe says when you’re as talented as she is people don’t always know what to do with you. Monroe says she is the standard and the most complete woman in NXT, and no one compares to her. Monroe mentions that the spotlight only exists because she wants it to. Monroe says she didn’t lose control, she lost patience last week. Monroe points out that there are stars and there are women who…and here’s Jaida Parker returning to a HUGE response from the crowd. Parker bops around the ring and has a microphone. Parker seems genuinely touched by the response from the crowd. There’s a short exchange and then a brawl breaks out. Parker smashes Monroe in a corner and hits her springboard butt drop on a prone Monroe. Parker again salutes the crowd as Monroe glares at her from the floor.

The PROGRESSIVE SPOTLIGHT is on Shiloh Hill who mentions winning LFG with the help of the Undertaker. Hill mentions the Christmas Chaos match and then tells a story about bringing some squirrels in to his house at Christmas time. Hill mentions his dental bridge falling out when he was dancing with Arianna Grace last week, and people will find out why no one sleeps on Shiloh Hill. Okay then. Stacks and Arianna make their way to ringside as we go to commercials.

Here’s a look at Darkstate during 2025. They cut a promo over highlights of them wrecking people including the Hardy Boys. Dion Lennox will take on Joe Hendry in a No DQ match in the main event tonight. Saquon Shugars promises that OTM will get got like they’ve never been got before. Right on, Saquon.

TNA International Championship: Stacks Lorenzo (C) vs Shiloh Hill

Stacks is seconded by Arianna Grace, as always. Mike Rome does in-ring intros and we’re off, after Grace slaps Hill. Hill smashes Stacks into a corner but Stacks responds with an uppercut and some rights. Stacks smashes Hill around but misses a charge as Hill grabs a quick roll-up for two. Stacks grabs an armlock and runs Hill into a corner. (Joseph brings up the Boogeyman to Booker during this and Booker quickly moves to keep Joseph focused on the in-ring in a DEEP CUT of continuity that I appreciate very much.) Stacks works a wristlock but Hill clips out of it and grabs an elbow lock. Hill tosses Stacks around but Stacks fires up with a forearm. Hill dumps Stacks to the floor and then goes out after him. They slug it out a bit and Hill waffles Stacks with a lariat. Hill misses a charge as Grace pulls Stacks out of the way. Hill springs up and crushes Stacks with a rolling tackle as we go to commercials.

Stacks is working Hill over with kicks in a corner when the show returns. Stacks runs into some rights from Hill but Stacks lifts a knee to cut that off. Stacks hits a running forearm and covers Hill for two. Stacks runs into a rolling powerslam by Hill as we see Joe Hendry and OTM chatting in an inset. Hill removes his dental bridge and starts firing off some rights before trucking Stacks mid-ring. Hill hits a standing reverse 450 and Stacks barely kicks out at two. Hill’s flurry is cut off by some Stacks right hands. Stacks hits a gutbuster and covers Hill for two. Stacks misses a charge and Hill ducks out to say hi to Grace, who’s utterly horrified. Hill wants a sunset flip but Stacks grabs the ropes to cut that off. The ref kicks Stacks’s hands off the ropes and Hill gets his roll-up for two. Hill grabs an inside cradle but Grace sneaks in to kick Stacks into the top position and the referee counts three.

Ooh, the crowd HATED that finish. In kayfabe, the ref missing seeing Grace slide out of the ring was ridiculous because he was basically looking right at the pile. Regardless, this was actually a pretty good showing for Shiloh Hill. I don’t love the character as much as others but “big goofy weirdo with a missing tooth” is something different from a lot of the standard stock characters we see at this point. Stacks is a perfectly cromulent wrestler but this act with Grace is NXT for life, I think. This was fine for what it was, but again, the finish was clunky as hell. 2.5*

Winner AND STILL TNA International Champion – Stacks Lorenzo (Inside Cradle)

NXT Women’s North American Champion Izzi Dame is making her way out to the ring, flanked by Spears and Vance, as we go to commercials.

Dame is out alone when the show returns as I question what use she has for Spears and Vance at this point. Dame welcomes everyone to their new reality because she’s the new champion. Dame says she’s not going to give the same story about having her moment because that’s what people are expected to say. Dame says she wants to talk about how happy everyone was when she lost to Tatum Paxley last week. Dame says she wasn’t going to cry or hide in the shadows over it. Dame mentions that she studies losses and that all the loss did for her was bring her clarity. Dame says the Culling has been about removing weakness and exploiting mistakes. Dame tells the crowd that she’s three steps ahead and that’s why she’s a champion. Dame shouts out Lola Vice wanting a shot but also says wanting a shot and getting one are two very different things. Dame says Thea Hail crying over the title won’t get her a shot, either. Dame says if anyone thinks they’re getting close to the title they better understand what they’re walking into. Here’s Tatum Paxley to finally interrupt things. Paxley charges in and pounds away with a bunch of refs trying to hold her back before Dame bails to the floor. Paxley wallops an official and screams at Dame from the ring.

Here’s Kelly Kincaid backstage with Ricky Saints. Kincaid asks Saints if he’s cooled off since the first segment and Saints says he doesn’t have to qualify because he was owed a rematch for the title. Saints mentions he’ll be front and center for some of the qualifying matches including Sean Legacy vs Eli Knight and Shiloh Hill vs Josh Briggs. Stacks Lorenzo and Arianna Grace wander in and Stacks complains about Hill getting a qualifier before Stacks. Lexis King comes into frame and tells Stacks they should talk. We go to commercials as the main event is up next.

Tatum Paxley is being ejected from the building as Blake Howard informs us when the show returns. Here’s The Vanity Project to walk and talk with Howard and mention that they’ve signed NXT contracts. Swipe Right will be wrestling Chase U next week. Keanu Carver is getting ready to leave and is not interested in being on camera or having a word with Howard.

No Disqualification: Dion Lennox vs Joe Hendry

All of Darkstate are out with Lennox, and as promised OTM are out with Hendry. Booker sings along with Hendry’s theme song and Joseph says Booker won’t be getting a Grammy for his rendition. Hendry and Lennox grapple around the ring and Lennox takes the advantage. Hendry fires up with some chops and dumps Lennox to the floor. Hendry hits a twisting neckbreaker and covers Lennox for two when he returns to the ring. Hendry gets walloped with an uppercut and Lennox then puts the boots to him. Lennox hits a backbreaker and covers for two. Lennox hits another neckbreaker and gets another two count. Hendry fires up and starts throwing bombs in a corner. They start slugging it out and Hendry nips up after getting knocked to the mat. Hendry hits a superplex and we go to commercials.

Hendry breaks out of a rear chinlock when the show returns and fires off some uppercuts and a headbutt. Lennox whips Hendry into a corner and covers for two. Lennox goes back to the rear chinlock but Hendry breaks out with some more chops. Lennox cuts off the flurry and runs Hendry into a corner. Shugars puts a chair into a corner but Hendry reverses an irish whip and sends Lennox into the chair and Shugars. Hendry fires off some rights and then grabs some brass knucks from OTM. Hendry smashes Lennox with the knucks and covers for two. Hendry hits a fall-away slam and nips up to a pop. Hendry wants a chokeslam but James hands Lennox a kendo stick that he uses on Hendry’s back to break the hold. Lennox uses the kendo stick repeatedly but Hendry finally grabs it and uses it for himself. Hendry hits the Standing Ovation chokeslam and Darkstate yank Hendry out off the cover to pound on him. Lennox hits a sitown powerbomb and OTM yank Lennox out at two to pound away. OTM and Darkstate face off and a brawl breaks out. Everyone spills to the floor and back up the aisle. Lennox has a SLIM JIM table in the ring and also grabs a chair. Hendry has a chair as well, and they head back in to smack them together. Lennox hits a spinebuster that sees Hendry land on one of the chairs. Lennox’s cover gets two. Hendry fires up with a Standing Ovation on the chair and that gets two. They slug it out and Lennox hits a charge that sends Hendry through the table. Lennox covers and gets a LONG two. Lennox picks up a chair and here’s Tony D’Angelo to charge and waffle Lennox with a chair and a chokeslam. D’Angelo yanks up Hendry and plants him with a chokeslam. D’Angelo drags Hendry on top of Lennox and the ref counts three.

This was the very definition of overbooked nonsense but the crowd ate it up. Lennox isn’t quite there as a singles yet, and Hendry did his best to make this whole thing work. Tony D getting involved probably means he and Hendry have a meeting coming down the road, perhaps in a qualifier! Let’s see where it leads. Darkstate still feel like a mid-card act to me even with the tag titles in their group. Given the horrendous state of the men’s tag division in NXT, they’ll probably hold them for awhile. The fans loved this because Hendry is mega-over. 3*

Winner – Joe Hendry (Tony D’Angelo chair/chokeslam to Lennox)

Post-match sees D’Angelo stare into the camera as Ava and Security pour out from the back. D’Angelo starts wrecking the Security goobers as the credits roll. D’Angelo walks past Ava who stares back at him. We’re out.

We’re in a transition phase with this brand and it happens with developmental when folks get to move up. The ladder match is not unexpected but is not my favorite way to have this title decided. Also, what has Eli Knight done to deserve to be in a qualifier? Anyway, Shawn once again has to be as nimble as possible with booking since he’s lost Trick, Je’von and now Oba to the main roster, and I trust he’ll figure out a way to cobble the whole thing together while also satisfying whatever needs to happen with the ongoing involvement with TNA and AAA. Everything feels very fluid and unsettled right now, and I think Shawn likes that chaos secretly. Let’s see how things progress. Thumbs slightly up for tonight overall, but there was a LOT of yap.

Thanks for reading and commenting. Please make sure to patronize all of our writers columns and reviews! Subjects for comments could include: Shiloh Hill potentially clowning Josh Briggs next week, Ricky Saints – terrible promo or god-awful promo?, is Arianna Grace channeling her inner Adriana La Cerva with these outfits?, and will Keanu Carver get the rocket push to the title that tonight sort of suggested?