NXT Review – 03.31.26

As the WWE is on The Road to various places things just keep on happening, so let’s catch up: Evolve | Impact | Smackdown | AAA Rey de Reyes Part 3 | Sacrifice | Raw

NXT has it’s go-home show for Stand & Deliver tonight on the CW/Netflix airwaves coming to us LIVE from the Infosys Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York, NY. The announcers for tonight’s card are Vic Joseph and Booker T on match calls and analysis, Mike Rome on ring introductions, and Sarah Schreiber on backstage interviews and breaking news segments. Let’s watch some wrestling!

Then, Now, Forever….TOGETHER

Arrivals include: AAA Mixed Tag Team Champion Lola Vice, WWE Women’s Speed Champion Wren Sinclair and Kendal Grey, and NXT Men’s Champion Joe Hendry.

Darkstate (Saquon Shugars, Osiris Griffin and Dion Lennox) vs OTM (Bronco Nima and Lucien Price) and TNA Men’s World Champion Mike Santana

It’s Shugars and Nima to start and Shugars takes a cheap shot at Santana to drive him off the apron before rolling away to tag in Griffin. They slug it out mid-ring and Griffin uses an elbow before tagging in Lennox who drives a right into Nima’s gut. Nima yanks up Lennox and charges back to his corner to tag in Price. Price works the body and Nima tags back in. Nima hits a running splash and then tags in Santana. Santana snaps off a backdrop suplex before running Lennox back into his team’s corner while Price tags in. Lennox slips away and tags in Shugars who immediately gets dumped by Price. Griffin makes a blind tag and prevents Shugars from gaining further damage by trucking Price. Shugars flies in with a high boot as Griffin holds Price prone before exiting. Lennox tags in and Price slips a charge and tags in Nima. Nima smashes Lennox down and then hits a big backbreaker on a charging Shugars. Nima waffles Shugars and Lennox with a bronco buster along the ropes. Nima dumps Shugars over and then gets clipped by Lennox before eating a short-arm DDT. Lennox pulls Nima into the Darkstate corner and Griffin tags in as we go to commercials.

Nima is fighting out of a Shugars shoulder lock when the show returns. Griffin tags in and Shugars and Griffin get dumped out of the way as Nima is finally able to tag Price. Price dumps Lennox and Griffin and then tosses Shugars onto a prone Lennox. Price slams Griffin and his cover is broken up at two by a charging Shugars. Shugars drags Griffin to the Darkstate corner and tags in while inviting Lennox to join him. They charge Price and both eat high boots for their efforts. Santana tags in and he runs wild on Darkstate before dropping Lennox with a rolling cutter. Santana hits a tope suicida on Shugars and Griffin before ascending. Santana mashes Lennox with a frog splash that gets two. (The audience TOTALLY wanted that to be the finish, it was a cool moment.) Santana misses a charge and Lennox tags in Griffin. Santana gets caught by Griffin and Lennox and driven to the mat by Shugars but his cover is broken up by Price and Nima. A fight breaks out on the floor with OTM and Lennox/Griffin, while Santana grabs a roll up on Shugars for two. Santana catches Shugars with a rolling senton before tagging in Price. Santana mashes Shugars with Spin the Block and then flies out to wallop Lennox and Griffin with a tope con hilo. Price and Nima hit their finisher (kind of a spinning double backdrop) on Shugars and Nima covers him for three.

Hey look, a Darkstate match I actually liked. Who would have guessed? Oh, Mike Santana was involved? That solves that equation. I think that OTM are a fine hoss team that are coming along. They still look a little step-countish to me at times, but they’re getting there in terms of timing, psychology, and using their moveset to their advantage rather than just trying to do cool shit. Santana is a pro’s pro and his complete over-ness had this crowd jumping from the bell. Darkstate are clever, they heel it up very well, and for the most part I think they have the goods in terms of what they’re going to be moving forward. I think Griffin needs a bit of polishing but I also think he’s a good candidate for singles work at some point, so we’ll see what happens with them moving forward. Fun opener, the crowd was into it, and the good guys won. I’m good with all of that. 3.75*

Winners – Santana/OTM (OTM finisher on Shugars)

Vic Joseph sat down with NXT Men’s North American Champion Myles Borne and he talks about his year and not being on last year’s S&D card. Borne thanks the NQCC and Ethan Page for getting him to where he is now, pointing out that Page showed him that he needed an edge to become the champion he is now. Borne talks about Johnny Gargano’s legacy in NXT and says he’s not sure what side of Gargano is going to show up but he hopes it’s Johnny Wrestling. At this point, Johnny Gargano joins the set while Joseph leaves. Gargano tells Borne to be careful what he wishes for because he used to be Johnny Takeover and if he finds that guy, he will eat Borne alive. Gargano says the North American championship means a lot to him and if he wins, he gets his life back. If he doesn’t, Gargano doesn’t know what will happen. Gargano promises to take Borne into deep waters and also promises to stand and deliver like only he can.

Listen, I still don’t love this booking but at least this promo made me feel like the match might be decent enough if Shawn decides to rein in some of Gargano’s tendencies. Let’s all hope for the best here.

Rayo and Bravo Americano make their entrance as we go to commercials.

Here’s Wren Sinclair hyping up Kendal Grey for her big number one contender’s match with Lola Vice tonight. Sinclair says she’ll be there every step of the way and then decides to leave immediately while yelling at Grey to FOCUS.

NXT Tag Team Tournament Finals: Los Americanos (Rayo and Bravo) vs Birthright (Stacks Lorenzo and Uriah Connors)

Rayo and Bravo hit rope-assisted topes on Connors and Lorenzo prior to the bell and then puts the stink-mouth on Lexis King who along with Charles Dempsey and TNA Knockouts Champion Arianna Grace accompanies Connors and Lorenzo to ringside. The bell sounds and Bravo and Connors start duking it out. Bravo hits an inverted atomic drop and a dropkick on Connors. Connors dumps a charging Bravo to the floor but instead of tagging out decides to turn back. The Americanos promptly drop him to the mat and crotch him on the ring post twice. Rayo charges in to dance a bit and then smacks Connors a couple of times. Connors makes an escape and tags in Lorenzo. Lorenzo gets rolled up for two and then Rayo sends him into a Bravo right hand. Bravo hits a springboard senton but Connors provides some distraction so a recovered Lorenzo can smash Bravo from behind. Lorenzo and Bravo go to the floor and mocks his dance while getting some sugar from his fiancee. Bravo takes that opportunity to smash Lorenzo down and take his place behind Grace. Lorenzo doesn’t like that a bit so when Bravo re-enters Lorenzo trucks him and sends him into the Birthright corner. Bravo escapes to tag in Rayo as Connors tags in as well. Rayo smashes a charging Connors down and then hits a kaman giri on Lorenzo. Rayo runs amok on Connors and Lorenzo before ascending. Rayo misses his top rope move and Connors catches him with a cutter that gets two. We go to commercials.

Connors and Rayo are slugging it out when the show returns. Rayo snaps off a neckbreaker and both he and Connors make tags. Bravo smashes Lorenzo around then hoists him up for an airplane spin. Bravo ascends but Grace jumps up to distract the ref so King can fire his walking stick into Bravo’s gut. Bravo collapses to the mat and Lorenzo mashes him with a Shining Wizard before covering and getting two. Here’s Shiloh Hill out of the crowd and toting a chair to threaten King, Dempsey, and Grace. Hill sends them all scurrying up the aisle while Rayo gets a tag from Bravo. Rayo hits a running enziguri on a confused Lorenzo. Rayo mounts Lorenzo for a top rope rana and Bravo follows with a huge splash. Bravo’s cover gets broken up at two by Connors. Rayo gets dumped by Connors to the floor. Lorenzo crushes Bravo and then waffles Rayo with a suicide dive. Connors hits a swanton and covers Bravo for two. Connors drops his knee pad and here’s El Grande Americano (Nuevo) on the ring apron as Rayo and Bravo load up each other’s masks. Bravo mashes Connors with a running headbutt and covers him for three.

EGA got a MONSTER pop when he showed up, and Rayo and Bravo did their typical shenanigans. I guess they fall into the weird category of “heels the fans love” while the Birthright goons are just…heels. This was fine for what it was, kind of a comedy thing wrapped up in a number one contender’s match and I’m pretty sure Los Americanos aren’t winning the titles on Saturday. Regardless, the crowd ate this up with a spoon, the Shiloh Hill thing was funny, and everyone had a good time with it. 3*

Winners and new Number One Contenders for the NXT Tag Team Championships – Los Americanos (Bravo running headbutt on Connors)

Post-match sees the Americano crew barking at NXT Tag Team ChampionsThe Vanity Project who are in the crowd.

Dion Lennox is super angry backstage. Griffin and Shugars sit quietly while Lennox rages, and Lennox promises that everyone will see that ain’t nobody safe at Stand & Deliver. Wonderful.

Jaida Parker vs Kelani Jordan

Jordan plays patty-cake with Parker’s hair just after the bell before slapping her dead in the mouth. Parker fires up and kicks Jordan down before dragging her to a corner and firing off a bunch of rights to Jordan’s mid-section. Jordan fires out a kick and then rams Parker into a corner shoulder-first. Jordan gets thrown down and out by a grumpy Parker who goes out after her. Parker fires Jordan into the apron and then tosses her back in. Jordan catches Parker coming in and fires off a bunch of rights and then they both go out. Jordan fires Parker into the ring steps as we go to commercials.

Jordan has Parker in a cobra clutch when the show returns. Parker rises and smashes Jordan into a corner before dropping her back-first on the mat. Parker does some ground and pound and then yanks up Jordan before dropping her to the floor. They chirp at each other and then Parker yanks Jordan up and over the top rope. Parker trucks Jordan a couple of times before mashing her with a lariat. Parker drops Jordan into position and then hits her butt drop on Jordan’s mid-section. Jordan fires out of the corner with a pump kick but Parker no-sells it and kicks Jordan down. Parker’s cover gets two. Parker yanks Jordan up but Jordan reverses and works Parker’s shoulder before waffling her with a leg lariat. Parker rolls Jordan into a crucifix that gets two, but Jordan fires up immediately and kicks Parker in the ribs. Jordan hits a double stomp and then ascends for a frog splash that gets two. Jordan drops Parker and then wants the split-legged moonsault, but Parker catches her with a shot to the back and ascends as well. Parker hits a top rope German, a Hipnotic, and a sit-out spinebuster. Parker covers and gets three.

Well, that was a decisive finish right there. I’m not sure they believe in Jordan the way they once did, friends. Parker gets a big win here and after being out for so long, I bet it felt good. Considering neither of these folks are on the S&D card, this was their moment to shine and I think Parker handled herself well, while Jordan still kind of looks unfinished to me. We’ll see where this leads for them moving forward. 2.5*

Winner – Jaida Parker (sit-out spinebuster)

Here’s the Vanity Project running into Blake Monroe backstage while proclaiming how hot she is. Monroe is staring at the Women’s North American title belt like it’s a mirror, and Baylor and Smokes offer their protection from further Tatum Paxley attacks. Monroe says she’s fine and makes her exit.

Ricky Saints and Ethan Page are in a hallway walking and Tony D’Angelo is making his entrance as we go to commercials.

NXT GM Robert Stone is out to preside over the contract signing. Joe Hendry is out last and we thankfully miss Booker’s rendition of his theme. From left to right, it’s D’Angelo, Saints, Page, and Hendry. Page and Saints argue over who’s going to go first, so Hendry yanks the contract out of their hands and signs first. Hendry wonders who’s going to turn on who first between Page and Saints and then says they can’t differentiate between desperation and passion, but Page and Saints are desperate while Hendry is passionate about keeping the title and being in New York City tonight. Saints says Hendry should stick to singing his song and stop psycho-analyzing Page and Saints. Saints signs next and promises to become a two time champ. Page is next, and he signs while saying he’s been wasting his time trying to be the greatest North American. Page says he wants to have global recognition and promises to also become a two time champion. D’Angelo has had enough of their barking and says he used to do these kind of sit-downs before running down Page and Saints. D’Angelo says he’s got no quarrels with Hendry but it’s about the title and Hendry is an outsider just like Page and Saints. D’Angelo calls himself an NXT kid and promises to run the other three over like a freight train. D’Angelo signs and then tells Stone to leave. A brawl breaks out and Saints and Hendry end up going through tables. D’Angelo and Page are fighting it out as Security pours out to break it all up.

Jasper Troy and Keanu Carver are heading out as we go to commercials.

Keanu Carver vs Jasper Troy

Josh Briggs is your special guest referee. Will we get a clean finish here? I’m guessing no. The fight starts prior to the bell and Carver runs Troy into a ring post and then the ring steps. Carver and Troy fight over Troy’s chain and Troy wins that before dropping Carver on the apron. The bell rings and Carver mashes Troy with a head butt before putting the boots to him. Briggs yanks Carver away from Troy and they bark at each other. Carver goes out to yell at Booker and then yanks on a planted fan before Briggs pulls him away. Carver continues to put the stink-mouth on Booker so Troy comes out and plants Carver through the announce table with a chokeslam. Troy runs Carver in and hits a Black Hole Slam that gets two. Troy pushes Briggs, so Briggs drops Troy with a high boot. Carver springs up with a POUNCE on Troy and then yanks him up for an Oklahoma Slam that gets three.

The lesson is, as always, that Josh Briggs ruins everything. 1.5*

Post-match sees Carver want Briggs to put his hand up in victory, so Briggs of course waffles him with a lariat. If there’s one thing we have to do, we must keep Josh Briggs strong at all times. IN CASE YOU CAN’T TELL I WAS BEING SARCASTIC.

Here’s an injured Sean Legacy, an injured WWE Men’s Speed Champion Elio LeFleur, a not-injured Eli Knight, and Hank & Tank in a locker room. Hank & Tank are upset about losing to Birthright, and Elio LeFleur announces he’s out for six months and must relinquish his title. LeFleur also mentions that the tournament to replace him starts next week and he thinks that Knight should enter. Here’s Wren Sinclair sneaking in and she’s followed by Shiloh Hill. Tank reminds the room that none of them are on Stand & Deliver, but Hill says he’s got an idea and leaves while cackling wildly. We go to commercials.

NXT Women’s North American Champion Tatum Paxley is out without her title belt. Paxley grabs a microphone and says it felt pretty good to grab Blake Monroe by her platinum blonde hair last week. Paxley says Monroe is complex and that excites her, so she gave her the ultimatum to come to NYC and give her the title belt back. Here’s Blake Monroe out to tell “Tater” that she doesn’t have an issue with her but the North American championship just feels right to her. Monroe says she can’t give the title back and Paxley says she might have something that Monroe might want as well. Paxley says she’s got the opportunity for Monroe to get her first Stand & Deliver match because she’d clearly hate sitting at home watching the show. Monroe accepts the offer for the match but says that she and Paxley are polar opposites. Monroe insults the crowd and says Paxley should be sitting with them. Paxley says she gets that Monroe has a dark side but there’s a terrible side of her that comes out. Paxley insists on getting the belt back and then fisticuffs ensue. Monroe steals the belt and runs for the hills as Joseph wonders if the match will be made official.

Here’s Sarah Schreiber with Robert Stone. Stone announces that there’s going to be a ten person mixed tag on the S&D pre-show with Hank & Tank, Eli Knight, Shiloh Hill and Wren Sinclair facing Birthright. Here’s Keanu Carver in to yell at Stone about wanting Josh Briggs, and Stone makes a triple threat for next Tuesday night. A commotion occurs not far away and it’s Kelani Jordan and Jaida Parker still fighting it out in a hallway. We go to commercials.

THE NXT FOCUS PRESENTED BY PROGRESSIVE is on the Rise and Fall of ZaRuca. We actually get to see Ava! I kind of miss Ava. This Ruca-Zaria storyline has been playing out for a LONG time now.

NXT Women’s Champion Jacy Jayne has been watching this story and says she’s glad she’s out of that mess while Fallon Henley and Lainey Reid look on impassively. Izzi Dame pops in and says she makes it crystal clear what she wants before leaving.

Joseph runs down the S&D card and it’s time for our main event as Kendal Grey and Lola Vice make their entrances. We go to commercials.

NXT Women’s Championship Number One Contenders Match: Kendal Grey vs Lola Vice

Wren Sinclair is out with Grey as usual. Grey goes behind and rolls Vice up for one, and then there’s a series of reversals. We reset and Grey snaps off an armbar before Vice grabs a rear chinlock. Grey puts on a headscissors, and then transitions to a headlock. Vice reverses and then Grey does as well. Vice goes back to the headlock and then trucks Grey when they rise. Vice wants an armbar but Grey fights out of it. Vice lifts a knee and then kicks Grey in the gut. Grey grabs a roll up for one and then mashes a charging Vice with an elbow. There’s some rope-running and Vice sneaks in a right to break it up. Vice hits an armdrag and then goes to her shotgun low kicks. Vice hits her Hip Attack but misses a second one as Grey drives in a shoulder from the apron. They go outside and Vice mashes Grey with a flying tackle as we go to commercials.

There’s a reset with both women on the mat when the show returns. Grey hits an elbow and a high boot before smashing Vice down and yanking her into a German. Grey drops the straps and hits a Saito suplex and a half-and-half suplex. Vice pushes a charging Grey away and then misses a backfist. Grey rolls into an armbar but Vice breaks out of it before grabbing Vice for a rear naked choke. Grey rolls out of it eats a backfist that sends her to the floor. Here’s Fatal Influence out to bark at Vice but an official comes out to prevent fisticuffs. Vice misses a charge and goes hip-first into the ring steps. They go back in and Grey ascends. Grey’s jump is met by a kick to the gut by Vice who covers and gets two. Vice gets walloped with a back elbow and Grey covers for two. Jayne from the outside: “You wanna be a champion, get your ass up!” Well, sure. They slug it out and Grey slaps on an ankle lock. Vice rolls through and gets a roll up for two. Grey hits a charge and covers Vice for two. Vice slaps on a guillotine and Grey rises but Vice uses her body weight to go back to the mat. Grey snaps off a Northern Lights suplex and the ref counts three. The other ref who was out with Fatal charges into the ring and says that Grey was tapping out while the ref was counting three. Here’s Shawn Michaels out as the credits roll and Joseph is screaming about who’s actually going to be challenging for the title at S&D.

Okay, so clearly they’re running a triple threat at S&D but I’m not sure this finish landed the way they were hoping it would. I give them credit for the cleverness of the whole thing but the crowd was pretty confused and ultimately pissed, and the whole thing came off pretty amateurish in the end. The match itself was solid as hell in my opinion, but that finish kind of dragged it down for me. 3.25*

No winner declared – referees and officials still discussing the finish when the show went off the air

Let’s start with the good – the show was better than last week, and had two solid tag matches and a fine main event to bookend things. S&D looks to be fairly set in stone at this point assuming they announce a triple threat for the women’s title on social media probably tonight or Wednesday morning. The bad – the Carver-Troy-Briggs thing was not good. Shawn being unable to just pick ONE challenger for the women’s title was not good. Jordan-Parker was okay, but I’m not sure I want to see more of it. The middle of the show was kind of a slog to get through and the contract signing and the Paxley-Monroe thing didn’t do a damn thing for me. Overall I’m thumbs leaning up for tonight and I’m hopeful for S&D but everyone, and I mean EVERYONE, better plan to show out in St. Louis.

Thanks for reading and commenting, enjoy your Wednesday.