NXT Review – 05.19.26

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NXT comes to the CW/Netflix airwaves this evening from The Performance Center in Orlando, FL. The announcing team for tonight’s show includes Vic Joseph and Booker T on match calls and analysis, Mike Rome on ring introductions, and Sarah Schreiber on backstage interviews and breaking news. It’s a crazy time in our favorite developmental right now, so LET’S WATCH SOME WRESTLING!

Then, Now, Forever…..TOGETHER

Some folks decided to show up for work and they are: Darkstate and everyone is smiling! Here’s NXT Tag Team Champions Brad Baylor and Ricky Smokes with Jackson Drake and Myka Lockwood all looking confident prior to the big title defense this evening. Here’s Lizzy Rain having a chat with herself, while NXT Women’s North American Champion Tatum Paxley looks smiley and relaxed prior to their clash tonight for Paxley’s title. It’s time to go to the ring!

NXT Men’s North American Champion Myles Borne and NXT Men’s Champion Tony D’Angelo vs Kam Hendrix and Mason Rook

It’s Hendrix and Borne to start and Hendrix drives in a knee after bullying Borne to a corner. Hendrix trucks Borne down and then runs into a back elbow. Hendrix shakes that off and drives Borne down with a powerslam that gets two. Hendrix clubbers Borne down and wants a suplex but Borne slips off and goes behind to mash Hendrix with a dropkick. Hendrix runs right into Borne’s snap powerslam and that gets two. D’Angelo tags in he hits a hiplock takeover and a short-arm clothesline to send Hendrix into his corner. We see a pacing Tavion Heights watching the match on a monitor backstage in an inset. Rook tags in and he and D’Angelo go right to a slugfest mid-ring. Rook trucks D’Angelo down and then starts smashing him around with clubbering blows and a running senton that gets two. Rook misses a charge and D’Angelo has a short flurry cut off when Rook hoists him up. D’Angelo slips out of that and escapes to tag in Borne. Borne and D’Angelo combine on a belly to back suplex and Rook bails. Hendrix charges and gets dumped as we go to commercials.

Borne is trying to break out of a Rook rear chinlock when the show returns. Borne pushes Rook into his team’s corner where Rook takes a swipe at D’Angelo. The ref admonishes D’Angelo as Borne tries to pick up Rook for a body slam, only to be clipped in the knee by a charging Hendrix. Rook slams Borne and covers him for two. Hendrix tags in and he and Rook continue pounding on Borne. Hendrix smashes Borne with a lariat that gets two as Booker is apoplectic about D’Angelo not trying to break up these covers. Hendrix boots Borne down and then yanks him up for a back suplex that gets two. Rook tags in and smashes Borne in his corner with a splash before planting Borne with a Blue Thunder Bomb that gets two. Hendrix slides in and Borne manages to fight both of them off before finally tagging in D’Angelo. D’Angelo runs wild on Hendrix and Rook and it ends with D’Angelo planting Hendrix with a spinebuster and a spear that gets two. Rook breaks up D’Angelo’s cover with a senton and he and Borne get tagged back in. Borne lifts a knee on Rook but gets caught by a Hendrix drop kick. D’Angelo hits Hendrix with a jackknife powerbomb before clotheslining Rook to the floor. D’Angelo charges Rook who sidesteps it and drives D’Angelo into the ring steps. Borne hits a gigantic tope con hilo on Rook and Hendrix before driving Rook back in. Here’s Tavion Heights out from the back to send Hendrix into Borne’s legs, but Borne doesn’t see the first part and thinks Heights might have prevented him from hitting his next move. Rook catches Borne and drives him neck-first into a second turnbuckle. Hendrix tags in as Rook slams Borne down. Hendrix pushes Rook off of Borne and covers him for three.

I expected the heel team to win here , so the result doesn’t surprise me too much. I thought this went about five minutes too long for the finish we got, but I get where they’re going with things at this point. I’m assuming Hendrix will settle at Borne’s level while Rook continues to antagonize D’Angelo, but I guess we’ll see how it shakes out. I thought Hendrix and Rook did fine for being an ad hoc team where both guys are new to the brand, but clearly they’re setting up for some confrontation with them as well based on the finish. Not sure this needed fifteen minutes but here we are. 3*

Winners – Mason Rook/Kam Hendrix (Rook Fireman’s Driver into second turnbuckle, Hendrix covers Borne)

Here’s Darkstate backstage with Osiris Griffin talking up all the teams they’ve beaten so far. Dion Lennox says they’ll make history tonight, but wants to know what Saquon Shugars meant about making a change if they don’t win tonight. Shugars shakes that off and says he knows it’s all love and when Darkstate strikes, ain’t nobody safe.

Here’s a look back at last week‘s Kendal Grey-Kelani Jordan match. Jordan addresses the NXT UNIVERSE after commercials.

Here’s Kelani Jordan out looking sharp and ready to chat. Jordan wants to know what a girl has to do after beating Kendal Grey last week. Jordan says she’s better than all the women called up to Smackdown and Raw and drops Sol Ruca, Blake Monroe, and Fatal Influence’s names. Jordan says she’s the only woman on the roster who made Lola Vice tap out, and she’s never gotten a chance to fight for the NXT women’s title ever. Jordan says she’s had to watch everyone else fumble opportunities left and right. Jordan says she’s already figured things out while others keep trying, and it’s her time for a shot at the title. Jordan calls herself the most underrated talent in the locker room. Here’s Izzi Dame out to remind Jordan that she pinned Vice and isn’t happy about Jordan trying to jump the line. Here’s NXT Women’s Champion Lola Vice out to remind them both that she’s the champ. Vice says Jordan talks too much, and Dame is a back-jumper. Vice says Dame will get her shot next week, and then will deal with Jordan. Here’s Kendal Grey out to try to start beefing with Jordan and here’s WWE Women’s Speed Champion Wren Sinclair in to smash Jordan with her crutch. Vice poses with her belts while Grey eyes up the NXT title from behind.

I thought Jordan was doing better than usual until the Interruption Parade started. I guess we’ll see where all of this leads but I’m a little surprised we didn’t get a Robert Stone appearance during the whole thing. Ava would have been out there in five seconds.

Here’s Sean Legacy and Dorian van Dux backstage discussing their match from last week and Legacy says Tate Wilder got a little overzealous which is what cost them in the end. As it turns out, these two will be going against each other next week in the new Men’s Speed tournament. Here’s Romeo Moreno and Noam Dar roaming past with Dar hyping up Moreno for his match tonight, while Dar is sad about losing last week. Moreno asks Dar to be ringside with him when he takes on Tristan Angels later, and Dar is cool with it. We go to commercials.

Joseph tells Booker that some chaos broke out on Busted Open radio on Thursday when the show returns. Joseph throws to a video package of Shooter Nattie and her comments on Jaida Parker. Parker is in the locker room as a bunch of other talent watch highlights of Nattie’s comments. Layla Diggs reminds Parker she talks a bunch about her opponents as well and Parker tells Diggs she used to like her. Diggs says Nattie has earned her respect and Parker keeps racking up losses. Parker takes that pretty personally and wants Diggs next week. The verbals escalate and the women have to be separated.

Romeo Moreno vs Tristan Angels

Noam Dar is out with Moreno, as promised. There’s some grappling to start and a frustrated Angels goes to the ropes to reset. Angels slaps Moreno and trucks him down before putting the stink mouth on him. Moreno fires up and trips up Angels before mashing him with a dropkick. Moreno gets walloped by an Angels right and a double stomp before Angels crushes Moreno with a back suplex that gets two. Angels yanks Moreno up for a backbreaker and here’s Shiloh Hill in the NXT UNIVERSE with a “Mr. NXT” sign to shake some hands. Angels is distracted by this allowing Moreno to dump Angels to the floor. Moreno hits an awkward rope-jump flying tackle on Angels as Hill claps for him in the background. Moreno runs Angels back in and daps up Hill as we go to commercials.

They’re slugging it out when the show returns and Moreno takes the advantage with a couple of running clotheslines. Moreno hits a springboard missile dropkick that gets two. Angels fires up with a step up enziguri and a backstabber that gets two. Angels kicks out at Moreno who shakes that off and and headbutts Angels down. Moreno hits a double stomp and covers Angels for two. Angels bails to the floor and Moreno goes down the apron where Angels drags him down. Angels runs Moreno back in and hits him with a running knee drop that gets three.

I thought this was the match you’d get between two 23 year old competitors, where we’re trading moves, keeping an eye on our steps and movements, and trying to keep each other safe. Moreno is well-liked by the PC crowd, and Angels arrogant British heel stuff will play well for his whole career. Both guys need reps but I’m feeling generous tonight so far and will tell you that while there was nothing functionally wrong with this, it just didn’t generate a lot of heat. They’ll get there. I’m not sure I would have had Shiloh Hill out there for this, but here we are. 2.25*

Winner – Tristan Angels (Knee drop)

Post-match sees Angels grab a mic and tell Hill he hoped he enjoyed the view with all the “plebs” and Hill, who also has a mic, says he’s classed things up. Angels is grumpy as Hill polls the crowd about his credentials to be Mr NXT. Hill puts up an old photo of Angels in a tux and tophat and Angels is grumpy. Angels says the crowd and Hill’s opinions don’t matter as they can never appreciate real beauty. Hill will pay for messing up Angels debut, vows Angels.

Here’s Lola Vice and Tatum Paxley commiserating backstage about having to deal with Izzi Dame. Here’s Tony D’Angelo and Myles Borne griping about Tavion Heights interference, and Borne vows to handle things. All four champs talk about having so many people coming for them and Paxley leaves to defend her title with everyone wishing her good luck. Here’s NARAKU in to tell D’Angelo that EVIL will strike when he least expects it.

Lizzy Rain makes her entrance as we go to commercials.

THE NXT SPOTLIGHT PRESENTED BY PROGRESSIVE is on The Culling watching the OTM piece from last week, and Shawn Spears tells Niko Vance that they have a tag match with OTM next week, and Vance points out that Dame has her big title match next week. Vance and Dame seem unconvinced by Spears saying they can handle all of that.

NXT Women’s North American Championship: Tatum Paxley (C) vs Lizzy Rain

Mike Rome does in-ring intros and we’re off. There’s some grappling to start and they shake hands before going back to it. Rain works a side headlock but Paxley rolls over and reverses it. Rain escapes and starts working Paxley’s arm and wrist before Paxley yanks her over to reverse it. Rain nips up and Paxley cuts that off with an armbar. Paxley grabs a roll up for one, and we reset again. There’s some rope running and it all ends with a Paxley dropkick that sends Rain to the floor. Paxley gets yanked out and Rain flies in to hit a between-the-ropes dropkick as we go to commercials.

They crash together in cross-body attempts when the show returns. Kali Armstrong is watching the match unfold as we see in an inset. They start slugging it out and end up knocking each other to a knee with clotheslines. Rain hits a roundhouse kick and Paxley fires up with some kicks of her own. Rain hits a jumping enziguri on Paxley’s ear and then mashes her with a clothesline. Rain hits a half and half suplex and then hits some shotgun chops in a corner. Rain hoists Paxley up for a backdrop driver that gets two. Paxley bails to the floor and Rain charges right into a Paxley superkick. Paxley tosses Rain back in and Rain breaks up Paxley’s Cemetery Drive attempt with a headbutt. Paxley snaps off a superkick and then misses a charge before getting caught with a Rain German. Paxley no-sells it but gets wiped out by a flying Rain headbutt. Rain catches a Pele kick attempt and rolls Paxley into three straight two counts. Paxley bridges up and hits Cemetery Drive before covering Rain for three.

I know Rain has done a fair bit on the Euro indy scene but some of her stuff needs polishing. Particularly, she needs work on running the ropes and doing moves to the floor because all of it looks very mechanical and step-countish. Paxley is a much smoother and more confident worker at this point and really kind of carried this whole thing. 3*

Winner AND STILL NXT Women’s North American Champion – Tatum Paxley (Cemetery Drive)

Post-match sees Paxley pull Rain up for a hug. Zaria flies in from outta nowhere to spear both of them. Zaria hoists up Rain and drops her with an F5, and then she does the same thing to Paxley. Zaria grabs the North American title belt and hoists it over her head.

Here’s Kendal Grey and Wren Sinclair going over their earlier actions and Sinclair apologizes for last week. NXT GM Robert Stone comes in to admonish Sinclair for the crutch shot, and Sinclair wants a match with Kelani Jordan for next week. Stone says if she can get cleared it’s on.

Keanu Carver makes his entrance as we go to commercials.

Tate Wilder vs Keanu Carver

Fun facts about Tate Wilder – his real-life name is Case Hatch (which 100% sounds like an NXT name) and he calls himself the “Sheriff of Justice” in Evolve which is just a brilliant nickname. Carver dumps Wilder to the apron, and Wilder tries a sunset flip but Carver yanks him up for a couple headbutts. Wilder fires off an enziguri that barely catches Carver, but Carver shakes it right off and pulls Wilder into a sleeper. Wilder dumps Carver to the floor and follows him out with a moonsault. Carver recovers quickly and leaps onto the apron to push a celebrating Wilder into the ring post. Carver pounds away at Wilder and then yanks him over the top rope for a toss body slam. Carver bullies Wilder along the ropes and Wilder has a hardway cut under his eye. Carver fires off a German and then clubbers away in a corner. Carver drives in a shoulder and then fires off a back elbow. Carver mashes Wilder with a short-arm lariat and continues to bully Wilder around. Wilder fires up briefly but Carver cuts it off with a knee. Wilder ascends for a missile dropkick and follows with some forearms. Wilder trucks Carver down and then Carver misses a charge. Wilder sends Carver to the floor and follows with a jumping DDT off the ring steps. Wilder rolls Carver back in and ascends for a frog splash. Wilder doesn’t cover and tries for another top rope move, so Carver recovers and mashes him with THE POUNCE. Carver pulls Wilder up for a snap powerbomb and covers him for three.

At least this was simple and to the point. Carver is a wrecking machine, and Wilder is an overconfident dipshit who lets his ego get in the way of winning. Put them together and you get this match. I thought Carver seemed more settled tonight but I think seeing Wilder get busted open sort of slowed the middle part of this down. It wasn’t like he tapped a gusher or anything but I think you could tell that Carver was waiting to hear about what to do next for a few beats. For two new guys to the brand, this was fine for what it was, a one-segment squash designed with stories for both guys. Well done by all, mostly. 2.5*

Winner – Keanu Carver (snap powerbomb)

Here’s The Vanity Project looking nervous backstage, and Jackson Drake is hyping up his crew. Smokes and Baylor are concerned about the numbers, and Myka Lockwood assures the champs that she’s got it handled. We go to commercials.

Here’s Shiloh Hill backstage with OTM and he wants Price and Nima to sign his petition to make him Mr. NXT. They sign, and then Hill moves on to Birthright and Arianna Grace tells Hill he’s not pageant material. Charles Dempsey says Hill is embarrassing the business and Dempsey tells Hill he’ll see him next week in the ring.

Here’s Sarah Schreiber in the ring with Kam Hendrix and Hendrix says he was “hella impressive” tonight. Hendrix says he could go for Myles Borne’s title, but he really wants Tony D’Angelo’s title. Here’s Mason Rook out with a mic as Schreiber makes a quick exit. Rook mentions that Hendrix is acting like he won by himself tonight and without Rook he wouldn’t be out here right now calling for a title shot, but Rook wants his credit. Hendrix says no one will remember that “big boy” was in the match tonight, and that of course fires up Rook. Rook hits his fireman’s driver on Hendrix and gets some face cheers from the NXT UNIVERSE.

Joseph runs down next week’s card that includes a Women’s title match between Lola Vice and Izzi Dame. The Men’s Speed tournament will commence, and Wren Sinclair will face Kelani Jordan.

Darkstate make their entrance as we go to commercials.

NXT Tag Team Championship: The Vanity Project (Ricky Smokes and Brad Baylor) (C) vs Darkstate (Saquon Shugars and Dion Lennox)

Cutler James and Osiris Griffin are out with Lennox and Shugars, while Myka Lockwood and Jackson Drake are with the Vanity Project kids. Darkstate attack prior to the bell and Smokes gets driven into the barricade by Shugars. Lennox mashes Baylor around after the bell and Smokes gets a tag. Smokes spears Lennox and gets two. Baylor tags in and Lennox waffles both he and Smokes together. Shugars tags in and he and Lennox drive Baylor down. Lennox tags back and waffles Baylor with a shoulder tackle that gets two. Shugars tags in and he hits Baylor with a dropkick as Lennox seems perturbed about something. Baylor yanks Shugars down by his hair and tags in Smokes. Smokes misses an elbow drop and eats a Shugars charge. Lennox tags in and he and Shugars abuse Smokes with double-team stuff. Shugars tags in and eats a Smokes double thrust. Lennox tags in and fires Baylor over his hip before dumping Shugars on top of him as well. Smokes makes an escape and tags in Baylor. Shugars flips Baylor over and grabs a leg before firing Baylor over the top rope to the floor. Smokes charges in and gets hammered by Lennox and Shugars before they send him to the floor as well. We go to commercials.

Shugars and Baylor are slugging it out when the show returns. Baylor inadvertantly takes out Smokes on a charge as Shugars bails to the floor. Shugars slips a Smokes charge and sends him into the barricade. Shugars makes a tag to Lennox who smashes both Baylor and Smokes around before firing up the crowd. Lennox hits a rolling powerslam and covers Baylor for two. Shugars gets a tag as Lennox gets dropped to the floor. Shugars takes out Baylor and Smokes and grabs Smokes for a roll up that gets two. Shugars tries a backslide and that gets two. Baylor and Lennox get tags and Lennox mashes Baylor with a slingshot powerbomb as Shugars crushes Smokes with a flying cross-body. Lennox covers Baylor and gets two. Lennox hoists Baylor but Smokes pulls him off Lennox’s shoulders. Lennox fires off a double clothesline as Jackson Drake and Myka Lockwood get into it with James and Griffin. Lennox crushes Smokes with a spinebuster but Shugars had grabbed a blind tag and the ref won’t count the cover. Shugars flies in with a top rope elbow and covers Smokes for two. Lennox and Shugars bicker and Smokes grabs a quick inside cradle on Shugars that gets three.

My thoughts here about the match are this: Everyone is doing too much. There’s too many moves that have to get shoved in, there are too many sequences these guys have worked in the PC, there’s just too much everything in these tag matches. It’s too fast and no one sells and there’s a chaotic finish and someone wins. Now, ostensibly this was heels vs heels in terms of alignment but Darkstate were getting the face pops. If you go back and watch this match in a week, how many sequences will you actually remember? 2.75*

Winners AND STILL NXT Tag Team Champions – The Vanity Project (Smokes inside cradle on Shugars)

Post-match sees a distraught Shugars pounding the mat as everyone in Darkstate looks at each other. Griffin and James attack Shugars and beat him down, and Lennox joins in after a taking a beat. Lennox wastes Shugars with a lofted spinebuster, but he slaps Lennox in response. Griffin and James are told to hoist Shugars up while Lennox clears the announce table. They hit the lofted powerbomb on Shugars through the table and stand over him as the credits roll and we’re out.

An up and down episode that ends with Darkstate kicking out one of their own. We all know that things are in flux right now and a lot of pieces are being moved around as things settle down. It’s a brand new world at the PC on Tuesday nights and it’s showing right now. I’m not going to fault the talent or the management, because losing the depth and breadth of talent that they did is quite an ask for any team to overcome. That being said, you can see who needs the reps and who’s mostly there at this point. Some things are working and some need some work, but everyone is going all out to prove the brand can overcome all of these changes. As I said before, we’ll get there.

Thanks for reading and commenting. Enjoy your Wednesday.