NXT Review – 06.23.26

By Niz on 24 June 2026

Hey, it’s Great American Bash week and tonight is your go-home NXT on the CW/Netflix and as usual, it’s coming from the beautiful Performance Center in Orlando, FL. The announcing team for tonight’s show is Vic Joseph and Wade Barrett on match calls and analysis, Mike Rome on ring introductions, and Sarah Schrieber on interviews and breaking news. We have not one, but TWO bit championship contract signings in amongst some fine in-ring action, so LET’S WATCH SOME WRESTLING!

Then, Now, Forever…..TOGETHER

Here’s NXT Men’s Champion Tony D’Angelo with NXT GM Robert Stone. The champ wants to know if NARAKU has signed the contract for Great American Bash (D’Angelo signed said contract last week at the sit-down meeting with his challenger) and Stone says not to worry, he’ll be signing it during the actual CONTRACT SIGNING that we’re having for the match. Does Tony D. not read the online previews of the show? GET ON IT CHAMP. Stone wants D’Angelo to promise that nothing will happen tonight that might put the match in jeopardy since GAB is the first NXT PREMIUM LIVE EVENT that’s being held exclusively on the CW. D’Angelo just wants everything wrapped up. Here’s Evolve Men’s Champion Aaron Rourke wandering by and D’Angelo offers him some compliments and good luck, and Rourke reciprocates before leaving.

Evolve Men’s Championship: Aaron Rourke vs Tristan Angels

This is Aaron Rourke’s NXT in-ring debut, so here’s some background – he’s WWE’s first openly gay wrestler and he’s part of the NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) program that is sort of central to the Evolve brand. He’s also a pretty darn good professional wrestler and won the Evolve title by pinning Jackson Drake as Drake and the Vanity Project were being promoted to NXT. This is another chance for me to plug Our Friend Phred’s super coverage of Evolve (it’s on Tubi Wednesday nights and Phred is the site’s recapper for that show, it’s usually up on Thursdays) if you want to learn more about both Rourke and Angels. The winner of tonight’s match will face Max Abrams for the title tomorrow night during Evolve’s signature event Succession III.

Barrett during Angels entrance: “I like highly attractive men as you know, Vic Joseph”. Mike Rome does in-ring intros and we’re off. Angels bullies Rourke to a corner and eats a slap before Rourke trucks Angels down and grabs a side headlock. Angels reverses and then smashes Rourke into a corner. Rourke hits a kangaroo dropkick, a running Meteora, and a running high boot. Rourke ascends for a second rope missile dropkick and covers Angels for two. Angels fires up with some ground and pound before snapping on a nerve lock. The lights go red and there’s some cackling over the PA that sounds suspiciously like Shiloh Hill. Rourke uses the distraction to clothesline Angels to the floor. Angels catches Rourke exiting the ring and drops him face-first on the apron. We go to commercials.

Angels is working a wristlock when the show returns and as Rourke escapes, Angels blasts him with a kick. Rourke slips out of a corner by tripping Angels up but he wanders right into an Angels high boot in response. Rourke nails Angels with a lariat, a back elbow, and a leg lariat before yanking Angels up for a fall-away slam. Rourke nips up to a pop as we see an insert showing Tony D’Angelo and Robert Stone attempting to chase down NARAKU who’s arrived with the contract. Angels gets caught in a back body drop and Rourke snaps off a lungblower for two. Rourke hits a kick on a charging Angels and then takes Angels stolen Mr. NXT sash to mock him. Angels immediately nails Rourke with an enziguri sending him to the floor. Angels runs Rourke back in and tries to pick up his sash but something under the ring prevents him from doing that. Angels gets yanked under the ring while ref Vicky D’Errico checks on Rourke. Angels looks spooked when he emerges and runs into a Rourke high boot. Rourke hits the Molly-Go-Round and that finishes things.

I am very pleased that this went smoothly as I’m sure this was kind of a big night for Rourke, especially. These are two for the future and I’m positive that there would have been some nerves prior to this. I will say that I hope Angels gets some wins here soon on the NXT level so he’s not just seen as a haughty dumbass who never picks up victories. No major complaints with this one as we had some selling, some psychology (Angels working Rourke’s elbow and shoulder through the break in to Act 2) and the champ retained cleanly. 3.5*

Winner AND STILL Evolve Men’s Champion – Aaron Rourke (Molly-Go-Round)

Here’s a grumpy Tony D’Angelo with Robert Stone in tow, confronting NARAKU in the NXT Parking Lot. NARAKU presents the contract to D’Angelo and says “AND NEW” which sets D’Angelo off. D’Angelo opens the folder and FIRE leaps out of it catching the champ in the eyes. A horrified Stone checks on D’Angelo as we go to commercials. THE PARKING LOT STRIKES AGAIN!

An ambulance arrives in the Parking Lot when the show returns and a covered D’Angelo is lead onto a gurney while still threatening to murder NARAKU. D’Angelo is loaded in and the ambulance leaves with Stone looking on.

Saquon Shugars is mid-ring with a microphone, and here’s Dion Lennox is out to join him for some banter. Lennox says he already knows how the Bash is going to go and Shugars says all he wanted was him and Lennox one on one. Shugars says they took their shot to take him out five weeks ago but Shugars knew he could survive it. Shugars just wants the head of the snake at the Bash and he’s got it. Shugars says he questioned himself after getting turfed out but Lennox decided he was the leader of Darkstate and Shugars paid the price. Shugars again puts over his indie credentials and says Lennox is just another athlete trying to take his spot. Lennox calls Shugars a liar and asks if you put them next to each other, who’s the superstar because it’s not Shugars. Lennox says Shugars was never meant to be a part of Darkstate and they got what they needed out of him. Shugars says he did love those guys and calls himself the glue that held the whole thing together. Shugars says Lennox can’t touch him and everyone will find that out at the Bash. Lennox says everything people love about Shugars is fake because he worries about all the wrong things. Lennox says they could never count on Shugars and he’s always second-guessing himself. Lennox says they had to babysit Shugars and dropping him was actually a course correction. Lennox says at the Bash Shugars will hesitate and that’s where Lennox will expose him.

Here’s Hank Walker and Tank Leisure with Matt Mathews backstage as The Vanity Project hangs in the background chatting with Robert Stone. They leave to head to the ring as we go to commercials.

THE NXT SPOTLIGHT PRESENTED BY PROGRESSIVE is on NXT Men’s North American Champion Myles Borne and his NQCC history with Tavion Heights. Heights says Borne forgot about their friendship and thought they were going to the top together. Heights says he’s going to be selfish at the Bash and will leave as the new North American champion. Borne says he’s walking out of the Bash as the champion and that will prove he made the right choice to go out on his own.

Tavion Heights is with WWE Women’s Champion Wren Sinclair who happens to be Heights old running mate in NQCC. Heights points out it’s easy to give advice when she and Borne have titles and Charles Dempsey has Birthright (Oh friend Tavion, one of those things is NOT like having a belt). Heights leaves in a huff and here’s Kendal Grey sliding in to dap up Sinclair. Grey wants to know who Sinclair thinks will win in the Speed finals tonight, and Sinclair doesn’t seem to really care all that much. Grey says they’re leaving the Bash with titles and will celebrate with a TWO LAYER CAKE to represent the two titles. Grey leaves to find Robert Stone ahead of her CONTRACT SIGNING while Sinclair vows to consider flavors for the celebration cake.

Birthright (Stacks Lorenzo and Uriah Connors) vs Hank & Tank

WWE Men’s Speed Champion Lexis King, Charles Dempsey, and Arianna Grace are out with Stacks and Connors. Matt Mathews is out with Hank and Tank. There’s some grappling to start and Tank wiggles out of a Connors go-behind so he can dump Connors on his face. Tank fires off a couple of armdrags and Hank tags in. Hank smashes Connors arm but Connors has had enough and fires back at Hank before tagging in Stacks. Stacks runs into an armdrag and goes to the ropes to break up the momentum. Stacks baits Tank to come in while he and Connors work over Hank in their corner. There’s some quick tags and Hank fires up with some chops on Stacks before leveling him with a lariat. Hank and Tank work double-team offense and send Stacks flying with a double slam. Tank covers Stacks for two. Connors gets a blind tag as Tank drives Stacks to the floor. There’s a scene on the floor with Mathews getting some verbals in on Birthright which Hank and Tank use to smash everyone with topes. We go to commercials.

Stacks and Hank are fighting it out when the show returns. Connors tags in and Stacks and he work an overhead suplex into a Connors powerbomb for two. Hank fires up with some slaps and dives for a tag to Tank. Tank runs wild and mashes Connors and Stacks with a double-cross body. Tank hits Stacks with a buckle bomb and drives him to the floor with a lariat. Connors eats a right and Tank flies out to crush them both with a cannonball. Hank tags in and he and Tank drive Connors down before Stacks breaks up the cover at two. Stacks and Tank get dumped Connors uses a handful of jorts to get a two count on Hank. Stacks gets a blind tag and Connors dumps Hank with a springboard cutter. Stacks hits a springboard elbow and Tank breaks up the cover at two. We reset with everyone down. Everyone rises and starts slugging it out. Tank and Connors battle it out along the ropes while Hank drops Stacks with a release slam. Connors blasts Hank with a frog splash and everyone is down again. Lexis King comes over to bark at Mathews who’s absconded with King’s walking stick. King holds Mathews who ducks when Dempsey throws a right. That lands flush on King, and Dempsey gets tripped by Mathews so that his head lands directly on King’s family jewels. Back in the ring Hank and Tank hit a double HONKE HONKE (I’m adding E’s to this from now on to make it sound more CLASSY) on Stacks and Connors. Hank and Tank hit their running powerslam/spear combo on Stacks and that finishes it with Hank making the cover.

Hey this was a fun NXT tag match for once. I like Hank and Tank’s goofy enthusiasm and general dipshittery, but their matches tend to rub me the wrong way. Tonight, however, was kind of a perfect use of them in a chaos match with a team that works at a normal pace. Connors and Stacks are a solid team, and I give Dempsey and King credit for letting the comedian get a spot in. Overall I have only minor complaints with this one but nothing stood out in a huge negative way. 3*

Winners – Hank & Tank (running powerslam/spear combo on Lorenzo)

Here’s Sarah Schreiber with Shiloh Hill who mentions that he was more nervous for the Mr. NXT pageant than he’s ever been for a match because of how much he had to expose his actual self to the NXT UNIVERSE. Hill says he and Tristan Angels are definitely still not even for Angels absconding with the Mr. NXT sash. Hill fires up and yells that he’s going to show Angels who he really is at the Bash on Sunday. Hill cackles and leaves a speechless Schreiber as we go to commercials. (This was great. Shiloh killed it.)

Tony D’Angelo is being treated at the First Response Memorial Hospital‘s 24 hour Emergency Center when the show returns and the extent of that “treatment” appears to be a towel over his head. Joseph and Barrett act all horrified by NARAKU’s EVIL actions before throwing to the next segment.

Robert Stone is at a table backstage with NXT Women’s Champion Lola Vice and her Bash challenger, Kendal Grey. Stone decided to do this backstage so one contract signing goes safely tonight. Grey tries to apologize for wacking Vice in the head with her title belt last week but Vice wants nothing to do with that. Vice says she humbled herself to get to where she is now, and Grey mentions she saw Vice’s rise and thought she could get that for herself. Vice puts over the fact that this is the first time two cross-over fighters will battle for the Women’s title while mentioning that no one could figure out Shayna Baszler when she had the belt (This is a true statement, Shayna ruled until Rhea Ripley came along.). Grey wants to lead THIS DIVISION and says Vice is number one right now, but everyone will find out at the Bash what Grey can do as champ. Vice says Grey will have her moment but it’s not coming this Sunday. The contract is signed and we’re done with that. (This was pretty good, maybe a sentence or two too long, but a good and actually accurate promo in terms of how they talked about each other and their styles.)

Keanu Carver vs EK Prosper

Carver hits an immediate body slam and then trucks Prosper down. Carver tosses a charging Prosper halfway across the ring before stomping away in a corner. Carver misses a charge and gets caught by a couple of Prosper dropkicks. Prosper gets dumped to the apron off a charge, but fires off a couple of rights in response before hitting a springboard missile dropkick. Carver yanks Prosper up and press slams him to end that flurry. Carver smashes Prosper in the back but eats a back elbow on a third attempt. Prosper hits some high boots and a springboard moonsault. Prosper wants a tope but eats a right hand from Carver when he’s exiting through the ropes. We go to commercials.

Carver catches a Prosper cross-body attempt when the show returns. Carver hits a body slam and then a GIGANTIC release German. Carver mashes Prosper with a lariat and puts the stink-mouth on him. Prosper fires up with a superkick and an enziguri. Prosper hits a standing Shining Wizard and then mashes Carver with a lofted shotgun dropkick. Carver bails and gets caught with a Prosper moonsault. Prosper dumps Carver back in and misses a jump before getting caught with an immediate lariat from Carver that gets two. Prosper hits a kick and ascends for a top rope leg drop that gets two. Prosper ascends again and misses a moonsault before Carver hits him with THE POUNCE. Carver yanks Prosper up but he goes over Carver’s head and grabs a roll up for three.

It felt like they were going for the “huge underdog pulls an upset” with this booking and that’s exactly how it played out. I thought Carver was good here as the swaggering bully who thinks he’s untouchable only to run into the one guy he cannot put away. Prosper is getting there and I think Joseph’s mic work during the match proved that Prosper is well-liked by the backstage team. This was solid for the most part, there were some minor things positioning-wise that will need to be worked on in practice, but otherwise I thought this was solid enough. 3*

Carver wrecks Prosper immediately after the bell and chases him to the floor. Carver yanks Prosper up and powerbombs him through the announce table as Security and referees pour out of the back to stop the assault.

Here’s NXT Women’s North American Champion Zaria with some words for Tatum Paxley. Zaria says a year ago they were both in other people’s shadows as they fought for this title but now it’s them fighting over it. Zaria says Paxley can’t let things go and cost Zaria during her first match since winning the title. Zaria says she’ll give Paxley her rematch at the Bash so she can beat Paxley again.

Robert Stone is yelling at NARAKU about possibly suspending him, and NARAKU laughs that off before leaving. Keanu Carver wanders in as Stone yells at him about attacking EK Prosper in the post-match, and Carver blows that off before saying Prosper might have been the first but he will definitely not be the last.

The Culling make their entrance as we go to commercials.

WWE Women’s Speed Championship Tournament Final: Izzi Dame vs Arianna Grace

Grace is seconded by everyone in Birthright while Dame has Niko Vance and Shawn Spears with her. There’s a three minute time limit as always. Dame fires out with a high boot to start and then blasts Grace with a shoulder. Dame hits a sit-out powerbomb and covers Grace for two. Dame drives a knee and then waffles Grace with a kick to the ribs. Dame hits an elbow but misses a dive before getting caught with a Grace senton that gets two. Grace hits a diving cross-body but Dame rolls through and gets a two count. Grace hits a pump kick and ascends. Dame flies in with a right and ascends but Stacks Lorenzo jumps on to the apron to distract. Dame blasts Stacks with a forearm and then yanks Grace into a press slam. Dame misses a charge and Grace mashes her with a back elbow that gets two. Grace pulls Dame up but Dame slips off and crushes Grace with a big boot. Spears decides this is a good time to chat with Dame because he wants a high five. Dame slaps Spears hand and immediately wanders into a Grace inside cradle that gets three.

Who doesn’t love the banana peel finish, right? Spears and Dame have been on a collision course for awhile now and this should exacerbate that particular event nicely. There wasn’t much to this but a series of moves and the crowd was sort of trying to pick a favorite between the two heels. It was clunky, and Grace can be awkward, but they got there in the end. 2*

Winner – Arianna Grace (inside cradle)

Post-match sees Dame glaring at Spears while Grace is dragged out by her Birthright teammates. Spears apologizes to Dame as Wren Sinclair goes out to hold up her title in front of the Birthright troop.

Here’s Sarah Schreiber barging into Robert Stone’s office as he gets off the phone with “Rey”. Schreiber wants to know about the Men’s NXT title match and Stone mentions that he was, in fact, on the phone with AAA GM Rey Mysterio and there will be some AAA folks at the Bash this weekend. In terms of the Men’s title match, it appears Tony D’Angelo is OUT and Stone is trying to find an opponent for NARAKU. The Vanity Project barge in and Jackson Drake wants to know how Stone can have a Bash without either “Heartbreak Drake” or the tag champions being booked. Drake says if Stone needs a fill-in for the title match he’s available but Stone wants to go watch the next match before making any decisions. We go to commercials.

NXT ORIGINS is the Alexa Bliss piece yet again.

Here’s Karmen Petrovic and Nikkita Lyons backstage watching some video highlights of Nattie Neidhart. Shockingly, Jaida Parker makes an entrance as Petrovic and Lyons put the low-key stink-mouth on her. Parker is joined by OTM and Parker says she’s not okay before leaving. Lucien Price mentions that he saw Bronco Nima with Petrovic this weekend during the reformation of LOS PERROS DEL MAL in AAA and Nima says he’s just doing what he needs to do with that particular group. Price seems to be cool with it.

Back in the ring Izzi Dame and Niko Vance are still berating Shawn Spears.

Dorian van Dux and Sean Legacy vs The Culling (Shawn Spears and Niko Vance)

Fun fact – Sean Legacy was in the first match I ever recapped for this site along with Je’von Evans and Ashant’e Thee Adonis. That was a long time ago considering where all three are now. A clearly disgusted Dame pats Vance on the elbow for encouragement while continuing to put the gas face on Spears. Spears starts with Legacy and after pushing Legacy to a corner, Spears fires off a wildly loud chop. Legacy fires back and trips Spears up during some rope running for a shotgun dropkick and a double stomp. Legacy works a wristlock and tags in DvD. Spears blasts DvD with a forearm and tags in Vance. Vance trucks DvD down and then wanders into a DvD rana. Vance gets the boots up when DvD charges but DvD responds with some body shots. DvD grabs a roll up for two and then yanks Vance over in an armdrag. DvD puts some stink-mouth on Spears while torturing Vance’s shoulder (I like van Dux, he’s a cocky little shit.) Legacy grabs a blind tag and blasts Vance with a running kick and a standing moonsault that gets two. Vance fires up with a headbutt and tags in Spears. Spears drops a leg but Legacy fires up and blasts Spears with a double kick from the apron. Legacy hits a short DDT and DvD cuts off a Vance charge with a kick to the gut. Spears prevents a double team on Vance and then dumps Legacy to the apron. Legacy blasts Vance with a right and then eats a Spears dropkick. Vance, Spears, and Dame all appear to be pleased as we go to commercials.

Legacy and Spears are fighting on a top turnbuckle when the show returns and Spears gets dumped to the mat. Vance pushes Spears out of the way of a Legacy flying clothesline that mostly catches Vance. Legacy leaps to tag in DvD who immediately wallops Spears and Vance with a springboard dropkick. DvD slips a Vance charge and drops him with a rana. Spears gets yanked up and right into a DvD Death Valley Driver. DvD hits a springboard moonsault where his knees land right on Spears shoulders/neck before covering and getting two as Vance breaks up the cover. Spears hits a superkick on DvD and Legacy tags in. Legacy jumps into a Vance headbutt. Vance hoists Legacy up for the Culling’s finisher and Spears cover only gets two. They both rise and Spears fires off some chops before Legacy mashes Spears with a Pele kick. Vance charges and gets dumped to the floor before eating a DvD moonsault. Legacy hits a Sliced Bread #2 on Spears and tags in DvD. Legacy hits a 450 splash and DvD follows with a Shooting Star Press that finishes things.

Dame’s gas face directly after the finish was priceless, I swear. There were some issues here in terms of the execution of the match but overall this was pretty solid for a “main event that finishes before the final segment” kind of match. Obviously the post-match angle will be the talking point from this one but we’ve all been waiting for it and well, here it is. 3*

Winners – Legacy/DvD (DvD Shooting Star Press on Spears)

Post-match sees a disgusted Vance on the floor while Dame looks on in disbelief. Vance re-enters and helps Spears up and hey, I bet you can guess what happens next. Vance lariats Spears and dumps him to the floor. For the second time tonight the announce table is destroyed but this time it’s by a Vance chokeslam on Spears. Joseph has to shake that off to run down the current Bash card with Barrett.

Here’s Robert Stone heading to the ring with the NXT Men’s title belt. We go to commercials.

They are not bothering to re-assemble the announce table and Barrett announces that Kevin Owens and Dave La Greca (of Busted Open radio fame) will be at the Tailgate/Watch Party for the Bash. Once again we see Tony D’Angelo getting burned before Joseph throws it to Robert Stone who is mid-ring. Stone says the title match will happen and brings out NARAKU. Stone gets backed off as NARAKU says he’ll take the belt if there’s no one to face him. This brings out Mason Rook who says if D’Angelo can’t fight for the title Rook is happy to take his place. Here’s The Vanity Project out as Jackson Drake tells “Pork Chop” to hit the brakes. Drake says Stone has been ducking the Project all day and clearly doesn’t want “these three studs” at the Bash. Drake runs his mouth at Rook who decides to attack. Rook drives Drake to the floor and then tosses him at a bunch of Security who’s assembled at ringside. NARAKU still wants Stone to hand over the title, but Stone says it was always…..HIM. Sadly, this doesn’t bring out Carmelo Hayes, but it does bring back a bandaged Tony D’Angelo. D’Angelo sends NARAKU out to the floor and yanks his title belt up to wave it at the retreating challenger.

Joseph and Barrett run down the Bash card as D’Angelo stares at NARAKU. The credits roll and we’re out.

I thought the burning angle was kind of old-school cheesy but I guess we needed some HEAT (come on…you know that’s funny) for the big Bash title match, right! The Bash was set up pretty nicely tonight, the matches were decent overall, and the promo work was solid. We also had the Culling implosion finally happen and I’m guessing that will be an ongoing television thing for a bit. For a go-home show, this was a good effort by the crew and there was even a nice setup for tomorrow night’s big Evolve show.

Thanks for reading and commenting. Have a great Wednesday.