NXT Review – 07.28.26

By Niz on 28 July 2026

NXT continues on towards Heatwave with another show coming to the CW/Netflix airwaves from The Performance Center in Orlando, FL. Tonight’s show has Vic Joseph and Booker T. handling match calls and analysis, Mike Rome doing ring introductions, and Emily Agard on news and interviews backstage. Stakes are getting higher as we’re now a month away from the big Summer showcase, so let’s watch some wrestling!

Then, Now, Forever….TOGETHER

We start with a highlights package from last week‘s Men’s Title match between champion Tony D’Angelo and challenger NARAKU.

Joseph is at the desk to discuss the fallout from the events that happened post-match when OUTTA NOWHERE here’s Grayson Waller back in the home of NXT with a live mic. Waller wants to rattle some cages and talks about making his main roster debut in MSG six weeks after breaking his leg on the announce desk in the Performance Center. Waller talks about how things changed along the way and maybe he was too honest and didn’t politick, but he’s embarrassed by the last two years. Waller talks about carrying a “240 pound idiot on his back for a year to make him relevant again” and says “at the end of the day that Marty Jannetty is still allergic to the microphone”. Waller then talks about seconding a group pretending to be at a funeral and having to tell everyone how great others were. Waller says now it’s a New Day and he’s in the best shape of his life. Waller says he needs to feel like he means something again and the one thing that’s haunted him is the NXT championship. Waller says the title used to mean something and rattles off a list of names who’ve been the champion and how they’ve been treated on the main roster, but he’s been treated as a “Netflix commercial comedy joke”. Waller says he’s here for the NXT title and calls out Cruz Montana while pointing out that in six weeks everyone will have a new toy and Montana will be just be another guy. Waller says being the top guy in TNA “is like being the best guy in the gym at the local YMCA” and he’s not impressed at all. Waller then calls out Tony D’Angelo for getting the title after there was “no one left”. A PA approaches Waller to say that “Shawn” has had enough and Waller says Shawn should send out one of his guys to stop Waller. Waller tells the locker room to get off their phones and listen up. Waller says the NXT men’s roster is soft, lazy, complacent, and just happy to be here. Waller says the women of NXT are running laps around the men’s and that when he looks around the locker room the only ones that are main roster ready are women. Waller says that all these athletes show up to the tryouts so they can put “WWE Superstar” in their insta bio, hang out with the “mediocre women of downtown Orlando”, and spend the next six months in Medical. Waller says the indie talent can’t handle things on the microphone because they’re charisma vacuums. Waller says HBK is probably smiling because he’s actually telling the truth. Waller promises to take everything and after calling himself the best pound for pound…his mic is cut off. Waller goes to the camera and says consider your cages rattled. We cut immediately to a break.

Well then. That was a WHOLE thing. I like Waller and always have but a loose cannon gimmick doesn’t do a whole lot for me in 2026. HE’S JUST OUT HERE SHOOTIN’! is not a gimmick. He’s needed to do something and this may be last the chance saloon for Waller, so let’s hope whatever this is going to be works out for him.

Here’s NXT Men’s North American Champion Myles Borne and Tavion Heights in the locker room and Heights is put out by the Waller incident. Borne says it’s game on and Heights says Borne will handle Kam Hendrix tonight and then they’ll take the Vanity Project’s tag titles next week. Here’s Mason Rook in to complain about Waller and say that the locker room just has to show out. Rook promises to beat Kam Hendrix’s ass and Borne is not happy about that, but Heights says he’ll handle Rook and Borne shouldn’t worry.

Lizzy Rain vs Izzi Dame

Niko Vance is out with Dame. Dame pushes Rain to the ropes and smashes her with a chop. Dame tries it again but Rain ducks it and chops Dame instead. After some rope running Dame smashes Rain with a back elbow but when she leans down to chirp Rain blasts Dame with a kick to the head. Rain hits some chops and catches a charging Rain with an elbow. Rain sits on a top turnbuckle but Dame yanks her off immediately. Dame runs Rain over with a lariat as we Cruz Montana making his way into the building while passing Grayson Waller who’s leaving. Dame hits a bodyslam and covers Rain for two. Rain grabs a roll up for two in response. Rain hits a rolling spinning heel kick and fires off a chop and a headbutt. Rain fires off a kaman giri and a springboard back elbow. Dame bails and Rain gets caught trying a between-the-ropes dropkick. Dame drops Rain face-first on the apron and then mashes her with a high boot as we go to a break.

Rain is firing off chops along the ropes when the show returns, but Dame fires up with a backbreaker. Rain gets dumped to the apron where she snaps off a kick to a charging Dame. Rain ascends and hits a missile dropkick before firing off a lariat and back elbow. Rain smashes Dame with another kaman giri and then dumps her over in a half-and-half. Rain hits the Make It Rain chops but Dame has had enough and crushes Rain with a Codebreaker. Dame runs into a discus right and Rain ascends. Rain misses her dive but catches Dame with a kick when she approaches. Dame catches Rain off a springboard and hits a Blue Thunder Bomb for two. They slug it out and Rain grabs a backslide for two. They tumble to the floor and Dame gets driven into the ring steps. Rain runs Dame back in and hoists her for a Air Raid Crash that gets two. Rain charges into a Dame knee and then gets caught by a Dame crucifix bomb that gets two. Dame yanks Rain up for a lariat and then drops her with a high boot. Rain fires off a bulldog and a spear. Rain gets confronted by Vance and then turns right into a Dame high boot. Here’s Shawn Spears looming up behind Vance with a chair and this distraction allows Rain to hit Thunderstruck on Dame to finish things.

I’m not the biggest fan of using a women’s match to advance a men’s angle but here we are. I thought this was Rain’s best effort thus far in NXT but I’m still not a huge fan of her work in general. She doesn’t really sell at all and while she’s proficient move-wise, she needs work on transitions and psychology because it’s just “I’ll do a move then you do a move then I’ll do a move” and that’s just an exhibition. Dame feels aimless right now but I’m guessing she’ll be looking for revenge for this loss at some point. 3*

Winner – Lizzy Rain (Thunderstruck)

Here’s Noam Dar and Romeo Moreno welcoming Cruz Montana to NXT. Moreno and Montana share some words in Spanish and here’s a bat-toting Saquon Shugars in chat with Moreno and Dar about last week’s loss. Moreno wants to run it back and Shugars seems interested but Dar seems to think better of it and drags Moreno away. Montana mentions whooping Shugars ass all over the Garden and Shugars says he’s a whole different individual. Shugars says he’s going to handle his Darkstate situation and Montana says he’ll be watching as Shugars leaves. Here’s Kelani Jordan in to tell Montana that before he signs his contract that this is an unfair environment where she’s been screwed over time and time again. Jordan continues to cry about her situation and Montana leaves quietly. Jordan complains that no one is listening AGAIN as we go to a break.

Here’s NXT GM Robert Stone with the Vanity Project who are complaining about everything in Stone’s office. Brad Baylor and Ricky Smokes have thoughts about Tavion Heights and Myles Borne being handed a tag title shot should Borne win tonight and Stone wants to know if they’re scared. Baylor reminds Stone that they’ve been running things while Borne and Heights haven’t tagged for a year. Jackson Drake mentions that Borne chose to fight Kam Hendrix because he knows he can beat him and saw Drake whoop Heights two weeks ago. Drake promises to be the North American champ soon. The Project leave and here’s Keanu Carver eyeing up Carver as she leaves. Carver calmly tells Stone that he wants a match with EK Prosper next week and a shocked Stone grants that wish. Carver shakes Stone’s hand and tells him that he appreciates Stone with a smile. A baffled Stone says that was way too easy as Carver leaves and his phone rings. Stone wants “Grayson” back in the building now because they aren’t finished.

A calm Keanu Carver might be the scariest thing on this show tonight. I would be RUNNING if I was EK Prosper.

Joseph and Booker throw to a video package of Lola Vice highlights in NXT Underground matches. Vice says Kendal Grey is not ready for this atmosphere but she is. Vice says the champion of the deepest division in WWE can’t just be happy to be here. Vice proves herself with every win and says an amateur wrestler is stepping into a real fight Vice promises to expose Kendal Grey and knock her out next week.

Kam Hendrix makes his entrance as we go to a break.

Here’s Jaida Parker in the locker room being greeted by an ecstatic Thea Hail. Parker says a dub is a dub in her book and she appreciates what Hail did for her last week, and Hail says she was happy to have her back. Hail says Parker has been nice to her and mentions that after talking with Robert Stone that apparently Nattie is “really pissed”. Hail and Parker will have a tag match next week against Evolve Women’s Champion Nikkita Lyons and Karmen Petrovic and Parker seems cool with that. Hail hugs Parker awkwardly and we go back to ringside.

NXT Men’s North American Championship: Myles Borne (C) vs Kam Hendrix

Mike Rome does ring introductions and we’re off. Hendrix pushes Borne away after being bullied to the ropes. Borne walks into a Hendrix kick and and Hendrix goes to work on Borne’s arm. Borne works an armdrag and a wristlock. Borne reverses and dumps Hendrix over. In an inset, we see Cruz Montana shaking hands with Hank & Tank along with Sean Legacy and Dorian van Dux. Borne eats a Hendrix right and they slug it out. Hendrix hits a bodyslam for two. Hendrix clubbers away but runs into a Borne dropkick. Borne hits a tope con hilo after Hendrix bails but Hendrix trips him up on the apron. We go to a break.

Hendrix uses one hand to hoist Borne up when the show returns. Hendrix drops Borne to the mat and covers him for two. Hendrix gets top mount and starts firing forearms at the back of Borne’s head. Hendrix grabs a rear chinlock and then smashes Borne down for two. Hendrix torques on Borne’s head while yanking on his shoulder before driving Borne down with a clubbing right. Hendrix smashes Borne down again and then shoots the half for two. They start slugging it out and Borne fires up with some lariats. Borne hits a back body drop and a hiptoss. Borne sends Hendrix to the floor with a dropkick and then charges out to fire Hendrix back in. Borne hits his snap powerslam but Hendrix prevents a Borne Again by holding the ropes. Hendrix hits a flying cross-body for two as we see an anxious Mason Rook watching the match from the locker room with Tavion Heights behind him. Rook storms off and Heights follows as Hendrix fires Borne into a ringpost. Borne hits another powerslam for two and Hendrix bails. Borne gets caught on a charge and Hendrix drops him head-first onto the mat. Here’s Mason Rook out with Tavion Heights jumping on his back to prevent interference. Hendrix fires off the Showtime Kick and Borne kicks out at two. Borne hits Borne Again and that finishes things.

I thought Kam held his own here and looked solid. Borne was on his game tonight after a string of so-so performances so this really worked overall. It was good to see Hendrix control the action for a bit and he’s got a decent striking game. He’s also tall and decent looking so I’d suspect a good future for him if he continues to put in the work. Borne fought from underneath for most of this and he’s decent at it, but his comebacks need a bit more fire to really amp the crowd up. I think he’ll get there. 3*

Winner AND STILL NXT Men’s North American Champion – Myles Borne (Borne Again)

Post-match sees Heights allow Rook to attack Hendrix, which he immediately does. Rook and Hendrix fight to offscreen and here’s The Vanity Project out to attack Borne and Heights. It goes well momentarily but Borne cuts off the whole thing with a huge right hand to Jackson Drake before Heights sends Baylor and Smokes packing.

Here’s Emily Agard with a KFC POPCORN CHICKEN-eating Lizzy Rain. Rain says the chicken helps her recover and it’s the perfect refuel! Rain says she’s eyeing up the Underground match next week and is interested in seeing the winner. Here’s Tristan Angels in to chide Rain about taking advice from Shiloh Hill regarding the KFC POPCORN CHICKEN. Angels leaves in a huff and Rain shares her chicken with Agard.

Here’s Lucien Price and Bronco Nima being greeted by Los Garza who are wearing Perros del Mal t-shirts. (If you don’t watch AAA, Nima is a member of the Los Perros del Mal heel faction that also has the Garzas, Karmen Petrovic, and Daga as members.) The Garzas promise to have Nima’s back anywhere and Price seems highly dubious of this whole thing. We go to commercials.

Here’s Robert Stone with NXT Women’s North American Champion Zaria who wants to talk about her next defense. WWE Women’s Speed Champion Wren Sinclair interrupts to see who her next challenger will be. Sinclair mentions that she could be Zaria’s next opponent, and Stone has a solution. Sinclair will defend her Speed title against Zaria next week and if she wins Sinclair would then be guaranteed a future shot at Zaria’s title. Zaria warns Sinclair to count her days and leaves in a snit.

Birthright (Stacks Lorenzo and Uriah Connors) vs OTM (Bronco Nima and Lucien Price)

Charles Dempsey, WWE Men’s Speed Champion Lexis King, and Arianna Grace are with Stacks and Connors. It’s Connors and Nima to start and Stacks tags in immediately. Stacks fires off a big boot and an uppercut from the mat but Nima no-sells it and yanks Stacks up. Stacks slips off Nima’s shoulders and tags in Connors. Connors runs right into a buckle bomb and Price tags in. Price slugs Connors down and covers him for one. Price misses a charge and eats a huge chop which he no-sells. Price smashes Connors down and barks at him. Nima tags in and he and Price combine on a double elbow that gets two. Connors bails for a timeout and Nima gives chase. Stacks gets a blind tag and clips Nima from behind before he and Connors clubber away. Nima fires up immediately with a double suplex and then drops Stacks in the OTM corner. Price tags in and he slams a charging Connors into a prone Stacks. Connors fights off a charging Price with a high boot so Nima tosses Connors to the floor in response. Price hits a huge knee strike on Stacks and then he and Nima toss Stacks over the top rope onto everyone in Birthright. We go to a break.

Nima is fighting off Stacks when the show returns. Connors tags in and Stacks fires off a springboard elbow before Connors crushes Nima with a swanton that gets two. Stacks tags in and he and Connors mount Nima in their corner. They both go up but Nima fights his way out of it and mashes Stacks down with a driving boot. Price gets a tag and he runs wild. Here’s Los Garza out from the back and while all that’s happening Grace distracts Price long enough to get caught by a Connors superkick. Nima has gone out to prevent anything from happening with an advancing Lexis King and while that’s going on Price gets mashed by kicks from Stacks and Connors that finish the match.

Yeah, as soon as Angel and Berto showed up I had a thought that this breakup angle would be continuing. Price and Nima are a decent team who I think could have been used a lot more but now we’re here and I think things will end soon for them as partners. This was more of an angle disguised as a match but the work was good enough to not be too grumpy with the whole thing. 2.75*

Winners – Birthright (double kick to Price’s head by Connors and Stacks)

Post-match sees a grumpy Price eyeing up Nima who’s flanked by Los Garza. They shake hands reluctantly.

THE NXT FOCUS PRESENTED BY PROGRESSIVE is a promo by NXT Women’s Champion Kendal Grey about the Underground match. Grey has been working with Julius Creed on her grappling and striking with Creed promising that you’ll hear “AND STILL’ next week. We go to a break.

Here’s Kali Armstrong in the locker room mentioning that she should be the one squabbling with Grey, and Izzi Dame happens to overhear. Dame reminds Armstrong that she just got here and has to wait since Dame has had exactly one shot at the title. Here’s a grumpy Kelani Jordan in to further explain just how much she’s been screwed over. Here’s Reina Volcan sliding by to say that THIS DIVISION doesn’t rebuild, it reloads.

Shiloh Hill vs Tristan Angels

Booker on Angels: “Look at this man’s look.” Joseph: “He stole another man’s tooth.” Hill starts with a headbutt and then charges into a double lofted boot from Angels. Hill hits a back body drop and then mashes Angels down with a short-arm lariat. Angels hits a double thrust to Hill’s throat, but Hill turns it around with a shoulderbreaker. Hill grabs a cover for two. Angels fires a charging Hill into a turnbuckle and then slams his head down on the mat. Angels drops some elbows and chops before Hill recovers with a knee. Hill fires Angels to the mat and then trucks him with a spear. Angels goes to the floor and Hill goes out after. Angels hits a draping neckbreaker and we go to a break.

Angels misses a charge when the show returns. They slug it out and Hill mashes Angels down a few times before hitting his rolling shoulder drop that gets two. Hill mounts Angels in a corner and they slug it out. Angels dives into a Hill bodyslam that gets two. Hill ascends and Angels uses the ropes to crotch him. Angels hits a step up enziguri and goes up for a superplex. Angels covers and gets a long two. Angels slaps Hill a few times and Hill fires up with a lariat that sends Angels to the floor. Angels drops Hill face-first on the announce table with a trip and then fires him into the ring steps. Angels dis-assembles the steps and puts Hill’s head on the bottom part. Hill avoids Angels stomp attempt and then yanks Angels up for a powerbomb on the announce table. Hill tosses Angels back in and covers him for two. Hill gets rolled up for two with Angels grabbing the second rope for leverage. Angels runs into a lofted uppercut from Hill who then spears Angels in a corner. Hill fires off a super neckbreaker from the second rope and that finishes things.

I make no secrets about liking Shiloh Hill and I think he did a good job here. He needs to let heels have a bit more offense and I think he’ll get there but he’s fighting too much like Josh Briggs did for a long time where he just cuts the other guy off and does his stuff. It’s something he’ll have to work on but it’s not a dealbreaker with Shiloh like it was with Briggs. Angels is fine for what he is but I wouldn’t have him keep losing these matches forever. 2.75*

Winner – Shiloh Hill (super neckbreaker)

Here’s Cruz Montana heading to the ring as we go to a break.

Joseph and Booker run down next week’s card as it stands with the big highlight being the Women’s title match in the Underground.

As he usually does, Montana makes his way through the crowd as he heads to the ring. Booker: “Business is about to pick up, Victor.” Montana says he always prides himself on being real, and says he’s about to say something he never thought he would say….Cruz Montana is a WWE Superstar! (I never thought you’d say that either, Cruz, because I thought you’d just be you, but here we are.) Montana says there were times when he didn’t think he’d see another day of life while living in New York City. Montana says he was no saint and has made mistakes he can’t take back, but a lot of times he was fighting the man in the mirror. Montana says he was either going to be another story of wasted potential or become the man that his daughter deserved him to be. Montana talks about being told he’d reached his ceiling as a tag wrestler and that he couldn’t be the guy. Montana says he’s fought the toughest battles within himself and then began to win. Montana says he was proving that he could take advantage of the second chance he was given by doing it one city and one opportunity at a time. Montana says he loves and appreciates what TNA did for him and knows that nothing has been given to him with this new move. Montana says he’s standing in the place where everybody wants to be and tonight he’s not here to fill a spot, he’s here to take a spot as the NEW NXT champion. Montana also mentions Grayson Waller’s promo from earlier and says they can meet at whatever YMCA Waller wants to.

Here’s NXT Men’s Champion Tony D’Angelo out to welcome Montana. D’Angelo says he’s here to introduce himself and does just that. D’Angelo says he’s seen big free agents walk through the door and talk about how they’re going to run things and he believes Montana when he says things. D’Angelo says it’s unfortunate for Montana and “Kangaroo Jack” the spot of champion is taken until further notice. D’Angelo says Montana won’t be NXT champion and Montana cuts him off and says he’ll show D’Angelo right now.

Here’s Grayson Waller in to attack Montana from behind before dropping him with a right. Waller and D’Angelo square off and start throwing bombs. Waller ducks out of the way as Montana levels D’Angelo with a Spin the Block lariat. Everyone eyes each other up and chirps at each other as D’Angelo holds his belt aloft. The credits roll and we’re out.

So that resets the top of the Men’s side for the foreseeable future, and I’m fine with it BUT – Montana and Waller aren’t exactly developmental projects. They’re the finished article, and this says something about this system that maybe some folks don’t want to hear. Blue chippers come in different forms and with different abilities but sometimes they aren’t available and you have to make do. I think they’d like to have a Bron or Trick or Oba come through with every class of signees they bring in but wanting that and accomplishing it are two VERY different things. The women’s division has always been ahead of the men’s and it’s been that way for awhile in developmental. There’s also not a damn thing wrong with that either, but I think they’re making an effort to replenish the men’s side while still flying the plane of having to present shows every week. Shawn is figuring this out as he goes and it’s not always going to look like the ideal plain of “here’s a prospect, build him/her into a Superstar”. The show itself was fine, the in-ring stuff was decent enough and we moved the pieces around on the men’s side a bunch. The depth is getting there but we’ll see where it all goes.

Thanks for reading and commenting. Enjoy your week.