NXT Heatwave – 08.30.26

By Niz on 30 August 2026

NXT Heatwave is the second half of a huge day of wrestling happening at the Bert Ogden Arena in Edinburg, TX. The announcing team for today’s big show consists of Vic Joseph and Booker T on match calls and analysis, Mike Rome on ring introductions, and Sarah Schreiber on interviews and news segments. There are five title matches on this immense card, so let’s watch some wrestling!

Here’s a video recap of how we got to today across various top feuds. Joseph runs down the card, and it’s time to go into the arena.

Booker gets a huge pop from the Texas crowd as he and Joseph talk over arrivals. Here’s Kelani Jordan arriving, followed by a shot of NXT Women’s Champion Kendal Grey and her best pal WWE Women’s Speed Champion Wren Sinclair getting ready. We shift to the men arriving next and here’s Zilla Fatu walking a hallway, while Cruz Montana is having a beverage. Here’s Grayson Waller staring a hole through the camera, and finally here’s NXT Men’s Champion Tony D’Angelo striding in confidently.

Title Unification Match: WWE Women’s Speed Champion Wren Sinclair vs NXT Women’s North American Champion Zaria vs Kali Armstrong

The winner here will be something but I’m pretty sure we haven’t heard if there’s going to be a new title or if one is going away or what. Also, Kali Armstrong comes in with nothing to lose since she’s, you know, not a title-holder. Armstrong and Zaria square off and push Sinclair away, so she flies in with a double punch There’s a bunch of cover attempts and all of them get two. Armstrong gets dumped to the floor as Sinclair pounds away on Saria. Zaria drops Armstrong with a teardrop suplex and Sinclair crushes both of them with a flying neckbreaker that gets two. Armstrong and Sinclair get suplexed by Zaria who then runs wild on both competitors before firing up the crowd. Sinclair gets mashed by Armstrong and ends up on the floor, and Armstrong then pounds away on Zaria. Armstrong drops Zaria to the floor with a lariat but gets caught by Sinclair when she runs the ropes. Armstrong drops Sinclair with a right and then she charges around the whole ring to spear Zzaria. Armstrong tries it on Sinclair who slips out of the way as Armstrong eats it on the ring steps. We go to commercials.

Sinclair ascends for a superplex on Zaria but runs right into an Armstrong spinebuster that gets two. Armstrong sneaks a cover in on Zaria for two. Armstrong shoulders both opponents a few times but Sinclair slips out and yanks Zaria into a backslide for two. Armstrong and Sinclair get into a slap battle and Zaria gets rana’d into Armstrong. Sinclair grabs covers on both for two. Sinclair gets rammed into a corner but fights off both Armstrong and Zaria. Sinclair hits a high crossbody and covers Zaria for two. Sinclair eats a discus lariat from Zaria who then drops Armstrong with a release German. Zaria yanks Sinclair up but she slips down and slaps on a sleeper. Zaria uses Sinclair as a battering ram to crash into Armstrong. There’s a three way slugfest that ends with Zaria and Armstrong slugging it out after disposing of Sinclair with headbutts. Armstrong catches Zaria with a powerbomb for two, and Sinclair flies in to break it up. Sinclair tries for the Final Wrench but it ends up in a small package for Sinclair that gets two. Sinclair gets a roll up on Zaria for two as Armstrong breaks it up with a Kali Connection on Sinclair. Armstrong runs the ropes and grabs a roll up on Zaria for two. They blast each other with clotheslines and headbutts before Sinclair flies in for the Final Wrench on Zaria. Armstrong yanks Sinclair away and then crushes her with a rolling powerslam on the floor. Zaria drops Armstrong with a spear before crushing her with an F5 to end things.

There was nothing slow about any of this. It started at 90 miles per hour and stayed that way through the whole thing. I thought this was Kali’s best showing since she joined NXT, but this three way format didn’t play to anyone’s true strengths. Overall, a solid start to the show but I’d just have rather seen Zaria and Wren fight it out with Armstrong looming for the winner. Regardless, this was solid work by all, just REALLY fast. 3.25*

Winner AND NEW NXT Unified Champion – Zaria (F5 on Armstrong)

Here’s Sarah Schreiber with Cruz Montana, who is feeling good about his chances in the Fatal Fourway. Montana had this dream for a long time while being overlooked, and he’s three seconds away from achieving his dream. Montana talks about his opponents and says he thrives in these types of environments because he’s ready to go to hell and back. Montana says when he pulls the title around his waist he will silence everyone who said he can’t do it. We go to commercials.

NXT Tag Team Championship: Myles Borne and Tavion Heights (C) vs The Vanity Project (Brad Baylor and Ricky Smokes)

The Vanity kids have Myka Lockwood with them. Baylor starts with Borne and they grapple to start. Baylor grabs a roll up for two before eating a Borne dropkick. Smokes tags in as does Heights. Heights trucks Smokes and yanks him up while tagging in Borne. They hit some double team offense to send Smokes to the floor. The Vanity guys have a conference before Baylor flies back in to start lighting up Borne. Borne fires up with a snap suplex that gets two. Borne gets yanked over the top rope by the now-legal Smokes who then drives him into the apron. Smokes hits a big body drop on Borne’s back, and we go to commercials.

Heights has Baylor in an ankle lock but Smokes comes in to try to break it up. Heights drops Smokes with a powerbomb and he then goes right back to the ankle lock on Baylor. Smokes yanks Baylor to the ropes and Baylor takes advantage to go to Height’s eyes. Lockwood distracts the ref as Smokes hits a chop block on Heights. Smokes fires off a big kick and goes to ground and pound on Heights. Baylor tags in and they work Heights over in their corner before Smokes exits. Baylor fires off an uppercut and Smokes tags back in. Smokes hits a backdrop suplex and drops a knee on Heights face for two. Baylor tags in and gets dropped to the apron as Heights flies over to tag in Borne. Borne runs wild for a minute before hitting a snap powerslam and bodydrop on Baylor. Borne hits a neckbreaker and Smokes breaks up the cover at two. Heights and Smokes tumble over the top rope and Baylor grabs a roll up on Borne for two. The Vanity kids hit a lofted dropkick on Borne and Heights breaks up the cover at two. Smokes gets caught by a Borne knee lift and Heights tags in. There’s a battle before Baylor gets caught by a dropkick-powerbomb combo that gets two. Smokes gets a tag and and Heights grabs an inside cradle for two. Smokes gets a roll up on Heights for two, and Baylor tags in after a Smokes meteora. Heights drops both Vanity kids with belly-to-back suplexes and Borne is finally ready for a tag. Baylor hits a snap powerslam. Heights drops Smokes with a belly to belly and everyone is down. They slug it out and Heights murders Smokes with a suplex before clotheslining him to the floor. Baylor nails Borne with a knee and covers him for two. Borne gets driven into Heights and Vanity wins the titles with Hit It and Quit It on Borne.

It went a little long for me but they got to where they needed to get. The Vanity kids become two time champs and now there’s some friction between Borne and Heights that might play out later in the show. I enjoyed this but again, it went a bit long for me. Borne is fully beat up for his NA Title defense, so it might be a very bad day all around. I guess we’ll see. 2.75*

Winners AND NEW NXT Tag Team Champions – The Vanity Project (Hit It and Quit It on Borne)

Here’s a quick look at the feud between Nattie Neidhart and Jaida Parker. It will hopefully end tonight!

Submission Match: Nattie Neidhart vs Jaida Parker

Nattie has Evolve Women’s Champion Nikkita Lyons and Karmen Petrovic with her. Nattie attacks at the bell and we roll around for a second before going to the floor. Nattie clubbers away and Parker responds in kind. Nattie rams Parker into the apron and chops away. Nattie and Parker tumble to the barricade and Nattie slaps on a sleeper when Parker confronts Petrovic and Lyons. Parker hits a suplex and goes back in as we go to commercials.

Parker has Nattie in an abdominal stretch when the show returns, but Nattie manages to escape. Parker slaps on a cobra clutch and Petrovic jumps on the apron. Lyons is finally able to interfere as Nattie breaks out with an elbow. Petrovic and Lyons celebrate but Los Perros del Mal enter and Petrovic backs up the aisle before leaving with them. Nattie jams Parker’s arm into the ropes and then goes to ground and pound. Nattie stomps on Parker’s knee and then mashes her with a back elbow. Parker fires up with a lariat and a back elbow. Parker dumps Nattie in a corner and wants her butt drop. Parker hits that and then wants Hipnotic, but Nattie slips it. Parker slaps on the Rings of Saturn and Nattie is able to roll out of it. Nattie flies on top of Parker with a rear naked choke/body scissors combo. Nattie transitions to an armbar but Parker holds it off and yanks Nattie up for a powerbomb. Parker gets caught in an ankle lock before Nattie drives her knee down into the mat. Nattie puts on the Sharpshooter and Parker makes the ropes before tumbling to the florr. Lyons nails Paker with a kick and here’s Thea Hail in to start pounding on Lyons who runs for the hills. Nattie wants the Sharpshooter again but Parker fights out of it. Parker kicks Nattie out of the ring and Parker goes out to run Nattie back in. Parker hits a chop block and puts the Sharpshooter on Nattie. Nattie tries for the ropes, but that doesn’t matter, so Parker yanks her back into the middle. Nattie finally taps out to end things.

Well, good for Jaida. Nattie kind of big-timed her by immediately leaping up after the match ended, but maybe she had a case of “not wanting to job to the Sharpshooter-itis” or something. Regardless, this was again very clunky because Parker works at NXT pace and Nattie works at main roster pace. I didn’t love it, I didn’t hate it, and I hope this feud is over. 2.25*

Winner – Jaida Parker (Sharpshooter)

Here’s Wren Sinclair and Kendal Grey backstage. Grey tries to console Sinclair after her loss, and wants to have cake with her after she retains later. Sinclair promises Grey the largest piece and they dap it up as Grey leaves.

NXT Women’s Championship: Kendal Grey (C) vs Kelani Jordan

Grey’s damaged ear still has a bandage on it, so we’ll see if that becomes a focal point. They grapple to start and Grey dumps Jordan over with a fireman’s carry. Grey misses a top rope move and eats a Jordan dropkick. Jordan hits an Asai moonsault on Grey who had bailed to the floor. Grey fires up with a rana on the floor before running Jordan back in. Grey gets shouldered and they exchange armdrags. Grey misses a charge and they crash together with simultaneous lariats. They nip up together and we go to commercials.

Jordan has Grey’s arm tied up but she breaks out of it with some rights as the show returns. Jordan drives the knee into Grey’s midsection and then drops the same knee on Grey’s head. Jordan covers and gets two. Jordan rams Grey into a turnbuckle and cranks her body around a ring post. Jordan yanks up Grey for a shoulderbreaker and covers for two. Jordan hits a Eat DaFeet and Grey dumps her when she charges for another move. Grey ascends and nails Jordan with a moonsault for two. Grey fires off a right and they start slugging it out. Grey nails Jordan with some uppercuts and an overhead belly to belly. Grey drops the straps and dumps Jordan with some overhead tosses. Grey hits a reverse thrust and wants a tornado DDT, but Jordan yanks her into a Northern Lights for two. Jordan whales Grey in the ear with a hammer fist and then takes off the ear bandage. Grey fires off a snap powerslam and gets two. Grey eats a backbreaker and Jordan ascends for a 450 that misses. Jordan lands awkwardly and Grey pounces with an ankle lock. Jordan breaks out of it and Grey ascends. Jordan dumps Grey all the way onto the announce table and goes out to run Grey back in. Jordan hits the split-legged moonsault and Grey kicks out at two. We go to more commercials.

Grey and Jordan are on the top rope and Grey fires off a reverse Spanish Fly when the show returns. Jordan bails to the apron and Grey misses a charge. Grey ends up on the apron and Jordan blasts her with a back elbow. Jordan kicks at Grey’s knee and then flies in with a cutter that gets two. Jordan kicks at Grey’s damaged ear and Grey gets caught with a springboard forearm. Grey fights out of a powerbomb attempt and rolls Jordan up for two. Grey smashes Jordan with a GTS and gets two. Grey wants an armbar but Jordan fights it off. Jordan snaps off a hotshot German but Grey responds with a German of her own. There’s a mid-ring skirmish and Grey grabs an ankle lock. Jordan kicks out of it and Grey eats a superkick. Jordan ascends and hits a 450 splash for two. Grey hits Shades of Grey outta nowhere and Jordan kicks out at two. Jordan grabs an inside cradle for two and Grey goes back to the ankle lock in response. Jordan cannot make the ropes so she rolls through. There’s covers exchanged for two and Jordan stomps on Grey’s ear to break out of an armbar. Jordan fires off a bunch of kicks and misses a springboard moonsault. Grey nails Jordan with a back elbow but her momentum carries her to the floor. Jordan rams Grey’s head into the bottom turnbuckle and crushes her with the split-legged moonsault to claim the title.

Damn. They really went all out here and absolutely delivered. I thought Jordan’s story of knowing what Grey’s injury was and fully working towards destabilizing Grey by attacking it repeatedly was a great piece of business. Jordan claims the big title the first time she gets to challenge for it, and continues that storyline as well. This was a hell of a battle and everyone should be very proud of this match. I think the ladies were out to show that maybe they should have main evented. 4.5*

Winner AND NEW NXT Women’s Champion – Kelani Jordan (split-legged moonsault)

We get a quick look at Zilla Fatu warming up before going to commercials.

NXT GM Robert Stone is with Sarah Schreiber and he pumps up the results before chatting about the two remaining matches. Stone says he has plans for the tag division and also that the next PLE will be Halloween Havoc ON HALLOWEEN NIGHT. We have to get Shotzi back for this!

Here’s a look at NARAKU’s recent attack on Shiloh Hill. NARAKU chides Hill for thinking his research on mists means that he understands it fully. NARAKU says he’s left room for more pain and Hill will live in darkness moving forward.

Here’s Tavion Heights and Myles Borne trying to sort things out in the locker room. Borne tries to apologize and Heights says there’s nothing they can change. Borne vows to get the titles back and Heights says they have to do whatever it takes to keep the NA title on Borne’s waist. Borne promises Heights he will be a champion again, and Heights says Borne will be his brother for life. They dap it up and Borne leaves. We go to commercials.

NXT Men’s North American Championship: Myles Borne (C) vs Jackson Drake

Drake has Myka Lockwood and the new tag champs with him. Borne is selling his ribs from the tag match during ring intros. Borne pounds away after Drake charges. Drake fires up with some clubbering rights and immediately runs into a Borne back bodydrop. Borne nails Drake with some uppercuts and Drake responds with a big kick. They tumble to the floor when Borne lariats Drake over. Drake recovers first and Borne prevents a suplex with one of his own. Here’s Tavion Heights out finally as Drake and Borne go back in. Borne eats a kaman giri and Drake suplexes himself and Borne over the top rope. We go to commercials.

Borne murders Drake with a series of moves before covering and getting two. Drake prevents a Borne again and drops Borne over the top rope throat-first. Drake hits a springboard cutter and covers Borne for two. Drake misses a moonsault but fires off a tope suicida on Borne before running him back in. Drake ascends and misses a 450. Borne runs into a Gutbuster and Drake’s cover gets two. Drake eats a Borne dropkick and two powerbombs. Borne’s cover gets two. Drake hits some kicks but gets caught with another dropkick that sends him to the floor. Borne hits a tope and then fights off Smokes before Lockwood yanks him up for her powerslam finisher. Drake runs Borne back in as Heights is fighting with the Vanity kids. Drake hits a 450 and that finishes things to make him the new champ.

The finish was a bit overcooked but heels cheat, right? That’s what they’re supposed to do. Myka Lockwood is fun as hell, by the way. I hope she starts getting matches on television soon. It’s a very bad night for Myles Borne losing two titles. We’ll see where all of this goes but the post-match suggests the next direction. 2.75*

Winner AND NEW NXT Men’s North American Champion – Jackson Drake (450 splash)

Post-match sees Borne attack Tavion Heights with a neckbreaker before making an exit. Borne walks past the Vanity team and stops at the top of the ramp to consider what he’s done. Kam Hendrix cuts a pre-taped promo about his match with Mason Rook this coming Tuesday night, and we go to commercials.

NXT ORIGINS is on GUNTHER. It’s kind of wild to see him in his WALTER days when he was so much bigger.

Joseph runs down some matches for this week’s NXT television show. We take a look back at how things progressed to get this main event to a Fatal Four-way including the arrival of Zilla Fatu. It’s time to sell some products.

NXT Men’s Championship Fatal Four-Way: Tony D’Angelo (C) vs Grayson Waller vs Cruz Montana vs Zilla Fatu

The fight starts as soon as the bell rings and Fatu takes control momentarily. Waller and Montana smash him around a bit but when they trade blows a recovered Fatu blasts them with lariats. D’Angelo squares up with Fatu and drops him with a spinebuster. Montana flies in and D’Angelo crushes Waller with a tope suicida. Montana hits everyone with a tope con hilo. We go to commercials.

Montana gets dropped by Waller after charging behind him. Waller goes outside to smash D’Angelo and Fatu around before sliding back in. Montana chops Waller down but eats a kick from Waller in response. Waller puts the boots to Montana and then yanks him up for a turnbuckle smash. Waller clobbers Montana with an elbow and then drops him with a neckbreaker that gets two. Waller prevents D’Angelo from re-entering with a right and then slams Montana into a returning Fatu. Montana fires up with a neckbreaker and Fatu and D’Angelo finally re-enter. Fatu hits a throat thrust on D’Angelo and then squares up with Montana. They have a chop battle before Montana takes control. Fatu fires up with another throat thrust and here’s D’Angelo back in. D’Angelo takes out his hair tie to show how serious things are before he and Fatu attempt to truck each other. D’Angelo gets pulled out by Waller but D’Angelo shakes that off by dropping Waller back-first on the apron. D’Angelo goes back in to truck Fatu in a corner before hitting an overhead belly to belly on Fatu and a charging Montana. D’Angelo nails Waller with a top rope belly-to-belly and we go to more commercials.

Waller has Montana in a corner when the show returns but D’Angelo and Fatu combine on a super blockbuster to send everyone down. D’Angelo mounts Fatu in a corner and climbs up for some right hands. Fatu headbutts D’Angelo down and ascends for a huge splash that gets two as Montana breaks things up with a destroyer on Waller. Montana sends Fatu into a corner post and then crushes him with a cannonball. D’Angelo breaks up Montana’s cover at two. D’Angelo whales Montana with a powerslam that gets two. Fatu crushes D’Angelo with a Samoan Drop and then crushes D’Angelo with a Samoan Spike. Waller breaks up the cover by yanking the ref out of the ring. Fatu goes out to chase Waller down before dropping him with some rights. Fatu clears the announce table and Waller fights out of whatever he was going to try. D’Angelo crushes a staggering Fatu with a spear, and Montana yanks Fatu up to place him on the cleared announce table. Montana ascends but D’Angelo flies up to duke it out with Montana. They both tumble down and Waller sees the prone Fatu on the table. Waller considers things before ascending for a huge elbow on Fatu through the table. Waller landed awkwardly and may have hurt his lower leg. D’Angelo crawls in to face up with Montana and a hockey fight ensues. Montana eats a huge right from D’Angelo, but Montana fires up with a thrust kick. D’Angelo crushes Montana with a German and then wastes him with a spear. Montana hits Spin the Block and Waller flies in to steal the pin after disposing of Montana.

A bunch of us called this result in the roundtable because it honestly made the most sense for everything moving forward. I suspect D’Angelo and Zilla might not be long for the brand anyway, and now Montana can chase Waller after he cost him the title directly. This was well-agented for the finish, but the rest of it was kind of a chaotic mess. I wouldn’t call it bad, but it never got anywhere near the level of the Women’s title match. 3.5*

Winner AND NEW NXT Men’s Champion – Grayson Waller

The Women’s title match should be in the conversation for North American women’s match of the year when we get to the holidays. Everything else on the show was solid, save for the Nattie-Parker match, and even that wasn’t horrible. This was the best PLE show NXT has put on for awhile and given what the company was trying to do with both this show and the AAA show on the same day as another huge show from London, I think they probably accomplished what they wanted to. Get to the Women’s title match as soon as it’s posted on youtube and catch everything else on highlights.

Thanks for reading. Enjoy the rest of your weekends.