NXT – 09.08.26

By Niz on 8 September 2026

Last week on NXT – A bunch of folks made a claim for Grayson Waller’s newly-won NXT Men’s Title

NXT comes to the CW airwaves tonight from The Performance Center in Orlando, FL. The announcers for tonight’s show are the usual suspects, Vic Joseph and Booker T on play-by-play and analysis, Mike Rome on ring introductions, and Sarah Schreiber on news and interviews. We’re on the road to Halloween Havoc so let’s watch some wrestling!

Arrivals: One team, separate arrivals, but everyone looks ready as we see Saquon Shugars, Mason Rook, and Tony D’Angelo showing up for work. Directly after, we see their opposition as Cruz Montana, Keanu Carver, and EK Prosper are also looking good and ready for war.

Here’s Jaida Parker walking with her new best pal Thea Hail and Parker asks Hail to stay in the back as she heads out. Hail agrees, and we next see NXT Women’s Champion Kelani Jordan heading out for combat as well, but she’s alone.

NXT Women’s Championship: Kelani Jordan (C) vs Jaida Parker

There’s some verbals before Mike Rome’s in-ring intros. Vicky D’Errico is your referee. There’s some grappling to start and Parker trucks Jordan and puts the boots to her. Jordan misses a dropkick and Parker grabs a crucifix for one. Jordan lifts a knee and yanks Parker down by her hair before mocking Parker’s trademark shoulder shimmy. Parker slips a rolling senton and slaps the champ full in the face. Jordan drives Parker to a corner and fires off a few boots to her mid-section before ramming a shoulder in several times. Jordan hits a springboard forearm thing and then turns Parker over when she tries a roll up. Jordan tries a rana but Parker cuts it off and drops Jordan with a sit-down powerbomb for two. We go to commercials.

Jordan gets shoved off the second rope by Parker when the show returns. Parker mashes Jordan with a sort-of Ruff Ryder from the second rope and we reset with both ladies down. They start slugging it out and Parker wins the skirmish with a bunch of lariats. Parker eats a back elbow but Jordan can’t follow up and gets dumped to the mat. Parker blasts Jordan with a blockbuster and yanks Jordan up for a Falcon Arrow that gets two. There’s a cover exchange where each get two and Parker slaps on the Rings of Saturn. Jordan rolls Parker over for two and that releases the hold. Parker whales on Jordan with some slaps and tries for her butt drop, but Jordan cuts it off and nails Parker with a leg drop. Jordan nails Parker with an Asai moonsault and ascends again for a 450 attempt. Parker slips away and yanks Jordan into a Samoan Drop. Parker gets Jordan set up for the butt drop and does some high stepping. Parker tries for a Hipnotic but Jordan trips her up and Parker’s back and neck smash the second turnbuckle. Jordan hits the Split-Legged Moonsault and that ends things.

I liked this because almost all of it happened in the ring, other than Jordan’s Asai moonsault. That’s kind of a big deal for me as a recapper, if you ever wanted to understand how I view things. Too much time on the floor kind of takes me out of thinking it’s a classic, but that’s me. Now mechanically there were some flaws but overall the idea that Parker was working through her power game offense before trying for the Rings was a decent story and Jordan’s new-found resilience was her answer. I don’t have major problems with this and I’d see them tangle again if it is in the cards. 3.5*

Winner AND STILL NXT Women’s Champion – Kelani Jordan (Split Legged Moonsault)

Post-match sees Wren Sinclair fly in to attack Jordan. Sinclair slugs Vicky D’Errico and yanks a kendo stick out from under the ring for a bunch of shots on Jordan. Sinclair wears Jordan out before being yanked off of her by a bunch of referees who’ve poured out from the back.

YESTERDAY NXT GM Robert Stone was doing a promo for tonight’s show and when he finishes he’s visited by Noam Dar and Romeo Moreno. Stone admits that he brought the Creeds in for their records in NXT but Moreno and Dar want to fight them since they got attacked last week. Stone makes the match for tonight, and it’s now time for this to happen, but we take a quick break first.

Myles Borne cuts a promo for social media and he still seems pretty upset about how his attack on Tavion Heights has played out. Here’s a shot of Tavion Heights watching the promo and Borne ends it by wishing that he could be by Height’s side tonight when he fights Jackson Drake for the North American title. As it turns out, Heights has Hank & Tank also listening in and they wonder if Heights has actually spoken to Borne. A frustrated Heights confirms he hasn’t spoken with Borne but it’s going to have to wait because he needs to focus on winning the NA title.

Noam Dar and Romeo Moreno vs The Creed Brothers (Brutus and Julius Creed)

This is the Creeds first NXT match since Halloween Havoc 2023. Your referee is Derek Sanders. It’s Moreno and Julius to start and Moreno tries a single leg that Julius shakes off fairly easily. (Booker: “You can’t wrestle with these guys, come on Moreno!”) Julius kind of rag-dolls Moreno to the team corner and Brutus tags in. Julius drops Moreno back-first over Brutus’s knee and Brutus then follows with a lofted face-buster on Moreno. Moreno stops Brutus with a lofted boot and slaps Julius in the face, and Dar grabs a blind tag. Dar and Moreno smash Brutus with high/low kicks and Dar grabs a cover for two. Dar holds Brutus up on the second rope and Moreno hits a double stomp. Moreno pulls Brutus into a bulldog choke while Dar yanks a charging Julius into a guillotine. Julius fights his way out and breaks up the hold on Brutus by heaving Dar onto the pile. Dar and Moreno nail the Creeds with kicks from the apron. Moreno hits a tope con hilo on the Creeds and Dar ascends for a moonsault to the floor. Julius runs headlong into the ring steps and Dar blasts him with a shotgun dropkick. We go to commercials.

Dar is in need of a tag but runs headlong into some Brutus clubbering when the show returns. Julius tags in and the Creeds hit some double-team offense on Dar that culminates in a Julius fall-away slam. Julius drives a knee in and Dar suckers him in before nailing Julius with a shotgun dropkick. Julius puts Dar in a bear hug and Dar fires off some forearms to break out of it. Julius misses a charge and Dar finally makes a tag to Moreno. Moreno runs wild on Julius and then drops Brutus with a German. Moreno hits a missile dropkick on Julius that sends him to the floor. Moreno hits a springboard cross-body on both Creeds and then runs Julius back in. Dar tags in and they drop Julius with a pendulum slam that gets two. Dar gets yanked out by Brutus and Julius crushes Moreno with a nasty powerbomb that gets two. Dar prevents Brutus from ascending as Moreno grabs a roll up on Julius for two. Julius nails Moreno with a knee lift but eats a huge back elbow from Dar. Moreno falls on top of Julius but Brutus breaks up the cover at two with a Brutus Bomb. Dar gets tossed to the floor and he and Brutus go at it before Brutus smashes Dar into the barricade. Moreno grabs a roll up on Julius for two Julius levels Moreno with a lariat and he and Brutus hit a double-team lofted slam that ends things.

Nothing like two heel wins to start a show, huh? The gruntled crowd is starting to not like this, is what I’m saying. I expected the Creeds to win this because of the re-debut on this brand, and they lived up to that expectation. I think Dar and Moreno were game and I’m still enjoying them as a team, but I don’t have a clue where it might be going for them storyline-wise. The Creeds will have to wait, presumably, until there aren’t heel tag champs to get where they want to go. This was fine but I never really felt like Dar and Moreno had a real shot at it despite them mostly dominating the first act. 2.75*

Winners – The Creed Brothers (Lofted slam on Moreno)

EARLIER TODAY Birthright are backstage with Uriah Connors lamenting Zilla Fatu’s refusal to join their ranks last week. Charles Dempsey complains about being treated like an afterthought, and here’s Fit Finlay and William Regal in to say that it’s time they stepped up and dealt with this directly. Regal mentions his long history with Fatu’s father “UMANGA” (I love William Regal so much for the continuity here.) and puts it directly on Dempsey to bring him Zilla Fatu or a piece of what’s left of him TONIGHT. Dempsey stalks away and we go to commercials.

Here’s Robert Stone chasing down an agitated Wren Sinclair and wanting to know what’s gotten into her. Sinclair lists off Jordan hurting Kendal Grey at Heatwave and calling Sinclair a sidekick last week before saying she’s tired of being everyone’s doormat. Stone suspends Sinclair and ejects her.

Here’s Charles Dempsey mid-ring and he claims enough is enough. Dempsey says he’s under-appreciated despite everything he can do. Dempsey says he’s not the most popular guy because he doesn’t do flips, but he’s all action over words and flips. Dempsey says he’s never compromised his values and when he was asked to join Birthright, he leapt at it because the group is just like him. Dempsey says he’s the best grappler in the entire company but instead he’s made to look like a fool every week. Dempsey is not going to wait to be taken seriously while a bunch of failed football players take up spots from real wrestlers like him. Dempsey says there’s no one in the locker room who can actually step to him and specifically mentions Zilla Fatu. Dempsey says if Fatu joins Birthright he’ll end up on the superstar path. Dempsey says Fatu is just like the people in Birthright and orders Fatu to accept the offer to join the group.

Here’s Zilla Fatu out to say that the majority of what Dempsey is true because he does have a chip on his shoulder based on his lineage. Fatu enters but has no interest in joining the group because he’s the MAIN ONE. Fatu once again tells Dempsey HELL NO and here’s Uriah Connors out to say it’s no longer a request, it’s a demand. The Birthright crew descends en masse for fisticuffs but Fatu fights them off before being slapped by Arianna Grace. Lexis King blasts Fatu with a chair shot and they take him to the floor for a major assault that ends with a powerbomb through the announce table. Dempsey tears Fatu’s shirt off and holds it up as a prize.

THE NXT FOCUS PRESENTED BY PROGRESSIVE is on NARAKU who talks about Shiloh Hill continuing to question the nature of the mist and it’s many forms and colors. NARAKU offers Hill a choice to end the feud or he will show Hill every color of mist and their effects. We go to commercials.

Here’s Saquon Shugars, Mason Rook, and Tony D’Angelo in a corner of the locker room. Shugars has a plan for their match but D’Angelo just wants everyone to stay out of his way. Here’s Tristan Angels in to mock Rook’s attempt at calming things, and Shugars fires up to shut that down. Angels blows that off and says Shugars has always been a sheep before exiting to stunned silence from the trio.

NXT Men’s North American Championship: Jackson Drake (C) vs Tavion Heights

Booker doesn’t like Heights body language on his way to the ring. Drake is out with his entire crew including Myka Lockwood, and the tag champions Brad Baylor and Ricky Smokes. Mike Rome does in-ring intros, and your referee is Adrian Butler.

Heights dumps Drake on his back to start and then tosses him down after going behind. Heights grapples Drake around and Drake turns it around for a roll up that gets one. Drake fires off a back elbow and Heights responds with a monster lariat. Heights slams Drake and covers for one. Drake fires up with a right into Heights lower back and starts clubbering away. There’s a series of standing switches before Drake gets dumped to the floor. Smokes prevents Heights from flying but Heights follows Smokes and murders him with a forearm. Drake tosses Heights to the floor and we go to commercials.

Drake misses a leap coming off the second rope and clutches at his ankle as the show comes back. Drake takes off his boot and Heights follows with a sling blade before slapping on an ankle lock. Drake kicks out of it and goes to the floor for a respite. Drake goes back in and Heights clips him immediately, so Drake bails again. Heights goes out and gets run into a ring post a couple of times before Drake blasts him with a kick. Drake runs Heights back in and fires off some back elbows before slapping on a rear chinlock. Heights grabs Drake’s ankle and Drake pounds away to try to get away from Heights. They slug it out and Heights wins the skirmish with a short Superman punch. Heights hits an overhead belly-to-belly and a sling blade. Drake catches Heights with a high boot and a bridging German that gets two. Drake hits a running forearm and a kick to Heights head. They go to the apron and Drake fires off some kicks before Heights yanks Drake into a German on the apron. They crawl back in and there’s a cover exchange where each get two. They hit each other with simultaneous high boots and after some misses Drake waffles Heights with a knee. Drake ascends for a 450 and covers Heights for three.

So make it three heel wins in a row to start the show and this one was about as clean as you could get given how much the Vanity kids usually cheat. I would assume the next step for Heights would be to try to make up with Myles Borne but I guess we’ll see what happens there. Drake won this fairly decisively at the end, quite frankly, and I would figure that we might get a new challenger for him out of the remnants of the main event six man, but let’s see what happens there. Maybe there’s a triple threat in the future here with Drake defending against both Borne and Heights! Shawn does love a multi-man, as a reminder. 3*

Winner AND STILL NXT Men’s NA Champion – Jackson Drake (450)

Post-match sees Myles Borne in the NXT UNIVERSE, but Heights makes an exit before Borne can join things.

Here’s another part of the men’s locker room with Cruz Montana, EK Prosper, and Keanu Carver discussing plans. Montana wants Prosper and Carver to get on the same page so they can settle things next week. Here’s Robert Stone and Carver calmly tells Stone that they’re ready to go.

Here’s NXT Women’s North American Champion Zaria making her way out for a chat as we go to commercials.

Zaria gets fairly mild reception before grabbing a mic. I think it’s time for the promo parade! Zaria drops a Sol Ruca reference (DRINK!) and talks about how far she’s come since Ruca left. Zaria talks about winning the triple threat at Heatwave and how much that redemption meant to her. Zaria claims she’ll continue to be dominant, and here’s Izzi Dame on top of the NXT Roost. Dame claims that people might be buying this facade but she isn’t. Dame says she sees right through Zaria and claims Zaria has become everything she claims to hate. Dame claims she’ll expose who the real Zaria is. Here’s Thea Hail out from the back to claim no one cares about Dame’s word, and she is making a claim on the North American title. Dame yells BOOOOORRRRING and says she’ll let Hail and Zaria fight it out before she exposes whomever the champ is. Zaria says Hail has always depended on someone else leading her around and Hail claims Zaria is just jealous that Hail has a real friend. Hail mentions Ruca (DRINK!) and the fist start flying. Hail slaps on a Kimura and Zaria shows a visual tap out to the hold.

Here’s Myles Borne backstage and he runs into Hank & Tank. Tank tells Borne he has to apologize and not on social media, it has to be face to face. Heights has already left the building and Borne promises to apologize face to face next week.

Here’s Birthright presenting the portion of Zilla Fatu’s shirt to Fit Finlay and William Regal. Regal says he’s proud, and here’s the Vanity Project kids in to say Regal should be proud of them, so Regal mentions Birthright being on the hunt and everyone starts barking. Here’s Sean Legacy and Dorian van Dux in to make some claims on the tag titles, which immediately brings in the Creed Brothers as well. Drake calls the Creeds “super seniors looking for freshman”, and this brings in Osiris Griffin and Cutler James to start barking as well. Two promo parades! What a show.

Here’s Sarah Schreiber with Kali Armstrong who has asked for some time to call out Thea Hail for jumping the line. Armstrong points out that she’s beaten Zaria one on one and should be next up. Here’s Lizzy Rain in to say if Armstrong thinks she’s so deserving of a shot at Zaria she should have joined the show when Hail was out there. Rain and Armstrong amp up the verbals and have to be separated.

Entrances begin for the main event lead by Mason Rook. Saquon Shugars is out next, followed by Tony D’Angelo. Here’s NXT Men’s Champion Grayson Waller out to join the commentary team for the main event. We go to a break.

NXT Men’s Championship Six Man Qualifier – Tony D’Angelo, Saquon Shugars, and Mason Rook vs Cruz Montana, EK Prosper, and Keanu Carver

As a reminder, the winning team in this match will be in a triple threat next week with the winner advancing to face Grayson Waller for the title. Dallas Irvin is your referee.

A Pier Six erupts at the bell with Prosper and Shugars being left alone in the ring. Prosper mashes Shugars with a reverse thrust and wants a rana, but Shugars prevents it. Prosper flies over Shugars back for a roll up that gets two. Prosper nails Shugars with a springboard moonsault before mashing Shugars with an enziguri. Prosper covers for two. Carver tags in and Shugars rolls him up for two. Shugars wants a crucifix and finally gets it for two. Carver just murders Shugars with THE POUNCE and Rook tags in. Carver manages to yank Rook up for a Saito suplex that gets two. Montana tags in and he and Rook slug it out. Rook nails Montana with an enziguri and then drops Montana with a cross-body that gets two. D’Angelo tags in and Montana fires off a double cutter on D’Angelo and Rook. Montana covers D’Angelo for two. Montana yanks D’Angelo over in a fireman’s carry slam and covers him for two. Prosper tags in and D’Angelo manages to yank Montana and Prosper into crashing into each other. D’Angelo hits a German on Montana and then yanks Prosper into an overhead toss. Prosper fires up briefly but walks into a D’Angelo spinebuster. Shugars tags in and nails Prosper with an atomic drop before skinning the cat and elbowing a prone Prosper at the same time. Shugars taunts Waller at the desk before nailing Prosper with a rope-assisted leg drop. Shugars covers and gets two. Everyone comes in and hits moves and it ends with Montana and Carver tossing Prosper into a rana that gets two on Shugars. We go to commercials.

Prosper has Shugars in a rear chinlock when the show returns. Shugars hits a heel kick and Prosper manages to tag in Montana. Shugars escapes from a Montana charge and crushes a charging Prosper with a sit-out senton. Rook gets a tag and runs wild on Montana with lariats before mashing him with a senton that gets two. Montana gets a roll up for two in response and then waffles Rook with a right. Carver and Montana hoist Rook to the top turnbuckle and go up for a double superplex. Prosper follows with a frog splash and his cover gets the longest of twos. Carver tags in and Rook kicks him off and directly into Montana. Prosper flies in and leaps off Rook’s back to dropkick Shugars to the floor. Rook hits a back body drop on Prosper and tags in D’Angelo. D’Angelo runs wild and nails Prosper with a series of Germans before planting Carver with one. D’Angelo hits a bulldog and a lofted powerslam on Prosper that gets two as Carver breaks up the cover. Montana crashes into Carver as Prosper nails D’Angelo with a Baisaku knee. Prosper misses a moonsault and immediately gets speared by D’Angelo. Rook steals a tag and yanks D’Angelo up to use him in a cannonball. Rook yanks Prosper out of the corner and covers him for three.

It wasn’t a masterpiece or anything but we had to get winners here and I suppose D’Angelo getting a rematch with Waller wouldn’t be the worst choice. I have trouble believing either Rook or Shugars will steal this shot next week but I guess we’ll see. There’s clearly some stuff coming with Carver and Montana as you’ll see here in a minute, but overall I thought they got through this weirdly aligned match segment about as well as you could expect with a grumpy crowd in the background. 3*

Winners – D’Angelo/Shugars/Rook (Rook cannonball on Prosper)

Post-match sees fists start flying between Montana and Carver and they have to be separated. D’Angelo beefs with Rook over the cannonball as the credits roll and we’re out.

Not the happiest episode of NXT but some things moved along and we’re starting to get a sense of where it all might go for Halloween Havoc. There’s still a long time to that show so things can obviously change but for now, you can certainly get a sense of the pieces being moved around the board as the card gets constructed. I didn’t love all the heel wins but I didn’t really think either title defense was going to result in a change, so we are where we are with those results. Overall, a watchable show but maybe not the happiest time if you’re looking for babyface wins.

Thanks for reading. Y’all be cool.