NXT – 09.29.26

Reading is fundamental: Evolve | Main Event | Smackdown | AAA | Raw

Last week on NXT: The Dusty Rhodes Classic kicked off, and Reina Volcan returned!

NXT returns to the CW airwaves LIVE AND IN LIVING COLOR from The Performance Center in Orlando, FL. The announcers for tonight’s show are Vic Joseph and Booker T on play-by-play and analysis, Mike Rome on ring introductions, and Emily Agard on news and interviews. There are two huge title matches tonight, plus more first round Dusty Classic action, so let’s watch some wrestling!

WWE Remembers: Benjamin Satterley “Neville” – This hit like a ton of bricks. Peace and love to his family and loved ones. It’s a devastating loss.

EARLIER TODAY NXT GM Robert Stone greeted NXT Men’s Champion Grayson Waller to inform him that his challenger for tonight Mason Rook is out of action and could be for awhile. Stone mentions that Waller will still be defending his title tonight, but it will be an Open Challenge! Waller says these lads ain’t ready and he cannot wait.

NXT Women’s North American Championship: Zaria (C) vs Thea Hail

Mike Rome does in-ring intros. Hail charges at the bell and tries for the Kimura, but Zaria fights that off and dumps Hail back into her original corner. Zaria tosses Hail out of said corner and Hail appears to land badly on an ankle. Zaria rams Hail into another corner and smashes Hail face-first into the mat. Zaria drives some shoulders into Hail but when she charges again Hail gets a boot up. Zaria dumps Hail to the apron when she charges and Hail yanks Zaria’s arm over the ropes in response. Hail hits a high boot and tries for a crucifix cover, but Zaria shifts out of it and wants a powerbomb. Hail slips out of that and continues to work the arm. Hail tries for some SMALL JOINT MANIPULATION but Zaria escapes from that. Hail snaps off a dropkick that sends Zaria to the floor. Hail charges and gets blasted with a huge right hand and a discus lariat. We go to commercials.

Hail has a short flurry cut off by a huge Zaria headbutt when the show returns. Hail dumps Zaria to the floor when she charges, and Hail follows with a tope suicida. Hail hits a tornado DDT and tosses Zaria back in. Hail ascends for a huge cross-body and a series of double sledges. Hail snaps off an Exploder and grabs a roll-up for two. Hail hits a headbutt of her own, and follows with a meteora. Hail hits a rolling tackle and Zaria springs up to grab Hail off a springboard and hit a release German. Zaria charges into a Kimura and Zaria rises to her feet. Hail slips off Zaria’s shoulders and tries another roll-up, and Zaria’s kick out at two results in Hail going throat-first into the middle rope. Zaria hits a spear and yanks Hail up for the F5. Zaria’s cover ends things.

I love a clean finish. This was decent for what it was, and I really felt like Hail’s underdog offense stood out here. Booker calls Hail a one-trick pony because of her offense being directed at getting that Kimura hold applied, but isn’t that the point if you’re good at something? Zaria’s lumbering offense is no masterpiece, Book. Anyway, I thought this was Thea’s best outing in a while, and Zaria did her part, and we got a clean finish. I’m fine with all of that. 3*

Winner AND STILL NXT Women’s North American Champion – Zaria (F5)

Here’s Noam Dar and Romeo Moreno palling around with AAA Tag Team Champions El Hijo del Dr. Wagner Jr and Galeno. Dar says it would be an honor to face the Wagners in the finals. Here’s Nathan Frazer and Axiom in to compliment Dar and Moreno but Frazer reminds them that after they beat Darkstate tonight, they will be getting past Dar and Moreno next. Axiom warns Frazer against making enemies, and the Wagners say it would be an honor to face either team. Here’s NXT Tag Team Champions Brad Baylor and Ricky Smokes to remind everyone they’re the number one seeds and it DOESN’T MATTER who comes out of the other side of the brackets. The Vanity Project leave and the Wagners question everyone about why the VP kids are such assholes! We go to commercials.

Here’s a graphic for Worlds Collide, which will be shown on Youtube tomorrow evening at 7 PM Eastern.

Here’s Myles Borne out for a chat. Borne says that everything he said to Tavion Heights two weeks ago were the truth. Borne says when it came to the apology, that’s when it got to him because he didn’t want to go back to being half a duo again. Borne thought he could have everything when he was double champ but when he sat and thought about it, Ethan Page was right about him not having a killer instinct. Borne says he was doing himself a disservice by standing still, and he had to make a career-defining decision to become a solo star. Borne says stomping Heights ankle the same way he did to Ethan Page felt right. Borne says that version of him is the real version, but now the NXT UNIVERSE is trying to make him feel guilty. Borne says the only reason the crowd ever liked him was because of his disability and mentions “social justice warriors” being the ones using him to make themselves feel better. Borne tells the crowd to not feel sorry for him because he’s the deaf one in the ring with everyone watching him. Borne says he’s not the underdog anymore, and he’ll show something everyone can understand. Borne says he’s surrounded by hypocrites, and he’ll be the real version of himself that never breaks. Borne looks in the camera and tells everyone to go to hell. (This went on a little long for me but I guess we got there in the end.)

Here’s Lizzy Rain in Robert Stone’s office and he mentions to her that he’s got an announcement for later regarding Kelani Jordan. Here’s Chazz “Starboy” Hall and Mini Vikingo in and they seem stoked to team up. Rain and Stone look on fondly as Vikingo and Starboy make their exit.

Here’s Emily Agard with Grayson Waller who seems tense but he manages to run down Mason Rook actually having “quit” in his eyes. Waller wants everyone to want to step up to get the Grayson Waller Rub.

Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic First Round: Chazz “Starboy” Hall and Mini Vikingo vs Birthright (Stacks Lorenzo and Uriah Connors)

Arianna Grace, Lexis King, and a neck-braced Charles Dempsey are out with Stacks and Connors. Connors starts with Vikingo and there’s some acrobatics before Connors slams Vikingo. Stacks tags in and Vikingo escapes a double team attempt. Vikingo hits a double stomp and Starboy tags in. Starboy stomps on Stacks arm and Stacks yanks him down by his hair in response. Starboy slides out of a cover and sits on Stacks. Connors tags in and Starboy sends him to the apron. Starboy hits a reverse thrust on Connors before he and Vikingo try for topes. Connors and Stacks catch them and send them into the steps and a ring post respectively. We go to a break.

Connors gets a tag and sends Starboy into the ropes when the show returns. Connors and Stacks hit some double team stuff and Connors grabs a cover after a swanton. Starboy kicks out at two and Stacks tags in. Starboy fights his way out of the corner and nails Stacks and Connors with Pele kicks. Vikingo gets the tag and he runs wild on Stacks and Connors before his Spanish Fly on Stacks gets two. Stacks hits a double thrust but Vikingo slips a charge and grabs a roll up for two. Starboy tags in and he trips Connors up before nailing him with a standing sky twister press that gets two. Connors hits a reverse thrust and a springboard stunner on Starboy as Stacks tags in. Stacks hits a big elbow and Vikingo breaks up the cover at two. Everyone slugs it out There’s a big exchange mid ring and Stacks hits a big boot on Starboy. Connors nails Starboy with an enziguri and ascends, but a recovered Starboy flies in with a Pele kick to send Connors to the floor. Vikingo hits a twisting pescado on Connors and Starboy grabs a roll up on Stacks for two. Starboy hits a tornado DDT on Stacks and Vikingo follows with a 630 that ends things!

I love a first round upset! Plus Birthright are a bunch of goobers, so you know…this is fine. Anyway, this defied the laws of tag wrestling and no one sold for longer than a second or two, so you have to kind of throw your brain out the window and just watch. I actually don’t have too many problems with Stacks and Connors as a team, it’s just the Birthright gimmick in general is kind of sad. Anyway, Vikingo and Starboy move on and we’ll see where this goes for them. 2.75*

Winners – Vikingo/Starboy (Vikingo 630 on Stacks)

Post-match sees Birthright attack en masse before Zilla Fatu comes out to run through everyone. Fatu nails Stacks with a pop up Samoan Drop and the Triple Z to send Birthright packing. Fatu grabs a mic and tells Birthright that he’s through playing with them and will be taking them out one by one. Fatu says he’s answering Grayson Waller’s open challenge and the title will be coming home with him.

THE NXT CHRONICLE is on Cruz Montana who also vows to answer the open challenge tonight. Montana tells Dion Lennox that he got in a couple shots on him but by the third, it was time to throw hands. Montana talks about being blessed because his daughter will never have to go through anything like what he went through. Montana talks about his mother being a drug dealer and Montana says she was doing what she had to do to keep her kids safe. Montana says his mom has survived some unimaginable things and he’s proud of her. Montana gets emotional talking about his father and his medical condition that left him blind. Montana says he’s thankful that he got to say goodbye to his father, but then mentions descending into the same addictions that killed his father. Montana says his past is his superpower and if Lennox wants to start this, he’ll finish it. We go to commercials. (As usual, Montana cut a tremendous promo – he’s a terrific wrestler and I hope he goes up to the main soon.)

Here’s Zaria running into Izzi Dame who half-heartedly congratulates her on winning, before exiting the locker room. Zaria then enters to find pictures of herself as a beauty contestant and pink streamers and balloons all over her cubby. Zaria seems grumpy about this.

Here’s NXT Women’s Champion Kelani Jordan out for a chat. Jordan says she loves that she’s no longer an afterthought but now is the target of everyone in the locker room. Jordan says it’s interesting that there doesn’t seem to be anyone lined up for her to face at Halloween Havoc because she’s cleared out every single contender. Jordan says she’s the standout, not the handout, and you have to earn shots and when a true challenger presents themselves, she’ll put the title on the line. Here’s Robert Stone out to say that next week there will be a 20 woman battle royal and the winner gets the shot at Halloween Havoc. The battle royal will include stars from Raw, Smackdown, AAA, Evolve, and TNA! Here’s Reina Volcan in to destroy Jordan from behind. Volcan says she’s in the battle royal before staring down at a fallen Jordan. We go to commercials.

Here’s NARAKU telling Robert Stone that he’ll deal with Shiloh Hill after accepting Grayson Waller’s open challenge. Here’s Saquon Shugars in to put the kibosh on that by saying he’ll be the one to answer the open challenge. Shugars has a match with Tristan Angels in two weeks. NARAKU will also be facing Hill next week as well. Shugars says Shiloh Hill will be ready for NARAKU, and he cackles after saying “WE WILL SEE ABOUT THAT”.

Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic First Round: FrAxiom (Nathan Frazer and Axiom) vs Darkstate (Osiris Griffin and Cutler James)

Axiom starts with Griffin and Axiom fights his way out of a corner. Frazer tags in and he and Axiom combine on some double team stuff before Frazer covers and gets two. Frazer chops Griffin in a corner and ascends for some right hands. Frazer gets trucked by Griffin and James tags in. They combine on a lariat and James covers Frazer for two. James fires Frazer into a corner and fires off an uppercut that drops Frazer. James hits a slam and Frazer fires up with a kaman gir. Axiom tags in and he and Frazer combine to send both James and Griffin to the floor. James and Griffin fly back in and mash Axiom and Frazer from behind. James crushes Axiom with a backbreaker and we go to commercials.

James is tossing Axiom into backbreakers and stomach-breakers when the show returns. Axiom slips a charge and tags in Frazer. Frazer runs wild on Griffin and dumps a charging James for a tope con hiro. Frazer ascends and crushes Griffin with a frog splash that gets two. Frazer and Axiom ascend for a double missile dropkick and Axiom covers Griffin for two. James and Axiom tumble to the floor and James fires Frazer into a ring post. Griffin nails Axiom with a lofted neckbreaker and Axiom kicks out of the subsequent cover at two. Axiom grabs an inside cradle on James for two. Frazer tags in and Axiom crushes James with a Spanish Fly. Frazer ascends for the Phoenix splash on James and that finishes things.

I did appreciate the contrasting styles here, but when Booker and Vic put over FrAxiom being a “Smackdown tag team” I felt like they kind of gave the decision away. Darkstate remain the dorkiest of dorks, but maybe this thing with Dion Lennox and Cruz Montana will elevate them somehow. Who can tell. Anyway, this was acceptable, but nothing you have to run out and find. 2.75*

Winners – FrAxiom (Frazer Phoenix splash on James)

THE NXT SPOTLIGHT PRESENTED BY PROGRESSIVE is on Kendal Grey‘s ongoing therapy. Grey says she’s tried a few hobbies but she hasn’t really stuck with any of them. Grey talks about the PC being “Love Island” but she’s not about it, she’s just focused on getting back in the ring. Grey talks about her background being one of constant achievement and mentions that she really doesn’t know how to stop being her.

Grayson Waller is heading out for the main event, and we go to commercials.

Joseph runs down next week’s card which will have the last two Dusty Classic first round matches and NARAKU facing Shiloh Hill. Grayson Waller has a microphone and says Mason Rook was too scared to turn up for work, so now all the social media junkies in the back have their shot. There’s a stampede out of the locker room and a fight erupts in the aisle. There’s a standoff between Cruz Montana and Zilla Fatu and they both prevent each other from getting in the ring. Here’s EK Prosper sneaking in from the other side of the ring, and the bell sounds!

NXT Men’s Championship: Grayson Waller (C) vs EK Prosper

Prosper nails Waller with a springboard missile dropkick. After some rope running, Prosper blasts Waller with a kangaroo dropkick that sends Waller to the floor. Prosper waffles Waller with a moonsault from the apron and runs him back in. Waller tries to bail but Prosper runs him back in for a frog splash that gets two. Prosper finally removes his vest and we go to commercials.

They’re slugging it out mid-ring when the show returns. Prosper grabs a backslide for two and then blasts Waller with a one-legged dropkick. Prosper ascends and meets Waller’s knees when he dives. Waller hits a double stomp on a charging Prosper and covers him for two. Waller puts the boots to Prosper and drops a big elbow. Prosper gets caught by a leg lariat and Waller’s cover gets two. Waller continues to bully Prosper and yanks him over with an overhead suplex. Waller puts on a hangman’s choke and starts driving a knee into Prosper when he tries to rise. Waller cuts off a short flurry with a knee, but Prosper powers through. Waller fires Prosper over with an Electric Chair that gets two. Waller slaps Prosper and continues to boot him in the face. Waller puts the badmouth on Prosper as Joseph drops a PAC/Neville reference. Waller hits a discus right but Prosper flips Waller into a Sliced Bread. Prosper ascends but Waller drops him with a huge knee lift. Prosper fires off a superkick and wants to German Waller off the apron. Waller fights that off and hoists Prosper up. Waller drops Prosper over the exposed top of the ring post and we go to another break.

Prosper and Waller are slugging it out when the show returns. Waller mounts Prosper in a corner and wants a superplex. Prosper fights out of it and smashes Waller with some rights and a superkick. Prosper mounts Waller and Waller slips down to yank Prosper up for a rolling senton that gets two. Waller ascends but Prosper springs up for a rana that sends Waller flying. Prosper fires up with some lariats and a DDT before dropping Waller with a Michinoku Driver that gets two. Prosper hits a roundhouse kick and wanders into a high boot from Waller. Waller hits a leaping stomp that gets two. Waller dumps Prosper to the apron and smashes him down when Prosper tries to come back in. Waller hits a clothesline on the floor and starts clearing the announce table. Waller blasts Prosper with a right on the table, but Prosper springs up for a kick before mounting Waller on the announce table. Prosper hits the five star moonsault and the table is destroyed. Prosper runs Waller back in and hits a top rope Ruff Ryder that gets two as Waller gets a foot on the ropes. Prosper meets a Waller knee and Waller follows with a rolling stunner. Waller hits a second stunner and that ends things.

Hey, the champ wins clean as a sheet and as you might surmise, I’m fine with that finish. They’re onto something with EK Prosper but he’s going to need character work. Waller is doing a good job as champ so far. This was the match of the night for me. 3.5*

Winner AND STILL NXT Men’s Champion – Grayson Waller

Post-match sees Zilla Fatu backstage getting ready to say something…but the show goes black and the local news comes on! I guess we’re done.

This brand seems a bit snakebit with injuries lately, so hopefully Rook’s thing isn’t too serious. It’s a shame he got that close and got hurt. I thought Waller and Prosper put on a good main event in place of what was advertised. The two tag matches were fine enough, and it was cool to see an upset with Starboy and Vikingo getting a win. Zaria and Thea Hail’s match was fine for what it was but I have no idea where they’re going with this Izzi Dame thing – who’s the heel there? Anyway, decent enough show tonight even with a lot of yap – find the Cruz Montana promo – and we’ll keep moving on towards Halloween Havoc.

Thanks for reading.