NXT – 10.27.26

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Last week on NXT: Chantel Monroe annoyed everyone for two straight hours!

NXT is live on the CW/ESPN Unlimited from The Performance Center in Orlando, FL. We have the best announcing team in the business working the show tonight in the form of Vic Joseph and Booker T on match calls and analysis, Mike Rome on ring intros, and Sarah Schreiber on news and interviews. Tonight is the go-home show for this weekend’s HUGE Halloween Havoc PLE, so let’s watch some wrestling!

Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic Semi-Final: Noam Dar and Romeo Moreno vs NXT Tag Team Champions The Vanity Project (Brad Baylor and Ricky Smokes) 

Dar was injured over the weekend and took ten staples to the dome as a result, and it apparently happened at the hands of Baylor and Smokes. Dar has a 1776 head bandage on, I wonder if it will get ripped off. Myka Lockwood is out with Smokes and Baylor.

Smokes drops Moreno off the apron with a dropkick at the bell, and drives Dar back to the Project corner. Baylor tags in and he holds Dar up for a Smokes dropkick into a Baylor backdrop for two. Baylor misses a knee drop and Dar’s bandage is already showing signs of not lasting. Moreno tags in and stomps on Baylor’s back before firing off a series of rights and elbows. Dar tags back in and he smashes Smokes with a running kick. As Smokes is recovering, there’s a newsflash that next week’s NXT will run on Wednesday night at 8 PM due to ELECTION COVERAGE on Tuesday (Please vote, friends.) , so set a reminder. Baylor pounds on Dar in the Project corner but Dar fires up as his bandage is no more. Dar and Moreno drop Smokes to the floor and hit a double vertical suplex on Baylor. Dar gets run into the ring steps when he goes to the floor, so Moreno goes it alone for a bit as Dar finally starts to stir. We go to commercials.

Moreno is being held off by Baylor when the show returns. In an inset, here’s NXT Men’s Champion Grayson Waller going to Tony D’Angelo’s house for some reason. Smokes tags in and he and Smokes fail miserably in holding Moreno off from tagging Dar. Dar wipes out Smokes and Baylor and rolls up Smokes for two. Dar fires off a German and kicks Smokes a couple of times before covering and getting two. Moreno tags in and he and Dar hit double kicks and a rolling bodyslam for two. Dar tags in and Smokes goes for the staples. Baylor flies in with a knee but walks right into a Dar armbar. Baylor rolls Dar over for two and Smokes flies in with a spear as the ref was distracted. Baylor’s cover gets two. Smokes tags in and drives Moreno off the apron before blasting Dar with a kick. Moreno drops Smokes to the floor and Dar tries for an ankle lock on Baylor. Baylor kicks out of it and he and Smokes take out Moreno with a superkick and a forearm. Baylor nails Dar with a Codebreaker and tags in Smokes. Smokes hits Hit It and Quit It on Dar, and Moreno breaks up the cover at two. Moreno and Baylor go to the floor and Smokes puts Dar in a bulldog choke. Smokes walks into an ankle lock from Dar but manages to roll to the floor to break it. Smokes grabs an inside cradle on Dar for two. Baylor and Moreno tag in and Moreno wallops Baylor with a dropkick. Moreno ascends and hoists Baylor on his shoulders, as Dar hoists Smokes. They hit stereo neckbreakers and Moreno covers Baylor for two. Baylor fires up with some forearms and Moreno manages to twist Baylor into a dive from Smokes off the second rope. Dar and Moreno hit the High Low on Smokes and Dar covers him for three to advance to the finals!

There was a lot going on here and they went at a fast pace. Selling was minimal, as usual, and Dar’s head bandage and apparent wound didn’t really come into play at all despite Joseph going out of his way to mention it before the bell rang. It was all action after the commercial break and for the most part I enjoyed it. It’s cool to have a team you wouldn’t have expected make the finals, and I think Dar and Moreno have a very good chance to win next week.  3.5*

Winners – Noam Dar and Romeo Moreno (High-Low on Smokes)

Here’s Tony D’Angelo in NXT GM Robert Stone‘s office and he’s clearly not pleased about Grayson Waller being at his house. D’Angelo says he’s going to hurt Waller badly, and Stone sends a cameraman with him instead of, you know, alerting the authorities about the impending death-fight that’s about to happen. We go to commercials.

Here’s Cruz Montana talking about last week’s events and being escorted out of the arena by Security. Montana talks about feeling like he was going back to a different place in his life that he’s been trying to kept buried. Montana says when he gets his hands on Dion Lennox the next time, no one is pulling him away. Montana says that Lennox stepped over the line by involving his family, and now he will be inevitable.

Lizzy Rain vs Chantel Monroe

Monroe hits a snapmare and puts some badmouth on Rain. Monroe gets flipped over and Rain talks some smack of her own. Monroe grabs a side headlock and Rain goes to a headscissors to escape. Monroe gets trucked and Rain kicks Monroe in the leg before walloping her with a roundhouse that gets two. Monroe gets chopped in a corner and eats an enziguri. Rain gets caught by Monroe’s kick and a backslide gets two. Rain hits a Fisherman’s suplex and Monroe goes to the apron. Monroe nails Rain with a knee and a neckbreaker before rolling Rain in and getting two. We go to commercials.

Rain fires up with some chops when the show returns. Monroe fires off a neckbreaker and grabs a cover for two. Monroe drives Rain into a top turnbucklea couple of times and fires off a back elbow when Rain charges. Monroe hits a double thrust and drags Rain to the apron. Rain fires up and drops Monroe face-first on the apron. Rain lariats Monroe down a couple of times before blasting her with a fallaway slam. Rain fires off chops and a slap to Monroe’s back. Rain fires off a german and a spinebuster before hoisting Monroe. Monroe fires elbows off to break out of that and Monroe reverses a roll up while grabbing the bottom rope to get the three count.

Well, Monroe didn’t get an entrance and they stayed with her for about a second and a half after the victory before going to the next segment, but hey, she won her debut! You could see this result coming a mile away and I’m guessing the tainted victory will result in a rematch at some point, but I’m surprised that Rain is the gatekeeper here instead of someone a bit more experienced. Maybe this is a test for her of some kind, who can tell. Monroe needs a metric f-ton of reps, but there’s some basics there that are good, and she moves well for the most part. 2*

Winner – Chantel Monroe (roll up with bottom rope assistance)

THE NXT FOCUS PRESENTED BY PROGRESSIVE is on Izzi Dame who once again runs down Zaria’s childhood activities of playing an instrument and being a theater kid. There’s a Sol Ruca sighting in the package (DRINK!) and Dame vows to be there when Zaria’s demons come home to roost.

Saquon Shugars vs Sean Legacy

This match came about because of some locker room banter on last week’s show. Shugars trucks Legacy and invites him to try it again. Shugars trucks Legacy again and a fired up Legacy grabs a headscissors and an armdrag. Legacy hits a back body drop and a standing moonsault gets one. Shugars bails to the apron and we go to commercials.

Shugars grabs a modified cobra clutch when the show returns. Shugars drives a knee into Legacy before trucking him in a corner. Shugars hits a backbreaker into a Flatliner and covers Legacy for two. Legacy fires up with some chops and drops Shugars with a superkick. Legacy fires off a german and smashes Shugars with a running enziguri. Legacy hits Sliced Bread #2 and covers Shugars for two. Legacy eats a high boot and holds on to the top rope to prevent further damage. Legacy springs up and hits an ugly slingshot backdrop for two. Legacy drags Shugars into place and ascends, but his 450 meets Shugars knees. Shugars hits the F12 and Legacy jams a boot onto the bottom rope at two. Shugars gets kicked while ascending and Legacy goes up for a superplex attempt. Shugars slips down but Legacy grabs a roll up for two. Legacy fires off a Spanish Fly and covers Shugars for three.

This got very sloppy in the second half and it was mostly on Legacy in terms of that. Legacy is usually a fairly clean worker, but he looked blown up when the show came back and maybe he’s just not had enough ring time lately? It was weird. Shugars is awkward to work with anyway, but they got there in the end. I think there’s some sort of losing streak gimmick emerging with Shugars so we’ll see if that leads anywhere. This was pretty much a “content” match, if you know what I mean.  2*

Winner – Sean Legacy (Spanish Fly)

Here’s more of the Grayson Waller Home Invasion Tour 2026 footage. We go live to Tony D’Angelo pulling into his driveway and getting a phone call from Waller. Waller is apparently at a local eatery, and D’Angelo promises to find him and beat his ass.

Here’s Tavion Heights and Myles Borne making their way out for some face to face, before we take a look at AGENT OF SHADOWS. It’s time for commercials.

Here’s Kam Hendrix in a gym practicing some hoops while complaining about EK Prosper getting a title shot tonight. Hendrix makes a series of shots while declaring he is the future.

Here’s a raft of Security forming a human wall to keep Tavion Heights and Myles Borne apart, while the Halloween Havoc WHEEL OF MAKING DEALS is unveiled. Borne tells Heights that the Security is out to protect him. Heights reminds Borne that they did have a real friendship but now Borne cannot stand the thought of Heights eclipsing him. Heights calls Borne a bitch and says Borne is looking for someone to blame his mistakes on. Borne says he won titles while without Heights in the past while pointing out Heights failures when he’s had shots. Borne says Heights latched on to him to manage to stumble onto a championship, and that actually happened. Borne says he gave Heights everything and Heights cost him everything, so it was time to end their relationship for good. Heights says he thrives when the pressure is on and promises to be a human weapon. Predictably the two start squaring up with Security desperate to keep them apart, and here’s Danhausen’s voice over the PA to order the Wheel to be spun. The Wheel lands on Weapons Wild, and I’m guessing it’s KENDO STICKS GALORE, JESS.

Here’s Dion Lennox thanking Cutler James and Osiris Griffin for their help during last week’s showdown with Cruz Montana. Here’s Robert Stone walking in to ask Lennox what was up with last week, and Lennox says Montana went right back to giving up when Security intervened. Stone says if they fight next Wednesday, it’s going to be Unsanctioned, and Lennox says it’s on. (Not at Halloween Havoc? Okay, weird.)

Here’s Hank Walker and Tank Leisure making their entrance as we go to commercials.

Here’s Tony D’Angelo walking through a kitchen, and “TERESA” advised him that Waller is “someplace here”, before “AJ” says Waller has just left but he left a note. The note says “Meet me where it all started” and D’Angelo stomps out.

Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic Semi-Final: Hank and Tank vs AAA World Tag Team Champions El Dinastia Wagner (El Hijo del Dr. Wagner Jr. and Galeno)

Dr. Wagner Jr. is in the house tonight to watch his sons! (A lucha leyenda, to be sure.) It’s Hank and DW3 to start and Hank works a side headlock. DW3 reverses and Tank grabs a tag. Galeno tags in and he runs wild on Hank and Tank before tagging DW3 back in. The brothers hit a double team move and DW3 grabs a cover for two. DW3 blasts Tank with some rights and a chop but Tank fires up and trucks DW3 in a corner. Hank tags in and grabs a snapmare cover for two. In an inset, we see Robert Stone popping into the Vanity Project locker area to warn the group against outside interference in NXT Men’s North American Champion Jackson Drake‘s match later. Hank has DW3 in a rear chinlock but DW3 breaks out and drops Hank and a charging Tank to the floor. Galeno tosses DW3 in an overhead back body drop on Hank and Tank on the floor and we go to commercials.

Galeno and Hank are slugging it out when the show returns. Galeno drops a charging Tank and smashes he and Hank with knees and clotheslines. Galeno slams Hank onto Tank and splashes them both for two. DW3 tags in and Hank does as well, and Hank and Tank sneak DW3 into a double backdrop as Galeno breaks up the cover at two. DW3 hits a tope on Hank and Galeno splashes Tank on the floor. Galeno tags in and Hank tries to fight out of the enemy corner. DW3 puts a stop to that and crushes Hank with a moonsault. Galeno nails Hank with a frog splash and Tank breaks up the cover at two. There’s a four-way standoff and Hank and Tank combine for a clothesline on Galeno before DW3 flies in with a superkick. DW3 gets caught with a superkick and Hank and Tank follow with a bulldozer on Galeno. DW3 crawls back in and gets mashed with two splashes as Tank covers him for three.

I did not expect that result after Moreno and Dar won, but here we are. Both number one seeds go down in the semi-finals and so we’ll have some NXT teams as the finals reps. This was a good hoss fight but I’m not sure the Wagners wanted to work as fast as Hank and Tank usually work. I’m surprised they brought Dr. Wagner Jr in to watch his sons lose, but here we are. This was fine, but not quite epic, you know?  3.5*

Winners – Hank and Tank (double splash on DW3)

Post-match sees Hank and Tank meet Dar and Moreno at the ringside Cup to have a quick stare-down.

Here’s a look at NXT Women’s Champion Kelani Jordan on Raw having a conversation with Raw GM Adam Pearce, before IYO Sky interrupts. Jordan vows to walk over the entire division including Sky, and some yelling breaks out. Pearce dismisses Jordan.

Here’s Wren Sinclair and Kendal Grey watching the Jordan deal on a monitor and Grey is livid about Jordan’s attack on her during  last week’s show. Sinclair calms Grey down and Grey orders Sinclair to beat some Jordan ass.

Here’s Zilla Fatu on his way out as we go to commercials.

Here’s some big news – JOHN CENA will be coming to NXT next Wednesday night! His time is now, if you weren’t aware.

Here’s Zilla Fatu out for a chat. He joins Sarah Schreiber at the Wheel. Fatu says no one is worried about Birthright, and it’s “get-back” season. Here’s Arianna Grace out to say that Fatu would be nothing without his last name, and Fatu is attacked by the hooded druids who shockingly turn out to be Birthright.  Uriah Connors smashes Fatu’s casted hand with a shovel and Fatu is in tremendous pain.

Here’s social media video of Shiloh Hill who’s continuing to work the problem of the impending BLACK MIST attack promised by our pal NARAKU. Hill has new lab equipment and a book with a pentagram on the cover that has info on the mist, and shows some highlights of him mastering firing off the mist himself! Hill knows where he’s aiming his mist, friends.

NXT Men’s North American Championship: Jackson Drake (C) vs EK Prosper

Drake emerges on Myka Lockwood’s shoulders, and he’s flanked by Brad Baylor and Ricky Smokes as well. Drake mocks Prosper and Prosper responds with some strutting. Prosper smacks Drake and wants a backslide. Drake catches a rana after missing one of his own, and Prosper ascends for a springboard moonsault that gets one. Prosper smacks Drake and snapmares him over into a side headlock. Drake kicks Prosper off an irish whip and Prosper responds with a standing dropkick and a clothesline. Baylor and Smokes drag Drake out and Prosper decides to hit a tope con hiro on all of them. Lockwood interferes and Drake uses that to drive Prosper down. We go to commercials.

Drake is in control when the show returns and he slaps Prosper full in the face. They start slugging it out and Prosper destroys Drake with a lariat. Prosper drops Drake with some rights and nails Drake with a springboard Spanish Fly. Prosper hits a tornado DDT and covers Drake for two. Prosper is up first and he misses a knee shot. Prosper gets caught by a Drake hotshot and running knee for two. Drake fires off some chest kicks and Prosper fires up with some huge chest slaps. Prosper’s roll up gets two and Drake walks into a Prosper roundhouse that gets two. Prosper smacks Drake and Drake fires up with a right. They go to the ropes and Drake catches Prosper with a Spanish Fly and a cutter that gets two. Drake ascends and Prosper meets him with some rights. Prosper goes up and Drake headbutts him down. Prosper leaps up with a rana and smashes Drake with the Shining Wizard. Smokes and Baylor interfere and Drake grabs a roll up for two. Prosper hits a poison rana on Drake and here’s Lockwood up on the apron. Here’s Kam Hendrix out to drop Prosper from the top turnbuckle, and Drake’s running knee ends things as he retains his title.

I think Kam and Prosper could have some good matches, and I like that we’re developing a mid-card around the NA title again. I’m fine with all this and the match itself. I enjoyed this a bunch and I know Drake has his detractors, but I thought he bumped and sold very well tonight while reigning in some of his more show-offy tendencies. Prosper is a terrific prospect at this point, and going through reps with Hendrix and Drake will only sharpen that.  All good with me on this one.  3.75*

Winner AND STILL NXT Men’s North American Champion – Jackson Drake (running knee)

Here’s Grayson Waller striding through the NXT Parking Lot as we go to commercials.

Here’s NXT Women’s Champion Zaria vowing to do damage to Izzi Dame on Saturday. Joseph runs down the Halloween Havoc card, and then mentions that both Cody Rhodes and John Cena will be on the show this coming Wednesday. (Is there another wrestling show on Wednesday night? Hmm.)

Here’s NXT Men’s Champion Grayson Waller out with a microphone. Waller says he’s always one step ahead of Tony D’Angelo and D’Angelo is now SAWFT. Waller set out to drive D’Angelo crazy, and mentions that D’Angelo’s future runs through him. Waller says there’s no one on any brand or roster that can touch him. Here’s footage of D’Angelo pulling up in his truck as Waller takes off his top and heads out to the parking lot. It’s immediately on and they go into the shrubbery as referees and Security try to break it up. The match graphic comes up for Halloween Havoc and the fight goes into the back of D’Angelo’s truck. Credits, fin.

The first hour kind of limped along after the opening tag match, but things picked up solidly in the second hour and this was a good go-home overall. I only really had an issue with the Legacy-Shugars match but they survived it, we’ll survive as well. I’m nodding in approval as we go to Halloween Havoc this weekend, and we’ll see how that show unfolds. 

Thanks for reading, y’all are the coolest.