NXT – 09.15.26

By Niz on 15 September 2026

Last week on NXT – A six-man tag match set up this week’s presumptive main event!

NXT is live and in living color on the CW and Netflix! Tonight’s show comes to us from The Performance Center in Orlando, FL. The announcing team that will bring us the action consists of our friends Vic Joseph and Booker T on match calls and analysis, Mike Rome on ring introductions, and Emily Agard on interviews and news. We have a Men’s Championship number one contenders match on the card, so let’s watch some wrestling!

Arrivals include: Tony D’Angelo, Mason Rook, and Saquon Shugars who will face off in the main event tonight!

Lizzy Rain vs Kali Armstrong

Armstrong yanks Rain up for an immediate body slam and then follows with a hiptoss. Rain charges into another scoop slam. Rain slips a charge and finally hits an offensive move when her springboard back elbow connects. Rain hits a fisherman’s suplex and covers Armstrong for two. Rain drops some elbows on Armstrong’s arm and follows with some SMALL JOINT MANIPULATION. Rain hits a La Magistral cradle for two. Armstrong fires up with some kicks and Rain responds with a spinning heel kick that gets two. Rain chops away and Armstrong fires her into a corner in response. Armstrong misses a charge and goes to the floor, and Rain mashes her with a between-the-ropes dropkick. We go to commercials.

Rain runs into a Blue Thunder Bomb and Armstrong follows with a spinebuster that gets two when the show returns. Armstrong pounds away with rights and Rain runs through a move attempt and grabs a backslide for two. Rain hits a roundhouse kick and yanks Armstrong over with a belly-to-back suplex. Rain fires off some chops and walks into a back elbow from Armstrong. Rain shakes that off and drops Armstrong with a cutter that gets two. Rain runs into an Armstrong knee but she ignores it and mounts Armstrong in a corner for a second rope rana. Armstrong hits a powerslam when Rain charges, and after some rope running, Rain mashes Armstrong with a headbutt. Armstrong has had enough and speed-runs the ropes to deliver a huge spear that ends things.

I enjoy a decisive finish even when it comes kind of out of nowhere. Armstrong is a gifted athlete and gets up a huge head of steam from running the ropes to deliver that spear, so I suspect that they have big plans for her at some point (although you’ve got a heel champion and a heel women’s NA champion, so it might be a bit). I try with Rain but her offense doesn’t look like it would break an egg most nights and tonight was no exception. She could use reps but she really needs to learn the art of sound in her wrestling because if you’re gonna throw chops like she does, they need to MAKE NOISE. 2.25*

Winner – Kali Armstrong (spear)

Post-match sees Skylar Raye attacking Armstrong from outta nowhere and really letting her have it. Raye has to be held back by a bunch of officials as Armstrong tries to recover on the floor.

Here’s NXT Men’s Champion Grayson Waller jogging on a treadmill because he apparently promised to run a half-marathon during the show tonight on social media.

Dorian van Dux and Sean Legacy are warming up backstage and here’s Birthright in to threaten them because it’s their main objective to secure tag gold. Van Dux promises that he and Legacy aren’t afraid to fight over things and Legacy backs him off to head out for their tag match. (van Dux totally ignored a high five attempt from Legacy at the beginning of this and I was dying laughing – also Birthright have such little aura that I fully expected van Dux to wipe the floor with all of them). We go to commercials.

EARLIER TODAY here’s Cruz Montana in NXT GM Robert Stone‘s office, and Montana is lamenting being on the losing side in last week’s big six-man tag match. Here’s EK Prosper in to mention how sorry he is, and Montana reminds Stone just how much he respects Prosper when the loss wasn’t on him. The Vanity Project (NXT Men’s North American Champion Jackson Drake, NXT Tag Team Champions Ricky Smokes and Brad Baylor, and Myka Lockwood) march in and Smokes wants to know what these plans for the tag division that Stone supposedly has. Smokes mocks Montana and Montana responds by saying the toughest person in their whole crew is Myka. Montana proposes him and Prosper against Smokes and Baylor and Stone is fine with that.

Dorian van Dux and Sean Legacy vs Darkstate (Osiris Griffin and Cutler James)

Darkstate don’t get their usual entrance here, which is interesting probably only to me. James tosses Legacy to start and then mashes him with a short-arm lariat. James drives in a shoulder and then nails Legacy with another clothesline. Legacy escapes a corner and drops James with an enziguri. Legacy slaps James chest and James responds with a spear. Legacy ends up on James shoulder but he escapes and nails James with a scary-looking Sliced Bread #2 (Legacy looked like he landed right on top of his head and I winced). DvD gets a tag as does Griffin. Griffin runs over both Legacy and DvD and yanks DvD up for a body slam. Griffin mashes DvD with a running splash but DvD fires up with a bunch of rights and covers Griffin for one. DvD blasts Griffin with a lariat and Legacy tags in for some double-teaming. Legacy and DvD hit combined moonsaults on Griffin and Legacy covers him for two. DvD tags in and he and Legacy get caught in a double suplex from Griffin. James tags in and he and Griffin get dumped when they charge. Griffin and James manage to avoid their tope attempts and we go to commercials.

James whips Legacy to the floor when the show returns, and James follows him out. Legacy slips a Griffin charge as he seemingly goes head-first into the corner of the announce table. DvD gets a tag and ascends for a missile dropkick on James. DvD hits a leaping roundhouse and follows with a springboard cross-body. Griffin charges in and DvD hits a double-cutter on James and Griffin before covering James for two. DvD ascends again and James springs up to nail him with an uppercut. Griffin tags in and DvD hits them both with a double moonsault. Legacy tags in and nails James and Griffin with topes. DvD tags in and he crushes Griffin with an Asai moonsault. DvD runs Griffin back in and ascends for a Shooting Star Press that gets two as James breaks up the cover. Legacy kicks James to the floor as Griffin misses a charge and tumbles out. Legacy runs James back in as DvD does the same to Griffin. Here’s Dion Lennox in to blast DvD with a lariat before tossing him back in. Griffin disposes of Legacy and he and James combine on a double powerbomb on DvD to end things.

This was rough for awhile. Whatever aura Darkstate had is fully gone quite frankly, and them going 50-50 with two guys like Legacy and DvD is example #1 of that. That being said, things did pick up near the end as the fans got into Legacy’s repeated topes. Overall, though, I would not put this on the top of my pile of matches to check out from this show. 2*

Winners – Darkstate (double powerbomb on DvD)

Post-match sees Lexis King come in to berate Booker about Zilla Fatu being his “boy”. Uriah Connors gets a mic and charges into the ring with the rest of Birthright coming in as well. Stacks Lorenzo and Charles Dempsey promise to keep stacking bodies and they all attack Legacy and DvD en masse. Here’s Zilla Fatu out to start pummeling Birthright with right hands. Legacy and DvD recover and Birthright is disposed of when Fatu mashes Dempsey with a rolling right hand.

THE NXT FOCUS PRESENTED BY PROGRESSIVE is on one of the participants in tonight’s triple threat main event. Mason Rook gives some personal history regarding his ascent to NXT from the Brit-wres indies. Rook promises to be the new number one contender when the main event is over.

Here’s Robert Stone berating Skyler Raye backstage and she wants to get opportunities in NXT. They’re interrupted by Myles Borne who wants to be sure he’s got enough time for his upcoming apology, and Stone assures him that he’ll have all the time he needs. We take a break.

Here’s NXT Women’s North American Champion Zaria in medical and she seems bored by answering the questions about her flexibility. Here’s Izzi Dame sliding in to make fun of Zaria being potentially injured by Thea Hail. Dame wants to know if people are born wicked or have wickedness thrust upon them before leaving. Zaria seems unimpressed, picks up her belt, and leaves without another word. (Remember when the Culling were in a feud with Shawn Spears? I think Niko Vance might have just disappeared into the Josh Briggs division in catering!)

Here’s Myles Borne mid-ring with a mic. Borne invites Tavion Heights out so he can apologize face-to-face. Heights enters with a mic and Borne says he appreciates Heights coming out. Heights says they’ve been through a lot, brothers fight, but what Borne did in Texas crossed a line. Borne says he was frustrated and emotional in Texas after they lost their titles. Borne says he didn’t want to be the one caught slacking because he was paranoid about what might happen in the aftermath. Borne says he is truly sorry, and Heights says while he appreciates the apology, his back is still sore from being stabbed in it. Heights doesn’t buy the “I had to get you before you got me” story and laments losing the first title he had won in NXT before being turned on. Heights says he can’t go back to being pals, and Borne reminds Heights about where he was after the Great American Bash. Borne reminds Heights that he forgave Heights once and they went on to win the tag team titles after that. Borne says no one can take away the good memories from their friendship, and all he wants is for Heights to put this behind them and start over. Heights says he might have been too focused on his own situation and did plant some seeds of doubt. Borne says they have to learn how to do this together, but he loves Heights like a brother. Heights says he forgives Borne and they’ll get this thing rolling again. Heights says Borne is his dog for life and they hug it out. Borne emerges from the hug and immediately drops Heights again for some right hands. Borne dumps Heights to the floor and tosses him through the video board before running him back into the ring. Borne grabs a chair and wraps it around Heights ankle before jumping on the chair. Heights screams in agony as Borne looms over top of him. The ref squad finally emerges to send Borne out before they tend to Heights. We go to commercials.

Here’s Kendal Grey with Wren Sinclair in medical and she wants to know if she can be cleared. Dr. Smith tells her that she’s not on concussion protocol but the mixed responses from her body are really affecting Grey’s abilities to protect herself. Grey doesn’t want to wait, but the doctor tells her that the multiple hits she’s taken have prolonged her needed rest and recovery time. Sinclair is upset about being suspended while Grey can’t go back after Kelani Jordan. Grey is not cleared and Dr. Smith wants Grey to see a sports psychologist as well.

EK Prosper and Cruz Montana vs NXT Tag Team Champions The Vanity Project (Ricky Smokes and Brad Baylor)

Myka Lockwood is out with the Vanity kids as usual, and this is non-title. Prosper and Baylor start and Baylor works a front-facelock to begin things. Baylor trucks Prosper and does a Rick Rude-esque dance for some reason. Prosper trips Baylor up and returns the dance at him. Prosper nails Baylor with a dropkick and nips up. Baylor hits a back elbow and eats a one-legged dropkick from Prosper in response. Montana and Smokes get tags and Montana fights off two Smokes tackle attempts. Smokes kicks Montana in the mid-section so Montana destroys him with a couple of chops. Montana wastes Smokes with another chop and blasts him with a cutter that gets two. Prosper tags in and he slams Smokes before Montana uses him as a stepping stone to drop a moonsault on Smokes. Prosper gets a tag and he and Montana drop Baylor and Smokes to the floor with a double dropkick. We go to commercials.

Baylor and Smokes combine on an irish whip but Montana yanks them together cartoonishly. Montana destroys Baylor with a leaping enziguri but Baylor and Smokes fire up to smash Montana down with a lofted dropkick. Smokes cover gets two. Smokes works a rear chinlock and Montana tries to fight his way out with rights. Smokes clubbers away to break that up and then smacks Prosper off the apron. Montana grabs a roll up on Smokes for two and then catches Montana for an overhead suplex. Prosper and Baylor get tags and Prosper runs wild. Prosper hits a springboard moonsault on Baylor and then nails Smokes with a running kick. Prosper hits Baylor with a Blockbuster and covers him for two. Prosper ascends but misses his moonsault attempt as Baylor slips it. Baylor nails Prosper with a dropkick and then waffles Prosper with a running knee. Smokes tags in and hits a slingshot spear on Prosper for two. A frustrated Smokes puts the boots to Prosper who goes behind Smokes to drive him into Baylor. Baylor flies off the apron as Prosper rolls Smokes up for two. Prosper wallops Smokes with a running leg lariat before tagging in Montana. Montana and Prosper want a double team but Baylor charges over to get dropped by a Prosper roundhouse. Montana tosses a charging Prosper onto the top rope and he hits a Frankensteiner on Smokes. Montana covers Smokes for two. Prosper gets a tag and he and Montana combine on tope con hilos. Montana rises and gets murdered by a Jackson Drake dropkick as he’s in from…somewhere. Lockwood and Drake get tossed by referee Derek Sanders. Prosper gets caught in a Smokes backslide as Baylor grabs his legs to prevent a kick out, and this one is over due to shenanigans.

Friends, we’re in the midst of another heel-heavy show here as the heels have won the first three matches on tonight’s card. This one was at least by cheating, though, so there is that. I thought this was solid for what it was but we went a long way to get that finish, you know? The content era sometimes just wears me out a bit. Anyway, this is the match of the night thus far and it was not a high hill to climb in that regard. 3*

Winners – The Vanity Project (Smokes roll up on Prosper with Baylor assistance)

The Vanity kids celebrate in the aisle in the post-match.

Here’s Saquon Shugars with Emily Agard, and Shugars reminds everyone that he pinned Tony D’Angelo in a tag match last year, and if they can put enough butter on Mason Rook to get him through the door, he’ll get the same thing tonight. Here’s Tristan Angels in to wonder why Zilla Fatu walks around like he’s a champion, Mason Rook thinks he looks like a champion, and Shugars dresses like a goon. Angels claims he’s championship material and everyone is a class below him. Shugars advises Angels to go home and watch the main event on his telly.

Grayson Waller is still running. Here’s NXT Women’s Champion Kelani Jordan making her way out as we go to commercials.

Kelani Jordan joins us for some chatter, and I bet we get some visitors. Jordan says she’s setting a new standard for what it means to be a champion in NXT and reminds everyone that she put the title up against Jaida Parker. Jordan says she puts her money where her mouth is and that proves that she is THE STANDOUT. Jordan calls out Wren Sinclair for stepping out of line and getting suspended while Jordan debuted on Raw last night. Jordan wants to know who’s next, and says everyone should get used to seeing her with the title. Here’s AAA Reina de Reinas Champion La Catalina out to congratulate Jordan but she reminds everyone that she’s the new champ in AAA. Catalina is here to take women’s wrestling to the next level. Here’s NXT Women’s NA Champion Zaria out to say if we’re talking about dominant champions her name should be in the conversation. Catalina reminds Zaria that she got tapped out. There’s bickering, and here’s Thea Hail out to say that she can hang with anyone standing in that ring and they all know it. Hail says she’s championship material and wants Zaria’s title. A fight breaks out and Catalina and Hail dispose of Jordan and Zaria with Hip Attacks. Hail gets Catalina to dance with her, and I sense we’ll have a tag match soon.

Here’s Tony D’Angelo with some words about tonight’s main event. D’Angelo is very bitter towards Rook and Shugars and promises that he hasn’t changed one bit from the toughest SONOFABITCH walking around in NXT. We go to commercials.

Here’s Shiloh Hill on X talking about NARAKU and his HOA threatening him over his mist experiments. Hill talks about the results of his testing and feels confident enough to test the orange mist on himself. Hill says he feels normal, but here’s a couple of raccoons in to talk things over with him. Hill says he can try out some other colors, and the raccoons advise him to take a break.

Here’s Emily Agard in with Robert Stone who says that after bringing the Creed Brothers back, it’s time to revive the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic. The brackets will be announced this week on social media and there will be two matches next week. Here’s Brutus and Julius Creed in to congratulate Stone on his decision and remind everyone they won the Cup in 2022. Julius promises that they will be the first two-time winners of the Cup.

Entrances start for the main event with Saquon Shugars out first. Tony D’Angelo is out next, and we go to a commercial break.

NXT Men’s Championship Number One Contenders Match: Saquon Shugars vs Tony D’Angelo vs Mason Rook

Rook and D’Angelo go nose to nose at the bell and Shugars tries to get them to blast each other, so D’Angelo and Rook shove Shugars out of the way. Rook and D’Angelo send Shugars to the floor with double lariats and D’Angelo rolls up Rook for two. D’Angelo nails Rook with a spear and goes to the floor with a tope suicida on Rook. Shugars gets popped with a D’Angelo right but he catches D’Angelo coming back in and smashes him with some rights. D’Angelo fires Shugars into Rook before Shugars nails D’Angelo with a neckbreaker that gets two. Shugars gets yanked up but he slips off and D’Angelo runs into a Rook clothesline. Rook trucks Shugars and then drops him with a powerslam. Rook slams Shugars and D’Angelo and then mashes them both with a senton. Rook covers D’Angelo for two. Shugars catches Rook with a dropkick but misses his subsequent charge. D’Angelo nails Shugars with a couple of Germans and Shugars uses Rook as an anchor. D’Angelo grabs them both for a double German and covers Rook for two. Rook wallops D’Angelo with a forearm and ascends but Shugars joins him. Shugars and Rook get powerbombed by D’Angelo and everyone is down as we go to commercials.

Rook is covering D’Angelo and gets two as the show returns. Rook eats a Shugars elbow and Shugars grabs a roll up on Rook for two. Shugars kicks at Rook and pounds on D’Angelo in a corner. Rook dumps Shugars before sending D’Angelo to the floor. Shugars drops a leg on Rook and covers him for two. Shugars is prevented from ascending by Rook but Shugars drops him with an enziguri. Rook splashes Shugars and wallops D’Angelo with a forearm. D’Angelo grabs a roll up on Rook for two. D’Angelo hits a jackhammer on Rook for two. D’Angelo misses a charge and Shugars hits a backslide for two as the ref catches Shugars feet on the ropes and stops the count. Shugars nails D’Angelo with a kaman giri as the crowd reminds referee Adrian Butler that this is a no DQ match. D’Angelo fires up with an Exploder on Shugars and ascends to toss Shugars into a Rook powerbomb. D’Angelo breaks up Rook’s cover at two. Rook and D’Angelo square off and start slugging it out. D’Angelo hits a knee strike and they tumble out to the floor after a D’Angelo lariat. Rook gets kicked in the back by Shugars which ends up crushing D’Angelo. Shugars gets pushed off a top turnbuckle by Rook, who then nails D’Angelo with a cannonball. Shugars wallops Rook with a tornado DDT and Shugars drags D’Angelo out for a reverse splash. Here’s Tristan Angels out to stop the count only to get crushed by a Shugars cross-body. They battle out of the arena, and Rook yanks D’Angelo up for a Blue Thunder Bomb. Rook ascends and splashes D’Angelo to end things.

There wasn’t much of a story here other than three guys doing a bunch of spots, and not a ton of selling other than “I have to be out of the ring while the other two do something cool”. Rook as a challenger for Waller feels like it’s a one-shot deal because A. I don’t think he’s getting the title and B. Waller will probably make the kid look like a million bucks before moving on to a better challenger. You can kind of see the logic in it if you squint real hard, I think. Not a great match, this, but we got through it and have a new number one contender. 3*

Winner AND NEW Number One Contender to the NXT Men’s Championship – Mason Rook (top rope splash on D’Angelo)

Post-match sees a barely-winded Grayson Waller emerge from the back to hold his belt up to Rook from the aisle. The credits roll and we’re out.

This show probably looked better on paper when they drew it up in Creative then it finished on-screen. I think Lizzy Rain really needs some actual fundamentals work, and I have no idea where they’re going to go with Kali Armstrong having to deal with Skyler Raye out of nowhere. They are making efforts with the tag division but Darkstate beating Legacy and DvD just felt like content prior to the Dusty Cup kicking off, and I highly doubt either of those teams will be in the finals. The Vanity kids cheating to win was fine, it’s their M.O. and at least it had a clever finish, but are we really out of ideas for Cruz Montana already? Finally, Mason Rook wins the main event and I don’t think the crowd was into it at all, but he’ll go with Waller probably at Halloween Havoc and at least there’s some time to build some heat, I guess. It was just a show for me, nothing too memorable, and these things happen. Let’s hope WRENDAL return to wreak some havoc soon, because these short vignettes are just…not my thing.

Thanks for reading.