NXT – 10.06.26

By Niz on 7 October 2026

Last week on NXT: Grayson Waller retained his title in a main event defense against….EK Prosper!

NXT is LIVE on the CW tonight from The Performance Center in Orlando, FL. The announcing team for tonight’s show consists of Vic Joseph and Booker T on play-by-play and analysis, Mike Rome on ring introductions, and Emily Agard on interviews and news segments. We have a women’s battle royal tonight to determine a new number one contender, and the final two first round Dusty Rhodes Classic tag team matches. Let’s watch some wrestling!

We have a new theme song and new opening graphics! Here’s a look at tonight’s big battle royal. Six brands, twenty superstars, but only one punches their ticket to Halloween Havoc!

Here’s Birthright heading to the ring as Arianna Grace talks about them potentially taking over every division in NXT. Here’s Zilla Fatu heading out with some words for Lexis King.

Lexis King vs Zilla Fatu

King has Grace, Uriah Connors, Stacks Lorenzo, and Charles Dempsey with him. Chip Danning is your referee. Fatu charges out during intros and blasts King down with a shoulder. Fatu rams King into the apron and slaps his chest hard before running him back in. Danning calls for the bell and Fatu continues the assault. Fatu misses a charge and King flies in with some offense before trying a bulldog and a drop toe hold, neither of which is successful. Fatu pushes King to a corner for some more knife edges, so King fires up briefly. Fatu cuts that off and runs into a high boot before trucking King down again. Fatu drops a bunch of headbutts and the rest of Birthright yank him to the floor. Fatu promptly ascends for a cross-body on all of them before running King back in. King distracts Danning while the Birthright guys keep Fatu on the floor. Grace leaps on to the apron and this allows King to kick the ropes as Fatu was straddling them. King follows with a between-the-ropes dropkick that staggers Fatu. We go to commercials.

Fatu has King along the apron but King yanks Fatu down by the throat before nailing him with a blockbuster that gets two. King works a rear chinlock but Fatu finally shakes him off. Fatu fights off a sunset flip attempt but his butt-drop misses. King nails Fatu with some kicks but walks into a pop-up Samoan Drop. (Zilla over-rotated a bit and King took this hard on his shoulder, hopefully he’s okay.) Fatu hits a couple clotheslines and cuts King’s flurry off with another one. Fatu chops King in the back and nails him with a flying headbutt. Stacks and Connors try to interfere and Fatu disposes of them before doing the same to Dempsey. Fatu hits a Flatliner and lines up the Triple Z, and that ends things.

Zilla was in control the whole way here, quite frankly. I thought King did a decent job of leading him through this but Zilla is…exuberant, and is going to have to work on his selling when he comes up against more high profile guys. 2.5*

Winner – Zilla Fatu (Triple Z spike)

Post-match sees Birthright attack Fatu en masse and Dempsey takes a chair from King. Dempsey nails Fatu in the back and they go to the floor. Dempsey rams Fatu into the ring steps, and Dempsey uses the top of the ring steps to crush Fatu’s hand. The ref squad finally arrives to break it up.

Here’s Emily Agard with NXT Women’s Champion Kelani Jordan who says that the battle royal contestants are desperate. Here’s Chantal Monroe in to say she’s going to win the battle royal, and she’s followed by Layla Diggs saying that she’ll be the one coming for Jordan after the dust settles. We go to commercials.

THE NXT FOCUS PRESENTED BY PROGRESSIVE is Dion Lennox‘s response to last week’s Cruz Montana segment. Lennox says Montana took the toxins that his mother was selling while Lennox was building the machine we’re all looking at. Lennox says his parents stood by his side and helped him succeed. Lennox says living up to expectations is hard and he didn’t want to waste the opportunity that he had. Lennox says everything was mapped out for him and he could have partied with his friends like Montana did, but he made the right decisions while Montana is getting patted on the back for overcoming all his wrong decisions. Lennox says Montana might have beaten his addiction but he’ll never beat Lennox. Lennox promises to send Montana back to that dark place by the time it’s all over.

Here’s Cruz Montana being joined by Lizzy Rain who apparently was watching the Lennox piece as it aired. Montana tells Rain to show the world what she’s got, and after Rain leaves, here’s TNA Knockouts World Champion Xia Brookside in to put the badmouth on Rain while telling Montana that he’s really changed.

Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic First Round: Hank & Tank vs Shido Ash and Viktor Zanov

If you don’t watch Evolve, Ash and Zanov are judo guys who started out as Security for the brand before becoming a bit aggressive, so FOREMAN THATCHER made them talent and turned them loose as a tag team. They’re green in terms of wrestling but they have some legit martial arts chops. Dallas Irvin is your referee.

Ash starts with Hank, and Ash slaps on a guillotine. Ash nails Hank with a judo toss and both make tags. Tank charges in and Zanov drives him from corner to corner before Hank slips a charge. Hank fires off an elbow and gets hip-tossed in response. Ash and Zanov toss Hank and Tank around and we go to commercials.

Ash and Zanov are smashing Hank and Tank around and Ash covers Hank for two as the show returns. Ash gets rolled up for two but Tank is not available to tag, so Hank wanders into a toss suplex that gets two. Tank finally re-emerges to break up that cover and Hank finally escapes to tag him in. Tank smashes Ash around before dropping a charging Zanov with a Saito suplex. Tank tosses Ash and nails Zanov with a rolling tackle. Hank flies around to pounce Ash over the announce table, and Tank nails Zanov with a swanton. HONK HONK gets ruined by Zanov nailing Hank with a powerslam that gets two. Ash and Zanov fly in but Hank and Tank dispose of Zanov. Ash runs into a Bossman slam from Hank and Tank takes out Zanov with a tope suicida. HONK HONK happens, and the High-Low Spear finishes things.

Great showing here from Ash and Zanov, and they definitely have something with those two. Hank and Tank looked motivated tonight after being a bit understated lately. They get the Creed Brothers in the next round, and that should be a war. I have no major issues with this one. 3.5*

Winners – Hank & Tank (High-Low Spear)

Here’s NXT Men’s Champion Grayson Waller heading out, but we jump right to Birthright beating the crap out of Dorian van Dux and Sean Legacy as Uriah Connors mentions that they will now surely be out of the Dusty Cup. We go to commercials.

Here’s Grayson Waller out for a chat. Waller says he’s not surprised to be AND STILL after fighting EK Prosper last week. Waller takes a swipe at Robert Stone before getting a pop while mentioning Prosper’s first real main event being great. Waller says Prosper will have the title but there’s not a man in the locker room who can take it from him. Waller says he’s brought prestige back to the title and wants to know who’s stepping up next. Here’s Myles Borne out and Waller gets him a mic. Borne says he’s done doing what’s expected of him and now is doing what’s best for him. Borne says it’s time to go after the one title that he hasn’t captured yet, and mentions that he learned how to be selfish and ruthless from Waller. Waller is happy that someone is listening to him, and here’s Tony D’Angelo out to say it’s not over between them, and Borne should test his new attitude on someone else. D’Angelo says if he’d came out last week for the Open Challenge Waller would have screamed and cried about being unprepared. D’Angelo blows off Borne again and continues berating Waller. Waller tells Borne and D’Angelo to figure it out next week, and whomever emerges gets the Grayson Waller rub. Borne goes nose to nose with Waller before blasting D’Angelo with a right hand. We go to commercials. (If this is a set up to get a three-way for the title at Havoc, I’m going to yell. A LOT.)

Here’s EK Prosper being greeted by William Regal who says Prosper didn’t fumble last week, he succeeded. Regal says Prosper has world title written all over him, and Prosper thanks him for the kind words before leaving. Regal wants a word with NXT GM Robert Stone who’s in the process of ending a phone call. Regal suggests Charles Dempsey and Lexis King as replacements for Legacy and DvD, and Stone reluctantly agrees to it.

Shiloh Hill vs NARAKU

When I looked for the card this morning, Google’s AI suggested that NARAKU’s last name is “Powell”, so I may start referring to him that way from now on. They grapple to start and NARAKU tries to dump Hill, who skins the cat to return. Hill dumps NARAKU and grabs a side headlock. NARAKU pulls some hair to break out of it but Hill follows with a shoulder tackle. NARAKU yanks Hill into a side suplex before walloping Hill with a neckbreaker that gets two. NARAKU grabs a side headlock before yanking Hill down by his hair. NARAKU nails Hill with a huge right hand and they go to the floor. Hill responds with a big forearm and runs NARAKU back in. Hill ascends but his move misses. Hill and NARAKU blast each other with rights and headbutts before running each other over with lariats. We go to commercials.

Hill ascends as the show returns. NARAKU springs up to fight with Hill, and Hill wins the skirmish. Hill hits a top rope clothesline and gets two. Hill yanks NARAKU up and charges right into a Hot Shot. NARAKU hits a facebuster and fires off a series of headbutts. NARAKU hits a couple of double chops and a standing senton gets two. NARAKU puts on a crossface and Hill finally makes the ropes to break it. NARAKU yanks Hill’s throat onto the bottom rope and then yanks him up for a Falcon Arrow that gets two. NARAKU misses a senton and Hill fires up with some rights. Hill kicks NARAKU down and goes to ground and pound before nailing NARAKU with a rolling tackle that gets two. NARAKU wants the mist but Hill blocks it. NARAKU fires blue mist and it hits referee Derek Sanders dead in the eyes, resulting in an immediate DQ.

This was fine but these two have a better match in them. Hill is so good for someone who still feels so new to the brand, and I think he’s got a solid shot to be something on the main after some more seasoning. NARAKU cruised through this one a bit but his offense and selling are still really very good. No major issues here, didn’t love the finish, but I’m guessing there’s some kind of gimmick thing coming for this feud for Havoc. I’m sure we’ll find out. 3*

Winner – Shiloh Hill (NARAKU DQ’d after hitting the referee with mist)

Here’s Kendal Grey in her weekly therapy appointment. She’s upset about not being in the battle royal, but she realizes that she’s the reason that she’s not in the match tonight. The therapist asks if Grey is always this hard on herself and Grey says she is, before saying how much she analyzes every detail and mistake she makes along the way. Grey didn’t want to hear about her mistakes from other people, and it’s cost her the ability to be proud of herself. Grey says her biggest opponent has always been her, and she’ll have to fix that. Grey says the therapy sessions aren’t so bad, and the therapist mentions there isn’t a finish line but she’s fulfilled the time she was expected to put in. Grey has a new medical check coming soon, so let’s hope for the best there. We go to commercials.

Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic First Round: Birthright (Charles Dempsey and Lexis King) vs Tokyo Bad Boys (Kento and Takuma)

TBB compete in AAA and are a talented low mid-card tag team. Kento starts with Dempsey and Kento snaps off a springboard cross-body. Dempsey and Kento grapple and Dempsey yanks Kento into a surfboard. Kento fires up with some armdrags and a dropkick. Takuma tags in and he and Kento hit some double team stuff that ends with a big back body drop. King tags in and Takuma chops away on him. Takuma fires off a rana and Kento nails King with a springboard lariat that gets two. Takuma and Kento hit topes but Dempsey smacks both of them off the apron during their celebration. King runs Kento back in and drops an elbow on him before tagging Dempsey in. Dempsey fires off an uppercut and yanks Kento over into a suplex that gets two. Dempsey gets caught in a dragon screw and Takuma tags in. Takuma runs wild briefly and nails Dempsey with a Spanish Fly. Takuma hits a springboard 450 and King breaks the cover up at two. Takuma blasts King off the apron and ascends as Kento spears King through the ropes. Dempsey uses that distraction to slap Takuma in the chest before hitting Takuma with a top rope suplex. Dempsey hits a bridging suplex and pins Takuma.

This is about what you’d expect given the storylines happening tonight and that TBB are low mid-carders in AAA. They put on a fine exhibition here for a sprint but you kind of knew where this was going when it was announced. 2*

Winners – Birthright (Dempsey bridging suplex on Takuma)

Post-match sees an irate Dempsey grab Joseph’s headset to yell about everyone falling under Birthright’s thumb. Sure.

Here’s Myles Borne cutting a hallway promo and mentioning leveling up to the main title level. Borne says he’ll take out D’Angelo and then see Waller for the title at Havoc. Entrances start for the battle royal main event with Izzi Dame and Indi Hartwell as we go to commercials.

NXT Women’s Championship Number One Contender Battle Royal

More entrances: TNA Knockouts World Champion Xia Brookside, AAA Reina de Reinas Champion La Catalina, and NXT Women’s North American Champion Zaria .

Izzi Dame dumps Layla Diggs basically immediately (It genuinely looked like Diggs was meant to hang on but her lower half’s momentum kind of pulled her off the ropes and she’s gone in ten seconds.) Zaria immediately tosses Dame next and an apoplectic Dame tries to return with a bunch of referees holding her back. Dame starts smashing Security around and is carried to the back. Skylar Raye gets dumped by Reina Volcan. We go to commercials.

Ivy Nile dumped Chantal Monroe during the commercial break and we’re back with a bunch of people still in the ring. Arianna Grace tries to make a pact with Heather and M By Elegance and gets dumped for her troubles. M “mistakenly” trips up Heather along the ropes but Heather saves herself briefly before Thea Hail blasts M into Heather. Hail then eliminates M as well, and she and Heather bicker on the floor. Lizzy Rain eliminates Ivy Nile with a big headbutt off the apron. Rain then facilitates a bunch of people coming over to help eliminate Reina Volcan. Volcan takes her frustrations out on Lady Shani by yanking her out of the ring under the bottom rope and powerslamming her on the floor. We go to commercials.

Zaria and Indi Hartwell give each other the Aussie Wink and team up briefly. Izzi Dame runs back in and Zaria dumps her for a second time but while she’s celebrating, Kali Armstrong flies in to dump Zaria. Dame and Zaria continue battling all the way to the back and we’re left with seven folks still in the match. Hartwell dumps Brookside to continue their ongoing TNA feud (Make sure to read our pal Scott Herrin’s excellent weekly TNA recaps, friends!), so Brookside rips Hartwell down and over the top to apparently eliminate her? I guess. Hail gets dumped by Kiana James and we have our final four.

Final Four: Kali Armstrong, La Catalina, Kiana James, and Lizzy Rain. Kelani Jordan has decided to watch the end of this from the NXT Roost. Everyone gangs up on Rain and Catalina hits Armstrong and James with a double dropkick. Catalina hits some Hip Attacks before Armstrong dumps her after a charge. Rain nails James with a spear and tries to dump her but James holds on. Amrstrong powerslams Rain and then charges into James to eliminate her. Rain hits a cutter on Armstrong and they both topple over the top. They hang on desperately and start slugging it out along the apron. Armstrong runs into a ring post but manages to eliminate Rain when she charges. Armstrong thinks she’s won, but here’s Lady Shani in from outta nowhere (She was never eliminated!) to dump Armstrong and claim the number one contender’s spot.

Post-match sees Lady Shani remove her mask to reveal WREN GODDAMN SINCLAIR. Sinclair is announced as the new number one contender and I guess that means her suspension is over? WHO CAN TELL. The credits roll and we’re out.

Okay, so our pal Phred one hundred percent called this outcome in the evening daily thread, and I am impressed at his ability to see this booking. Sinclair is a good choice for this considering the current story of Kendal Grey trying to get cleared to return to action, and there are a lot of things that can happen from this. I’m all good with this storytelling. The match itself was kind of a mess, as you’d expect, but it hit on a few storyline notes for various programs and that’s good agenting. We’ll call the whole thing 3* and move along with our evening.

Fun show tonight. Thanks for reading!