Last night’s WWE NXT was a show built around the women’s division carrying the night, a new challenger emerging for the Men’s Speed Championship, DarkState trying to explain why it cut out one of its own, and Tony D’Angelo suddenly finding himself in the middle of a title picture that has multiple bodies circling him at once. It was not the flashiest episode NXT has put together this year, but it was one of those shows that moved several pieces into place. Lola Vice retained the NXT Women’s Championship in a chaotic main event against Izzi Dame, Kelani Jordan continued to show a sharper and colder side of herself, Jaida Parker got back on track, Romeo Moreno stole a major win over Nathan Frazer, and Naraku made his presence felt by protecting Tony D’Angelo while making it clear he eventually wants war with the NXT Champion. Some of it worked. Some of it still needs more meat on the bone. But last night’s episode did enough to keep NXT’s current direction moving without feeling like a complete placeholder.
Here are the full results
- Kelani Jordan def. WWE Women’s Speed Champion Wren Sinclair
- Sean Legacy vs. Dorian Van Dux ended in a time-limit draw (WWE Speed Quarterfinal Match)
- Jaida Parker def. Layla Diggs
- Romeo Moreno def. Nathan Frazer (WWE Speed Tournament Final)
- Shiloh Hill def. Charlie Dempsey
- Lola Vice (c) def. Izzi Dame (WWE NXT Women’s Championship)
- Shawn Spears & Niko Vance vs. OTM never officially happened after Spears attacked OTM with a chair and the match was canceled
Breakdowns & Reactions
NXT opened with Kelani Jordan against Wren Sinclair, and this was one of the better matches of the night because it had a simple story and stayed committed to it. Wren was still dealing with the knee issue that has been part of her recent presentation, and Kelani wasted no time attacking it. That was the right call. Kelani did not wrestle like someone trying to impress the crowd. She wrestled like someone trying to prove a point, and the match was better because of it.
The most important part of Kelani’s performance was how natural the edge looked. She targeted the knee, kept dragging Wren back into trouble, and eventually forced the submission. It was not complicated, but it did not need to be. This is the version of Kelani that NXT needs to keep pushing because she has moved past just being an athletic standout. She is starting to wrestle with intent, and that matters. Wren also deserves credit because selling the injury gave the match a real direction instead of turning it into another random TV opener. The crowd reaction leaning behind Wren also showed Kelani’s new attitude is connecting the way NXT wants it to.
DarkState came out later and tried to explain why Saquon Shugars was removed from the group. The remaining trio put over their own value, blamed Saquon for being reckless, and tried to reframe the group as stronger without him. The promo was fine, but it was not a home run. The problem is that DarkState has spent a lot of time being presented as a dangerous unit, and cutting the group down from four to three only works if the next chapter actually makes them feel more focused, more vicious and more interesting.
Right now, the idea is better than the execution. Removing Saquon gives the group a story, but the group still has to prove this was not just a reset button. Their backstage attack on Myles Borne and Tavion Heights helped because it showed they were not just talking, but if the story becomes another cycle of DarkState attacks people, walks away and repeats the same threat every week, then cutting Saquon will end up feeling like a waste. The closing shot of Saquon watching from above was easily the most interesting part of the entire angle. That image made him feel important, and now NXT has to follow through.
Sean Legacy and Dorian Van Dux going to a time-limit draw in the Speed Tournament was a booking choice that made sense on paper but did not do much for either man. The whole point of Speed matches is urgency, but when neither wrestler advances, the result can make the match feel more like a device than an actual fight. The draw did create a cleaner path for the later match to become the tournament final, but it also made the tournament feel rushed.
That became even more obvious when Romeo Moreno defeated Nathan Frazer later in the night. The match itself was good because Frazer is built for that format. He can make three minutes feel like a sprint without making it look messy, and Moreno getting the upset with only seconds left was a strong finish. The win gives Moreno immediate credibility and puts a fresh name across from Lexis King, which is not a bad idea at all. The issue is the structure. If NXT wants the Speed Championship to matter, the tournament around it cannot feel like it started and ended before the audience even had time to settle into it.
Jaida Parker defeating Layla Diggs was the right result. Layla had Nattie in her corner and got some offense in, but this needed to be about Jaida reestablishing herself. Jaida has too much presence to drift around the division without direction, and last night at least put her back in the win column. The post-match staredown with Nattie was more interesting than the match itself, because there is clearly something still being teased between them. Whether that becomes a feud, a reluctant alliance, or Nattie trying to test Jaida, NXT needs to make a real decision soon. The tension is there, but tension without progression eventually becomes background noise.
Tony D’Angelo’s segment with Naraku and Kam Hendrix was one of the night’s more important storyline pieces. Tony came out as the NXT Champion and addressed the fact that challengers are starting to pile up. Naraku then stepped in with a very specific message: he wants Tony to stay champion because their eventual war is supposed to happen with Tony still holding the gold. That is a strong hook. It gives Naraku a reason to protect the champion without making him feel like a friend, and it gives Tony a problem he cannot simply punch his way through.
Kam Hendrix interrupting made sense because he has the title match next week, but the segment was really about Naraku. Kam played his role as the loud, rising challenger who thinks he is ready, while Tony gave the babyface champion response about sacrifice, heart and what it takes to sit at the top of NXT. When Kam tried to attack, Naraku stopped him. That one move said more than a long promo would have. Naraku is not helping Tony out of respect. He is preserving him for something bigger. That is the kind of layered story NXT should lean into.
The concern is whether NXT can keep the explanation sharp. Why does Naraku want to wait? Why does Tony need to still be champion? What does “war” actually mean in this story? The mystery is interesting now, but it cannot stay vague forever. NXT has a good idea here. Now it needs answers before the story starts feeling like cool presentation without enough substance.
Shiloh Hill defeating Charlie Dempsey was another piece of the ongoing Mr. NXT pageant silliness, and that is probably going to split people. Shiloh has charisma and the bit has some life to it, but beating Dempsey in this kind of story is a choice. Dempsey has always been someone who brings a more serious technical edge to NXT, so when he is used in something this light, it can feel like a waste of what he does best. That does not mean every Charlie Dempsey segment has to be serious, but NXT has to be careful not to turn useful wrestlers into props for comedy.
The Zaria and Lizzy Rain direction was also advanced last night, with Lizzy wanting revenge and Zaria making it clear she is focused on the NXT Women’s North American Championship. That division has a lot of moving parts right now, and that is both a strength and a weakness. It is good that NXT has several women with direction, but some of these stories are starting to overlap so much that it can feel crowded. Zaria has presence, Lizzy has a reason to be angry, and Tatum Paxley is still tied into the title picture. The pieces are there. The show just needs to make sure the stories do not blur together.
The main event was the right call for last night’s show. Lola Vice defending the NXT Women’s Championship against Izzi Dame gave the episode a real centerpiece, and the match delivered enough drama to justify the spot. The Culling situation was the story around the match just as much as Lola and Izzi were. Shawn Spears attacking OTM with a chair and getting the tag match canceled was supposed to clear the deck for The Culling to support Izzi, but it backfired once OTM returned and ran Spears and Niko Vance off.
That left Izzi alone, which was the best possible way to frame the finish. Dame got her close calls, including the moment where she accidentally wiped out the referee with a knee strike. Lola hit the backfist, but the delayed count gave Izzi enough time to survive. That gave the match a believable near fall without making Lola look weak. Eventually, Lola landed another backfist and retained.
The match was good, but the result never really felt in doubt. That is not necessarily a bad thing. Lola should not have lost here. Her reign still has more room to grow, and Izzi’s story honestly feels more interesting now if it shifts back toward The Culling falling apart. Izzi has talent, but this should probably be the end of her immediate run as a top title challenger. The bigger question is who steps up next for Lola. Kelani Jordan feels like the most obvious option after last night. Kali Armstrong is also lurking, and Kendal Grey could be a strong opponent if NXT wants to go in that direction. Either way, Lola needs a challenger who feels like a real threat, not just the next name in line.
As far as fan reaction and live coverage went, the conversation around last night’s show seemed pretty clear. The women’s division got the most consistent praise, especially Kelani’s opener and Lola’s title defense. The Speed Tournament result got more mixed reactions because while Romeo Moreno winning was a nice surprise, the tournament itself felt too compressed. DarkState’s explanation drew interest, but also some fair skepticism because the group still has to prove this change actually makes them better. The Naraku and Tony D’Angelo story seemed to be the angle with the most upside because it feels different, but it is also the one that needs the most follow-through.
Best match and segment of the night
Best Match: Lola Vice vs. Izzi Dame for the NXT Women’s Championship
The main event gets the nod because it had the highest stakes, the best closing stretch and the strongest story around it. Lola looked like a champion who could survive chaos, Izzi got enough offense to avoid feeling like a filler challenger, and the outside drama with The Culling and OTM gave the match more weight. It was not a classic, but it was the right main event and the right finish.
Best Segment: Tony D’Angelo, Naraku and Kam Hendrix
This was the most interesting segment of the night because it gave the NXT Championship picture something more layered than a standard challenger-of-the-week setup. Kam Hendrix gets his shot next week, but Naraku protecting Tony so he can eventually fight him is the better story. That is the hook NXT needs to keep feeding because it makes the title scene feel bigger than one match.
What was announced for next week’s show
- Tony D’Angelo (c)vs. Kam Hendrix (WWE NXT Championship)
- Lexis King (c) vs. Romeo Moreno (WWE Speed Championship)
- DarkState vs. WWE NXT North American Champion Myles Borne & Tavion Heights
- Lizzy Rain vs. Zaria
- Tate Wilder vs. Jackson Drake
Also announced: Shiloh Hill and Tristan Angels will take part in the Mr. NXT Pageant on June 9.
Final thoughts
Last night’s WWE NXT was not a blow-away episode, but it was a productive one. The women’s division once again felt like the backbone of the show, Lola Vice retained in the right main event, Kelani Jordan continued building momentum, and Jaida Parker got a needed win. The Tony D’Angelo and Naraku story has real potential if NXT explains it properly instead of hiding behind mystery for too long. DarkState still needs to prove cutting Saquon Shugars actually made the group better, and the Speed Tournament felt way too rushed, even if Romeo Moreno getting the title shot was a fresh result.
Overall, last night’s show worked because it moved stories forward without pretending every segment was bigger than it really was. It had flaws, but it also had direction. That is the key. NXT does not need every Tuesday to feel like a mini-PLE. It just needs the pieces to matter, and last night gave the brand enough to build on heading into next week.
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I’m the quiet one until the bell rings then I’ve got takes. I live for WWE NXT and TNA, I want every promotion to succeed, and I will absolutely roast the bad decisions on sight (because someone has to). Anime taught me to respect long-term storytelling; wrestling taught me that sometimes the plan is “we panicked” and called it “unpredictable.” The Miz got me into all of this, so yeah I appreciate confidence, commitment, and the art of talking like you’re already the main event. Now I bring that same energy to the page as the main writer for Late Night Crew Wrestling because if you’re not here to be must-see and tell the truth, why are you here?!