WWE NXT entered its final stretch toward the Great American Bash on Sunday, June 28th with an episode that felt like an entire locker room collectively decided to make the most of every opportunity placed in front of them. There was not a weak match on tonight’s show. Every wrestler competed with something to prove, the Performance Center crowd remained loud and emotionally invested throughout the night, and several matches repeatedly had me coming out of my seat. Even the segments that leaned heavily into NXT’s occasionally unusual sense of humor served a purpose by advancing stories or giving developing characters an identity.
Fraxiom returned to their former home and immediately reminded everyone why they remain one of the most exciting tag teams in WWE, but Noam Dar and Romeo Moreno did not allow themselves to become background characters in somebody else’s comeback. Naraku survived a physical battle against Mason Rook to secure an NXT Championship opportunity against Tony D’Angelo. Kendal Grey overcame Kelani Jordan in one of the best matches of the night to punch her ticket to a championship match against Lola Vice. Saquon Shugars continued his methodical campaign of revenge against DarkState. Shiloh Hill became the inaugural Mr. NXT before Tristan Angels turned a ridiculous pageant into something unexpectedly violent.
The biggest story, however, came in the main event. Zaria finally captured her first singles championship in WWE by defeating Tatum Paxley for the NXT Women’s North American Championship. After spending much of her NXT career standing beside Sol Ruca, becoming increasingly resentful of her former best friend’s opportunities and eventually destroying their friendship, Zaria finally has a championship that belongs entirely to her. With Ruca now holding the WWE Women’s Intercontinental Championship, Zaria’s victory creates an interesting parallel between two former partners whose careers are moving forward on separate paths.
Here are the full results
- Fraxiom defeated Noam Dar and Romeo Moreno.
- Naraku defeated Mason Rook NXT Championship #1 Contender’s Match)
- Kendal Grey defeated Kelani Jordan (NXT Women’s Championship #1 Contender’s Match)
- Dion Lennox defeated Jasper Troy.
- Shiloh Hill defeated Tristan Angels 2-1 to be crowned the inaugural Mr. NXT
- Zaria defeated Tatum Paxley (c) (NXT Women’s North American Championship)
Breakdowns & Reactions
Fraxiom defeated Noam Dar and Romeo Moreno
Grade: A-
What worked: NXT could not have asked for a better opening match. Fraxiom’s return gave the show immediate energy, but Dar and Moreno refused to simply play the role of respectable opponents. Moreno’s speed and hunger paired surprisingly well with Dar’s experience, precision and ability to control the pace of a match. Their double-team offense looked polished enough to make it feel like NXT may have quietly found another legitimate tag team.
The match also contained a subtle layer of history between Axiom and Moreno. Moreno wanted to test himself against someone he knew from Spain, while Nathan Frazer initially appeared slightly irritated by the attention. Once the pace accelerated, all four wrestlers began trading dives, counters and crisp sequences without losing the structure of the match. Dar connected with an enzuigiri, Moreno launched himself over the ropes, Axiom hit a Spanish Fly and Fraxiom closed the match with the Golden Ratio and Phoenix Splash combination.
The post-match embrace between all four wrestlers was the correct choice. Dar and Moreno lost without being diminished, while Fraxiom reminded NXT’s tag division exactly what it had been missing.
What didn’t: Dar and Moreno could eventually benefit from a more defined reason for teaming together beyond mutual respect and competitive ambition. The chemistry is already there. Now the pairing needs a stronger identity.
Kendal Grey, Wren Sinclair and Lola Vice backstage
Grade: B
What worked: For a brief moment, the conversation between Kendal Grey and Wren Sinclair created the feeling that something might be wrong. I found myself wondering whether Sinclair could turn on Grey before her No. 1 Contender’s Match. Instead, Sinclair explained that Grey could focus on the NXT Women’s Championship while she focused on recovering and eventually defending her WWE Women’s Speed Championship.
That was the smarter direction. NXT did not force a betrayal merely because the possibility existed. Their friendship remained intact, while Lola Vice’s arrival added another layer of tension. Grey made it clear that she was no longer willing to dismiss Vice accidentally striking her as a coincidence.
What didn’t: The segment was brief enough that the potential tension between Grey and Sinclair may not matter unless NXT revisits it later.
Shiloh Hill and Tristan Angels compete in the inaugural Mr. NXT Pageant
Grade: B
What worked: This was completely ridiculous, but it understood exactly what it needed to be. Angels won the attire round after confidently presenting several looks, including a Union Jack speedo. Hill recovered during the talent portion by solving a Rubik’s Cube in seconds before returning on a unicycle while juggling. The final public-speaking round gave the segment more substance than expected.
Hill’s message about NXT being a place where wrestlers constantly change, adapt and try to figure out who they are gave his character a genuine sense of self-awareness. He was not trying to be polished. He won because his awkwardness felt authentic. Angels responded to losing the fan vote by brutally attacking Hill with a chair, driving his knee into the back of Hill’s neck and stealing the sash.
The attack transformed a comedy segment into the foundation of an actual rivalry. That was the most important part.
What didn’t: The pageant occupied a significant amount of television time. Anyone who does not enjoy NXT’s exaggerated comedy likely found portions of it excessive.
Naraku defeated Mason Rook to become the No. 1 Contender to the NXT Championship
Grade: B+
What worked: This was two heavyweights fighting like neither wanted to wait patiently for another opportunity. Rook overwhelmed Naraku with his size early, hitting corner avalanches, a senton, an avalanche powerslam and a Blue Thunder Driver. Naraku kept surviving, answering with lariats, a fireman’s-carry spinebuster and the type of physical offense expected from a wrestler whose presentation is built around controlled menace.
Kam Hendrix appearing on the apron was enough to distract Rook and allow Naraku to capitalize with Entering the Abyss. The interference protected Rook while advancing his issue with Hendrix. It also sent Naraku into the Great American Bash with momentum.
The most intriguing part came afterward. Tony D’Angelo acknowledged Naraku’s credentials but questioned his energy and intentions. Naraku responded by handing the NXT Champion a mysterious invitation to war. It was simple, strange and effective. Tony D’Angelo versus Naraku now feels different from another routine title defense.
What didn’t: Naraku earning the victory through a distraction slightly undercut what had been a strong physical performance. The finish made storyline sense, but a decisive win would have established him as an even more threatening challenger.
Myles Borne, Tavion Heights and Vanity Project backstage
Grade: B-
What worked: Myles Borne’s NXT North American Championship reign finally received a clear direction for the Great American Bash. Tavion Heights expressed interest in challenging his friend, only for Jackson Drake and Vanity Project to object to Borne casually handing out opportunities. The confrontation established Heights versus Drake for next week, with the winner challenging Borne on June 28th.
The setup was efficient. Heights has history with Borne, while Drake possesses the arrogance needed to make the match feel personal rather than procedural.
What didn’t: Borne needs more character development as champion. His matches are consistently good, but the championship reign still needs a defining story.
Kendal Grey defeated Kelani Jordan to become the No. 1 Contender to the NXT Women’s Championship
Grade: A
What worked: Grey and Jordan delivered the best pure wrestling match of the night. Their contrasting styles blended perfectly. Grey approached the match like a wrestler searching for limbs, leverage and counters. Jordan used her athleticism, striking combinations and increasingly aggressive attitude to keep Grey uncomfortable.
Jordan targeted Grey’s leg with a shinbreaker, dragon screw and calf slicer. Grey answered with a Fujiwara armbar, an ankle lock, suplexes and a relentless series of counters. Jordan nearly stole the match by using the ropes for leverage during a pin attempt, but the referee caught her. She later hit a slingshot Ace Crusher and frog splash for an excellent near fall.
Grey eventually struck with Shades of Grey out of nowhere to earn another NXT Women’s Championship opportunity. That sudden finish worked because the entire match established that either wrestler could win with one mistake or one perfectly timed counter.
Grey will now challenge Lola Vice at the Great American Bash. Vice won the championship at Stand & Deliver in a Triple Threat Match involving Grey and Jacy Jayne, but Grey was never pinned. Their rematch already has a built-in argument.
What didn’t: Nothing significant. This was a complete television match that advanced the division and made both wrestlers look better.
Dion Lennox defeated Jasper Troy
Grade: B
What worked: Lennox and Troy wrestled a match that felt appropriately physical from the opening bell. Troy’s raw power gave Lennox a different type of opponent, while Lennox’s ability to adapt made him look more complete. Osiris Griffin created the opening for Lennox to avoid Troy’s Vader Bomb and hit the Final Cut for the victory.
The post-match angle was even stronger than the match. Saquon Shugars appeared on the screen, allowed the video to malfunction and then emerged at ringside with a baseball bat to attack Griffin. Shugars escaped through the crowd before Lennox could respond.
DarkState made Shugars the scapegoat for the group’s failures. Now he is taking his time dismantling them individually. The slow, deliberate pacing has been effective.
What didn’t: Troy losing through outside involvement protected him, but repeated interference can become predictable if every DarkState match follows the same formula.
Jaida Parker attacks Nattie Neidhart in the Dungeon
Grade: B-
What worked: The footage of Parker attacking Nattie away from the Performance Center added another layer to their rivalry. Nattie questioned Parker’s toughness last week. Parker responded by bringing the fight directly to her territory.
What didn’t: The segment was too brief to become one of the night’s defining angles. It worked as an escalation rather than a major development.
Robert Stone congratulates Naraku before Keanu Carver demands an opponent
Grade: B-
What worked: Naraku describing his message to Tony D’Angelo as an invitation to war reinforced the unsettling tone of his championship program. Carver interrupting to demand action also made sense. He is not a character who should patiently wait for management to find something for him to do.
What didn’t: Carver’s next opponent was not revealed, leaving the segment as a tease rather than a complete announcement.
Izzi Dame questions her place in the WWE Women’s Speed Championship Tournament
Grade: B-
What worked: Shawn Spears explained that Kendal Grey becoming the next challenger to Lola Vice temporarily blocked Dame’s path to the NXT Women’s Championship. Entering the Speed Tournament gives The Culling another avenue toward gold, especially with Dame facing Thea Hail in the opening round.
The segment also reinforced Spears’ role as the strategist of the group. Dame initially questioned the decision before realizing he had thought several steps ahead.
What didn’t: The Women’s Speed Championship needs consistent television time for the tournament to feel important rather than secondary filler.
Zaria defeated Tatum Paxley to win the NXT Women’s North American Championship
Grade: A
What worked: The main event delivered the title change the episode needed. Paxley wrestled like a champion determined to survive another dangerous challenger. Zaria wrestled like someone tired of being told that her moment would eventually come.
Paxley hit a moonsault from the apron, a somersault leg drop, Cemetery Drive and an impressive coast-to-coast attack while Zaria was trapped in the Tree of Woe. Zaria repeatedly answered with German suplexes, spears and brute force. Paxley’s missed 450 Splash created an opening, but one spear was still not enough to finish her. Zaria eventually caught Paxley on the floor with an F-5, returned her to the ring and delivered another F-5 to finally become champion.
The significance reaches beyond one title change. Zaria spent much of 2025 beside Sol Ruca as ZaRuca. Their partnership gradually fractured as Ruca accumulated accomplishments, opportunities and championships. Zaria eventually snapped, cost Ruca an NXT Women’s Championship opportunity and turned their friendship into a bitter rivalry. Ruca defeated Zaria at Stand & Deliver, but Zaria later won their Last Woman Standing Match.
Now both women have moved forward. Ruca is the WWE Women’s Intercontinental Champion on the main roster. Zaria is the NXT Women’s North American Champion. The title does not erase her resentment or the mistakes she made, but it validates her belief that she was capable of becoming more than Sol Ruca’s partner. For the first time in WWE, Zaria has championship gold that belongs solely to her.
Paxley also deserves credit. Her reign ended in defeat, but she elevated the title through a series of strong defenses and made Zaria earn every inch of the victory.
What didn’t: The match deserved a slightly longer closing stretch without a commercial break. The final minutes were excellent, but the main event could have benefited from additional time to let the title change breathe.
Best Match & Segment Of The Night
Best Match: Kendal Grey vs. Kelani Jordan
Zaria and Tatum Paxley delivered an excellent main event with a meaningful title change, but Grey and Jordan narrowly produced the strongest bell-to-bell match. The counters felt purposeful, the submissions created believable danger and the pace escalated naturally. Grey winning with Shades of Grey was abrupt in the best possible way. It looked like a wrestler recognizing an opening and immediately capitalizing.
Best Segment: Saquon Shugars Attacks Osiris Griffin
The Mr. NXT Pageant was more memorable than expected, but Shugars’ attack was the sharper angle. The malfunctioning video, the baseball bat and the escape through the crowd made the retaliation feel planned rather than impulsive. DarkState discarded Shugars. He is now making sure each member understands the consequences.
Everything Announced For Next Week’s WWE NXT
- Tavion Heights vs Jackson Drake (NXT North American Championship #1 Contenders Match)
- Izzi Dame vs Thea Hail (WWE Women’s Speed Championship Tournament First Round Match)
- Keanu Carver In Action
Final Thoughts
Tonight’s WWE NXT was one of the brand’s strongest weekly episodes in recent memory because the wrestling consistently delivered while almost every segment created a reason to care about what comes next. It was not perfect. Some finishes relied on interference, the comedy may have been too much for certain viewers and a few stories still need additional depth. None of that prevented the episode from feeling alive.
The opening tag team match immediately established the tone. Grey and Jordan raised the standard. Lennox and Troy kept the physicality high. Paxley and Zaria closed the show with a championship match worthy of the main-event position. Even the wrestlers who lost generally came away with something meaningful.
The road to the Great American Bash is also becoming much clearer. Tony D’Angelo now has to prepare for the calculated threat of Naraku. Lola Vice has to confront a challenger who was never pinned when Vice originally won the championship. Myles Borne will soon discover whether his next challenger is a friend or an arrogant outsider. Zaria enters the next chapter of her career with gold around her waist.
Most importantly, tonight felt like a locker room full of wrestlers fighting to prove that they deserved a larger platform. The crowd recognized it. I recognized it. By the time Zaria raised the NXT Women’s North American Championship above her head, the episode had already accomplished its most important goal: making next Tuesday feel necessary.
Overall Show Grade: A-
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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?!