Last night’s WWE NXT felt like another step in the brand’s current reset, but it was also a show that proved NXT is still trying to figure out exactly which stories are ready to carry the summer and which new faces need more time to breathe. The episode had a lot going on: Naraku finally made his in-ring debut, Mason Rook officially signed his contract in chaotic fashion, DarkState moved closer to another tag title opportunity, Zaria abandoned Nikkita Lyons, and Izzi Dame closed the night by planting NXT Women’s Champion Lola Vice with a statement big boot. It was not a perfect episode, and at times it leaned too heavily on chaos as a storytelling shortcut, but it did what NXT usually does best: it gave the audience a lot of movement, a lot of fresh names, and enough character direction to make next week feel important.
Here are the full results
- WWE NXT Women’s North American Champion Tatum Paxley & Lizzy Rain def. Zaria & Nikkita Lyons
- Naraku def. Lince Dorado
- BirthRight def. Sean Legacy, EK Prosper & Tate Wilder
- Jackson Drake def. Noam Dar
- Kelani Jordan def. Kendal Grey
Breakdowns & Reactions
NXT opened last night with Tatum Paxley and Lizzy Rain against Zaria and Nikkita Lyons, and honestly, the biggest talking point before the match even settled in was Nikkita’s entrance. The mask was so unserious that it circled all the way back around to being funny. It looked more like a random Catwoman-inspired accessory than anything with real story weight behind it. If it was supposed to be a tribute to Zaria, NXT did not make that clear on the broadcast. Zaria’s whole presentation is darker, tougher, and more animalistic, so maybe Nikkita was trying to match her partner’s energy, but on screen it came off more like another unnecessary tweak to an entrance that already feels like it has been changed too many times.
The match itself had a little bit of everything. Zaria and Lizzy Rain started with power and attitude, trading physicality in the middle of the ring. Rain continues to stand out because she carries herself like someone who already belongs in a title picture, even while still feeling new to the audience. Paxley brought her usual weird, twitchy energy and hit her spots with enough sharpness to remind everyone that she is not just holding the Women’s North American Championship for decoration.
Nikkita showed flashes, too. She has presence, she has power, and the crowd still reacts to her because she feels different from the rest of the division. But the issue with Nikkita is still the same: the character presentation feels more memorable than the actual direction. The match was really about Zaria, though. She never looked like she wanted to be there, and once the match got deeper, she finally dropped off the apron and walked out. That left Nikkita exposed, and Lizzy Rain finished her with Thunderstruck.
That was the right finish. Zaria just came out of an emotionally charged feud with Sol Ruca, so forcing her into a tag team dynamic with Nikkita never felt natural. Last night confirmed that. Zaria walking out made sense for her character, gave Lizzy and Tatum a strong win, and left Nikkita looking like someone who got embarrassed without necessarily being fully buried.
The bigger issue is that NXT needs to decide what Nikkita is supposed to be. Is she a serious comeback story? Is she comic relief with star presence? Is she being used to get newer women over? Because right now, she is entertaining, but the direction is not sharp enough.
Naraku’s in-ring debut against Lince Dorado was exactly what it needed to be. It was not meant to be a competitive showcase. It was meant to introduce Naraku as dangerous, cold, and violent. Lince got some movement in because that is what Lince does — he can make anyone look smooth, explosive, and credible — but this was Naraku’s night. The former EVIL came in with a presentation that instantly separates him from the rest of the NXT men’s division. He is not another happy-to-be-here prospect. He feels like an outside threat dropped into the Performance Center to make everyone uncomfortable.
That matters because NXT’s men’s main event scene has been in rebuild mode after so many major names moved up or shifted out of the picture. Tony D’Angelo is now positioned as one of the brand’s established anchors, but the show needs dangerous challengers around him. Naraku gives NXT that. His win over Dorado was dominant, clean, and direct. The question now is whether NXT has enough patience to build him beyond “scary newcomer wants the title.” The aura is there. The follow-up has to be more layered.
The six-man tag with BirthRight against Sean Legacy, EK Prosper and Tate Wilder was a solid undercard match with the real purpose being to spotlight Tate Wilder. Wilder looked good, but the story of the finish was pride costing the team. He had chances to tag out, did not take them, and BirthRight capitalized. That is simple wrestling storytelling, and it worked.
BirthRight getting back in the win column was necessary because the group needs credibility if NXT wants viewers to take them seriously beyond the Heritage Cup orbit. Channing “Stacks” Lorenzo, Uriah Connors and Charlie Dempsey work as a unit because they have structure. Their opponents were more athletic and more explosive, but BirthRight felt more prepared. That was the match in one sentence.
The Mason Rook contract signing was one of the better character-building segments of the night. Rook already has crowd participation with the “he’s big, he’s bad” chant, and that is not a small thing in NXT. Sometimes NXT characters are introduced with too much explanation and not enough instant connection. Rook has the opposite problem in a good way: the audience seems ready to play along before the story has fully caught up.
Robert Stone brought him out to make the signing official, but the segment quickly became another collision between Rook, Tony D’Angelo and Kam Hendrix. Tony tried to confront him, Kam got involved again, security spilled into the picture, and Rook went to the top rope and wiped everybody out with a moonsault to the floor. For a big man, that visual is the hook. You can say he is a “flying human tank,” but last night he showed it.
The only concern is that NXT is loading Tony’s plate with a lot of challengers and chaos at once. Naraku wants him. Mason Rook wants him. Kam Hendrix keeps getting involved. That can make the NXT Championship scene feel alive, but it can also make it feel crowded without a clean emotional center. Tony needs one main issue soon. The audience can only invest so much if every segment turns into a pileup.
Noam Dar’s return against Jackson Drake was a smart piece of business, even if the match itself was more functional than spectacular. Dar still looked like Dar. He had the timing, the snap, the personality and the confidence. The crowd reacted because Noam has history in NXT, and his return gave the show a veteran presence it needed.
But Jackson Drake winning was the correct call. Vanity Project is holding tag team gold, and Drake cannot be losing right now if the group is supposed to matter. Myka Lockwood’s involvement helped protect Dar just enough, while Drake’s 450 Splash gave the finish some pop. The visual of Drake being carried out by the group earlier in the night added to the ridiculousness of Vanity Project, and that is part of why the act works. They are annoying, but they are supposed to be annoying.
Then DarkState arrived, and this was where the tag title story started to heat up. DarkState has been teasing tension internally, especially with Saquon Shugars and Dion Lennox not always feeling aligned. Last night, the group got on the same page long enough to fight off Vanity Project and set up next week’s NXT Tag Team Championship match. That was a good hook, but it also puts pressure on NXT to decide what DarkState is. Are they falling apart? Are they turning babyface? Are they still supposed to be monsters? The Performance Center crowd seemed more willing to get behind them than before, and NXT should pay attention to that.
The main event between Kelani Jordan and Kendal Grey was the best actual match of the night. It had the most complete in-ring structure, the cleanest athletic exchanges, and the clearest stakes beyond just “two talented people wrestling.” Kendal came in with that grappling-heavy intensity, trying to control Kelani and prove she belongs around the NXT Women’s Championship conversation. Kelani answered with speed, strikes, movement and resilience.
This is where NXT’s women’s division continues to shine. Even when the booking gets messy, the talent depth is obvious. Kelani looked polished. Kendal looked credible. The match had enough time to build, and both women came away feeling like they should stay in the mix.
The finish, though, was pure NXT chaos. Lola Vice and Izzi Dame brawled from backstage to ringside, and in the process, Wren Sinclair — already injured and moving around on crutches — got knocked down. Kendal was distracted by what happened to Wren, and Kelani took advantage, hitting One of a Kind to win the match.
That finish protected Kendal while giving Kelani a big win, but it also fed into the bigger story: everyone is circling Lola Vice. Izzi Dame has been positioned as the most immediate threat after pinning Lola last week and laying her out last night. Kendal has her eyes on Lola, too. Kelani just won the main event. Kali Armstrong is still hovering around the picture. That is a lot of challengers, and it makes the division feel active.
But here is where the criticism comes in: NXT needs to tighten the focus. Having multiple women chase the champion is a good problem, but if everyone is involved at once, nobody gets the full spotlight. Izzi closing the show by booting Lola in the face was a strong image. That should mean something. If Izzi is next, go all in. If it is a multi-woman direction, make that clear. Right now, Lola’s title scene has energy, but it also has clutter.
Fan reaction during last night’s show seemed to follow the same pattern as the episode itself: people were entertained by the chaos, amused by Nikkita’s mask, into Mason Rook’s physical charisma, curious about Naraku, and invested in the women’s division closing angle. The live crowd helped Rook a lot. The chants made him feel bigger than a standard newcomer. Zaria’s walkout got the reaction it needed because it felt like a character choice rather than a random turn. The closing angle had enough noise because Lola, Izzi, Kendal, Wren and Kelani all collided in a way that made the division feel important.
The coverage around the show was mostly centered on three things: Naraku’s debut, Mason Rook’s signing, and the crowded NXT Women’s Championship scene. That is fair, because those were the three pieces that felt like they had the most long-term significance. The match quality was fine, the pacing was busy, and the show had enough storyline movement to avoid feeling like filler. But the show was also a reminder that NXT is juggling a lot of new names at once, and the next step has to be turning introductions into real stories.
Best Match And Segment Of The Show
The best match of last night’s show was Kelani Jordan vs. Kendal Grey. It had the strongest in-ring rhythm, the best balance of styles, and the most direct connection to the main women’s title picture. The interference-heavy finish may not be for everyone, but the match itself showed why both women should remain important in NXT going forward.
The best segment of the show was Mason Rook’s contract signing. It gave him personality, crowd connection, physical impact and a clear direction with Tony D’Angelo. The moonsault to the floor was the kind of visual NXT needed to make him feel like more than just another new signing. It was simple, loud, and effective.
Here is what was announced for next week’s show
- Tatum Paxley vs. Lizzy Rain (NXT Women’s North American Championship)
- The Vanity Project vs. DarkState (NXT Tag Team Championship)
- Tony D’Angelo & Myles Borne vs. Mason Rook & Kam Hendrix
- Keanu Carver vs. Tate Wilder
Final thoughts
Last night’s WWE NXT was a busy, entertaining and sometimes messy episode that kept the brand moving after its recent reset. The women’s division carried the strongest narrative weight, especially with Izzi Dame laying out Lola Vice to close the show. Naraku looked dangerous in his debut, Mason Rook looked like a real crowd project, and Zaria walking out on Nikkita Lyons gave the Women’s North American Title scene another wrinkle.
The show’s biggest strength was energy. Its biggest weakness was focus. NXT has a lot of talent, a lot of new characters and a lot of stories starting at once, but now the brand has to start separating what matters most from what is just noise. Last night was not a flawless episode, but it was a productive one. It gave next week two title matches, continued Tony D’Angelo’s growing list of problems, and made Lola Vice feel like a champion surrounded by sharks.
And yes, Nikkita’s mask was hilarious. Whether it was meant as a Zaria tribute or not, it was one of those little NXT moments that was probably not supposed to be the funniest thing on the show — but it absolutely was.
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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?!