SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
NXT TV REPORT
MARCH 24, 2026
ORLANDO, FL AT THE WWE PERFORMANCE CENTER
AIRED LIVE ON THE CW
REPORT BY DAVID MILLER, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Booker T
Ring Announcer: Mike Rome
Correspondent: Sarah Schreiber
[HOUR ONE]
-Back home at the Performance Center, the show opened with a recap of last week’s highlights from Booker T Appreciation Night in Houston, TX, including Wren Sinclair winning her first WWE championship, more Zaruca drama, Keanu Carver raining on Booker’s parade, and Blake Monroe dragging Tatum Paxley through a trapdoor en route to stealing her North American title belt.
-In the back, Shiloh Hill excitedly asked Interim GM Robert if he could go first. What he was referring to wasn’t made clear, but Stone expressed surprise at his wanting to go first. North American Champion Tatum Paxley interrupted, asking Stone what that was all about last week. Shiloh told Tatum, “I thought the fog got you”, to which she responded, “You have no idea.” Stone apologized and asked where Blake Monroe was because she has her belt. Shiloh told her he might be able to help with that, too. Paxley followed Hill as he laughed that high-pitched, ADHD giggle of his. Stone turned to see Josh Briggs, but before he could say two words to him, a referee rushed up and told Stone his attention was needed immediately, then rushed off with him.
(1) WREN SINCLAIR & KENDAL GREY vs. FATAL INFLUENCE (Fallon Henley & Lainey Reid) (w/Jacy Jayne)
Henley looked decidedly unhappy before the match, turning to yell at Sinclair and get in her face. Henley rushed Sinclair at the bell, but the new Speed champ ducked and caught her with an armdrag. Henley eventually backed her into her corner and tagged in Reid. Grey tagged in for some very brief offense before tagging back out to Sinclair. They cut to a shot of Robert Stone standing over a fallen Elio LeFleur and Eli Knight in the back, calling for medical. Back in the ring, Fatal Influence were in control of the match before they cut to a split-screen commercial break. [c]
Henley continued to work on Sinclair while we were treated to Panda Express, Gillette, and the singing abilities of Penta, Stephanie Vaquer, and LA Knight before they cut back to full-screen. Vic Joseph confirmed that LeFleur and Knight had been taken to medical while Sinclair tried to fight back against Reid. Both women made the hot tag, with Grey dropping her straps and going to town on Fatal Influence. Reid made a blind tag and assisted Henley with a hot shot across the top rope. Grey hit a devastating elbow, then went into an armbar, but Reid kept her hands locked. Grey went for the armbar again as Sinclair applied the Final Wrench on Henley to prevent her from breaking up the submission.
WINNERS: Wren Sinclair & Kendal Grey by submission at 9:56.
(Miller’s Take: Good opening match with two outstanding teams. Reid fits like a glove in Fatal Influence, so much so that I can barely remember the name of her predecessor. Grey got the tapout victory and fittingly so, as she’s been vocal about challenging Jacy Jayne at Stand & Deliver.)
-After the match, Grey grabbed the mic and again boasted that she would defeat Jayne. AAA Mixed Tag Team Champion Lola Vice came out and said she would be the one to knock Jayne out and take her title. Robert Stone declared that the winner of a match between Vice and Grey next week would determine who would challenge Jayne at Stand & Deliver. The champion didn’t seem thrilled at the prospect of facing either one.
-Sol Ruca was shown walking the hallways of the Performance Center before they cut to a commercial break. [c]
-When they returned, Sol Ruca was already in the ring. She said part of her didn’t want to say anything at all, but she’s seen Zaria’s social media posts, and she doesn’t know who she really is anymore. She said she trusted her, gave her the benefit of the doubt, and made sure she got recognition. She got very emotional as she talked of Zaria turning against her. She talked of how she shared opportunities with her and wanted to give her a lot of credit. She ran down a list of the things she did for Zaria, including sharing her North American title that Zaria lost. Ruca said she knows who Zaria really is now and challenged her to a match at Stand & Deliver.
-Zaria’s music hit as she slowly made her way to the ring. She said every time she stepped into the ring, she wasn’t Zaria, she was Sol Ruca’s partner. She stood a few feet away from Ruca mid-ring and accused Ruca of being selfish. She brought up Ruca knocking her off the ladder last year. Ruca tried to defend herself, but Zaria exploded in anger and said she hated being next to her. She said as long as Ruca is standing, she’s never going to. She told Ruca it’s not about her; it’s about choosing herself. Ruca asked her how she could be the villain and said she treated the relationship as a transaction. She accused Zaria of gaslighting, manipulating, and giving her the silent treatment. Zaria told Ruca she wasn’t the villain in her story; she was the mistake. Mic drop.
(Miller’s Take: I don’t usually do a take on promos, but this one was exceptionally good. They conveyed believable emotion, and both made good, solid points. Ruca feels like she did everything she could to keep Zaria elevated, which she did. Zaria feels like a third wheel and is tired of standing in Ruca’s shadow. Her choice to stand up for herself and prove herself comes across as valid. The fans cheered both women at different times during the promo, but it sounded to me like Zaria got more. I think the fans all notice that Zaria should be booked as an unstoppable force. Personally, I don’t want Zaria to beat Ruca, but I would like to see her presented as an equal.)
-Ethan Page and Ricky Saints were bickering in the locker room over wanting to face NXT Champion Joe Hendry. A frustrated Josh Briggs stood up and said they shouldn’t be complaining when he can’t even get five minutes with the boss, then stormed off. Page and Saints dismissed him and continued arguing over who was going to get an NXT title shot. Hendry walked up and said it didn’t matter which one he faced. He turned and left as they continued to disagree with each other.
-Kelani Jordan made her ring entrance before they cut to the next commercial break. [c]
ARTICLE CONTINUED BELOW…
Check out the latest episode of “PWT Talks NXT” with Kelly Wells and Nate Lindberg, part of the PWTorch Dailycast line-up: CLICK HERE to stream (or search “pwtorch” on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or any other iOS or Android app to subscribe free)
(2) KELANI JORDAN vs. THEA HAIL
When they returned from the break, Hail was already in the ring, and the referee quickly called for the bell. After they tied up, Jordan threw a forearm at Hail, who responded with a Thesz press and several blows of her own. Hail dribbled Jordans head off the top, middle, and bottom turnbuckle. They each tried outwrestling the other until Hail hopped onto Jordan and went for an armbar, but couldn’t get it cinched in. Jordan hit a split-legged moonsault for the pin.
WINNER: Kelani Jordan at 2:49.
(Miller’s Take: That was a lot shorter than it should have been. It seems that NXT can’t decide whether they want to push Thea Hail or reduce her to a notch above enhancement talent. With the positive response she got when she won the North American title (albeit by accident), I’d have thought NXT would go with the flow and give her a good push, but they’ve done nothing of the sort. On the other hand, Kelani Jordan is a supreme talent who I feel is ready for the main roster.)
-After the match, Jordan attacked Hail and cinched in what could have been a nasty armbar variation, but Jaida Parker hit the ring to make the save. She thumped Jordan for a bit and went for a Hipnotic, but Jordan rolled out of the ring to safety.
-The Progressive NXT Spotlight shone on Booker T Appreciation Night last week. Jasper Troy told Keanu Carver that Booker T was a mentor and father figure. He said nobody has ever been able to go toe to toe with him, but he can. He told Carver that he would regret trying to ruin Booker T’s night.
-Somewhere in the back, Shiloh Hill and Tatum Paxley were sitting next to each other. Paxley told him he helped her with Izzi last week, and she needs his help with Monroe now. Shiloh said, “I know, you already said that.” Paxley said they need to find her now. Hill said he already knew where she was. A confused Paxley asked what he meant. He spewed out some technical terms on how he found her and said he had already made a tutorial about it, then asked her if she had even watched any of his videos. Funny stuff! He handed her a slip of paper that apparently revealed the location of Blake Monroe. His music started to play, and he said that was his cue. They both cackled as he left for his match.
-Shiloh Hill made his ring entrance before they cut to the next commercial break. [c]
(3) ELIMINATOR GAUNTLET MATCH – NXT North American Title no. 1 contendership
The rules stated that two wrestlers would begin the match. Every three minutes, a new competitor enters until all five men are in the ring. Elimination by pinfall or submission. Shiloh Hill and the recently dethroned Jackson Drake started the match. Booker T asked Vic Joseph if Drake still had his title, to which Joseph replied he did not; he lost it to Aaron Rourke. Drake got the best of Hill with some solid offense and got a couple of near falls. Hill muscled his way back into the match and hit that beautiful, unbelievable shooting star senton, but only got a two count.
Dion Lennox was next in the ring, and he delivered a couple of spears in the corner, then hulked up after leaving both men lying on the mat. Split-screen commercial time. [c]
We simply can’t make it through two hours of NXT without being entertained by Gillette, ducks shilling for dish soap, blue bear cubs analyzing toilet paper, and the Liberty salesman that looks like a 70s-era porn star. While the commercials came one after another after another, Charlie Dempsey entered the fray. Back to full-screen, the four men applied an unbelievable, but cool-looking four-way sleeper. Dempsey and Drake traded blows mid-ring while Lennox pitched Hill through the barricade.
[HOUR TWO]
Candice LeRae walked out and said she’d done everything she could to snap him out of it. She talked about coming home and announced Johnny Gargano as the final participant. She dragged Gargano to the ring and encouraged him to go. The fans chanted his name in support of one of NXT’s favorite sons. Gargano got laid out almost immediately and assumed his usual position of lying face-down and motionless. In the meantime, OTM ran out and destroyed Lennox outside the ring. They pitched him back in the ring, where he easily fell victim to a neckbreaker variation from Hill.
ELIMINATED: Dion Lennox by Shiloh Hill at 12:41.
A split-screen commercial break immediately followed the elimination. [c]
After the break, the action got hot and heavy with Drake pulling off some aggressive offense. With a bloody nose, he went on a path of destruction and nailed a perfect 450 splash on Hill for a two-count. Dempsey tried to pick on Drake, but the former Evolve champ cut loose with a kick to Dempsey, then clotheslined him over the top rope. He hit what might have been the most impactful suicide dive I’ve ever seen on Dempsey. A recharged and bloody Drake slid back in the ring, but got too fancy with Hill, who delivered his belly to back suplex into a neckbreaker for his second pin of the match.
ELIMINATED: Jackson Drake by Shiloh Hill at 18:24.
Dempsey re-entered the ring and started pounding on Hill. He got three near falls, but couldn’t keep Hill down. While they duked it out, Candice LeRae was still attempting to revive a comatose Johnny Gargano. Hill executed another belly to back suplex into a neckbreaker for his third pinfall of the match.
ELIMINATED: Charlie Dempsey by Shiloh Hill at 19:54.
BirthRight yanked Hill out of the ring and beat on him mercilessly, then tossed him back in the ring. Gargano began to slowly rise to his feet in the corner. LeRae was yelling at him to go for the cover, but he just stood there looking like a zombie. She jumped to the ring apron and gave her husband a shove on the back, which resulted in a lifeless Gargano falling on top of Hill for the three count.
ELIMINATED: Shiloh Hill by Johnny Gargano at 20:35.
WINNER: Johnny Gargano at 20:35 to become the #1 contender to the North American Championship.
(Miller’s Take: What a surprise with LeRae deciding that a trip back home for Johnny Wrestling would be just what the doctor ordered. Hill was put over impressively. His character would get over with the main roster at this point, and his in-ring ability is solid and innovative. Gargano’s win was pretty much a forgone conclusion the moment he was introduced. Drake wrestled like a man possessed and even got some appreciative cheers from the crowd. An NXT alumnus known as one of the greatest North American champions is now the number one contender for said title.)
-After the match, Gargano appeared as if he’d just awoken from a 20-year nap as he straightened up and the lights in his eyes came back on. North American Champion Myles Borne entered the ring and went face to face with a now rejuvenated Gargano.
-Somewhere in the bowels of the Performance Center, NXT Tag Team Champions The Vanity Project were grilling Robert Stone as Josh Briggs also approached to get in Stone’s ear. Referee Darryl Sharma interrupted, and Stone dismissed the wrestlers, who walked off unhappy. Sharma said nobody was willing to work the match between Carver and Troy after what happened last week. Stone said he’d see what he could do. Jaida Parker walked up, all fired up about Kelani Jordan, saying she was going to dog-walk that little girl. He assumed she wanted a match against Jordan and booked it for next week at Madison Square Garden. Parker shook his hand and walked off happily.
-The Culling made their ring entrance before the 52nd commercial break of the night. [c]
-An NXT Origins video aired of Tiffany Stratton. She talked about how NXT developed her character and the NXT title elevated her from just another girl on the roster.
-Sarah Schreiber asked OTM about their uninvited participation in the gauntlet match. They said they didn’t forget about what happened last week in Houston. They said they talked to Stone, and next week they have a six-man tag team match against DarkState. She asked who their partner would be. They said they didn’t have any friends, but they knew someone outside of NXT who would rock with them, and who doesn’t play. TNA World Champion Mike Santana appeared on the screen behind them. He said he was happy to answer OTM’s call and delivered a harsh warning to DarkState.
(4) THE CULLING (Shawn Spears & Niko Vance) vs. LOS AMERICANOS (Rayo & Bravo) – NXT Tag Team Championship #1 Contender’s Tournament Match
Spears faced off against Bravo as the NXT universe chanted “ole”. Bravo did a fancy kip up to escape an armbar, but Spears showed off his great agility as well as he cartwheeled out of Bravo’s grasp. Vance tagged in and leapfrogged both Americanos, then flattened them with a double clothesline. The announcers pondered the reason for Izzi Dame’s absence as Rayo slipped out of Vance’s grasp and made the hot tag to Bravo. Rayo attempted a press to the floor, but Vance caught him. Bravo leaped on top of Ray, which knocked Vance over the announce desk. Split-screen commercial break. [c]
We heard pitches from Tide, some random college, the Dawn ducks, and the Progressive lady while the action continued silently on the teeny, tiny screen on the left. When they returned to full screen, Bravo hit a flying press on Spears to the middle of the mat. Both men made the hot tag, with Rayo cleaning house. Los Americanos attempted a double team move on Vance, but he chokeslammed one on top of the other. That looked damn impressive. Vance went to the top, but missed a big splash and ate the mat. The camera showed Bravo loading his mask as he was sprawled on the mat, then Rayo was shown loading his mask on the floor. Bravo kicked out of a rollup from Spears, and Rayo headbutted him from outside the ring. Bravo headbutted Vance off the apron, then hit a flying headbutt on Spears for the pinfall.
WINNERS: Los Americanos at 10:12 to advance.
(Miller’s Take: It’s always a nice surprise to see Los Americanos in NXT. They continue to be booked as faces in NXT while maintaining their heel status on the main roster, and it’s working pretty well for them. Vance really shone in this match. I’d never really noticed just how good he is until tonight, mainly because they’ve done nothing with him. Spears seems to be falling further and further into enhancement talent status. Good tag team match.)
-Los Americanos did their little Mexican jig in the ring while BirthRight looked down on them from the balcony.
-Keanu Carver was in Robert Stone’s office, talking about how badly he wanted to smash Jasper Troy’s face. Stone said he couldn’t find a referee. Carver said he didn’t care, and Stone replied that’s not how it works. Josh Briggs again approached Stone and said he would be the referee for the match if it got him to Madison Square Garden. He said he wasn’t scared of them and could control them. Stone agreed.
-Tatum Paxley was shown roaming the hallway of a hotel, calling out in a singsong voice, “Blake, I need my title back. I’m here for you.” [c]
-Piano music accompanied another cinematic-style video of Blake Monroe taking a bubble bath with the North American title belt. She was talking to the belt like it was a long-lost lover. A knock was heard at the door, which Monroe assumed was room service. She put on a robe and opened the door, which was still chained. She screamed as Tatum Paxley reached through the door and grabbed her by the hair. She told her she had something that belonged to her and said they’d meet next week without a door between them, and she should bring her title. She slammed the door shut as Blake tried to catch her breath.
-Vic Joseph hyped the return of Sexyy Red. She said some stuff, some of which was censored. Joseph then ran down next week’s card at Madison Square Garden.
(5) RICKY SAINTS (w/Ethan Page) vs. TONY D’ANGELO
D’Angelo remained stone-faced as Saints offered a handshake. Tony D didn’t accept it. Instead, the two rolled around on the mat with some amateur wrestling. D’Angelo overpowered Saints, who rolled out to the floor. D’Angelo followed him out and press slammed him into the ring between the second and top ropes. That was impressive. Saints returned to the floor and sent Tony D crashing into the ring steps before they cut to another split-screen commercial break. [c]
Angry old aunts were upset that their niece had already been fed, a guy talked about using Dude Wipes on Uranus, and Domino’s made me hungry while the action continued on the miniscule screen on the left. Back to full screen, Saints was wrenching Tony’s neck. His hair tie came off, revealing him to be the identical twin brother of Hillbilly Jim. Saints chopped him in the corner, then kicked him in the back a couple of times. When he shoved Tony’s face with his boot, that woke him up. Tony clocked Saints hard in the jaw, then did the same thing to Page. An enraged Page ran into the ring and clipped D’Angelo in the knee, prompting the referee to call for the disqualification.
WINNER: Tony D’Angelo by disqualification at 10:22.
(Miller’s Take: Not as long as it could have been, but it was okay. I really like this new version of D’Angelo. He comes across as tougher and more dangerous. Page’s interference wasn’t surprising, but I wonder how Saints will react to losing because of his “buddy”.)
-After the match, Saints and Page pounded D’Angelo until Joe Hendry ran out to make the save. Amazingly, Page’s eyeglasses remained in place while Hendry jacked his jaw. After clearing the ring of the heels, Hendry turned to D’Angelo, paused for a moment, then delivered a Standing Ovation. As Saints and Page rolled out of the ring, they both grabbed at the NXT title belt and stared intensely at each other as D’Angelo smiled broadly at Hendry while slumped in the corner.
-Robert Stone told Sarah Schreiber that after tonight’s events, the main event for Stand & Deliver will be a fatal four-way match with Joe Hendry defending the NXT Championship against Ricky Saints, Ethan Page, and Tony D’Angelo. He said the contract signing would be next week at Madison Square Garden.
FINAL THOUGHTS: I’m really looking forward to next week’s card at the Garden, which will put the finishing touches on Stand & Deliver. The matches they have on tap for next week aren’t very predictable, which is a good thing. I could see most of the matches going either way. New York is going to be a really good warm-up to the biggest NXT PLE of the year.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.