SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
NXT TV RESULTS
JANUARY 27, 2026
WINTER PARK, FLA. AT THE CAPITOL WRESTLING CENTER
AIRED LIVE ON CW NETWORK
REPORT BY KELLY WELLS, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR
NXT Commentators: Vic Joseph, Booker T
Ring Announcer: Mike Rome
Backstage Correspondent(s): Blake Howard
JOIN US LIVE ON YOUTUBE TONIGHT FOR THE VIDEO-FORMAT OF OUR LIVE POST-SHOW
PWTorch’s Nate Lindberg and David Miller review NXT live after the show concluded on The CW. Join us and let us know your thoughts on Raw during the show.
VIDEO CALLER CODE: CLICK HERE
https://streamyard.com/eqkr4ef6r7
Click that link during the post-show to enter the waiting room as “live video caller” (or just audio if you turn off your cam, which is fine).
If you can’t join us live on YouTube, stream the show on demand later at YouTube or listen or stream later on a podcast app. Subscribe to all of our free podcasts by searching “wade keller” and “pwtorch” in your podcast app of choice including Spotify and Apple Podcasts and most other iOS and Android apps.
LIVE ON YOUTUBE RIGHT AFTER WWE RAW TONIGHT: LIVE ON YOUTUBE RIGHT AFTER WWE RAW TONIGHT: CLICK HERE TO WATCH
[HOUR ONE]
-Joe Hendry’s music hit, but the cameras cut to The Vanity Project standing over a fallen Joe Hendry in the back. Jackson Drake was holding a chair and calmly telling Hendry to get up because they had a match. Ava ran up, called for help, and then told someone from production they were going to shuffle things around.
-Tony D’Angelo was shown walking through the building surrounded by security.
(1) DARKSTATE (Saquon Shugars & Osiris Griffin) (w/Dion Lennox & Cutler James) (c) vs. OTM (Bronco Nima & Lucien Price) – NXT Tag Team Championship Match
This match was abruptly moved up by Ava after the attack on Hendry meant he couldn’t wrestle Jackson Drake in the opener, as planned. The teams started out with some intense, hard-hitting offense. DarkState took the lead early, but OTM came back with a purpose. Price lifted Osiris over his head and threw him into his cohorts at ringside. They cut to a split-screen break. [c]
Ducks watched people washing dishes on the right as DarkState dominated on the left. Back to full-screen, OTM was trying to mount a comeback, but DarkState squashed it. Osiris tried a high-flying move but crashed and burned when his opponent moved out of the way. Price dragged Shugars by his hair when The Vanity Project came out to interfere. Price decked Brad Baylor, but got rolled up and sloppily pinned by Shugars, who had his feet on the ropes.
WINNERS: DarkState at 11:09 to retain the NXT Tag Team Championship.
(Miller’s Take: I was surprised to see this end with The Vanity Project sticking their noses in, but it was a pretty solid match, nonetheless.)
-After the match, Hank & Tank came to confront The Vanity Project. OTM bailed from the ring to attack them and all hell broke loose. Chase U came out and got in on the action. As DarkState posed in the ring, The Culling ran in and beat the daylights out of DarkState. That was fun.
-In the women’s locker room, Nikkita Lyons was bonding with Blake Monroe. She buddied up to her and told her that she would face Jaida Parker, so Blake doesn’t have to. Blake thanked her. [c]
(2) JAIDA PARKER vs. NIKKITA LYONS
A loud “Miss Parker” chant rang out from the crowd as she made her entrance. Lyons took Parker down, but the favor was returned as Parker began wrenching on Big Kat Kita’s arm. Lyons nailed a roundhouse kick that looked devastating. She cornered Parker and pummeled her, then stood on her chest and did the splits on top of her. Ouch. Lyons continued her assault until Parker fired back and hit her corner hip attack after a spinebuster. She connected with a Hipnotic and a Riptide variation for the win.
WINNER: Jaida Parker at 5:15.
(Miller’s Take: The crowd chanted halfway through the match, which was fun. I hope she carries this same popularity to the main roster when that time comes. As Booker T noted, Lyons looked to be in the best shape of her career. This was a pretty good way for Parker to reassert herself as a full-fledged babyface.)
-After the match, Blake Monroe appeared onscreen, lounging on a fluffy white sofa. She told Parker nobody steals the spotlight from her and gets away with it. Parker responded by saying Monroe knows where to find her and blew a kiss into the camera.
-Backstage, Elio LeFleur, Tavion Heights, and Eli Knight were talking. Lexus King, accompanied by Stacks and Arianna Grande, interrupted to get into a verbal joust with Heights, who took exception to his insults. They were separated before the two had a chance to throw down. [c]
-In the back, TNA Knockouts Tag Team Champions The Elegance Brand tried to stir the pot between Zaria & Sol Ruca, then said they would be the champions forever.
-Zaria was on the phone with Sol Ruca, asking her if she saw what The Elegance Brand just said about them. She asked where she was, then hung up. Thea Hail told her that friends come and go around here. Zaria got huffy with her and accused her of complaining while being given opportunities she didn’t earn. Hail said she did earn it and gave some fire back to Zaria, who said she’d see her later tonight.
-Ethan Page approached Myles Borne as he was walking in the back. He continued trying to get into Borne’s head and talk him into joining the dark side. Ricky Page came up and started running his mouth. Borne exploded on both of them and left.
-Dion Lennox made his ring entrance before they cut to a commercial break. [c]
-In the back, Ava was talking on the phone about The Royal Rumble when The Vanity Project walked up and acted hilariously innocent. Ava relented, and told Drake that if Hendry’s not cleared, she would put him in the ladder match. She added that if Hendry is cleared, he’ll still be in the ladder match, too. The Vanity Project were brilliant here.
(3) DION LENNOX vs. MYLES BORNE – NXT Championship Qualifier Match
The NXT Championship belt hung high above the ring as they locked up. Borne got taken down hard and looked like his bell got legitimately rung. They traded some basic offense and took turns rolling up each other for a series of near falls. They kept the action going and didn’t slow down a bit.
Lennox clotheslined Borne over the top rope and to the floor. When he followed him out, Borne sent him crashing into the ring steps. Ethan Page suddenly appeared at ringside, and applauded Borne’s aggression. They cut to a split-screen commercial break. [c]
The action continued on the small screen on the left, while the much larger commercial screen on the right featured college, razor blades, and a girl ice skating in front of Teddy bears. Don’t ask me. Back to full screen, Borne scored a near fall after a German suplex. He mounted an energetic offense against his opponent until Lennox tried to sneak a pin with his feet on the ropes, but the referee caught it. Page slid the belt in for Borne to use. As he pondered it, the referee saw him holding the belt and took it away from him. As Borne was distracted by the official, Lennox grabbed him and delivered a Michinoku Driver variation for the win.
WINNER: Dion Lennox at 10:44 to qualify.
(Miller’s Take: The match got a bit sloppy in a couple of places, but it seemed real and unrehearsed. Borne has really started to find himself, and I’m anxious to see how he handles a pending heel turn. Lennox is beginning to stand out from his DarkState partners. Page was delightfully sleazy, as usual.)
-After the match, Page got in the ring and berated Borne for not cheating when he had the chance. He shouted at him that he couldn’t pull the trigger. Borne grabbed the North American belt out of Page’s hand and pulled the trigger, leaving Page dazed and confused.
[HOUR TWO]
-Security escorted Tony D’Angelo into Ava’s office. Ricky Saints comically acknowledged his presence, then continued to rant to Ava. After he left, Tony asked Ava why she bailed him out. She told him NXT needed him and asked him if he was in or out. He told her he needed to get her attention somehow, and said he’d make his intentions clear next week. He said he wasn’t the same Tony D’Angelo. She warned him not to interfere in the ladder match next week.
-Tavion Heights made his ring entrance before they cut to another commercial break. [c]
-In the back, Andre Chase asked Uriah Connors and Kale Dixon what they were doing out there earlier. Connors said he was taking an opportunity. Dixon said maybe they should just listen to Chase. Andre then said he had to go prepare for his match. Dixon walked away, and Lexis King walked up to Connors and said, “I’m glad you’ve been listening. Your father (Fit Finlay) should be proud. I know mine (Brian Pillman) would be. King sat in his throne as it whisked him away to the ring entrance.
(4) TAVION HEIGHTS vs. LEXIS KING
This was touted as a rematch, as King lost to Heights in a mere eight seconds the last time they met. Heights went for another quick fall like in their last match, but King kicked out and began brutalizing Heights on the floor. Back in the ring, he pie-faced Heights until he got angry and began firing back at him.
Stacks and Arianna Grace came to ringside to watch but kept their distance. King was relentless and soon hit the Coronation for the victory.
WINNER: Lexis King at 3:55.
(Miller’s Take: This was certainly a switch from the norm. Heights stepped down a rung on the ladder while King took a step above him. King did seem very focused this week, and I like idea that WWE may actually have something in mind for him. He celebrated with Stacks and Grace, then said this was only the beginning. [c]
-A video package of Finn Balor was shown. He talked about how he wouldn’t gotten as far as he did without NXT.
(5) ZARIA vs. THEA HAIL
North American Champion Izzi Dame joined the announce team before this match started. Hail hung onto a headlock for dear life. She took it to Zaria, then dived onto her at ringside before pitching her back in. Zaria finally caught her wind and began methodically beating Hail down. [c]
After yet another split-screen commercial break, they returned to full screen to reveal Zaria driving her shoulder into Hail’s midsection in the corner. She climbed to the top, but got nailed by Hail as she flew down. Hail fired up and hit a running neckbreaker for a two-count. She muscled up Zaria for a slam, then went to the ropes for her springboard senton. Zaria caught her as she flew off the ropes and pitched her overhead. Hail caught Zaria in a Kimura lock, but Zaria backflipped her out of it and speared Hail out of her boots. Hail countered a fireman’s carry into a DDT.
A camera angle picked up Tatum Paxley attacking Izzi Dame. She chased her into one side of the ring and out the other. As Zaria was concerned with the shenanigans on the outside, Hail sneaked in a quick rollup for the pin.
WINNER: Thea Hail at 9:17.
(Miller’s Take: Again, not the outcome I anticipated. This was a fine match, but it did feel like it was hastily put together. The dragon was slain again tonight as they continue to chip away at any credibility Zaria may have. Hail offered a handshake after the match, which Zaria swatted away.
-Fatal Influence came out, sans Jacy Jayne. As Thea stood beside Zaria in anticipation of a fight, Zaria grabbed her and tossed her to the mat with her F5 variation. Fatal Influence backed off. [c]
-In the back, Wren Sinclair asked Charlie Dempsey what he thought of their match last week. Kendal Grey said she thinks she can still beat Jacy Jayne. Lexis King, Stacks, and Arianna Grace walked up to Dempsey as WrenQCC made their exit. Arianna told him he was one of them. He asked what they meant.
(6) ANDRE CHASE vs. KEANU CARVER – NXT Championship Qualifier Match
Chase wore a face guard to the ring. I’m thinking he probably should have worn a suit of armor. Chase opened the match with a couple of kicks to the mush, but Carver threw him out of the ring. He ripped off Chase’s face guard and began caving his face in with numerous blows. Chase tried fighting back, but Carver overwhelmed him.
Carver missed a kneedrop, which allowed Chase an opening that he took advantage of. He landed a tornado DDT and followed that up with a splash for a near fall. On the outside of the ring, Carver tried to bully Chase, but Chase tackled him over the announce desk. As Chase stood atop the desk, Carver leaped upright onto the desk, picked him up, and suplexed him onto the desk. He brutalized him back into the ring, where he decided to stop playing with his food and get the pin.
WINNER: Keanu Carver at 4:05 to qualify.
(Miller’s Take: That lasted about four minutes longer than I thought it would, but this was good for what it was, which was the first opportunity to assert the dominance and brutality of Keanu Carver. That last sequence was very good, and it defined the Evolve standout as a force to be reckoned with.)
-After the match, Carver continued mauling Chase until officials came out to pick up the pieces Carver left behind. As a bloody Chase was being tended to, Carver took the mic and asked the crowd if they really thought that cornball teacher was going to stop him.
-In the locker room, a smiling Shiloh Hill said he didn’t even need a ladder. Ricky Saints said he was going to go get his own ladder. Dion Lennox stood and walked between Jackson Drake and Sean Legacy as they abruptly cut to a commercial break. [c]
-A video package was shown of main roster members who were past NXT Champions. They recapped the events leading up to the NXT Championship Ladder match next week.
-Sean Legacy, Shiloh Hill, Keanu Carver, Dion Lennox, and Jackson Drake were all in the ring together. Hill told Carver what he just did to Chase didn’t scare him. Lennox interrupted him and predicted victory. Legacy said he’s been busting his tail for this opportunity. Drake told him he was going to choke.
He started to say the name of the person he jumped over to get in this match but thought better of it. Ricky Saints made his ring entrance, ladder in hand. He set up the ladder on the floor and began to address his opponents. He claimed he would be two-time NXT Champion.
Carver got tired of hearing people talk and started to throw down. A brawl broke out and spread to the floor. Saints set the ladder up in the ring and climbed it to reach for the belt. As he did so, Joe Hendry’s music hit. He entered the ring and executed a Standing Ovation to Saints. An angry-looking Carver entered the ring and hit his finisher on Hendry, who rolled out of the ring. Carver stood alone in the ring, looking hangry.
FINAL THOUGHTS: If NXT ever wants to start another show with The Vanity Project, please, be my guest. These guys are SO entertaining that it’s almost unbearable. The Zaria vs. Hail match seemed like that was thrown together at the last minute and makes no sense storyline-wise. I was glad to see King finally get a win tonight. My bold prediction for the winner of the upcoming NXT Championship Ladder Match is Keanu Carver, based on the way he’s been presented so far.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.