SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
NXT TV REPORT
MARCH 3, 2026
ORLANDO, FLA. 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]
-Highlights from last week’s big show aired, including three title changes, and Zaria’s vicious attack on her frenemy, Sol Ruca.
-Vic Joseph introduced the show to an enthusiastic crowd before a sharply dressed and new North American Champion, Myles Borne, came to the ring. The old North American title belt replaced the Canadian-themed one that Ethan Page introduced. Borne barely got a chance to talk before Page came to the ring and demanded a rematch. As Borne was accepting the challenge, Interim GM Robert Stone came out to slow things down, but as the two men appeared ready to throw down now, Stone relented and called for a referee to start the match “right now”.
(1) MYLES BORNE (c) vs. ETHAN PAGE – North American Championship Match
The two men shed their dress jackets and began brawling before the referee could even call for the bell. Borne took it to the former champ with a series of forearm blows, followed by a clothesline in the corner. Borne leaped off the ropes into a Borne dropkick that sent him rolling out of the ring. Borne followed him out and pounded on him as he was stretched across the announce desk. Of course, a floor spot is always the precursor to a commercial break, this time of the split-screen nature. [c]
Ducks shilled for Dawn, and Burger King tempted our taste buds while Page applied a rear chinlock. Back to full screen, Page hit a Confidence Breaker on Borne for a two-count. Joseph congratulated new Intercontinental Champion Penta while Borne tore at Page’s dress pants. Page, with one pants leg around his ankle, pulled off Borne’s belt and threatened to hit him with it. When the referee took it away from him, he pulled off his own belt and smashed Borne in the face with it but only got a two-count. Borne applied an anklelock, but Page kicked him off. When he did, Borne pulled off the rest of his pants along with his shoe. He promptly hid the shoe behind his back and tossed the pants at the referee. While the referee was disposing of the pants, Borne clobbered Page with his own shoe, hit Borne Again, and covered him for the three-count.
WINNER: Myles Borne at 7:09 to retain the North American Championship.
(Miller’s Take: Borne won the title in the last match of last week’s show, so I certainly didn’t expect this week’s show to open up with the rematch. I like the way they went about it, with both men essentially engaging in a street fight. Page got in his licks but Borne proved him wrong with his willingness to bend the rules. I wouldn’t mind seeing one more rematch, but then it would be time for Borne to move on and face new challengers.)
-Sarah Schreiber caught up with Zaria outside the Performance Center and asked why she attacked Sol Ruca last week. Zaria said if she had to ask that question, she wouldn’t understand and walked off. At that moment, DarkState congregated in the parking lot looking for some D’Angelo blood. Robert Stone, flanked by security, ushered them into the building. Tony D’Angelo pulled up in a yellow sports car, got out, grabbed a tire iron out of his trunk, and walked toward the building. [c]
-Cartoon stars appeared when Blake Monroe kissed a mirror before making her ring entrance. She said she felt reassured by Jaida Parker’s attacks on her, because she considers it a validation of her importance. She put herself over in a self-absorbed rant before Parker came out to a rousing ovation from the crowd. She threatened to slap the taste out of her mouth. She told Monroe she’s an insecure supporting character. When Monroe started to speak, Parker told her to shut her soft-ass up and called her a mediocre bitch. Monroe slapped her hard, but Parker fired back and got the best of her with a Hipnotic. Monroe tumbled to the floor and glared at Parker, who continued challenging her.
-In the locker room, The Vanity Project approached Ethan Page as he was being consoled by Ricky Saints. They apologized to Page for not being out there for his rematch, using the excuse that they were preparing for their upcoming match. Page thanked them and said he just needed time to think. Saints told them to focus on themselves and give them some time. He continued trying to encourage a dejected Page, but made it all about himself.
-In the back, Kendal Grey was preparing Wren Sinclair for her upcoming Speed match. Her opponent, Nikkita Lyons, was shown preening and posing while sashaying her way to the ring entrance, [c]
-Back in the men’s locker room, Eli Knight conceded his loss in the Speed title bout to Elio LeFleur. The new Speed champ told Sean Legacy he saw his match against Keanu Carver. Legacy admitted it was a rough night at the office. Former Speed champ Jasper Troy approached them and said Carver was no threat and then told LeFleur he wanted his title back. Knight told him the Speed title was for wrestlers like him and LeFleur. An eavesdropping Josh Briggs told Troy he wasn’t the best big man around anymore. He challenged Legacy and Knight to a triple threat match before angrily walking off.
(2) WREN SINCLAIR (w/Kendal Grey) vs. NIKKITA LYONS – Speed Tournament Match
Lyons got the best of Sinclair for the first minute of the match. As the second minute began, Sinclair mounted a comeback but was overpowered by Lyons. She fired back with some stinging chops as the final 60 seconds began. Sinclair dropkicked her out of the ring, followed her out, and rolled her back in the ring. She ate a kick from Lyons that resulted in a near fall. She sidestepped a charging Lyons, who shouldered the ring post. Sinclair applied the Final Wrench, and Lyons tapped out with 4 seconds left on the clock.
WINNER: Wren Sinclair by submission at 2:56 to advance.
(Miller’s Take: Not much analysis to these Speed matches. Lyons posed a challenge, but I don’t think anybody expected a different outcome.)
-In the back, NXT Champion Joe Hendry congratulated Borne on his North American title victory. He said one upside to being deaf was that he wouldn’t have to listen to whatever Ricky Saints was going to sing tonight. Hendry said it makes him wish he were deaf, too. Borne feigned being offended and turned to walk away, but then did the Joe Hendry spin and smile, revealing he was just messing with him. [c]
-The Progressive NXT Spotlight was on Kelani Jordan, who said she was learning from one of the best to prepare for her underground match against Lola Vice. She entered a gym where Shayna Bazsler was waiting for her. An unimpressed Baszler threw a rope at her and told her to start jumping. She told Jordan that she’s been underground with Vice and she’s everything she says she is. When they began sparring, Jordan flipped out of an attempted takedown by Baszler and said gymnastics work. Baszler tackled her and assured her it would not work. Baszler stretched her for a bit before Jordan escaped and landed a kick to the side of Baszler’s head. Jordan smiled down at Baszler, who glared at her.
-Izzi Dame and Tatum Paxley sat down together in The Culling’s dark room. Paxley was playing with a dollhouse while Dame ran her down and called her unlovable. Paxley looked hurt by Dame’s remarks but told Dame nothing is forever. She stood over Dame and told her she’d beat her for the title and show her that she was never meant to be played with. She dropped her Izzi doll in Dame’s hands before turning and leaving. Dame lost it, ripping the head off the doll and destroying the dollhouse.
-As Hank & Tank & Shiloh Hill made their ring entrance, The Vanity Project attacked them from behind before they cut to an oddly timed split-screen commercial break. [c]
-The brawl continued on the mini screen on the left while the usual suspects (blue bears obsessed with toilet paper, the Liberty emu guy, etc.) appeared on the right.
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)
[HOUR TWO]
(3) HANK & TANK & SHILOH HILL vs. THE VANITY PROJECT (Jackson Drake & Brad Baylor & Ricky Smokes) – 6-Man Tag Team Match
When they returned to full screen, Robert Stone had restored order, and the match had begun. The Vanity Project took control early, but Hank & Tank fought back. They double-teamed Drake before tagging out to Hill, who bounced Drake around the ring like a superball. TVP isolated Hill as Keanu Carver walked out, pointed his finger at Booker T, and told him to tell his boy to keep his name out of his mouth before walking back. Booker mentioned that he didn’t have a dog in this fight before returning to calling the action. Hank & Tank & Hill hit three simultaneous bodyslams. TVP briefly took over before Tank made the hot tag. He laid out Drake and Smokes with a double clothesline. On the outside, TVP sandwiched Tank between the ring steps and the ring before they cut to a commercial break. [c]
When they returned, Tank made the hot tag to Hill, who began cleaning house. He yanked out his tooth before hitting a shooting star senton. Hank and Drake tagged themselves in before all six men took turns hitting big moves. Hank nailed a beautiful black hole slam on Drake before The Belly Boys were the bread in a Drake sandwich. In a nifty-looking move, they both dived through the ropes and onto Baylor and Smokes while Hill simultaneously dived into the ring with a spear on Drake. He hit a neckbreaker variation for the win.
WINNERS: Hank & Tank & Shiloh Hill at 13:48.
(Miller’s Take: This was a fun match with the bonus of the scary Keanu Carver coming out to intimidate Booker T. Hank & Tank & Hill have similar quirky personalities that translate well in the ring. The championship trio of The Vanity Project can afford to eat this loss thanks to their eternal arrogance.)
-As they celebrated on their way to the ring entrance, Blake Monroe crouched on the announce desk. She told Jaida Parker that she succeeded in bringing the hell out of her and promised it would end at Vengeance Day and challenged her to a street fight. Parker charged past Hank & Tank & Hill, who were watching from the ramp, and she and Monroe began scrapping again before being held back by the men.
-The camera abruptly cut to the back, where DarkState was tending to Osiris Griffin, who was on the floor clutching his ribs. An angry Lennox told the other members to stay with Griffin while he goes to the ring to call out Tony. [c]
-In an unspecified “medical facility”, Dr. Martin was showing AAA World Mixed Tag Team Champion Lola Vice an X-ray of her hand. He explained that she had a fracture to the small bone on the outside of her hand. He advised taking her out of action and casting her. He said any further damage could take her out for 6 months and result in permanent deformity or loss of function. She said she had too much going on and waived all liability. He made her promise to come see him after the match.
-In the ring, a furious Dion Lennox called out Tony D’Angelo. Tony D showed up in the bleachers with the fans. He told him he was giving him a taste of his own medicine. Lennox vowed to take him out and said he’d meet him in the parking lot this Saturday. Tony said after this Saturday, one of the two reasons he came back to NXT would be completed.
-In the back, Sarah Schreiber asked Jacy Jayne if she was worried about Zaria. She said she just didn’t want to get caught up in the pitiful Zaruca breakup. She expressed confidence that Sol Ruca wouldn’t let Zaria win the NXT title, and if she did, Fallon Henley and Lainey Reid knew their assignment.
-Fatal Influence entered the ring before the commercial break. [c]
-Myles Borne approached Charlie Dempsey and Tavion Heights. He thanked them for all they did for him and said he couldn’t have gotten there without his time in NQCC. As he left, Dempsey lamented that Borne was a champion while they were spinning their wheels. Lexis King, Uriah Connors, Stacks, and Arianna Grace walked in and encouraged Dempsey to join them. Heights expressed disbelief that Dempsey would ever take advice from King, but Dempsey looked pensive.
(4) JACY JAYNE (c) (w/Fallon Henley & Lainey Reid) vs. ZARIA – NXT Women’s Championship Match
Both Zaria and Jayne looked around the arena during the ring introductions, presumably looking to see if Sol Ruca was lurking anywhere. The crowd chanted “Zaria” in support of the challenger. When the bell rang, Jayne nailed Zaria from behind while she was distracted by the rest of Fatal Influence. Zaria recovered quickly and caught Jayne with a pump kick after thwarting an aerial attack. She muscled her up for a vertical suplex, then pulled her up by her neck in the corner. She hung her the same way on the apron. On the floor, Henley backed away from Zaria, who then spun around and attempted a spear on Jayne. Reid pulled her out of the way, and Zaria crashed into the ring steps. Jayne hit a cannonball while she was propped up against the steps. Fatal Influence celebrated on the floor before they cut to a commercial break. [c]
Back from the break, Zaria was fighting back. She rang Jayne’s bell while she was perched on the top turnbuckle, then delivered a superplex to the champ. The two rose to their feet and traded blows mid-ring. Zaria came to life and whipped Jayne from pillar to post, nearly took her head off with a clothesline, and scored a near fall. She followed up with a couple of German suplexes, but Jayne caught her with a knee for another near fall. She missed a Rolling Encore and ate a spear. She went for an F5, but Jayne slipped out and hit the Rolling Encore. Sol Ruca ran out, dispatched Henley and Reid, then delivered a double Sol Snatcher on both Zaria and Jayne as the referee called for the bell. Ruca grabbed the title belt to a smattering of boos, then lifted Zaria’s head and exclaimed, “Your soul is mine, bitch!”, then kissed her on the forehead and slammed her head back to the mat in the same manner Zaria did to her last week. Reid charged Ruca, who swung the belt at her head and missed by a country mile, but Reid sold it anyway. A mixture of cheers and boos rained down on Ruca as she pitched the belt back into the ring.
WINNER: No contest in 11:00.
(Miller’s Take: This was about as good as I expected it to be, with a somewhat predictable finish. Fans who recognize that Zaria has been held back (not by Ruca, but by mismanagement) were clearly on her side. Ruca is still highly popular, but this didn’t make her feel like an empathetic character. It will be interesting to see how this progresses in a manner that supports Zaria while upholding the popularity of Ruca.) [c]
-Sarah Schreiber interviewed Robert Stone, who said he had to do some thinking about the NXT Women’s title controversy.
-Ricky Saints came to the ring, which was adorned with a stool, microphone, and guitar. He put himself over as a wonderful singer and musician, then picked up a guitar. He began playing the same chord over and over while singing horribly. He asked a stagehand to bring him a chair to sit on instead of the stool he was on. He continued to play and sing, sounding similar to a cat being tortured. He insulted the fans, then asked for a new guitar. The stagehand wouldn’t let go of the new guitar, then pulled his hood off to reveal himself as Joe Hendry. He kicked Saints in the gut and smashed the guitar over his back. The Vanity Project rushed in to attack Hendry but Myles Borne ran out to make the save. He and Hendry cleared the ring of the heels as the show faded to black.
FINAL THOUGHTS: This was a satisfactory go-home show leading into next week’s Vengeance Day card. The Vanity Project was humiliated, which is always fun to watch. Zaria showed some of the fire she should have been showing all along. Blake Monroe seemed on the verge of a nervous breakdown. Kelani Jordan got her butt handed to her by Shayna Baszler in training. Charlie Dempsey brooded. Lexis King tempted. Myles Borne celebrated. Tatum Paxley got under Izzi Dame’s skin. Booker T growled. Robert Stone generally managed. Fatal Influence gyrated. Nikkita Lyons strutted, Josh Briggs made a snarky comment to Jasper Troy, and Keanu Carver intimidated with his mere presence. If I’m forgetting anyone or anything, it’s because it wasn’t memorable. See you for Evolve!
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