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NXT TV REPORT
JUNE 23, 2026
ORLANDO, FL AT THE WWE PERFORMANCE CENTER
AIRED LIVE ON THE CW
REPORT BY DAVID MILLER, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Wade Barrett
Ring Announcer: Mike Rome
Correspondent: Sarah Schreiber
[HOUR ONE]
-The show opened with NXT Champion Tony D’Angelo talking to GM Robert Stone in the back. Tony D. wanted to know if Naraku had signed the contract. Stone said it would happen, but asked D’Angelo to stay in line. D’Angelo stated he wanted the contract signed by the end of the night. He stopped Evolve Champion Aaron Rourke, who was heading toward the entrance for his match. D’Angelo told him he’d heard good things about him and that he represents his title well. Rourke returned the flattery.
(1) AARON ROURKE (c) vs. TRISTAN ANGELS – Evolve Championship Match
During the ring entrances, Vic Joseph introduced Wade Barrett as his commentary partner for the night and noted that he looked a bit grayer. Joseph also noted that the winner of this match would face Max Abrams tomorrow night at Succession III. Mike Rome handled the official introductions. Angels ran his mouth early in the match and got the taste slapped out of it for his trouble. The champ showed off great agility with some high-flying moves, ending with a flat-back missile dropkick for a two-count. Angels found an opening and started beating on Rourke. The lights flashed red and Shiloh Hill’s distinctive laugh was heard, which briefly distracted Angels. The action went to the floor, which was the automatic signal for a split-screen commercial break. [c]
Some food was advertised on the right screen, followed by Dude Wipes. Makes sense, I suppose. Back to full-screen, Angels continued to dominate the champion. An inset showed Naraku arriving with the contract in his hand. Rourke got a bit too fancy and got caught by Angels. Rourke fired up and took the fight to Angels, landing a big fall-away slam. He flipped in the ring a few times before another inset showed Tony D’Angelo in the back somewhere losing his mind about the contract being signed.
Rourke kicked Angels in the head and then looked like he was going to try on Tristan’s Mr. NXT sash, but Angels kicked him out of the ring. He threw Rourke back in the ring and then reached down to grab his sash off the floor, but a hand reached out from underneath the ring and dragged Angels under the ring. Moments later, a horrified Angels escaped from underneath the ring, but found himself on the receiving end of a Molly-Go-Round by Rourke, followed by the pin.
WINNER: Aaron Rourke at 9:41 to retain the Evolve Championship.
(Miller’s Take: As I’ve said in both my NXT and Evolve reviews, Angels has a ton of talent and pulls off the snobbish Englishman gimmick to perfection. This was Rourke’s NXT debut, and he got the chance to show his stuff in front of a bigger audience with a successful title defense. Both of these men are going places in WWE.)
-In the parking lot, Robert Stone was trying to calm down Tony D’Angelo, who had found Naraku and asked him if he’d signed the contract. Naraku handed the contract to D’Angelo and bowed to him. When Tony D. opened the contract, a fireball exploded in his face. Naraku cackled as Stone lost his mind and screamed for medical assistance. That was pretty cool. I wasn’t expecting that. [c]
-When they returned from the break, sirens blared as an ambulance pulled up to load D’Angelo in the back of it and rush him to the hospital.
-Saquon Shugars and Dion Lennox had a face-to-face in the ring. Shugars said he got exactly what he wanted, which was him one-on-one at The Great American Bash. He accused Lennox of being the one going astray by acting like he was the leader of DarkState. Lennox said DarkState was never supposed to have Shugars in it. Saquon told Lennox he loved them, but he was the glue that held them together. He said Cutler couldn’t put one foot in front of the other without being told where to go, and Osiris can’t wipe himself without him holding his hand (that was funny). He told Lennox he couldn’t touch him, and if he tried on his jockstrap, it would be a baggy fit. Lennox said Shugars was an overthinker, and his flaws were hidden in DarkState. Lennox got the last word in and left as Shugars looked pensive.
-In the back, Hank & Tank were talking with comedian Matt Mathews while Robert Stone was seen talking with The Vanity Project in the background. [c]
-The Progressive NXT Spotlight was on North American Champion Myles Borne. He said it seemed to him like Tavion Heights wanted him to stay with him instead of bettering himself. Heights said Borne didn’t outgrow their friendship; he just forgot about it. He said he was going to be selfish at The Great American Bash and do something for himself.
-In the back, Women’s Speed Champion Wren Sinclair tried talking to Heights, but he wasn’t listening. He said she and Borne both have titles, Charlie Dempsey has BirthRight, but he has nothing. He walked away before Kendal Grey walked up. She asked Sinclair who she thought would win between Izzi and Arianna. She said it didn’t matter. Grey said they’d both walk out of The Great American Bash with titles, and the best way to celebrate that would be with a two-layer cake. Sinclair agreed.
(2) STACKS & URIAH CONNORS (w/BirthRight) vs. HANK & TANK (w/Matt Mathews)
Connors and Tank started the match but soon tagged out to their respective partners. Stacks took control by nefarious means, but it didn’t last long. Hank & Tank executed a double bodyslam on Stacks. The fight soon went to the floor, where BirthRight tried to antagonize Mathews. Hank & Tank landed stereo suicide dives onto BirthRight before they cut to a commercial break. [c]
Back from the break, Hank was trying to fight his way out of BirthRight’s corner. He unloaded heavy chops to Stacks, then made the hot tag to Tank, who cleaned house. He sent both of them out to the floor, then hit a cannonball to both of them from the ring apron. Back in the ring, Hank took a stunner from Connors, then a splash by Stacks for a near fall. They took turns hitting big moves mid-ring, resulting in all four men lying flat on their backs.
Outside the ring, Lexis King grabbed Mathews from behind. Dempsey took a swing at him, but Mathews ducked, and King got decked. Dempsey took another swing at Mathews, who ducked again and tripped Dempsey, whose head landed on a very bad part of King’s anatomy. Meanwhile, Hank & Tank recovered in the ring and executed a double team maneuver on Stacks to win the match.
WINNERS: Hank & Tank at 12:02.
(Miller’s Take: This was mildly entertaining, but I’ve never been crazy about the physical involvement of pseudo-celebrities, especially when said celebrities outsmart the wrestlers. It just makes the whole product look bad, in my humble opinion.)
-Sarah Schreiber interviewed Shiloh Hill in the back. Hill was uncharacteristically serious and cut an intense promo on Tristan Angels. [c]
-Footage from “First Response Memorial Hospital” showed EMTs tending to Tony D’Angelo, whose face was still covered with a blood-stained towel. They showed a slow-motion replay of D’Angelo getting burned.
-GM Robert Stone sat between NXT Women’s Champion Lola Vice and Kendal Grey for the contract signing. Grey again tried to apologize for last week and referred to herself and Vice as two of the greatest crossover athletes in WWE. Vice told Grey that Shayna had come before them and that nobody could figure out her style, but she realized that Grey crumbles under pressure. Grey said she needed that title and signed the contract. Vice talked up her opponent but said Grey’s success won’t come at her expense and also signed on the dotted line.
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) KEANU CARVER vs. E.K. PROSPER
Prosper tried unsuccessfully to use his speed to escape the wrath of Carver. He staggered him with a couple of dropkicks but then got grossly overpowered by the large and scary Carver. Prosper mounted a comeback that lasted until he ate a fist from Carver as he attempted a suicide dive to the floor. The referee jumped to the floor to check on Prosper before they cut to a split-screen commercial break. [c]
Carver slow-thumped Prosper on the tiny screen on the left while blue bears were talking about toilet paper on the right. Back to full screen, Carver threw Prosper with the highest German suplex I’ve ever seen. Prosper delivered a couple of defiant chops from his knees, then rose and began throwing hands. He rocked Carver with a pop-up standing dropkick that sent his foe rolling out of the ring. He then landed an incredible springboard moonsault to the outside that popped the crowd.
Back in the ring, Carver flipped Prosper inside out with a clothesline. Prosper started talking a little trash of his own as he kicked Carver in the head, then flew off the top with a leg drop to a standing Carver for a quick two-count. Carver came back quickly to pounce Prosper out of his boots. He lifted Prosper for a powerbomb, but threw him too high. Prosper rolled with it and executed a sunset flip for the surprise three-count.
WINNER: E.K. Prosper at 9:54.
(Miller’s Take: Well, that was a 1-2-3 Kid moment. Carver is an absolute beast in the ring. Prosper has a distinct Je’Von Evans/Leon Slater vibe to him. He’s quick as a wink and agile as a gazelle. The most glaring negative about Prosper right now is that horrid ring name he’s saddled with. E.K. Prosper won’t ever make it to the main roster, but this kid might.)
-Prosper’s eyes bugged out of his head when he realized he’d won. They bugged out a lot more when an enraged Carver nearly took his head off with a clothesline to the back of the neck. Carver pitched him out of the ring, then lifted him for a massive powerbomb through the announce desk as Vic Joseph reprimanded him. A horde of security ran out to keep Carver from inflicting further damage.
-Women’s North American Champion Zaria said in a pre-taped promo spot that she was furious with Tatum Paxley for embarrassing her in her first match as champion. She told Paxley she would get her rematch at The Great American Bash.
-In the back, an angry Robert Stone was chastising Naraku for his actions against Tony D’Angelo earlier and said he should suspend him. Naraku said there would be no title match if he did that. He cackled as he walked away, and exchanged a glance with Keanu Carver, who was storming around backstage after being defeated by the wrestler with the worst ring name in WWE. Stone had a bone to pick with Carver for demolishing Prosper, but Keanu told Stone he did exactly what he said he’d do and walked away as Stone looked exasperated.
-The Culling made their ring entrance before they cut to the next commercial break. [c]
(4) IZZI DAME (w/The Culling) vs. ARIANNA GRACE (w/BirthRight) – Women’s Speed Tournament Finals Match
Dame immediately flattened Grace with a big boot, then drove her shoulder into Grace’s midsection in the corner. Grace caught Dame coming off the ropes with a gut shot, then slapped hands with Niko Vance before landing a senton for a two-count. With two minutes remaining, Grace hit a pump kick of her own but took too much time climbing the corner and got slammed to the mat despite the attempted interference by Stacks, who ate a knuckle sandwich from Dame. With one minute remaining, Dame put Grace down with another pump kick and went to finish her off, but Shawn Spears practically begged Dame to slap hands with him. With an “oh, alright” look on her face, she went out of her way to slap hands with Spears. When she turned around, Grace rolled her up for a quick pin.
WINNER: Arianna Grace at 2:20.
(Miller’s Take: That was pretty much what I expected it to be with Spears doing something boneheaded to cost Dame the match. Not too much else to it to talk about.)
-After the match, Spears looked like he’d just been sentenced to death row as Dame glared at him. Women’s Speed Champion Wren Sinclair skipped out to face her new challenger as Dame and Vance gave Spears a hard time. Spears groveled.
-Sarah Schreiber entered Robert Stone’s office as he was hanging up the phone to get a word with him. He said he just got off the phone with AAA GM Rey Mysterio, who is sending some luchadores to The Great American Bash. He told Schreiber that by the end of the night, he would announce who Naraku’s opponent would be at the Bash. The Vanity Project let themselves into Stone’s office, and Jackson Drake volunteered for the job. A fed-up Stone ushered everyone out of his office. [c]
-NXT Origins featured the evolution of Alexa Bliss from her early days as an NXT princess to the version we see today. These segments are great reminders of how wrestlers can grow into their personas while honing their skills in NXT.
-In the back, Karmen Petrovic and Nikkita Lyons were watching Nattie accept her award for the Guinness World Record for most submission victories in WWE history. A dejected Jaida Parker walked in and sat on a couch while Petrovic and Lyons took little digs at her. Parker never said a word back to them. After they vacated the area, Parker’s old running mates, OTM walked in and sat on either side of her. They asked her if she was okay, and she replied, “No, I’m not”, then got up and walked away. Lucien Price asked Bronco Nima if he was good, and said he saw him with Karmen over the weekend. Nima assured his partner everything was kosher.
-In the ring, Niko Vance and Izzi Dame were still giving Shawn Spears a hard time before Dorian Van Dux and Sean Legacy made their ring entrance.
(5) THE CULLING (Shawn Spears & Niko Vance w/Izzi Dame) vs. DORIAN VAN DUX & SEAN LEGACY
Shawn started the match with Sean (I was dying to say that). Spears locked up with something to prove and quickly took Legacy to the mat. The two men traded chops, then went into a fast-paced crisscross spot that Spears got the worst of. Vance and DVD tagged in and transitioned into a more power-based match. DVD began working over Vance’s arm, as did Legacy when he tagged back in. Spears got taken down but got to his feet in time to thwart a double suplex on Vance. The fight spilled out to the floor, where The Culling left their opponents lying and did the typical pose in the corner before they cut to the next commercial break. [c]
When they returned, Legacy and Spears were fighting on the turnbuckle. DVD took the hot tag and dismantled The Culling. He hit an extremely stiff moonsault on Spears when his knees landed squarely on Shawn’s sternum. I’ll be surprised if his ribs aren’t at least cracked. Vance broke the pin, but I’m not sure he did his partner a favor in doing so. Spears did recover to double team Legacy for a near fall. Spears landed some stiff chops before DVD took down Vance on the outside with a moonsault. Legacy took out Spears with a sliced bread, followed by a 450 splash, then a shooting star press from DVD for the pin.
WINNERS: Dorian Van Dux & Sean Legacy at 11:33.
(Miller’s Take: This was a very good, exciting match. If you haven’t seen DVD or Legacy, you need to. They have been primarily singles wrestlers, but man, do they look good as a team. In-ring action aside, this may have just brought us to the conclusion of The Culling saga. Dame ousted Brooks Jensen many moons ago with a chair to the back. Since then, she seemed to be slowly taking over leadership of the group from Spears, who has been increasingly ineffective and incompetent. Will this be the straw that broke the camel’s back? Let’s keep watching and see.)
-After the match, Izzi Dame looked as if she’d just smelled a fart. Vance got in the ring and helped Spears, then delivered a short-arm clothesline after getting the signal from Dame. He pitched Spears out of the ring and chokeslammed him through the announce desk, which Joseph yelled had just been put back up after Keanu Carver destroyed it earlier. Spears finally got the Edge treatment.
-Joseph and Barrett ran down the card for The Great American Bash, including Zaria vs. Paxley, Heights vs. Borne, Shugars vs. Lennox, Sinclair vs. Grace, Hill vs. Angels, and Vice vs. Grey. Robert Stone was then shown walking in the back with the NXT title belt slung over his shoulder. He looked defeated. [c]
-Joseph and Barrett hyped The Great American Bash and all the activities beforehand. In the ring, Robert Stone was in the ring and assured the fans that a championship match would happen at the Bash. He asked Naraku to come to the ring, which he did. He got in Stone’s face and said if nobody was going to face him, he’d take the championship.
-Mason Rook came out and told Naraku that if Tony couldn’t fight him, he would. He said Naraku knows he should have won the match between them and challenged him. The Vanity Project’s highly annoying entrance music played. Jackson Drake accused Stone of ducking them and said he should be fighting for the title. He called Rook “Pork Chop”, which Rook responded to by knocking Ricky Smokes and Brad Baylor off the ring apron, then flipping Drake into the ring. Rook thumped Drake hard all the way out of the ring and through the crowd.
-Meanwhile, Naraku told Stone there’s still no one to challenge him. Stone said it was never going to be Rook or Drake; it was going to be him. He pointed to the ring entrance, where Tony D’Angelo’s music hit as he came out with half his face covered in bloody bandages. Tony D. came straight to the ring and went after Naraku. He went for a Dead to Rights, but Naraku gouged the eye that was bandaged to escape and retreat to the floor. D’Angelo stood with the belt held high as Naraku looked angry. The announcers hyped The Great American Bash again as the show closed.
FINAL THOUGHTS: I’m looking forward to this card more than Night of Champions. The feuds have developed well, and there are title matches that could go either way, in my opinion. If I’m going to go out on a limb, I would say Zaria, Borne, and Vice will retain. I’ll also speculate that there may be a new NXT champ crowned. See you next week!
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