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NXT TV REPORT
SEPTEMBER 29, 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: Emily Agard
[HOUR ONE]
-The show opened with a graphic that read, “WWE remembers Benjamin Satterly “Neville” 1986-2026” alongside a picture of the AEW wrestler who tragically passed away two days ago. Very classy.
-Vic Joseph announced that the Dusty Rhodes Classic would continue tonight, along with two championship matches. He said that earlier today, they learned some breaking news about the main event. They cut to a shot from “earlier today” of NXT GM Robert Stone approaching NXT Champion Grayson Waller outside the Performance Center. He informed Waller that Rook had suffered an injury and was out for the foreseeable future. He told Waller that his title match tonight would be an open challenge. Waller psyched himself up for it.
(1) ZARIA (c) vs. THEA HAIL – Women’s North American Championship Match
I really hate Zaria’s new, incredibly generic entrance music. Her entrance was one of the best in WWE, with the badass video alongside the heavy, dark, ominous music that made you feel like a killer was about to enter the ring. It reminds me of when they changed Tazz’s music from the crunching guitar riff to a generic, light, hip-hop theme.
Anyway, on to the match. Mike Rome made the official ring introductions. Hail immediately lunged at Zaria and attempted to lock in the Kimura early, but Zaria shrugged her off and proceeded to beat on her for a while. Hail finally caught her breath and used her speed and agility to avoid the champion. Hail attempted to overwhelm her and take her down. She went for a dive to the floor and landed horribly. That looked really nasty. Zaria began thumping her on the floor before they cut to a split-screen commercial break. [c]
After people danced in their jammies with fast-food chicken and some Chef Boyardee-looking dude popped out of a closet, they returned to full-screen. Hail was swinging at Zaria, but got caught with a popup forearm that rocked her. They took the fight to the floor again, where Hail got the suicide dive right. She followed that up with a devastating tornado DDT on the floor, then took it back to the ring. Hail continued to dominate with high-energy offense. She went for her springboard backwards senton, but Zaria caught her and delivered a German suplex. Hail managed to cinch in the Kimura, and it looked like Zaria might tap. The crowd went nuts as Hail continued to look like she was going to dethrone the champ. Zaria managed to nail her with a spear, and favored her arm as she lifted Hail and executed a one-armed F5 for the pin.
WINNER: Zaria at 9:21 to retain the Women’s North American Championship.
(Miller’s Take: That was an excellent, thrilling title match. Hail is just a bundle of unbridled energy that is so much fun to watch. Zaria showed her dominance early in the match and showed she could survive the Kimura lock that Hail relies on. Great opening bout!)
-In the back, Romeo Moreno & Noam Dar were chatting with AAA Tag Team Champions The Wagner Brothers. Fraxiom walked in and said they would get past DarkState and get to Moreno & Dar. The Vanity Project then interjected and put themselves over.
-Myles Borne was shown as he prepared to come to the ring to explain his heinous actions against former friend Tavion Heights. [c]
-Mike Rome introduced a smug-looking Myles Borne. He said he meant what he said to Tavion last week, but said something clicked when he apologized, as he realized he just wanted to be Myles Borne. He continued to use the excuse that he was just protecting himself from being attacked by Tavion.
-Borne said he remembered that Ethan Page warned him, but he didn’t listen at the time. He said he could either be one half, or be the star he knew he could always be. He compared what he did to Heights with the same thing he did to Ethan Page. He then complained that the fans were unjustly blaming him. He accused the fans of only liking him because they felt sorry for the poor deaf kid. He also blamed Heights for losing his North American title. He said he felt sorry for the fans because he’s the deaf one, but they’re all out there watching him. He told them to go ahead and make fun of the way he talks, but said he doesn’t need to listen to them. He ended by saying, “Go to hell.”
(Miller’s Take: Outstanding heel promo. A good heel can always rationalize his actions as just. He played on his disability as a face and garnered sympathy, acceptance, and adoration from the crowd, and now he’s using that sympathy as justification for turning on the fans. That’s how it’s done.)
-In the back, GM Stone was talking to Lizzy Rain when Mini Vikingo and Chazz “Starboy” Hall walked in. Stone told them that he and AAA GM Rey Mysterio purposely chose them as a team to represent both AAA and Evolve. He and Rain wished them both luck. [c]
-Emily Agard interviewed Grayson Waller to ask him about the open challenge tonight. He said Rook didn’t have to quit because the doctors did it for him. He said he lit a fire in the men’s locker room after calling them soft when he returned. He called them out and said he was ready.
(1) MINI VIKINGO & CHAZZ “STARBOY” HALL vs. BIRTHRIGHT (Stacks Lorenzo & Uriah Connors) (w/Lexis King & Charlie Dempsey & Arianna Grace) – Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic First-Round Match
Vikingo and Connors started for their respective teams. Connors poked fun at Vikingo’s size, but was quickly shown why he’s a sensation in AAA as Vikingo struck like a lightning bolt. The Starboy from Evolve tagged in and showed off his incredible agility. They went for suicide dives to the floor, but Stacks and Connors caught them and obliterated their smaller foes on the floor. Of course, the floor spot meant that it was time for the next commercial break. [c]
Back from the break, Hall was trying to make it to his corner to tag his partner, but BirthRight had other ideas. The Starboy kicked out of a Connors pin attempt, then executed a stunning double pele before making the hot tag to Vikingo, who hit a multiple revolution tornado DDT, then an incredible standing Spanish Fly on Stacks for a near fall. Stacks caught Vikingo as he came off the ropes, but the young luchador quickly slipped free and tagged in Hall, who continued to dazzle his opponents.
Just as it looked as if Stack was going to score the pin on Hall, Vikingo came flying off the ropes to break the pin. Both teams slugged it out mid-ring before Vikingo hit a breathtaking running crucifix on Connors. The match continued at 200 m.p.h. Stacks caught Hall as he attempted a moonsault off the top, but the Starboy rotated with his momentum and landed a bone-crunching DDT. Vikingo tagged in and hit what appeared to be a 450 senton to get the three-count on Stacks.
WINNERS: Mini Vikingo & Chazz “Starboy” Hall at 12:23 to advance to the quarterfinals.
(Miller’s Take: NXT is on a roll tonight. This was nothing short of phenomenal. I really can’t think of two wrestlers more suited to be partners than Vikingo & Hall. Despite their personas being nothing alike, both are incredible high-flyers who are equipped with more moves than Ex-Lax. I’m genuinely and pleasantly surprised that they put over a AAA and Evolve team. I would love to see these two against Fraxiom or Moreno & Dar. This has been can’t-miss TV so far.)
-The crowd continued to lose their minds over Vikingo and Hall as they celebrated their victory. The other members of BirthRight attacked Hall and Vikingo, which prompted Zilla Fatu to rush the ring and destroy BirthRight. He grabbed a mic and said he would take them out one by one, then declared that he wanted to challenge Grayson Waller tonight for the NXT title. Not sure if that’s official or not because I assumed Waller would stand in the ring and await a mystery opponent. If it is official, why weren’t wrestlers fighting over a mic in the ring to challenge Waller earlier in the show?
-NXT Chronicle featured Cruz Montana. He said he was going to challenge Waller, then turned his attention to Dion Lennox. He talked about his daughter and said he was happy that she’d never have to experience what he experienced as a kid. He talked about helping his teenage mom take care of the family. He admitted his mom was a drug dealer, but said she was never an addict herself. He said he admired her for doing what was necessary to provide for her family.
-He got emotional as he began to talk about his father. He said his father was told he’d be completely blind by the age of 25. He broke down as he talked about his father passing. He said he had to sit his daughter down and explain to her that her father was an alcoholic and drug addict before he checked himself into rehab. He talked about rising up from his past and using it as a superpower and an example to his daughter of rising up from the bottom to reach the top. That was a very sincere and moving speech.
-NXT Womens’ Champion Kelani Jordan was shown walking the hallowed halls of the Performance Center before they cut to a 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)
[HOUR TWO]
-Izzi Dame bumped into Zaria as the champ entered the dressing room. She offered an insincere congratulations as Zaria walked past her. The other women in the locker room were holding back laughter as Zaria found that her area was all spruced up with pink ribbons, balloons, and pictures of her, presumably from high school. Zaria told them to stop looking because she’s not that girl anymore.
-NXT Women’s Champion Kelani Jordan was introduced by Mike Rome. She exclaimed that she was no longer an afterthought and wondered who her next opponent would be. She name dropped Kendal Grey, Wren SInclair, Zaria, and La Catalina. She said she would never do an open challenge because she’s the standout, not the handout. She said she’d defend when a true contender steps up.
-GM Robert Stone walked out and announced that next week, the winner of a 20-woman battle royal would challenge her at Halloween Havoc. He said the battle royal would include wrestlers from Raw, SmackDown, Evolve, AAA, and TNA. Reina Volcan attacked Jordan from behind and destroyed her before declaring she was going to be in the battle royal. [c]
-In the back, Naraku told GM Stone he’d take care of Shiloh Hill after he challenged Waller for the NXT title. Saquon Shugars walked up and told Naraku that both he and Shiloh Hill were crazy, but Shiloh has a brain. Naraku let out that cartoonish laugh of his before walking off.
(1) DARKSTATE (Osiris Griffin & Cutler James) vs. FRAXIOM (Nathan Frazer & Axiom) – Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic First-Round Match
Axiom started the match against the massive Griffin, who tried to corner him early. He got his hands on Axiom, but his masked opponent slipped free and tagged in Frazer, who kept Griffin at bay by avoiding him, but eventually got put down hard. James tagged in and kept beating on Frazer. Axiom took the hot tag and teamed up with Frazer to take DarkState out, but they celebrated too early and DarkState came back to knock them into the middle of next week. [c]
Back from the commercial break, James was rag-dolling Axiom. Frazer took the hot tag after a mistake from James, and used his unbelievable speed to knock down his opponents like bowling pins. He got a two-count on Griffin after a huge top-rop splash. Fraxiom executed a beautiful double missile dropkick, but Axiom ate a huge clothesline from Griffin that turned him inside out. Some very believable near falls took place before Axiom executed a picture-perfect Spanish Fly on James, which Frazer followed up on with a Phoenix splash for the pin.
WINNERS: Fraxiom at 10:46 to advance to the quarterfinals.
(Miller’s Take: Yet another outstanding matchup. As Vic Joseph noted before the match, Fraxiom must be considered when talking about the greatest NXT Tag Team Champions of all-time. DarkState are definitely no slouches, and they took to to their smaller opponents, but couldn’t overcome the speed and slick teamwork.)
-The Progressive NXT Spotlight showed the continuation of Kendal Grey’s session with her sports shrink, who asked her what she was doing to occupy herself while she was out. She said she tried playing guitar, but broke the strings. She tried painting but got bored. He asked her about her social life, which she said was nonexistent. She said wrestling was her life and that’s all she’s ever known.
-Joseph and Booker plugged WWE Radio on SiriusXM before showing a determined-looking Grayson Waller making his way to the ring entrance to face his mystery challenger. [c]
-I’m not sure if it was on my end, but the screen went black as a recap of Zaria’s successful title defense was shown. When the picture came back on, Izzi Dame was in Robert Stone’s office making fun of Zaria. Stone told her that everyone looked different when they were younger. He told her she was in the battle royal, but so was Zaria. Dame was not amused.
-Vic Joseph ran down next week’s card, including the 20-woman battle royal. A graphic showed Rain, Hail, Raye, Zaria, Dame, Armstrong, Volcan, Lyons, Catalina, Diggs, Hartwell, M, James, Shani, Heather, Nile, and a few others that I didn’t recognize. Also, final first-round tag team matches Legacy & DVD vs. Tokyo Bad Boys and Hank & Tank vs. Ash & Zanov. Finally, a grudge match between Hill and Naraku.
-NXT Champion Grayson Waller made his ring entrance. He said he showed up at work tonight, unlike Mason Rook. He mocked the men’s division for making social media videos, then bragged a bit. He said the first man to hit the ring gets a title shot. In the men’s locker room, Brad Baylor was the first to make a move before everyone jumped up and trampled over each other to get to the ring. A horde of NXT and Evolve Talent were shown rushing through the back. The Vanity Project were the first ones to burst through the ring entrance, but they were soon mugged by a mob of out-of-control wrestlers. Referees were trying to restore order, but to no avail.
-Zilla Fatu simply walked through the middle of the brawl and looked like he was about to enter the ring, but Cruz Montana hopped the barricade and got in Fatu’s face. They each tried to slide into the ring, but pulled each other out by the leg. DarkState then attacked them, and all hell continued to break loose. Amid the chaos, E.K. Prosper slipped in through the other side of the ring to answer the challenge.
(1) GRAYSON WALLER (c) vs. E.K. PROSPER – NXT Championship Match
Waller turned as he heard the bell ring, realized Prosper was the one answering the challenge and rushed him. Prosper deftly avoided him and took the fight to the champ, overwhelming him with speed and fire. Waller wound up on his backside on the floor, looking dazed as his challenger stood defiantly in the ring. [c]
Back from the break, Waller fought back, but Prosper continued to flip, flop, and fly around him, slipping out of everything Waller attempted. The champ finally got the upper hand when Prosper made a mistake. He slowed the pace down to break Prosper’s momentum. Waller grounded Prosper with a front facelock and fought to keep him down. He delivered a beautiful elevated electric chair for a near fall, then went back to a series of stiff kicks.
Prosper fired up and reversed a suplex into a cutter. He climbed the ropes, but Waller rose up to knock him to the apron. Prosper attempted a German suplex from the apron to the floor, but Grayson held onto the ropes. After recovering, Waller dropped Prosper throat-first across an exposed area of the turnbuckle, sending his young challenger tumbling to the floor as he grabbed his throat in pain. [c]
After a split-screen commercial break that showed the same woman shying away from a guy telling her he loves her before transforming into a carbon copy of her aunt, among other uninteresting ads that I’ve see a million times, they returned to full-screen. Waller continued to go after the throat to further injure his opponent. With both men perched on the ropes, they dropped down to the mat to continue battling. Prosper showed amazing resilience , and hit a Michinoku driver for a very near fall. Waller continued to hit big moves, but couldn’t put his challenger away.
Back on the floor, Waller cleared off the announce desk and laid Prosper on it. As the champion went to climb the ropes, Prosper yanked him down. He rolled Waller onto the desk, then nailed an absolutely unbelievable high springboard moonsault onto Waller, collapsing the desk. He shoved Waller’s limp carcass back into the ring, climbed the ropes, and sailed off with a missile dropkick before covering Waller, who barely got his foot on the ropes. Waller did the thing where he rolls into the ring and springs up with a cutter. He landed a second one for good measure, then got the three-count.
WINNER: Grayson Waller at 20:32 to retain the NXT Championship.
(Miller’s Take: That was the longest match I’ve seen on NXT in quite awhile. Prosper didn’t let his awful ring name weigh him down, as he flew enough times in this match to earn frequent flyer miles. It was exciting, but I gave Prosper zero chance of winning, as he’s just not a believable contender at this stage in his career. Other than his atrocious ring name, there’s not much he needs to change. The psychology got a little out of whack at the end, as I really don’t think Waller had any business winning the match so quickly after being on the receiving end of that moonsault. Also, I wish Waller would stop doing that rolling cutter. It actually slows him down, much like Charlotte Flair’s handstand clothesline. Other than that, this was very good.)
-After the match, Waller stuck his face in the camera and said Prosper impressed him, but nobody can take the belt from him.
-The camera cut to the back, where Zilla Fatu was pacing, saying, “They don’t want to see me win.” At that point, my screen went black again before the CW logo appeared on the screen. Again, I don’t know if it was on my end only, so let me know in the VIP Forum if you experienced the same technical problems.
FINAL THOUGHTS: This show was fantastic from top to bottom. Fast paced, exciting action in every match. Again, I’m glad they gave a rub to Hall & Vikingo, but I don’t see them winning. At this point, my money is on The Creed Brothers, but we’ll see. I’m not crazy about the idea of Izzi Dame bullying Zaria, who should be a monster heel ripping the flesh off her opponents’ bodies with her teeth, not showing insecurity over some high school pictures when she looked like a nerd. Her entrance was so good and actually gave me goosebumps until they just had to give her some generic, uninteresting new music that makes her seem less threatening. The Dusty Classic continues next week. See you then!
