SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
NXT TV RESULTS
OCTOBER 20, 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): Emily Agard, Blake Howard
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO OUR POST-SHOW PODCAST
-Hype for tonight’s show centered around the Montana-Lennox match that’s been promoted quite a bit better than anything that’s going to run at Halloween Havoc.
-It’s not often that NXT opens with a talk segment, but Tony D’Angelo showed up first as the show has a lot of work to do to make Halloween Havoc seem like a big deal. He immediately called out Grayson Waller, who obliged by heading to the ring with his own mic. Waller said that back in their beginnings, he knew they’d meet at some point. He said they were signed at about the same time and even teamed together at WarGames. They talked about not liking – and even resenting – each other. Waller said that D’Angelo was chosen and he didn’t even know what any of this was. He said he had to take Tony upstairs and show him what a WarGames match is because he didn’t know.
D’Angelo countered by saying Waller was more about viral moments than championships. Waller again took down D’Angelo verbally in response. Waller stayed in a heel context but just ate D’Angelo alive on the mic. Waller said the title means more than when Bron had it (low bar; Breakker had a terrible title run), more than when Trick had it (I wish I could say Trick had a great run, but all his best presentation was when he was chasing and not the champ) and it would be more than anything D ever did. D’Angelo interrupted and yelled out some final threats. This wasn’t a bad segment or anything, but I came away wanting to see Waller destroy D’Angelo for being an interloper in wrestling, which certainly wasn’t the intent.
-Earlier today, Layla Diggs was talking to some people in the locker room when Izzi Dame showed up and stirred it up, leading to a match later tonight.
-In the parking lot for some reason, Birthright talked big ahead of their next Dusty Cup match. After they headed inside, we could see a truck approaching from a distance. Announcers didn’t mention it, but it seemed like something with implications. But maybe it was just a truck. [c]
-Chantel Monroe got a brief pre-taped hype segment. I saw a ton of her on Evolve and the biggest work she had to do was on the mic, which she’s really starting to get down. She’s a snotty self-involved heel.
(1) EL HIJO DE DR. WAGNER JR. & GALENO vs. BIRTHRIGHT (Lexis King & Charlie Dempsey) (w/Uriah Connors & Arianna Grace) – Dusty Classic Quarterfinal match
The announcers acknowledged Stacks getting injured in a non-televised match. Booker T chose the moment to wonder why Stacks is in Birthright in the first place, since he isn’t a second-generation wrestler. The real reason was that he and Grace were engaged in real life, but they’ve since split up, so this injury might be an excuse to break him away.
Hank & Tank, who will be in the other quarterfinal match tonight, watched on a monitor. Action was speedy early, which seemed to favor the Wagner Brothers early, despite their size comparative to the average luchador. Birthright got bumped to the floor and Arianna Grace got in Galeno’s face to try to cut off an attack. Instead, Wagner ran the ropes and flew over both of them to hit a plancha on the heels outside. The match went to commercial with no split-screen. [c]
Birthright had likely controlled throughout during the heat sequence, but Wagner yanked Dempsey to the floor and made the hot tag. Booker T repeatedly mispronounced Galeno while Vic didn’t even try. Galeno hit a splash on King and got two. After some double teaming, there was another cover broken up by Dempsey at the last moment. King made a blind tag and Dempsey took control of Wagner. Everyone got involved and hit big shots on one another until all four were laying prone. There was an “NXT” chant, though half these guys are from AAA. Birthright teamed up for an assisted superkick off of a full nelson suplex, but it was broken up again. Wagner went up and did a very subtle shimmy and tried the frog splash, but the knees went up. The guys on the outside tried to get involved but Zilla Fatu showed up and neutralized Connors and the illegal Dempsey. It left the AAA team open to take the match.
WINNERS: The Wagner Brothers at 13:14.
After the decision was rendered, Zilla destroyed all the members of Birthright.
(Wells’s Analysis: Decent enough match to allow the AAA champs to at least move on once before they likely get taken down by The Creed Brothers on the way to a Creeds vs. Dar/Moreno final. It was perhaps overlong for a match that served as a story beat to get Zilla Fatu over, but I suppose the Wagners appreciated the heavy amount of TV minutes)
-Osiris Griffin and Cutler James watched a video warning that Cruz Montana sent to Dion Lennox. They were concerned for Lennox, who was standing by. Lennox said there are going to be casualties, and asked the others to go somewhere with him. They all left the frame. [c]
-In a promoted pre-taped segment, Kam Hendrix said he was the future. He caught a football one-handed, then another with the other hand, and then a third between the two. He then put a shirt over his head and caught one blindfolded, then threw it around his back and caught it again. He reiterated that he’s the future and said “Lights. Kam. Action.”
-Tavion Heights hit the ring and talked about Myles Borne stabbing him in the back. He lost his place early and ended up saying “He stabbed me in the back at Heatwave” three times. He found the words and said he had to watch from home Myles fall in his attempt to become #1 contender. He called Myles a backstabbing bum-ass bitch just as Borne was showing up behind him to sucker punch him. As they’ve been doing, they brawled. They ended up out in the parking lot. A gaggle of refs tried to separate them.
-Chantel Monroe happened upon Vanity Project backstage and tried to weasel in with them. The thirsty Ricky Smokes went for it, but Myka Lockwood told him to lock in so they could get to Rob Stone’s office. Stone said he was going to book these guys in a six-man but Vikingo isn’t cleared. Stone said Jackson Drake would be defending his North American Championship next week against EK Prosper.
-Diggs vs. Dame is up next. [c]
(2) LAYLA DIGGS vs. IZZI DAME
Dame was introduced as being part of the Culling, but there are only two members and the other one is nearly never on TV anymore (including this week, because he didn’t show up in her corner) so I’m not sure why they’re keeping the group on life support. Vic said it was good to see Diggs back in the ring and Book said that time off is a wrestler’s worst enemy. They didn’t attempt to explain whether it was an injury or something else keeping her out, even in a kayfabe sense.
Dame put Diggs on the mat early and posed to boos. Diggs worked a wristlock and kept wrenching and repositioning until Dame threw a hard right. Dame hit a body slam into a cover for just one. Diggs threw some uppercuts into the vulnerable spot under the arm of Dame. Dame missed a boot as Diggs Matrixed under it, but Dame hit Diggs on a second effort. Dame bailed and Diggs charged right into a forearm. Diggs flipped away from a strike and booted Dame on the rebound. The match went to split-screen. This is a weird spot for the crossover because it’s a minor, not previously announced match, but here we are. [c]
[HOUR TWO]
Both women sold the effects of the match. They exchanged arm and knee strikes. Diggs took control and hit a sit-out flatliner. She hit a five-star frog splash for two. Diggs went up again but took too much time and Dame yanked her down. Crucifix bomb by Dame got two. They both fought to their feet for a yay/boo strike exchange. Dame hit an inverted backbreaker and slammed Diggs for a long two. Diggs countered a powerbomb and trapped Dame for two. Dame hit a big boot, went up and flew into a superkick that showed about a foot of light. Vic tried to cover by saying he thought it grazed Dame. Dame hit her finisher. Amazingly, they showed the missed superkick again so Vic had to cover a second time.
WINNER: Izzi Dame at 10:33.
Zaria showed up afterward and said Izzi’s nonsense has gone on long enough. She said if Izzi wants a North American title shot, this is not the way to go about it. She said, though, that she’s sick of it and she’s giving her a title shot at Halloween Havoc. Uhhh…so I guess it IS the way to go about it. Interestingly, Dame said she’d accept the match, but don’t bother putting the title on the line. Vic wondered aloud why Dame would reject the shot.
(Wells’s Analysis: Izzi rejecting the title shot but accepting the match is pretty intriguing as long as it’s paid off. We’ll just forget the weirdness that got us to Izzi-Zaria, though. Diggs is a budding star, I think, though she needs a more full-fledged character before they keep throwing her out there)
-There was a brief promotion for the bizarre Agent of Shadows film, full of WWE talent, coming on social media. [c]
(3) HANK WALKER & TANK LEDGER vs. THE CREED BROTHERS (Julius & Brutus) – Dusty Classic Quarterfinal match
Tank and Julius opened it up. A collar-and-elbow favored neither man. Julius shot in and took down Tank. Vic said it would probably be the heaviest-hitting match in the tournament so far. It’s possible, but Hank & Tank aren’t overwhelmers – they’re mostly two big guys who kind of wrestle like little guys, and Vic either doesn’t notice or doesn’t care in this context. Hank & Tank made a couple of tags and double-teamed Brutus in their corner. Brutus beat down Hank and covered for two. Hank shot a fist up at Brutus that almost looked like a shoot, but I’m likely reading in too much. Brutus rained down blows and was firmly in control as the match went to commercial with no split-screen. [c]
Upon return, Hank & Tank controlled. Again Vic said these are both power-based tandems, as if people don’t notice that Hank & Tank are way more about speed and workrate than power. Tank was going to go for a tag but Brutus cut him off and blocked him into the heel corner, and Julius tagged in and slowed it down. Interesting that they’re actually showing a heat sequence rather than stashing it on commercial. Tank put up a boot to fight off Julius but Julius kept on cutting off the tag. Finally Tank ducked a clothesline and leaped for the tag. Hank dominated Julius and dumped an interfering Brutus. Hank hit a running knife-edge, then went outside and ran around the ring to block Brutus. Back inside, he hita Bossman Slam. Hank & Tank wanted to pancake Julius but Brutus yanked Hank from the ring. Brutus hung up the ref for what seemed like an excuse for the Creeds to cheat to win, but instead it was the babyfaces to cheat to win. Vic said “maybe they HAVE refocused themselves” rather than question why the good guys resorted to cheating tactics.
WINNERS: Hank & Tank at 11:03.
(Wells’s Analysis: Well, huh. I thought this side of the bracket might result in a heel-heel match, but instead it’s face-face. This match was a total mess as there was little to sink one’s teeth into as the match went, it was a bizarre result, and H&T cheated to move forward in the tournament. It would be one thing if they were going to turn heel, but they’re almost certainly not (and shouldn’t be), so this was a strange finish)
-Birthright whined to Rob Stone about their loss earlier and Stone said it’s over. Wren Sinclair and Kendal Grey showed up and talked up Wren ahead of her contract signing later in the show. Chantel Monroe showed up and asked them if they saw her video earlier. Wren tried to be nice and said “It was something! You were…in it!” It was mostly a nothing segment, but as often, Wren being funny saved it. [c]
-Vic said there was some kind of attack in the back, then went silent as Wren Sinclair was introduced. He said “we have to focus on the here and now” and completely abandoned news of whatever attack he was referring to. Was tonight’s show rehearsed? What a mess.
Wren Sinclair talked just a little bit ahead of the contract signing. From the back, Kelani Jordan said she had something for Wren. She brought out a (fakey) bloodied Kendal Grey and Wren went out to attack. And the segment, not two minutes deep, ended. Tonight’s show is a total mess.
-Zilla Fatu talked to Rob Stone. He said he wanted Birthright at Halloween Havoc, and they should bring back the Wheel. I guess, but what’s left to see in a match between Zilla and any member of Birthright when he keeps destroying all four members at once?
-A scene in the men’s locker room devolved into Sean Legacy and Saquon Shugars arguing about whether Shugars could reach his potential.
-DarkState invaded Cruz Montana’s room and a brawl ensued. I hope they’re not finding a way to postpone the match, because it’s about all tonight’s episode has going for it.
-Vic mentioned that Tavion Heights would be on Bubba Ray Dudley’s podcast and said Bubba Ray might be one half of the greatest tag team of all time. Ooookay.
-Naraku, in a pre-taped segment, warned Shiloh Hill that the various types of mist are going to destroy him, but there’s another color of mist he’s not prepared for. He said at Halloween Havoc, darkness will fall.
-Somewhere in the back, Shiloh Hill and Lizzy Rain talked. Shiloh said the last time he tested the orange mist, his shirt started talking to him. Chantel Monroe showed up and Hill took it as his cue to leave. Chantel subtly mocked Rain’s appearance and Rain said it’s impressive that she’s managed to annoy everyone in the last two hours. She said she’ll take her on next week.
That bled into Vic saying we’d also get the two Dusty Classic semifinals matches next week, plus the Drake-Prosper match.
(4) CRUZ MONTANA vs. DION LENNOX
The announcer talking points were all about Lennox disrespecting Montana’s mother, which works, but was less interesting than the bits where they were talking about their very different paths to greatness.
As Montana entered, the two immediately charged at each other. Also, there’s a young fan in the crowd with a frilly lampshade on her head. I don’t know why it’s happening but I had to bring it up. The two hit some impact stuff early and Lennox hit a big spinebuster for an early two count. Montana staggered Lennox in a corner and ran in with a loud chop. He took Lennox to the opposite corner and did the same thing. He went for a third. Lennox fought it off but Montana put him on the mat, hit a standing senton, and covered for two. Lennox was down in a corner, and Montana tuned up and hit a huge cannonball for two. That was a beauty. He covered for a long two.
Lennox bailed. Montana gave chase but Lennox flapjacked him into the steps, then uncovered a segment of the floor. He tried to slam Montana into the concrete, but Montana reversed and shoved Lennox into the ringpost. The match went to split-screen. [c]
