By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
NXT TV
Orlando, Florida, at the WWE Performance Center
Aired live June 16, 2026, on The CW Network
[Hour One] Vic Joseph opened the show by hyping the Great American Bash special being 12 days away. He also narrated an arrival shot of Jaida Parker, and Natalya was shown backstage with Nikkita Lyons and Karmen Petrovic… A video package recapped last week’s show…
Powell’s POV: It’s good to see NXT follow TNA’s lead by running a recap video early in the show. I hope this becomes the norm. By the way, I’m filling in for John Moore, who is so excited by the Faith No More 2027 concert tour teaser that he can’t focus. Okay, I’m actually the one excited by FNM news, but John and everyone else should say “we care a lot” because it’s going to be epic.
New NXT Women’s North American Champion Zaria made her entrance. Corey Graves checked in on color commentary in place of Booker T. Zaria spoke about finally winning the championship.
Kelani Jordan interrupted Zaria. Jordan noted that she was the first NXT Women’s North American Champion before congratulating Zaria. Jordan entered the ring and said nothing Zaria does as champion will be good enough for the fans.
Kendal Grey interrupted Jordan and recalled beating her to become the No 1 contender. Grey entered the ring and spoke of beating Lola Vice at the Bash to become the new NXT Women’s Champion. Zaria took issue with people putting the focus on themselves and said she would dominate the division.
NXT Women’s Champion Lola Vice made her entrance and ended up bickering with the others. NXT General Manager Robert Stone came out. Vice said she gets it; she and Grey will team against Zaria and Jordan tonight. Stone said that’s why NXT has the best women’s division in wrestling…
Powell’s POV: Ah, yes, the gentle art of making enemies.
Backstage shots aired of Tavion Heights, followed by Jackson Drake with the other members of The Vanity Project heading into the first commercial break… [C]
1. Jackson Drake (w/Myka Lockwood, Brad Baylor, Ricky Smokes) vs. Tavion Heights for a shot at the NXT North American Championship at Great American Bash. Both entrances were televised. Drake took offensive control following a distraction by Baylor and Smokes. Drake ran Heights into the ring steps. [C]
Drake used some flashy offense to pick up near falls. Heights caught Drake showboating on the ropes and ended up suplexing him before performing a top rope splash for a near fall of his own. Heights performed an overhead suplex that launched Drake onto Baylor and Smokes at ringside.
Lockwood climbed on the apron and distracted the referee while Baylor and Smokes entered the ring. NXT North American Champion Myles Borne ran out and pulled Baylor and Smokes to the floor. Heights performed another suplex on Drake before pinning him.
Tavion Heights beat Jackson Drake in 11:05 to earn a shot at the NXT North American Championship at Great American Bash.
After the match, Borne raised the arm of Heights, who pulled it away. Heights said he could do it on his own, and Borne knows that…
Powell’s POV: A good match that sets up another singles match for a championship at the Great American Bash. I consider it a small victory that all three No. 1 contenders’ matches have set up singles matches rather than Triple Threat matches for the Bash. Given NXT’s track record, this came from out of nowhere.
Footage aired from last week of Robert Stone telling comedian Matt Mathews they were happy to have him as a judge for the Mr. NXT pageant. Evolve Champion Aaron Rourke, Hank Walker, and Tank Ledger stood by. The BirthRight’s Lexis King, Charlie Dempsey, Uriah Connors, Channing Lorenzo, and Arianna Grace showed up. There was a bunch of bickering, and then Graves hyped the start of the WWE Women’s Speed tournament… [C]
2. Izzi Dame (w/Shawn Spears, Niko Vance) vs. Thea Hail in a four-woman tournament match for a shot at the WWE Speed Women’s Championship. Both entrances were televised. Hail drank an energy drink on her way to the ring. In the end, Dame hit Hail with a running knee strike before pinning her…
Izzi Dame beat Thea Hail in 2:20 to advance in the tournament.
Powell’s POV: I guess Hail is a big fan of caffeine. These WWE Speed matches annoy me to the point that I feel like I’m having a midlife crisis (it’s probably a little late for that).
Backstage, Lola Vice took exception to overhearing Kendal Grey say that she and Wren Sinclair will both be champions coming out of the Bash…
NXT Champion Tony D’Angelo was shown arriving at an undisclosed location for a meeting with Naraku… [C]
Naraku was seated at a table at an outdoor location when Tony D’Angelo arrived for their meeting. Naraku had the contract for their title match with him. D’Angelo said Naraku is wrong if he thinks he can beat him without help. D’Angelo signed the contract. Naraku told D’Angelo that he would give him the contract next week. D’Angelo left. “Evil is coming,” Naraku said before laughing…
Powell’s POV: They seem to be hinting at Naraku having help against D’Angelo, who is just one man without his crime family. I guess we’ll see if Naraku can pull off the perfect crime.
A sponsored highlight package recapped the issues between Nattie and Jaida Parker, and then Parker made her entrance for their match… [C]
Robert Stone was talking on the phone in his office about the NXT Great American Bash tailgate event that will be held in the WWE Performance Center parking lot. Keanu Carver entered the room and recalled Stone saying he would have details about his next opponent. Stone said it was lined up, but he hadn’t informed the person yet. EK Prosper entered the room and was informed that he would face Carver next week. Carver was dismissive of Prosper, who took offense…
Powell’s POV: Prosper doesn’t intend to be another body murdered by Carver.
Nattie made her entrance…
3. Nattie vs. Jaida Parker. The bell rang, and then Joseph asked Graves if this was a proving ground match for Parker.
[Hour Two] Nattie caught Parker in an ankle lock, but she broke free quickly. Parker took Nattie down and applied a submission hold, but Nattie put her foot on the bottom rope to break it. Both wrestlers threw simultaneous clotheslines while on the floor before a picture-in-picture break. [C]
Late in the match, Nattie threw a big clothesline that Parker pulled away from prematurely. Nattie put Parker in the Sharpshooter. Parker nearly reached the ropes, but Nattie pulled her back to the middle of the ring, causing Parker to submit…
Nattie beat Jaida Parker in 15:00.
Powell’s POV: The main roster run for this Nattie persona was so brief that it left me wanting to ask why do you bother? So it was good to see her featured in a meaningful NXT match.
Mason Rook and Lizzy Rain were talking backstage when Tristan Angels showed up. Angels said he was undefeated and doing the best job of representing England. Angels said he’s clearly the best dressed and can refer to himself as Mr. NXT.
Evolve Champion Aaron Rourke showed up and pointed out that the fans voted Shiloh Hill as Mr. NXT. Angels said Hill wasn’t medically cleared, and he assumes the role if the winner isn’t able to fulfill his duties. Angels also made a pitch for Rourke to defend the Evolve Championship against him. Rourke recalled judging the swimsuit competition and said Angels is used to coming up short…
Arianna Grace made her entrance with the other members of BirthRight… [C] Layla Diggs made her entrance…
4. Arianna Grace (w/Channing “Stacks” Lorenzo, Charlie Dempsey, Uriah Connors, Lexus King) vs. Layla Diggs in a four-woman tournament match for a shot at the WWE Speed Women’s Championship. Diggs connected with a nice overhead kick. Diggs went to the ropes. Stacks hopped on the apron and was knocked down by Diggs, who then performed a moonsault onto the BirthRight members on the floor. Diggs returned to the ring and was caught in an inside cradle by Grace for the three count…
Arianna Grace beat Layla Diggs in 2:46 to advance in the tournament.
The updated brackets showed that Grace will face Izzi Dame for the title shot. Joseph said the match will take place next week…
Powell’s POV: Two Speed matches in one night? No, you can’t take this bottle. I have absolute zero interest in the Speed matches.
Noam Dar and Romeo Moreno spoke with Sean Legacy and Dorian Van Dux. Dar said being a team guy wasn’t on his radar, but Moreno is persistent. Legacy spoke about tag team wrestling being the best opportunity for him and Van Dux, who noticed The Culling walking by and seemed to suggest the idea of facing Shawn Spears and Niko Vance…
Powell’s POV: Where are the name graphics? They have so many people on NXT television, including numerous newcomers, so it’s ridiculous to expect viewers to remember all of them.
A Tate Wilder video aired. He spoke about learning how to do a backflip and showed off a finger injury he suffered in the process. Wilder said you can’t grow if you don’t take risks, but he conceded that with risk come consequence. He said he’s still looking for his first win and has been humbled by reality, yet he’s driven by reward…
Joseph hyped an NXT Chronicle on Saquon Shugars… [C]
The broadcast team hyped the NXT Great American Bash tailgate and watch party, along with the following lineup: Tony D’Angelo vs. Naraku for the NXT Championship, Lola Vice vs. Kendal Grey for the NXT Women’s Championship, Myles Borne vs. Tavion Heights for the NXT North American Championship, and Saquon Shugars vs. Dion Lennox…
Powell’s POV: Is there RV parking in the PC parking lot? Wait, are they cuckoo for caca?!? I’d have to take pills for breakfast before I’d even consider taking a death march to the Performance Center Parking Lot of Doom, where everything is ruined. History suggests the helpless fans who attend this party are in for their last cup of sorrow, but I hope they somehow live to see the morning after, and no one will be digging the grave.
The NXT Chronicle on Saquon Shugars aired. He said he was told that he’s too gangsta, but he’s not a gangsta. He said he hustled his way out of the city and into the sport. Shugars also spoke about letting his guard down when the other DarkState members turned on him. He said he wouldn’t touch or hurt Dion Lennox next week; he just wants to talk to him…
Dion Lennox was shown watching backstage. He said Shugars would see who made a mistake. “See ya’ next week,” Lennox said…
Kelani Jordan and Zaria made their entrances… [C]
The following matches are announced for next week’s NXT show: Aaron Rourke vs. Tristan Angels, Hank Walker and Tank Ledger vs. Uriah Connors and Channing “Stacks Lorenzo, and a double contract signing for the NXT Championship and NXT Women’s Championship matches for the Great American Bash…
Kendal Grey and Lola Vice made their entrances…
5. NXT Women’s Champion Lola Vice and Kendal Grey vs. NXT Women’s North American Champion Zaria and Kelani Jordan. Zaria caught a charging Grey with a knee to the face, which sent Grey to the floor. Jordan jumped off the apron and hit Grey while the referee was tied up with their tag team partners. [C]
Vice caught Zaria in a submission hold, and then Grey put Jordan in another submission hold. The heels escaped the holds. There was a series of big spots on the floor that Zaria capped off by spearing Vice.
Tatum Paxley popped up in the front row. Zaria released Vice and ran toward Paxley, who avoided her. Vice threw a spinning kick at the distracted Zaria before tossing her back inside the ring. Vice hit the spinning back fist and then pinned Zaria.
NXT Women’s Champion Lola Vice and Kendal Grey defeated NXT Women’s North American Champion Zaria and Kelani Jordan in 12:45.
Paxley was shown laughing at Zaria. Vice swiveled her hips while Grey stood next to her. There was tension, but they bumped fists. At ringside, Paxley dove off the barricade onto Zaria, which led to them brawling on the stage. In the ring, Vice held up the NXT Women’s Championship while looking at Grey. Jordan stood up and took the title belt. Grey wrestled the belt away from Jordan, but she struck Vice with it in the process. Grey checked on Vice while expressing the belt shot was accidental…
Powell’s POV: Good work in the main event. I didn’t care for the finish. Zaria beat Paxley for the title. I could see her laughing at Paxley, but it was a bit much for her to become so distracted that she released Grey and charged Paxley. Overall, this was a solid episode on the road to the Bash. Thanks for putting up with me humoring myself with some Faith No More fun. I’ll be back later tonight with our weekly same-night NXT audio review for Dot Net Members (including our Patreon patrons). Don’t be a Jizzlobber. Let me know what you thought of the NXT show by grading it below.
Damnit, I almost wish you hadn’t basically acknowledge all of those Faith No More references, it would have been more funny to leave people guessing, hahaha! All jokes aside, as a huge fan of all things FNM, and Mike Patton in general (hell, Disco Volante is my favorite album of all time), I got a real kick out of the random song title drops. 🙂
Happy that someone enjoyed it. Also a huge fan, but I’ve only seen them open for GNR and Metallica in 1992. For some reason, that’s the last time they played in Minneapolis. I even joked to a friend that I can’t wait for Faith No More to skip the Twin Cities again in 2027. We’re talking about doing a road trip if the Twin Cities don’t make the cut.
FNM are playing again? That came From out of Nowhere!
Upon reading the review further, I see that you had already done that one. My apologies. I’m falling to pieces with embarrassment.
Lol,
I see what you did there!