By John Moore, ProWrestling.net Staffer (@liljohnm)
NXT Heatwave
Edinburg, Texas, at Bert Ogden Arena
Streamed live August 30, 2026, on The CW and ESPN Unlimited (Netflix internationally)
A intro video aired with a heatwave and dehydration theme (I liked it better when they were doing Paul Heyman ECW Heatwave themed intros for this PLE). Side note, if you’re watching the show on CW through antenna, the show is actually airing live instead of on Tape Delay like the Tuesday Night show…
Vic Joseph and Booker T were on commentary. Mike Rome was the ring announcer…
Vic Joseph introduced the show and noted that the crowd was still around from the AAA show. Arrival shots were shown of Kelani Jordan, Wren Sinclair and Kendal Grey, Zilla Fatu, Cruz Montana, Granson Waller, and Tony D’Angelo…
Women’s North American Champion Zaria made her entrance. WWE Women’s Speed Champion Wren Sinclair made her entrance. Kali Armstrong made her entrance wearing Lakers silver and purple Sunday colors (Nice change up. I’m biased as a Lakers fan). Vic reminded viewers that there wasn’t going to be a Speed Match time limit for this match…
1. Zaria vs. Wren Sinclair vs. Kali Armstrong in a Title Unification Match for the NXT Women’s North American Championship and WWE Women’s Speed Championship. All three traded rapid pin attempts. Zara took down both opponents with suplexes and then with running strikes. Kali took out Wren with a pop up punch. Kali rallied with Road Dogg style punches. Wren tripped up Kali and dragged her to ringside. Kali hit Zaria with a high speed shoulder tackle. Kali tried to do the same to Wren, but Wren dodged, sending herself into the steel steps heading into Picture-in-Picture break.[c]
Back from break, Wren hit Zaria with a Butterfly Superplex. Kali gave Wren a Spinebuster for a nearfall. Wren dodged Kali and got a two count off Zaria with a backslide. Wren dropkicked Kali to cause her to hit Zaria with a DDT. Wren hit Zaria and Kali with a cross body block for a nearfall on Zaria. Zaria escaped a final WrenCh and hit Wren with a Discus clothesline. Zaria dumped Kali into the corner. Wren went for a Sleeper, but Zaria escaped by using Wren to hit Kali with a Backpack Cannonball.
All three women traded hands and heads in the center of the ring. Kali scooped up Zaria for a power bomb for a nearfall. Wren rolled up Kali for a two count. Wren got another two count after an inside cradle. Zaria hit Wren and Kali with a double Spear. Kali broke up Wren’s rollup with a Kali Connection. Kali hit Zaria with a Power Slam. Kali reversed Zaria’s F5 attempt with a rollup for a nearfall.
Wren hit Zaria with an X Factor and put in the Final Wren-ch. Kali dragged Wren away to break the hold. Wren went for a dive at ringside, but Kali hit her with a Power Slam at ringside. Zaria caught Kali entering the ring with a Spear and F5 for the pinfall win.
Zaria defeated Kali Armstrong and Wren Sinclair via pinfall in 11:46 to unify the NXT Women’s North American and WWE Women’s Speed Championships.
John’s Thoughts: I’m curious as to why they shoehorned Kali Armstrong in this match when the ultimate result of them hurting Kali even more by having her eat a clean pin to the champ? Wren and Zaria are two talented veterans and probably could have put on a better match if this was one-on-one. I don’t see any reason to protect Wren as she’s the plucky underdog type that can shrug off losses. Soooooo, the Women’s Speed title is gone right? Time to burn the Men’s Speed title too?
Sarah Schreiber interviewed Cruz Montana. Cruz said he’s a poor Puerto Rican kid from the New York City projects, with a dream. He said you can watch him work and the NXT Title is his for the taking. Cruz said he thrives with his back against the wall. He said what separates him from his opponents is he’s willing to go to hell and back. Cruz said his title win won’t just be for himself, but to also show those that said he couldn’t do it, that he can…
Separate shots of Vanity Project and NQCC were shown as they were warming up backstage…[c]
Still shots of Kelani Jordan, Bron Breakker, Roxanne Perez, and Trick Williams were shown as they highlighted past Heatwave shows…
Smokes, Baylor and Myka Lockwood made their entrance. Tavion Heights and Myles Borne made their separate entrances. Heights is back to his Afro hair look (The afro is fine enough, but was was a fan of him shaking things up with the dreadlock look. Vic reminded viewers that Myles Borne is doing double duty tonight (essentially wrestling all three male members of Vanity Project…
2. Tavion Heights and NXT North American Champion Myles Borne vs. “The Vanity Project” Brad Baylor and Ricky Smokes (w/Myka Lockwood). Baylor rolled up Borne for a nearfall. Borne hit Baylor with a dropkick. Tavion tagged in and tossed around Smokes. Baylor and smokes called for a time out. [c]
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