Want more wrestling news, rumors, and results? Be sure to visit PWInsider.com and PWInsiderXtra.com.
Welcome to PWInsider.com's WWE NXT coverage.
I apologize for this not being our usual live, ongoing report but I had a root canal today and well, I'm not at 100% so I figured it best to just post the coverage after.
I am covering for Richard Trionfo this week. See you soon Rich!
They are at the WWE PC in Orlando. Booker T and Vic Joseph are on the call.
They showed AAA Cruiserweight Champipn Rey Fenix, EK Prosper, WWE NXT Champion Tony D’Angelo, WWE NXT Women's Champion Kendal Grey, and Wren Sinclair arriving.
Dion Lennox vs. Saquon Shugars - Weaponized Steel Cage Match.
They exchanged strikes at the bell, with Shugars initially taking control after beating Lennox down with a steel chair. Lennox quickly turned the tables by hurling Shugars into the cage mesh multiple times, stripping off Saquon’s belt to whip him, and planting him onto a steel chair with a powerbomb. Lennox maintained a methodical assault until Shugars trapped him under a trash can, battered the container with a lid, and connected with a diving missile dropkick for a near-fall. After Shugars targeted Lennox’s lower back with chair strikes, Lennox cut off the momentum with a throat shot and body-slammed Shugars onto two stacked steel chairs.
Shugars regained control by repeatedly tossing Lennox into the cage steel, landing a diving crossbody off a backdrop counter, and whipping Lennox throat-first into a wedged kendo stick for a two-count. Lennox responded by tripping Shugars off the top turnbuckle onto a chair and executing a spinebuster through a trash can. Lennox then tried using kendo sticks to trap a chair against the cage, but the delay allowed Shugars to recover and swing back with a baseball bat. Lennox answered with a chair shot to Shugars' knee, hung him in a tree of woe for a kneecap strike, and locked in a bat-assisted Deathlock, which Shugars broke using a trash lid. Lennox set up a table to rally the crowd, but Shugars slammed Lennox’s face into a high-mounted lid. Shugars then positioned Lennox on the table beneath a trash can; despite the table collapsing early, Shugars scaled the top of the cage and delivered a splash from the top for the pinfall
Blake Howard attempted to interview NXT Champion Tony D’Angelo about his momentum, but Tony interrupted to declare himself the only Grand Slam Champion in NXT history. He pointed out that Oba Femi wants fans to forget Tony beat him first, while also highlighting threats from Grayson Waller, Cruz Montana, and Zilla Fatu. Tony said that after winning the title in a multi-man match, he is fully prepared to defend it against three men at once Sunday at Heatwave.
Sarah Schreiber was at a bowling alley with Vanity Project. Brad Baylor and Ricky Smokes called out Myles Borne and Tavion Heights as fake friends, while Jackson Drake and Myka Lockwood bowled. The group declared their intention to sweep all the championship gold at Heatwave before forcing Schreiber into their signature team pose.
Nattie Neidhart called out Jaida Parker, claiming she saw star potential in Jaida but saw her lose focus. Nattie argued that beating Jaida forced her to evolve, meaning Jaida now earned the ultimate prize: jher full focus. Jaida Parker entered and said she doesn't need validation, and accused Nattie of trying to tear down a rising star out of insecurity. Nattie challenged Jaida to a Submission Match at Heatwave. Jaida accepted.
Keanu Carver vs. Kam Hendrix
Carver tossed Kam around early and caught him with a stiff flying crossbody, but Kam turned the tide by sending Keanu’s throat across the top rope. Kam followed up with a clothesline for a near fall and a single-leg dropkick for a one-count. Keanu shrugged off Kam’s punches and rallied with a series of right hands. Carver hit Kam with a German suplex before following it up with a Pounce. Kam resorted to raking Keanu in the eyes, and while the referee was checking on Carver, Mason Rook hit Kam with a running crossbody. Rook tossed Kam back into the ring. Carver finished him off with a Perfectplex for the pin.
Your winner, Keanu Carver!
Kelani Jordan cut a promo. People love to discuss their journey to the top, but she didn’t have to take the traditional route because she was naturally gifted. Oba Femi, Kendal Grey, and Lola Vice have been successful crossover athletes but she did it faster than all of them. She was relevant after just eight months. She didn't need to go anywhere else to relevant. She won the TNA and North American titles the first chance she had to fight for them, and now she plans to win the NXT title the first time she faces Kendal Grey.
Zilla Fatu claimed he would win the NXT title on Sunday and that his debut got 25 million views.
NXT Women’s North American Champion Zaria vs. Kali Armstrong
This is non-title.
Zaria took Kali down with a chop and body slam, but Kali avoided an elbow drop and talked some trash. Wren Sinclair watched the match from a monitor backstage as Kali challenged Zaria to a test of strength. Zaria won the exchange and followed with a headbutt, pump kick, and boulder toss before backdropping Kali. Kali fought back with a series of jabs, then dumped Zaria to ringside and hit her with a diving crossbody. When they returned from a commercial, they were each battling to their feet and exchanged strikes. Zaria nailed a headbutt. Kali hit a powerbomb for a near fall. Zaria recovered and fired back with a pump kick and discus lariat for a near fall. The two traded gutwrench attempts before Zaria finally caught Kali with a German suplex. Kali avoided a spear and planted Zaria with a body slam. Kali countered an F5 into a Victory Roll and scored a pinfall, upsetting the champ.
Your winner, Kali Armstrong!
The win means Armstrong has been added to Zaria vs. Wren Sinclair this Sunday at Heatwave.
Birthright vs. Sean Legacy & Noam Dar & Dorian Van Dux & Romeo Moreno
Birthright used quick tags to cut the ring in half on Van Dux early. Moreno and Uriah Connors traded hard chops. Arianna Gace distracted Van Dux and Legacy, allowing Birthright to dump both men to ringside. Birth Right again cut off the ring in half on Moreno. Moreno eventually fought his way out of the corner and made the hot tag to Van Dux. I can't tell you how many times I have almost types Van Dam. He cleaned house and hit a dive to the floor. He then hit Stacks with a Frog Splash. Legacy nailed a top rope 450 splash. Birthright dove in to break up the pinfall attempt. Dar and Dempsey traded forearms. Dar nailed a series of kicks and an armbar submission. Connors nailed a swanton. Everyone hit a series of big moves. Legacy hit a dive to the outside. Dempsey drilled Dar and scored the pin.
Your winners, Birthright!
Grayson Waller arrived at the Performance Center wearing a shirt mocking Zilla Fatu during the eight man.
WWE NXT GM Robert Stone told the referees to be ready for the Summit. He was feeling the stress of the pressure.
Shiloh Hill wanted a match with Naraku and Stone agreed.
AAA Cruiserweight Champion Rey Fenix vs. EK Prosper
Both men traded rapid-fire pin attempts and counters in the opening moments, with neither able to gain the advantage. Fenix quickly shifted gears by reversing an armdrag and nailed a series of loud chops. Fenix followed with his signature tightrope springboard armdrag, only for EK to shut down a slingshot attempt with a dropkick. EK then headed to the top and caught Fenix with a Triangle Moonsault just before the break. After a commercial break, they exchanged forearm strikes. EK followed up and scored a near fall, only for Fenix to answer with an impressive tightrope PK and a High Fly Flow for another near fall. Fenix nailed a big Frog Splash for two, but EK countered a cutter into a German Suplex. Fenix blasted EK with a Lethal Injection, leaving both men down. Fenix caught EK with a knee strike. EK answered with a Frankensteiner. Fenix dodged a high moonsault and caught EK with another knee in the corner before drilling him with a Superkick. He nailed a series of movies and scored the pin.
Your winner and still AAA Cruiserweight Champion, Rey Fenix!
The show closed with the NXT Heatwave Summit.
WWE NXT Women's Champion Kendal Grey was out first. Kendal pointed out that Kelani talked about how quickly she picks things up, but Kendal did the same. She reminded everyone that she was virtually unknown last year in WWE EVOLVE, and now she’s a former EVOLVE Champion, an Iron Survivor, and the reigning NXT Women’s Champion. She declared herself the benchmark of NXT. Kendal said she didn’t have to make her first title defense against a future Hall of Famer, but she did. She didn’t have to compete in an Underground match, but she did. She could have taken time off after suffering an ear injury, but she kept going. Now, she said, it’s time for Kelani to put her money where her mouth is. The target is on Kendal’s back, and Kelani better not miss.
Kelani Jordan made her entrance and told Kendal to listen to her with her good ear. Kelani said she was the one who put the target on Kendal’s back, and it will only take one shot to hit it. She promised to take the NXT Women’s Championship and put Kendal back on the bench..
Wren Sinclair said they were going to wrestle in her home State of Texas, and would unify the Speed and North American titles. North American Champ Zaria interrupted and said she was determined to erase every bad memory the Speed Championship had ever given her. Kali Armstrong then arrived and bragged about beating both Wren and Zaria back to back but out came Grayson Waller.
Waller said the women in the ring were nice to look at but difficult to listen to. He joked that he enjoyed seeing the “10% of NXT” all in the ring, but said it was his time now. He said the women used to be the highlight of the show, but now he is back. Waller sarcastically wished the women luck at Heatwave before claiming that nobody would be talking about them or the “stunt-show AAA guys.” Instead, he said everyone would be talking about Waller conquering his demons and becoming the new NXT Champion.
WWE NXT Champion Tony D’Angelo came out and said Waller might have returned to reinvent himself, but he didn’t care whether this was Waller 2.0, 3.0, 4.0, or 5.0. In Tony’s eyes, Waller would always do the same thing he’s always done: disappoint and lose. Cruz Montana then appeared in the crowd and got everyone fired up. Montana admitted that he knew NXT was dysfunctional, but after seeing everything unfold, he now realized what it was really like to be in the thick of it, and he liked it. Montana said the difference between him and everyone else was simple: they came to talk, while he came to throw hands.
A massive brawl broke out.
Zilla Fatu hit the ring and dove on everyone.
That's it for this week.
If you enjoy PWInsider.com you can check out the AD-FREE PWInsider Elite section, which features exclusive audio updates, news, our critically acclaimed podcasts, interviews and more by clicking here!
Bang On Casino
