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Good evening, folks, and welcome to PWInsider’s coverage of NXT live on this Wednesday evening. NXT is broadcast on The CW in the U.S. and on Netflix here in Eastern Canada and around the globe.
In the opening seconds, we watch John Cena, Cody Rhodes, Kelani Jordan, Grayson Waller, and more arrive to the arena in Orlando as Vic Joseph calls this “the biggest NXT of all time.” We see CM Punk sitting and chatting with Shawn Michaels.
We’re then shown a recap of NXT Halloween Havoc from this past Saturday.
Live in the arena, the crowd is fired up. Dragon Lee’s music hits, and we’re kicking things off with a tag match. Vic Joseph and Booker T are on the call.
Match #1: Dragon Lee & Chad Gable & AAA World Cruiserweight Champion Rey Fenix vs The Vanity Project (NXT North American Champion Jackson Drake & NXT Tag Team Champions Ricky Smokes & Brad Baylor)
The match starts hot with Gable and Drake trading headlocks, arm drags, and takeovers before it devolves into trading fists. Within minutes, everyone is in the ring to face off. Dragon Lee goes for a dive to the outside but is stopped; however, Rey Fenix dives onto their opponents.
After the chaos, Vanity Project is sent to the floor, and the faces stand tall in the ring.
Back in the ring, Dragon Lee tags in and begins punishing Drake with submission holds. Drake is finally able to tag in Baylor, and soon Fenix is in. Lots of tags and lots of bending the rules in this six-man as guys are in and out of the ring.
As Baylor lies in the ring, the faces each climb a different corner to dive onto him, but the rest of Vanity Project stops them. Drake with an innovative flipping stomp onto Gable’s chest.
In the corner of the screen, we’re shown Cruz Montana and UFC’s Michael Chandler chatting backstage as Joseph and Booker mention that Chandler will referee Cruz’s unsanctioned match with Dion Lennox later tonight.
Gable has been in the ring for a while, struggling to hold on against Vanity Project. His title loss from RAW is mentioned, along with the fact that he’s not wrestling fully healthy.
Gable with a top-rope belly-to-belly on Baylor before he tags in Fenix.
Fenix lays waste to everyone before hitting a moonsault on Baylor for a 2-count. The crowd with a AAA chant.
It’s chaos again as everyone is in. Gable with a double-German suplex on two men.
Dragon Lee hits Baylor with a double-stomp in the corner before all six guys are back in the ring.
Gable and Fenix lock submissions onto members of Vanity Project while Dragon Lee hits his finisher on Baylor in the centre of the ring to score the pin.
Your winners, Chad Gable, Rey Fenix, and Dragon Lee!
NXT Women’s Champion Kelani Jordan is shown walking backstage. She’s up next to defend her title against a mystery opponent.
After a break, Shiloh Hill is backstage chatting with CM Punk about the various mist issues Hill has dealt with during his feud with Naraku. Hill then challenges Punk should he defeat Waller in the main event tonight. Waller shows up with the NXT Men’s Championship and reminds Hill that he’s the one to challenge.
Kelani Jordan enters the arena to defend her NXT Women’s Championship. She watches the entrance to learn who her opponent will be. Paige’s music hits, and the first-ever NXT Women’s Champion walks out. Joseph and Booker are stunned that Paige is here, so they must not have read PWInsiderElite.com earlier today when Mike Johnson reported Paige was in Orlando.
Match #2: WWE NXT Women's Champion Kelani Jordan vs. Paige
As the match gets underway with Jordan taking the early advantage, Joseph notes that Paige won the NXT Women’s Championship in 2013 and relinquished it when she went to the main roster. She never actually lost it.
This is an aggressive, physical match. Outside the ring, Paige is punishing Jordan and taking in the adoration of the NXT crowd. Paige is back in the ring and goes for a baseball slide, but Jordan stops her and the momentum swings.
Jordan is stomping Paige in the corner. Paige fights back, but eventually Jordan has Paige in a chinlock mid-ring. Jordan with kicks to Paige. She misses a running clothesline but then both women hit clotheslines and they’re down mid-ring.
Hank & Tank are shown backstage getting ready for their Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic finals match later tonight.
Jordan and Paige are trading forearms and fists. Jordan goes for a kick, but Paige flips her over and begins hitting Jordan with suplexes and a neckbreaker. She goes for a pin, but Kelani out at 2.
Paige avoids a 450 and then hits the Rampage on Kelani, but Jordan kicks out at 2. Paige can’t believe it. They trade roll-up attempts and Kelani locks in a crossface. She’s been targeting Paige’s neck throughout the match. Jordan hits a DDT and drags Paige to the corner. She goes for a moonsault, but Paige gets her knees up. Paige goes for the Rampage, but Jordan avoids it and locks in a tight roll-up for the pin.
Your winner, and still NXT Women’s Champion, Kelani Jordan!
In a locker room, Wren Sinclair and Kendal Grey are chatting while Kali Armstrong and Lizzy Rain are in the background. Sol Ruca shows up. Sol tells Grey and Wren that Zaria wants to meet with her. Suddenly, Izzi Dame wanders up and tells Sol that she’s the one who messaged her to meet. She insults all the other women in the locker room. Wren challenges Izzi, but Izzi she walks away.
We see Cody Rhodes walking to the ring to watch the finals of the Dusty Tag Classic. Rhodes will present The Dusty Cup to the winning team.
After a break, we see that the Dusty Tag Classic finalists, Noam Dar & Romeo Moreno and Hank & Tank are already in the ring. Neither got a proper entrance on TV. Cody Rhodes, however, does. He walks out, shakes hands with the teams and then with Booker and Joseph. Cody will be on commentary for this match.
We go to the big entrances for the Dusty Tag Classic.
Match #3: Dusty Rhodes Tag Classic Final: Noam Dar & Romeo Moreno vs. Hank & Tank
Tank and Moreno start. Lots of fast action. Moreno with a big dropkick. Tank with a big flying elbow before he tags in Hank.
CM Punk is shown backstage getting ready for the main event.
Lots of tags and fast-paced action early in this match. Hank & Tank collide mid-ring after their opponents avoid their offense, but it only seems to fire them up the big men.
Dar and Romeo each lock submissions onto Hank and Tank, who turn them into a powerbomb and a suplex. Soon, all four are trading fists in the ring. Hank & Tank each hit suplexes on Dar and Romeo.
Outside the ring, Hank and Tank are in control. They lay Dar across the announce table, and Hank and Tank hit a big headbutt to Dar’s chest.
Hank & Tank continue the powerful offense, slowing the match down a bit. Dar is trying to tag but can’t make it. Finally, Romeo is in with a hot tag. Romeo is laying out Hank & Tank with tons of high-flying moves that I simply can’t type fast enough to capture.
Dar and Romeo have the momentum, but it’s short-lived as Hank slams Romeo on the announce table. In the ring, Hank and Tank with successive frog splashes onto Dar. He manages to kick out just before 3.
Hank and Tank go for another tag move, but Romeo from the floor grabs Tank’s ankle, stopping him. Then Dar locks an ankle lock on Hank, and after a teased submission finish, Hank escapes.
Hank hits a Bossman Slam on Dar, and Tank scoops him up for a powerslam. Hank’s leg gives out, and Romeo comes in to break up their tag move attempt.
Romeo and Dar each hit Cross Rhodes on Hank & Tank. They hit their finisher, and we have our Dusty Cup winners.
Your winners, and the 2026 Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic winners, Noam Dar and Romeo Romeno!
Rhodes meets Dar and Romeo outside the ring at the Dusty Cup and congratulates them. He says not only are they going home with the Cup, but Robert Stone has confirmed that they will receive a title shot against the NXT Tag Team Champions, Vanity Project, next week.
We see Cruz Montana and Dion Lennox walking backstage, heading to the ring for their match.
After a break, the UFC’s Michael Chandler is in the ring. This is an unsanctioned match, so he’s just there to determine the winner.
Match #4: Unsanctioned Match: Cruz Montana vs. Dion Lennox with UFC's Michael Chandler as special guest enforcer
As Dion is walking to the ring, Cruz runs out and attacks him. The crowd is soon chanting “946” after Cruz joined the group on RAW last night.
It’s a hard-fought match, with Cruz and Dion punishing each other. After dropping Dion back-first on the ring apron, Cruz drags a table from under the ring. He tries to power bomb Dion onto the table, but Dion blocks it. Dion throws Cruz into rows of steel chairs and then piles the chairs up. Before he can do anything, Cruz suplexes Dion through a wooden wall.
Cruz pulls back the floor mats to expose the concrete floor. He wants to powerbomb Dion off the steps onto the floor, but Dion blocks it and yanks Cruz off his feet so he lands back-first on the ring steps first.
Back in the ring, Dion wants to use handcuffs to lock Cruz to the ring. Chandler tries to stop him, and Dion shoves him down. Then Cruz attacks Dion, and they go back and forth, trading blows and holds.
As Cruz is punishing Dion, the rest of DarkState suddenly appears, attacking Cruz.
Then the lights go out … and when they’re back, the 946 is in the arena. They make quick work of DarkState, then Cruz powerbombs Dion through the table he set up earlier. He tosses Dion back in the ring and hits his spinning clothesline finisher for the pin.
Your winner, Cruz Montana.
The rest of 946 enter the ring. They all pose together.
Backstage, John Cena is making his way to the ring.
After a break, Cena’s music hits, and he’s on his way to the ring. (I can’t help but notice he’s wearing cargo shorts and not jorts.)
Cena says NXT is passion; it’s creativity. It means potential and opportunity. He says the latest invitee to the John Cena Classic is … Zilla Fatu’s music hits. Fatu walks to the ring.
Cena tells Zilla that he feels like an honorary Samoan at times. He references facing off with Rikishi, The Rock, Roman Reigns, Solo Sikoa, and others. “Also, I absolutely loved your dad (Umaga).” This makes Zilla emotional. Cena says he’s honoured to invite Zilla into the John Cena Classic.
Fatu thanks Cena. He says he’s blessed to receive this opportunity. He says on Dec. 14 on Monday Night RAW, at the John Cena Classic, he’s “coming for everything.”
Up next, the weekly NXT Focus shows us Tony D’Angelo. He’s standing somewhere outside, but he doesn’t say anything and doesn’t look at the camera.
Back in the arena, John Cena runs into Kam Hendrix backstage. Kam tells him it’s nice to meet “G.O.A.T. to G.O.A.T.” He asks Cena who his opponent will be at the John Cena Classic. Cena tells Kam that he should instead be focused on his opponent for next week, EK Prosper.
In the arena, Grayson Waller’s music hits and the champion is on his way to the ring.
Match #5: WWE NXT Champion Grayson Waller vs. CM Punk.
They lock up. Soon, it’s a back-and-forth battle. Punk sends Waller to the outside, and Waller attacks with a shot to Punk’s face that rocks him. Back in the ring, Waller locks in a headlock. Punk escapes, but Waller with a shoulder block. Punk then with a knee and kick to Waller’s gut. Waller clotheslines Punk over the top rope.
As Waller tries to slide outside the ring, Punk traps him in the ring apron, and he’s kicking and punching Waller, Fit Finlay-style.
Punk continues to attack Waller’s midsection. Joseph suggests that Waller is hurt and Punk is exploiting the weakness. Punk locks in a reverse bearhug, but Waller escapes with an eye poke.
Waller attacks Punk’s back. Dropkick to Punk’s face. Pin attempt, but he only gets a 2.
Waller with his unique neckbreaker over the turnbuckle cable. He then sends Punk headfirst into the ring post. Waller smashes Punk’s face on the announce table.
Backstage, we see Vanity Project arguing with Robert Stone.
Waller continues to dominate Punk. Punk tries for a GTS, but Waller hits a spinning forearm to Punk’s face, stopping any chance of the momentum shifting.
Waller is toying with Punk, kicking him in the middle of the ring. That angers Punk, and he fights his way back. They trade suplex attempts, and finally Punk hits it.
Waller lands rapid knee strikes to Punk’s head. He tries for a piledriver on the apron, but Punk counters with a back body drop. Punk dives through the ropes onto Waller. He hits a high cross body from the top rope for a 2-count.
Punk is just punching Waller in the face over and over. Waller counters with a neckbreaker. Punk with a knee in the corner and a clothesline. He goes to the top and hits the Macho Man elbow. Punk with a superplex on Waller. He signals the GTS. Suddenly, Kevin Owens - who Punk will face on Friday’s Smackdown - appears ringside, distracting Punk. Waller rolls Punk up for the win.
Your winner, and still NXT Men’s Champion, Grayson Waller!
Grayson celebrates outside the ring as Punk is distraught inside the ring. Owens leaves through the crowd, and we go to credits.
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