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Welcome to PWInsider’s coverage of WWE NXT on The CW Network in the U.S. and on Netflix here in Canada and around the globe. Thanks to Mike Johnson for filling in for me last week!
The show opens right away with a serious narrated promo for tonight’s main event, Cruz Montana versus DarkState leader Dion Lennox. The match was put over as a clash of personalities and upbringings. They cut briefly to Cruz and Dion each arriving at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, FL, then we’re inside the arena, and Tony D’Angelo is on his way to the ring with something to say. Vic Joseph and Booker T are on the call.
The crowd is yelling “Tony! Tony!” and Tony quickly tells NXT Champion Grayson Waller to get his ass to the ring; Tony is man enough to speak to his face. Waller’s music hits immediately, and the champ saunters to the ring.
Grayson reminds the NXT audience that he and Tony entered WWE right around the same time. They’ve teamed together and had similar career arcs, but they’ve never really faced off. Grayson said he looks forward to taking out Tony. Tony says Waller always resented him. Waller said he’s right. Tony was chosen, but it took Grayson longer to get the spotlight he deserves.
Tony says Waller still hides behind one-liners and memes because he’s desperate for attention. “You’re just a troll!”
Waller said it’s called having a personality, but Tony left his personality in the fedora he used to wear.
The two went back and forth, comparing career arcs and jabbing at each other. Waller said the NXT title means something again because he has it. Finally, Tony snaps and starts yelling at Waller, saying he’ll drag Waller through hell at Halloween Havoc.
We cut to the women’s locker room earlier in the day, where Izzi Dame is upset because apparently Zaria packed up decorations Dame had set up at Zaria’s locker space. Skylar Rae and Layla Diggs ask Dame why she won’t simply leave Zaria alone. They assume it’s about the North American title. Dame says it’s not that simple. Diggs and Dame go back and forth, and we learn that they’ll have a match later that night.
Vic Joseph begins to tell us what is in store for NXT tonight when suddenly BirthRight cuts in with a promo from outside the building. They say they’re going to win tonight in the Dusty Tag Team Classic.
Match #1: Dusty Rhodes Tag Classic: Birthright’s Charlie Dempsey and Lexis King vs. AAA Tag Team Champions El Hijo de Dr. Wagner Jr. & Galeno
Joseph notes that Channing “Stacks” Lorenzo was injured on a Canadian tour over the weekend and is not cleared to compete, which is why he’s been replaced by his BirthRight stablemate Lexis King.
Dempsey and Wagner start the match. It’s a technical fight at first. They’re trying to take each other down. This seems like Dempsey’s specialty, but they’re evenly matched. They each make tags. We see Hank and Tank backstage getting ready for their match later tonight.
The other members of BirthRight get involved outside the ring. Ariana Grace distracts the referee, so Wagner leaps over the ref and nails a senton on King, Dempsey, and Uriah Connors on the outside.
After a break, Dempsey has Wagner in an arm bar. He’s methodically wearing him down. The crowd is split between the two. They start punching and slapping. Both men tag.
Galeno comes in hot and is clotheslining both opponents. He slams King and then splashes him in the middle for a 2-count. All four are in and out of the ring, fighting. I won’t try to recount all this - it’s wild. They’re all working really hard in an even tag match. For whatever it means in 2026, the crowd is yelling, “This is awesome.”
Suddenly Zilla Fatu makes his way to the ring to balance out BirthRight’s several-person advantage.
Wagner with a Michinoku driver on King. Galeno with a frog splash on King for the 3-count.
Your winners and heading to the semi-finals of the Dusty Classic, El Hijo de Dr. Wagner Jr. & Galeno.
Fatu is in the ring smashing everyone in BirthRight. He tears his shirt and shows that despite his injured hand, he’s ready to face them.
Backstage, DarkState is watching Cruz’s promo from last week. Dion says he’s going to take Cruz back to his dark place, and he leads the other DarkState members away to plan for the main event.
Tavion Heights is shown walking backstage. He’s heading to the ring.
We see a promo for Kam Hendrix. He’s on a football field, catching balls. He says he’s the future of NXT. Then he blindfolds himself using a shirt and catches another ball. (I don’t remember Mr. Perfect catching a ball blindfolded.)
Tavion Heights walks to the ring. He says he was stabbed in the back by Myles Borne. He says he knew Borne would lose the NXT Championship #1 Contender’s Match. Heights tells Borne that he hasn’t even been a problem for Borne yet. He calls Borne a “backstabbing bum-ass bitch” and says he will soon be a problem for Borne. Suddenly, Borne attacks Heights from behind. They fight out into the parking lot, really laying in some shots.
We cut to The Vanity Project walking backstage when Chantel Monroe stops them. She asks if they watched her video earlier. Ricky Smokes cuts Jackson Drake off from responding and says he loves the video. Myka Lockwood cuts this off and says they need to go. The Vanity Project walk into general manager Robert Stone’s office.
Stone asks about the altercation with Mini Vikingo, Chazz "Starboy" Hall and EK Prosper. He said he was going to book a six-man tag between the six of them tonight, but Mini Vikingo hasn’t been cleared to compete.
Vanity Project starts to celebrate and wonder what they’ll do instead of wrestling tonight. Stone suggests Drake not celebrate too early. He has a match next week, defending his NXT North American Championship against EK Prosper. Drake doesn’t look impressed.
Match #2: Layla Diggs versus Izzi Dame
They grapple to start. Dame throws Diggs into the turnbuckles, her recently healed shoulder first.
Diggs is showing off some acrobatic moves but also selling her shoulder. Diggs hits a frog splash for a 2-count. Dame with a quick crucifix pin attempt. Dame and Diggs are trading fists and forearms. Dame with a backbreaker and sort of inverted suplex for a 2-count. Diggs counters a powerbomb. Dame with a big boot. She goes to the second rope and jumps, but Diggs with a kick that doesn’t quite hit.
Dame rolls out of the way of a moonsault attempt. She hits Diggs with a knee to the jaw for the pin.
Your winner, Izzi Dame!
Izzi starts to celebrate, but Zaria’s music hits.
NXT North American Champion Zaria comes to the ring and says she doesn’t know why Dame keeps drawing attention to Zaria’s past, but she doesn’t need to do that to get a title shot. Zaria says she is done with Dame’s mind games and will grant her a title match at Halloween Havoc.
Dame says she’ll gladly accept the match, but she doesn’t need it to be a title match. She leaves a confused Zaria in the ring.
Match #3: Dusty Rhodes Tag Classic Quarterfinals: The Creeds vs. Hank & Tank
Really hard-hitting, fast match from the start, including some creative tag offence from both teams.
Eventually, the Creeds isolate Tank. They tag in and out, punishing Tank and preventing him from tagging. Punching, kicking, submissions, slams. Tank finally fights back and nearly makes a tag before Julius dropkicks him to the floor. The Creeds are in full control.
Literally as soon as I done that sentence, Tank made the hot tag to Hank, who came in hot, taking out both Creeds.
It’s absolute chaos. Finally, Hank and Tank have the advantage. The ref is busy with Julius Creed and doesn’t see Hank and Tank double-team Brutus: Tank held Julius up for a powerslam, and Hank hit Julius from behind before the slam.
Your winners, Hank and Tank!
The Dusty Quarterfinals are official:
*Vanity Project vs Noam Dar & Romeo Moreno
*AAA Tag Team Champions El Hijo de Dr. Wagner Jr. and Galeno vs Hank and Tank
Backstage, BirthRight is talking to Robert Stone. They’re all upset about being eliminated from the Dusty Cup. Stone says both of their teams lost; there is nothing more he can do. Dempsey says he at least wants a match with Fatu. Stone said Fatu may not be cleared yet.
Kendal Grey and Wren Sinclair walk by, excited for Wren’s upcoming contract signing and match. Chantel Monroe interrupts to ask if they saw her cute video from earlier. They tell her the video was “... something.”
Sinclair heads for the ring.
Wren skips to the ring, thrilled to be reinstated and heading to a championship match against Kelani Jordan. She switches tones in the ring and cuts a serious promo saying she’ll take Jordan’s title at Halloween Havoc. Jordan interrupts. She congratulates Wren on getting what she wanted and says she has something to show her, a gift for becoming #1 Contender. Jordan goes backstage, and we hear a crash. Jordan drags Grey out from backstage. She’s clearly hurt, with blood on her face. Wren runs to stop Jordan and help Grey.
Backstage, Zilla is in Stone’s office demanding matches against BirthRight. Stone said he understands, but he needs to know what the doctors think, and it’s still unclear. Stone says he’ll find out from the doctors, and if Zilla is cleared, he’ll get his match against Charlie Dempsey.
Fatu says he wants a Halloween Havoc classic: Spin The Wheel, Make The Deal. Stone agrees.
We go to the men’s locker room where Sean Legacy tells Noam Dar, Romeo Moreno, Chazz "Starboy" Hall and EK Prosper that his tag partner Dorian Van Dux is healing from his recent injury and will be back in about 2 months. Starboy says Mini Vikingo will also be back soon.
Legacy looks down the locker room to Saquon Shugars and asks him how he’s doing after his loss last week. Legacy and Shugars start arguing, with Legacy saying Shugars is getting in his own way. EK steps in and says he agrees. Shugars tells Sean to stay out of his business.
Emily Agard is backstage hoping to speak with Cruz Montana. DarkState’s Cutler James and Oriris Griffin walk up, and they enter Cruz’s locker room and start threatening him, asking how his mother is. Cruz attacks them and starts yelling at them until other members of the roster are able to step in.
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