Let them cook!

As NXT prepares for Heatwave this Sunday, Dion Lennox and Saquon Shugars settle things in a WEAPONIZED STEEL CAGE!

OFFICIAL RESULTS

• Weaponized Steel Cage: Dion Lennox VS Saquon Shugars; Saquon wins.
• Keanu Carver VS Kam Hendrix; Keanu wins.
• Championship Stakes: ZARIA VS Kali Armstrong; Kali wins and joins the Women’s Speed & North American Championship Unification Match.
• 8 Man Tag: BirthRight VS Noam Dar, Romeo Moreno, Sean Legacy & Dorian Van Dux; BirthRight wins.
• AAA Cruiserweight Championship: Rey Fenix VS EK Prosper; Fenix wins and retains the title.

PLAY BY PLAY

Weaponized Steel Cage: Dion Lennox VS Saquon Shugars!

It used to be that when DarkState strikes, ain’t nobody safe! But then, it seems that applied even to the members of DarkState itself. Dion wanted to be the alpha so badly that he couldn’t let The Sugar Man get ahead of him, so he had to be taken out! They’ve gone back and forth, and it all culminates with this! The cage awaits, decorated with danger, but who survives this final chapter?

The moment Saquon is in the ring, Dion chucks a trash can at him! Saquon dodges, the bell rings, and the brawl is on! The fans fire up as Saquon gets the edge with haymakers, but Dion kicks low. Dion goes for steel but Saquon blocks that. Saquon trips Dion, has the legs, but Dion kicks free. Dion hurries to his feet, but Saquon goes up and over to then CHOP! The fans fire up for Saquon and he DECKS Dion! Saquon looks around, storms up on Dion, but Dion fires shots to the leg! Dion gets a chair and JAMS Saquon up! And SMACKS him on the back! The fans boo but Dion stalks Saquon to SMACK him on the back! Cover, TWO!

The fans rally for Saquon but Dion RIPS Saquon’s shirt away. Dion THROWS Saquon into the steel! Then into more steel! Then into the steel again! Saquon scrapes down the steel, Dion digs his boots in, and Dion talks trash. Dion backs off to let Saquon flounder, then he takes Saquon’s own belt! The fans boo as Dion winds up and LASHES Saquon! Saquon flails and staggers, but Dion LASHES him again! And then BELT STRAP PUNCHES Saquon down! Cover, TWO! Saquon toughs it out but Dion grabs a chair. Dion wedges the chair into the steel cage itself, then goes for Saquon. Saquon BOOTS back!

Saquon goes to a corner, but Dion blocks the second boot to get under and POEWRBOMB Saquon onto a chair! Saquon writhes, Dion talks trash, and he gets Saquon up again for a scoop SLAM! Cover, TWO! Saquon is tougher than that, but Dion goes for the trash cans. Dion dumps out the kendo sticks, but Saquon also has a can! CAN DOWN LOW! Then Saquon puts Dion in the can, and he SMACKS it with a trash can lid! And again, and again! Saquon goes up the cage, aims, and MISSILE DROPKICKS! Cover, TWO! Dion toughs it out but Saquon goes for the chair. Saquon sits it up, then grabs another chair.

Saquon SMACKS Dion with that chair, then scuffs him. Dion sits up, and Saquon SMACKS him again! The chair is bent up so Saquon uses another chair for his chair pair. Saquon reels Dion in, but Dion suplexes first! Saquon slips free, Saquon kicks, but Dion ducks the enzigiri! Dion reels Saquon in, but Saquon fights the back suplex. Dion shoves Saquon, ROCKS him, then flips a chair to stack it on top of the other! Dion scoops Saquon, and SLAMS him on the chair tower! Saquon writhes from hitting legs and edges, and the fans are losing their minds! Dion snarls while NXT goes picture in picture.

The ref checks on Saquon while Dion rearranges the furniture. Dion still wants the chair wedged up against the steel. Dion goes for Saquon, Saquon slips away, then rolls Dion up! TWO, and Saquon BODY BLOWS, BACKHANDS, then JABS! Saquon whips, Dion reverses, and Saquon runs into the chair on the wall! Dion storms over to Saquon, picks up that chair, and sits it up. Dion then drags Saquon over, puts his head on the seat, and STANDS on Saquon’s head! Dion thrashes around to put on the pressure, then he steps off for Saquon to flounder away. Dion stalks Saquon, but Saquon grabs a kendo stick! Saquon SMACKS, SMACKS, SMACKS, but Dion blocks one!

Dion DECKS Saquon, then THROWS him into a chair! Saquon falls, Dion covers, TWO! Saquon is tougher than all that but Dion stays focused. Dion grabs that kendo stick, shows it off, then SMACKS Saquon! And SMACKS him again! And again! Saquon writhes, Dion clamps on, and Dion CHOKES Saquon with the kendo stick! Saquon sputters while Dion smothers him, but Saquon powers up! Saquon powers the kendo stick away as the fans cheer him on, but then Dion clamps it back down! Saquon fights up again, pushes at the kendo stick, and he THROWS Dion away! NXT returns to single picture as Saquon CLOBBERS Dion through the kendo stick!

Dion staggers back to his feet while the fans rally up. Saquon clinches and THROWS Dion into steel! Then into more steel! And even more steel! Dion flounders around while Saquon fires up! Saquon whips, Dion reverses, but Saquon stops from hitting steel. Saquon comes back, Dion ALLEY-OOPS him, but Saquon lands safe on the corner! Saquon goes up to then FLYING CROSSBODY! The fans fire up for Saquon again as he storms up, but Dion SMACKS him with a kendo stick! The fans boo as Dion then wedges the stick inside a corner. Dion whips, Saquon reverses, the kendo stick JAVELINS Dion in the neck!

Saquon gets Dion up, BACKBREAKER to FLATLINER on the chair! Cover, TWO!! Dion survives that lethal combination, but Saquon snarls as he gets Dion around. The fans chant for the table, but Saquon has an idea first. Saquon climbs a corner, but Dion SMACKS the legs with the kendo stick! Saquon falls and tumbles onto a chair! Dion gets a trash can in place, and SPINEBUSTERS! Cover, TWO!! Saquon survives that trash compactor and the fans fire up again! The fans still want the table, but Dion has double kendo sticks. Dion wedges those into the cage itself, then adds a third! And a chair?! Dion has made a sinister little structure, but SAQUON HAS HIS BAT!

The fans fire up as Saquon SMACKS the chair outta Dion’s hands! Then CRACKS him low, CRACKS him on the back, and JAWBREAKER with the bat!! Dion flounders, grabs a chair, and he CHUCKS it at Saquon’s knees! Then he hoists Saquon up into a Tree of Woe! Dion winds up, and he SMACKS the legs with a chair!! Cover, TWO!! Saquon survives again! Dion is furious, and he grabs Saquon’s own bat! Dion uses the bat as part of a DEATHLOCK!! Saquon endures, reaches out, and finds as trash can lid! Saquon put sit in place to SLAM Dion’s head on the lid! Sauqon is free, but Dion SWEEPS the legs!

Saquon writhes, Dion grabs the table! The fans cheer as Dion sets the table up nearby! Dion drags Saquon around but Saquon slips under the table. Dion gets Saquon on the other side, puts him back on the top rope, then he climbs. But Saquon SMACKS Doin off a trash can lid on the wall! Then Saquon gets up to SUPSER SUSNET FLIP- NO, Dion holds onto the ropes and Saquon’s leg jams! Dion hurries after Saquon, but Saquon JAMS Dion up with the baseball bat! Dion flops onto the table, the table half flops apart, but Saquon hurries to get that table back up. Saquon then puts Dion on the table, and he puts the trash can on Dion!

Saquon SUPERKICKS Dion, and the table gives way! Is that how strong the kick was? Saquon hobbles his way to a corner, climbs up, but Dion gets free of the can. Saquon still goes to the very top of the cage, for a SUPER DUPER CROSSBODY!! Cover, Saquon wins!!

Winner: Saquon Sugars, by pinfall

It was chaotic, but it was sweet, as Saquon finally gets past his past! Will The Sugar Man make sure to get some gold before the year is out?

Backstage interview with Tony D’Angelo.

Blake Howard is with The NXT Champion, and says that as NXT Champion, we’ve seen a fast rise in the Men’s Division with the arrival of three top superstars. Now we’re just five days away from Heatwave, and- Tony stops Blake there, and says before Zilla Fatu and Cruz Montana signed on the dotted line, before and after Grayson Waller’s run in NXT, it has been big PLE after PLE for Tony D. Now, he’s starting to think his opponents have forgotten who they’re stepping in the ring with: The only NXT Grand Slam Champion in history! But they’re only concerned about this title because of what it could do for them.

Perfect example is seeing former champions, Oba Femi and Bron Breakker, battling it out on Raw to see who is the future of the WWE. Now, The Ruler may want you to forget this, but Tony put him down first. Now the prestige of being NXT Champion is what brought Waller back to revive his career. Being the top dog in TNA, Cruz Montana still left that to be NXT Champion. Zilla Fatu chose to carve out his own path instead of going with The Bloodline, so he could be NXT Champion. This Sunday, they have their reasons, Tony has his. But fellas, Tony beat three men to win this title, and he’ll beat three to keep it. See you in Texas.

Tony D storms off, but will he still be The Master of Fate when he gets hit with the Heatwave?

On-location interview with The Vanity Project.

Sarah Schreiber meets with Jackson Drake, Ricky Smokes, Brad Baylor & Myka Lockwood at a bowling alley, and Smokes apologizes for the tardiness. Trying to get Drake outta the house on time is no small task. Oh, so they all live together? Hundos! Brad’s gonna set up the game while they get some seats. Sarah sits with them at the table, and Drake says the chemistry between the group, nothing about that is fake. They know it because they live it, unlike Myles & Tavion. Wow, really? How are they different? Smokes says it’s not even close, and Brad says hell nah!

Brad says Myles & Tavion pretend to be close and think they’re better than everyone else. But in reality, they secretly think they’re each better than the other. Smokes says it is no secret that they don’t train together anymore. They aren’t real friends at all! Drake gets himself a bowling ball as he says they compete to make each other better. In the ring, in the bowling alley, it doesn’t matter, they’re locked in. Drake bows but doesn’t even get five pins… Myka says speaking of, she’ll show you how to get ten. Sure thing, mama. Brad says they sacrificed together, were in the indies together, traveled the road together! They were together from WWE ID to Evolve, and now to NXT.

Myka winds up, and does the two-hand under pass! Well, she doesn’t get a strike but she gets way more than Drake did. Smokes says say what you want, their journey created a bond that made this unit unstoppable. Brad says straight facts, dude. Sarah says that is impressive, it’s almost like a family. Brad says yeah, a true brotherhood. Oh, even Myka? Yeah, she’s a bro. Brad flirts with the cashier girl before she takes her turn. Smokes is the only one who defends Brad, but then Brad takes his turn, and boom, eight! Smokes uses a slope tool? Isn’t that cheating? Drake says they are the greatest faction, with a badass babe to boot!

Sarah says speaking of, how is Myka faring? Smokes says no one is messing with them with “Lock Mama” lurking. Damn right! Time to cash in and win some gold. On Sunday, Swipe Right gets the tag titles back, and Drake is about to be your NEW North American Champion! The VPs will be dripping in gold once again, and the celebration will burn this place to the ground! V’s up! Myka tells Sarah to do it, too! Sarah joins in, but will the “golden prophecy” come true? Or will they fail to go the distance with Myles & Heights?

Natalya is in the ring!

NXT returns to the arena as the Lowkey Legend has a mic in hand. Nattie has a smug smile as she says she came to NXT to fight Jaida Parker. Nattie saw something in Jaida that was so special. Something she hadn’t seen in any woman in a very long time. Jaida looks like a million bucks, speaks like a million bucks, wrestles like a million bucks, and she could knock Nattie on her ass! But then Nattie also saw something else: Wasted potential. See, Jaida has all the tools, but no idea what to do with any of it. Jaida lost a couple matches, got soft, got comfortable, and guess who exposed her? NATTIE!

Jaida, that was the best thing to happen to you, cuz look what you did! You stepped up! Jaida wrestled better, spoke better, and she believed she could run this division! Jaida, Nattie gave you the most valuable asset in all of wrestling: Nattie’s attention! And Jaida, you are a possibility that Nattie made into a reality, so you’re welcome. But here comes Jaida! The fans cheer Miss Parker, and she has a mic to tell Nattie, “Since you came to NXT, you been trying to prove to me and everybody that I’m exactly who you say I am. What’d you say? Waste of potential? Soft? Doesn’t belong here? Don’t sound like it to me.” The fans cheer that!

Jaida tells Nattie that yeah, she did question herself, took losses, but she took them hard, so Nattie is not special! so please, understand that Jaida sees you, and sees straight through you. Yes, Nattie has the legacy and the records, but they know this isn’t out of the goodness of Nattie’s heart! Nattie saw a woman on the come-up and tried to break he! So everyone, thank Nattie, because Nattie reminded Jaida just who the hell she is! The fans cheer that! Jaida says she is NOT one of her little friends, she doesn’t need Nattie’s acceptance, doesn’t want Nattie’s experience, and sure as hell doesn’t want Nattie telling her who the hell she should be!

If anything, Nattie should be thanking Jaida with her ungrateful ass! Cuz when Nattie wants to become the topic of discussion again, she came to the right person. You’re welcome! Oh, there she is! There’s the Jaida that Nattie’s been dying to see! She finally came out! Amazing! Nattie doesn’t want a regular match with Jaida anymore. At Heatwave, Nattie wants a SUBMISSIONS MATCH, B*TCH! Jaida says back up. If that’s what Nattie wants, that’s what she’ll get. She may be the Lowkey Legend, but at Heatwave, Jaida gonna high key wax dat ass! Everybody will chant for “MISS PARKER!” B*TCH! The challenge has been made, but who will tap out in Texas?

Keanu Carver VS Kam Hendrix!

The One Man Demolition Crew was “having a moment” with Robert Stone when Mr. Showtime interrupted. But now Keanu and Kam are about to have a “moment” in the ring, both men fighting to move up the ranks. Will Keanu carve up another opponent? Or will it be all about #LightsKamAction?

The bell rings and the two tie up. Keanu powers Kam to a facelock, then a cradle, TWO! Kam gets loose and Keanu smirks. The two tie up again, Kam headlocks, but Keanu powers up and out, only for Kam to pull hair! The fans boo but Kam headlocks. Keanu powers up and out to RAM Kam! Kam goes back for a clinch but Keanu gets under to BACKDROP! The fans fire up as Keanu then CROSSBODIES Kam down! Kam sputters, Keanu is on him again with a whip, but Kam reverses. Keanu DECKS Kam, and he eggs Kam on. Kam backs away to ropes, drop toeholds, but Keanu stays up! Kam YANKS Keanu into the ropes, then shoves him to the corner!

Kam LARIATS, whips, and LARIATS again! Kam whips corner to corner, runs and rolls, LARIAT! Cover, ONE!! Keanu survives but Kam CHOKES him on the ropes! The ref counts,. Kam backs off to do his pose, then Kam KICKS the ropes! Keanu gets jammed up, but Kam clamps on for a mocking photo op. Keanu fires elbows but Kam clamps on a chinlock. Kam grinds Keanu down but the fans rally up. Keanu rises, Kam CLUBS Keanu, then Kam reels Keanu in. Keanu shoves Kam away, but Kam ducks ‘n’ dodges, SHOWTIME KICK! Cover, ONE?!?! Keanu still has so much in the tank! Kam snarls, he throws hands, but Keanu is getting mad.

Kam mule kicks, but Keanu stands up to ROCK Kam! And ROCK him again! Then a scoop and- NO, Kam slips free! Kam ducks a shot to CHPO Keanu on the back! Kam laughs, but Keanu scowls. Kam is scared now, but Keanu pops him up for a GERMAN SUPLEX! then another GERMAN SUPELX! Kam flounders, Keanu whips him, for the POUNCE!! Kam goes flying and the fans fire up! Keanu hurries to keep Kam from running away, but the ref tries to stop Keanu. Kam pokes Keanu in the eyes! But MASON ROOK CLOBBERS KAM!! The fans fire up as Rook puts Kam in the ring, and Keanu hits the FISHERMAN PLEX! Bridging cover, Keanu wins!

Winner: Keanu Carver, by pinfall

What in the world?! Not so much Rook tanking Kam, he still can’t stand that guy. But Keanu won with a… Perfect Plex?! Will Keanu be unstoppable on his rise to the title scene? Will Rook make sure Kam is always in check?

Kelani Jordan speaks.

“Everybody loves to talk about their journey to WWE. How they transitioned from one sport to another, the time they spent training, fighting just to get on TV. But I didn’t have to do any of that. I was gifted. I’ve been The Standout since I put pen to paper on a WWE contract. Oba Femi, Kendal Grey, Lola Vice, all athletes who have successfully crossed over into WWE, have followed my path. The difference is, I did it faster. Eight months is all I needed. I didn’t need the indies, I didn’t need Evolve, I didn’t need AAA, I didn’t need a famous last name, and I sure as hell didn’t need a group to make me relevant.

“The Standout is the most athletic woman to step foot in a WWE ring. My first shot at the North American Championship, I won that in a ladder match. My first shot at the TNA Knockouts Championship, I won that, too, in hostile territory. You might as well call me One Shot Lani, because when I get my first shot at the NXT Women’s Championship, I’m going to beat Kendal Grey. Because when your name’s Kelani Jordan, you don’t need years to become a star, you just need an opportunity. And nobody does it like Lani.”

Zilla Fatu speaks.

“HELLO! Looks like Heatwave just got a whole lot hotter. Cuz Zilla Fatu went from being the number one free agent to being the #1 contender to the NXT Championship. Now everybody got eyes on me, and that’s exactly how I like it. See this chain? My dad, Umaga, I wear this on my neck, and I carry his legacy with me every day. You see my last name is a blessing and it’s a burden. But when it’s all said and done, you guys are gonna remember my first more than my last. Because I’m not just another nepo-baby, nympho baby, blah blah blah baby, whatever you wanna call it. I’m a grown-ass man who paved his own way to get here.

“And yeah, I get excited when I talk! But i even get more excited when it’s time to throw down! See, I ain’t gonna lie, everywhere I go, drama here, drama there, controversy here, controversy there, because it’s part of the Zilla Fatu Show, belee dat! Getting here was part of the battle. But the chance of me becoming the NXT Champion after my first match? HELLO! You may think I got this title shot for a lot o’ reasons. And to be honest, the answer is simple: I came in and made a legendary splash. Over 25 million- Wait, really? OVER 25 MILLION views on social media, and that was just my debut. Now imagine what I do this Sunday.

“At Heatwave, Fatal 4 Way, Tony D, Cruz Montana, Grayson Waller, it don’t matter to me! They can all get it! And after Sunday when I’m done with ’em, they gonna know why they call me The Main One!”

Championship Stakes: ZARIA VS Kali Armstrong!

Speaking of that Women’s North American Championship, The Agent of Change is looking to take Wren Sinclair’s WWE Women’s Speed Championship and combine it with the belt she already has. The only thing that could screw it up is if The Difference Maker pulls off the upset. Will Zaria keep things even with Wren in Texas? Or will the odds drastic go down soon enough?

The bell rings and the fans rally as the two tie up. They go around, break, then get face to face. Zaria shoves Kali, they tie up, and Kali shoves Zaria! They get face to face again, Kali headlocks, but Zaria powers up. Kali ELBOWS Zaria, headlocks again, but Zaria power sup and out. The fans cheer “Both These Women!” as Kali RAMS Zaria, Zaria RAMS Kali, repeat! The fans rally as they RAM again! Zaria dodges to then RUN Kali over! Zaria then scoops and SLAMS Kali down! The fans fire up with Zaria, but then Kali scoops and SLAMS Zaria! Kali eggs Zaria on, Zaria gets back up, and we see Wren watching backstage.

Kali and Zaria knuckle lock, then go shoulder to shoulder in a Test of Strength! Kali powers up, but Zaria powers her back! Kali bridges, kips up, but Zaria HEADBUTTS! Zaria runs up to ELBOW Kali, then SMACKS her! Zaria then runs side to side to BOOT Kali! Zaria reels Kali in, and BROKEN ARROW! Kali scrambles away, but Zaria runs up to SPLASH in the corner! Zaria whips corner to corner, then BACKDROPS her! The fans fire up again while Zaria stalks Kali. Zaria drags Kali up, suplexes, but Kali slips free! Kali waistlocks, but Zaria ELBOWS free! Zaria whips, Kali goes up an dover, then JABS! JABS! JABS! Kali two steps it out, then DECKS Zaria!

The fans fire up as Kali runs up, and she LARIATS Zaria up and out! Then Kali goes up, up, and away with the SUPER CROSSBODY! The fans fire up as Kali stands tall, and she vows to go to Heatwave while NXT goes picture in picture.

Kali fetches Zaria, SMACKS her off the apron, then SMACKS her off it again! Kali puts Zaria in the ring, storms in after her, and sits her up to rain down ELBOW after ELBOW! Then Kali drops a KNEE! Zaria scrambles away but Kali is after her again. Kali bumps Zaria off buckles, fires fast hands, but stops as the ref counts. Kali whips corner to corner hard and Zaria falls to the mat! Kali waits on Zaria, runs up to RAM her into the corner, then goes corner to corner to RAM her again! Kali scoops to SLAM Zaria, then covers, TWO! Kali clamps onto Zaria with a chinlock and grinds her down. Zaria endures, fights around, and fires body shots.

Zaria wrenches to shove Kali away, then catch her for a SLEEPR! Kali powers out, and she has Zaria in a SLEEPER! Zaria powers out again, has the SLEEPER, but Kali returns the favor again. Only for Zaria to slip around and hit a BIG back suplex! Zaria rains down fists, then ELBOW DROPS! Zaria brings Kali up, whips her to a corner, then runs in, only for Kali to dodge! Kali runs in, Zaria BOOTS Kali, then goes up to reel her in for a HANGING SLEEPER! The ref counts but Kali fights back, so Zaria lets her go all the same. Kali fires hands, then goes up after Zaria. Kali fires more shots, Zaria hits back, and repeat!

Kali climbs up to fire another shot, but Zaria HEADBUTTS her away! NXT returns to single picture as Kali returns right up top! SUPER DUPER PLEX! Zaria flounders away and the fans fire up! Kali sits up in a daze, she and Zaria find each other, and they start throwing shots again! The fans duel as the shots keep going, and both women stand. Zaria ROCKS Kali, Kali staggers, but she ROCKS Zaria! The shots go back and forth again and again, then Kali bobs ‘n’ weaves to JAB, JAB, JAB! Kali two steps again, but Zaria BOOTS, HEADBUTTS, and runs! But Kali gets up and under to POWERBOMB! High stack, TWO!! The fans fire up as Zaria survives!

Zaria crawls to a corner, Kali RAMS into her! Kali keeps moving, and she runs, into a JUMP KNEE! Then Zaria BOOTS Kali down! And DISCUS LARIAT! Cover, TWO! Kali survives and Zaria grows frustrated. Zaria drags Kali up, scoops her, but Kali fights it to a gut wrench! Zaria turns that around on Kali, shoves her away, and GERMAN SUPLEXES! Kali staggers up, Zaria roars, but Kali hurdles the spear! SNAP POWERSLAM! Kali fires up, and she kicks it into gear! Kali’s heading down the highway, but ZARIA SPEARS!!! Then she fireman’s carries, but Kali pops it to a victory roll! KALI WINS!!!

Winner: Kali Armstrong, by pinfall (joins the Title Unification at Heatwave)

Talk about a Difference Maker! Now it is a Triple Threat for the unified Women’s Speed & North American Championships! Will Kali run through Zaria and Wren straight like that?

Kendal Grey walks ‘n’ talks with NASCAR driver, William Sawalich.

While she’s defending her NXT Women’s Championship this weekend, William is competing in the 2026 Winn-Dixie 250 at Daytona this year. She introduces him to Dr. Tanner. And Kendal can already tell Doc is gonna tell her to be careful this Sunday. Yes, he is. She really needs to let the soft tissue in her ear and head heal. If she keeps taking hits, she could suffer hearing loss or balance issues. Kendal gets that, but she’s still cleared, right? Yes, cleared as tolerated, but she’s playing with fire. Kendal gets that, but defending the title is her priority. Wren steps in and Doc Tanner steps out. Kendal explains to Wren that she’s cleared, but Doc is worried.

Wren says they all are. To make matters worse, Kali just beat Zaria, meaning Wren is in a Triple Threat! And also, did they hear what Lani say? Yes, but Kendal can address that during the Heatwave Summit tonight. William says hey, let’s just take a deep breath. They all inhale, then exhale, and Kendal says that was good! She needed that. Thanks, William! Wren says they should keep him around. Kendal agrees. Kendal knows William will win in Daytona, they’ll win at Heatwave, and it’ll be a great weekend for the #WrenQCC! William even joins in on the W tap, but will everything go their way for this red hot weekend?

8 Man Tag: BirthRight VS Noam Dar, Romeo Moreno, Sean Legacy & Dorian Van Dux!

After Myles Borne & Tavion Heights won the titles, they got the Men’s Tag Division all fired up! But will Lexis King, Uriah Connors, Charlie Dempsey & Channing “Stacks” Lorenzo prove title opportunities are their birthright? Or will The Scottish Supernova, El Freestyler, #SuperSean & The Muscles from Brussels prove it isn’t your bloodline but your heart that makes you worthy?

NXT returns as #LegacyDVD makes their entrance, followed by #Daromeo. They join BirthRight in the ring, and the teams sort out. Dar starts against Dempsey, they tie up, and Dar wrenches to wristlock. Dempsey slips around, full nelsons, then he spins Dar around to cravat. Dar breaks free to cravat back, but then Dempsey tries. Dar avoids the swim move, cravats again, but Dempsey rolls free. Dar comes back to kick but Dempsey blocks! Dempsey whips, Dar goes up and under, then spins Dempsey for a backslide, ONE! Dempsey spins Dar, backslides, ONE, but with a bridge! ONE and Dar has a stack, TWO!

Dar headlocks, Dempsey powers up and out, but Romeo tags in! Dar KICKS Dempseys’ leg, Romeo goes up to DOUBLE STOMP! The fans cheer as Romeo tags DVD, he waistlocks Dempsey to then spin him around. Dempsey slips free, trips DVD, then tags Lexis. Lexis slingshots to DOUBLE STOMP DVD! King CHOPS DVD, DVD hits back, but Lexis ROCKS DVD! Lexis CHOPS, whips, but DVD reverses to arm-drag! DVD clamps onto Lexis with a chinbar, then drags him up. Tag to Legacy and the fans cheer. Legacy DVD double whip, then DVD fireman’s carries Legacy to weaponize him! BOOTS for Lexis, BOOTS for Stacks, then a SPALSH on Stacks! Cover, TWO!

Stacks sputters, Legacy brings him up, but Stacks SMACKS him! Stacks slips under, UPPERCUTS, then kips up! Stacks gloats, runs, but Legacy dodges! Uriah tags in before Legacy hits the ARABIAN PRESS ARM-DRAG! Legacy then arm-drags Uriah and has the arm. Legacy wrenches, wristlocks, and he tags Romeo. Romeo wrenches, but Uriah CHOPS! The fans boo but Uriah CHOPS Romeo again! Uriah swings but Romeo dodges to CHOP, CHOP, and CHOP! Romeo whips, Uriah reverses, but Romeo hurdles, leaps over, but Uriah still DROPKICKS! The fans boo as Uriah acts like that was nothing. Uriah blocks a kick, but not the ENZIGIRI!

Romeo sunset flips, TWO, but he has the legs! ANKLE LOCK! The fans fire up but Stacks runs in! Dar catches Stacks for an ANKLE LOCK! Stacks and Uriah both roll to send Dar and Romeo out! They build speed, but then DVD & Legacy DOUBLE CROSSBODY! The fans fire up again as DVD & Legacy build speed, but Arianna Grace stands in the way! Then Dempsey & Lexis TOSS DVD & Legacy! But Romeo DOUBLE MISSILE DROPKICKS! And then he builds speed, but Uriah drags him out! SUPERKICK! The fans boo but Uriah says this is BirthRight’s time as NXT goes to break.

NXT returns as Uriah has Romeo down, but it was apparently a close call. Uriah drags Romeo up, Romeo fires body shots, but Uriah CLUBS him down! We get a quick picture in picture as Waller finally arrives, wearing a “NEPO UCE” shirt! Uriah BLASTS Legacy, avoids DVD hitting back, then Uriah clamps onto Romeo. Uriah drags Romeo to the corner, Stacks tags in, but Romeo snapmares Uriah away. Stacks storms in, Romeo ELBOWS him, but Uriah ROCKS Romeo! They double whip Romeo back to the corner, but Romeo goes up and BOOTS Lexis! Then he leaps over everyone, hot tag to DVD!

The fans fire up as DVD BACKDROPS Stacks, BACKDROPS Uriah, then ENZIGIRIS Stacks! RANA for Uriah! The fans fire up but here comes Lexis & Dempsey! DVD DUMPS them out, then eggs them on. But Stacks BOOTS DVD! Stacks runs, but DVD lifts, BLUE THUNDER BOMB out onto BirthRight!! The fans fire up as DVD builds speed, and FLIES! Down goes BirthRight again! The fans fire up for “NXT!” as DVD climbs! FIVE STAR FROG SPLASH! Legacy tags in, 450 SPLASH!! Cover, Lexis & Stacks break it up! The fans rally up, “This is Awesome!” Legacy and Stacks crawl, hot tags to Dar and Dempsey! The forearms fly again!

Dar fires a flurry, but Dempsey UPPERCUTS! Dar KICKS, KICKS, then feints to ROCK and GERMAN SUPLEX into an ARMBAR! Dempsey clasps hands, but Uriah is up top! SWANTON onto Dar! Legacy gets Uriah with a SPANISH FLY! Stacks springboards, FLYING ELBOW on Legacy! Stacks tries again, but DVD catches him for a SIDE EFFECT! Lexis hits a BLOCKBUSTER! Romeo with a GOLDEN RATIO!! The fans fire up as Romeo gives a thumbs up, then builds speed! Romeo goes up, up, and away! ESCALARA onto BirthRight! DVD & Legacy get back up, and it’s a BOOSTER CROSSBODY! The fans are going nuts, but Dempsey BLASTS DVD onto Legacy!

But then Dar rolls Dempsey up! TWO, and Dempsey KIDNEY SHOTS! Then the FISEHRMAN BACK SUPLEX! Bridging cover, BirthRight wins!

Winners: BirthRight, by pinfall

It was chaotic, but BirthRight knew how to use numbers to their advantage! Will nothing and no one stop these second-generation stars from defining this generation of NXT?

Robert Stone talks with the refs.

He reminds them that the night is closing with the Heatwave Summit, so the team needs to be ready just in case. Then in steps Keanu. Stone asks about Mason interfering. That’s called cheating! Keanu says a win is a win. But there will need to be a rematch- Keanu brings up that the referee’s decision is final. Stone leaves it at that, and Keanu heads out. Then Shiloh Hill spooks Stone. Shiloh knows Naraku cost him that match for the North American title, so- So Shiloh wants a match with Naraku? What about his vision? Oh, Shiloh’s vision came back way faster than Tony’s. Perhaps because the red mist is mostly capsaicin and silver nitrate.

Naraku must know how to manipulate the concentration of each so that it has a varied effect depending on the target. Does that make sense? Y-Yeah… But then Shiloh has the match? Yes, next week. Shiloh appreciates that! Shiloh and Stone shake on that, and Shiloh heads out. But will The Fog be ready for whatever mist The King of Darkness decides to bring?

AAA Cruiserweight Championship: Rey Fenix VS EK Prosper!

The Immortal Firebird may be preparing for the World Heavyweight Championship #1 Contender’s match with his own blood brother, Penta, but he still has his own title to defend. Will Fenix still be on fire after tonight? Or will the Disrespectfully Athletic have ice in his veins?

The introductions are made, the belt is raised, and we see who handles the heat!

The bell rings and the fans rally as the two circle. They tie up, Fenix waistlocks, but EK switches. Fenix trips EK, EK kicks free, then EK avoids the kick! EK rolls Fenix up, TWO! Fenix avoids a kick to jackknife bridge, TWO! EK sunset flips, TWO! EK kicks, runs, and handsprings over, but Fenix fights the backslide! EK lifts Fenix, Fenix flips through to arm-drag, but EK handsprings through! The fans fire up, and EK wrenches Fenix to knuckle lock! EK CHOPS, then goes up, pinballs around, and arm-drags Fenix! Fenix wrenches to knuckle lock and CHOP in return! Fenix CHOPS again, then goes up, up, and jumps around to FLYING ARM-DRAG!

The fans fire up for Fenix while EK staggers. Fenix SOBATS, whips, but EK reverses! Fenix goes Spider-Man, RAMS EK, but EK DROPKICKS back! The fans fire up as Fenix falls! EK builds speed, goes up, up, and ARIHARA MOONSAULT! Down goes Fenix and the fans fire up again as NXT goes to break.

NXT returns as both men stagger around. They go to corners, the fans fire up, and EK runs up on Fenix. Fenix CHOPS EK, but EK CHOPS back! Fenix and EK trade forearms, then Fenix SOBATS, KICKS, and ENZIGIRIS! EK staggers into a HEEL KICK! Fenix then hurries to bring EK around, reel him in, and underhook! TIGER- FACEBUSTER COUNTER! EK hurries to a corner, springboards, FLYING LEG LARIAT! Cover, TWO!! Fenix survives but EK hurries to bring him up! Scoop and FISHERMAN DRIVER! Cover, TWO! Fenix survives again and the fans rally up again. EK watches Fenix go to ropes, runs up, but Fenix dodges!

Fenix ENZIGIRIS, then goes up the corner! ADIOS AMIGO KICK! The fans fire up as EK falls, and Fenix goes back up! Fenix waits for EK, then CROSSBODY! Cover, TWO! EK survives again but Fenix goes back up for a FROG SPLASH!! Cover, TWO!! EK survives yet again and Fenix is shocked! The fans are thunderous as Fenix rises up. Fenix goes to a corner, fires up again, and somersaults for- A GERMAN SUPLEX! EK turns things around, then hurries to whip. But Fenix handsprings to CUTTER! Both men are down again and the fans are electric for “NXT! NXT!” and “Triple A! Triple A!”

EK and Fenix rise up, and go to corners. Fenix shouts “ANIMO!” and he DOUBLE KNEES EK! Fenix puts EK up top, then tucks him in! MEXI- NO, EK fights it! EK BOOTS, but Fenix GAMANGIRIS! EK tumbles to the apron, but Fenix slumps in the corner. The fans rally as both men are running on fumes. Fenix climbs up the corner but from the outside, and he drags EK up! EK breaks free to ROCK Fenix! Fenix wobbles, EK ROCKS him again! Fenix drops to the second rope, but EK jumps right up! The fans fire up as both men steady themselves, then EK SUPER DUPER STEINERS! The fans go nuts as EK then goes to a corner!

Fenix is in the drop zone, EK drags himself up the corner! EK is up top, PROSPER SAULT FLOPS! Fenix runs up, GAMANGIRI! Then he puts EK up top, tucks him in, and SUPERKICK before the MEXICAN MUSCLE BUSTER!! Cover, Fenix wins!!

Winner: Rey Fenix, by pinfall (still AAA World Cruiserweight Champion)

EK put up an amazing fight, but Fenix still survives! Fenix shows EK respect, will these two run it back one day?

Myles Borne & Tavion Heights hang out with Sam Mayer.

The NXT Tag Team Champions are excited to hang with another rising star of NASCAR. Is he ready for Daytona this Friday? Sam says hell yeah! The Wawa 250? They’ll get that chariot flying! Tavion says that’s what he’s talking about! Just like him and Myles this Sunday. But Tavion is wondering, they don’t know the match order yet, so if it’s tag titles first, Tavion can do the heavy lifting so Myles can save energy for Jackson Drake. Myles wants to say something but Tavion says don’t worry, his cardio is up, he’s in great shape! Sam says he likes the fire! Myles says the order doesn’t matter, though. He’s got two title defenses, that’s two W’s!

Yeah, that’s why Myles is his man! Myles knows how much the tag titles mean to Tavion, and that Tavion doesn’t know what he’d do if they lost. Myles says relax, they can’t be letting the what if’s control you. Sam agrees, it’s one lap at a time. But then Hank ‘n’ Tank show up and says hey to Sam and the champs! New Double Champ, Myles! Myles says they got back from Hollywood, right? Yeah, some movies, some CW stuff, some motivational speeches, but the boys are back in town! After Heatwave, maybe Myles & Tavion give the Big Belly Boys a shot at the titles? Just a shot. Tavion tells Double Champ that he’s got this.

Hank ‘n’ Tank, the champs are focusing on one thing at a time, and that just happens to be Heatwave. See you around. Myles likes that. But will Tavion & Myles even have the belts to defend them? Or will everyone have to swipe right on a match with Brad Baylor & Ricky Smokes again?

It’s the Heatwave Summit!

Security is on standby given all the combustible elements that are about to converge. First, Kendal & Wren make their entrance, and Kendal gets a mic already. She says she’ll get to the point. Kendal heard everything Lani had to say, and honestly, she’s right! Lani is that good. The problem is Lani’s always complaining and making excuses. If we’re talking about picking things up pretty fast, Kendal can talk about that, too. Last year, Kendal was on Evolve, barely on NXT, and no one knew who she was. But now, she’s standing here as the former WWE Evolve Women’s Champion, the 2025 Iron Survivor, AND your NXT Women’s Champion!

So if Lani wants to call herself The Standout still, go ahead. But when it comes to this division, Kendal is the benchmark! And after winning the title, she didn’t have to have her first defense be against a future Hall of Famer, but she did. When Lola Vice wanted a rematch, Kendal didn’t have to have it in NXT Underground, but she did. And when Kendal got injured, she could’ve taken time off, could’ve rested. There are people in the WWE that go hundreds of days without defending their title, but that’s not Kendal! That’s not the champion Kendal is! She went to Mr. Stone to get that contract for Lani in the first place!

So now, it is time for Lani to put her money where her mouth is, because at Heatwave, the target is on Kendal’s back. And Lani better not miss. But with that, Lani makes her entrance! Lani has the mic to say, “Look, Kendal, I’m gonna say this loud and clear so make sure you use your good ear. That target on your back? I put that there. But good thing it’s big enough, because at Heatwave, it’s only gonna take me one shot.” The fans boo but Lani says Kendal can keep calling herself “The Benchmark,” because on Sunday, Lani takes the title and puts Kendal back on the bench.

Wren says sorry, but no. Cuz they’ll be in Wren’s home state, and that calls for a Texas sized WrenQCC CC. The second CC is “Championship Celebration,” which Lani won’t be invited to. Because they’re gonna bring home all of the gold! “We’re gonna be in my home state~!” Zaria mocks Wren as she walks out here and says that’s delusional. Wren should call it a WrenQCC See Ya Later! Zaria doesn’t care how many friends or family Wren brings to witness Heatwave, because Zaria will leave her laying once again. Then Zaria will erase every bad memory that Speed title has haunted her with, forever!

But then Kali joins in with “OH YEEEAH~!” She tells Wren and Zaria that she’s got something to say! Y’all memories must be terrible! Cuz last time Kali checked, she already beat both of them delusional heifers, back to back! Straight up, Kali’s coming home with both titles! So she hopes y’all are ready, cuz neither of y’all- Wait, Grayson Waller interrupts! The fans boo the Aussie Icon but he has a mic to say, “HELLO~! Ladies, great to look at, hard to listen to. I love the energy, though! And it’s great to see the 10% that I’ve been talking about all in one ring. But I got this from here. See, you girls used to be the highlight of the show, until Grayson Waller decided to come back!”

The fans boo but Waller says he IS NXT! And Sunday, the girls will do so well. But the world won’t be talking about the lasses, or about the lucha losers from AAA and their stunt show. The world will be talking about one man and one thing: Waller conquering his demons and becoming NXT Champion! But here comes Tony D! And he tells Waller to hold on a second. Waller came back to NXT to reinvent himself, but Tony doesn’t give a damn if this is Waller 2.0, 3.0, 4.0, or 5.0! Cuz Waller will do the same thing he always does: Be a disappointment. Waller talks some trash back, but Cruz Montana enters from the crowd!

The fans cheer the Boricua Badass, and he says, “YEEEEERT! Hey yo, NXT! What’s good?!” The fans cheer again, and Cruz says damn, he knew NXT was dysfunctional. Now he’s in the thick of it, he believes every word. But to tell you the truth, he kinda likes it! The difference between him and everybody else is… The fact that y’all pay him to talk, but he came to throw hands! Cruz CLOBBERS security, and all hell breaks loose! Cruz jumps in on Tony and Waller, they fall out of the ring, and the ladies go after each other in the ring! WrenQCC mugs Lani while Zaria hits Kali with an F5! But then Wren gives Zaria the X-FACTOR!

Lani runs up, Wren dodges, and Kendal hits that SHADOW ELBOW! And NOW Zilla is here! He excuses himself as he goes through the ring to then go up and SUPER CROSSBODY onto the men! Zilla grabs the belt, climbs up the corner with it, and the fans cheer Fatu on! Wren & Kendal stand tall, too! Will these be our champions after the smoke clears at Heatwave?

My Thoughts:

A great NXT, especially for a go-home episode, but some of the promos felt a little redundant when they also did a “summit” at the end. Lani and Zilla still had really good promos, and I suppose Zilla wouldn’t have said anything if not for that video. He just showed up and literally jumped into the action at the end. But with that, I feel like the go-home math says Zilla doesn’t win the title his first time out, and I have a feeling neither of the WrenQCC members retain. For one, the unification is now Triple Threat after Kali got that great win on Zaria. I’m leaning towards Zaria standing tall and eliminating the Speed title.

Speaking of which, I do appreciate Vic Joseph pondering what happens to the Men’s Speed title now that the women’s title is essentially going away. Great 8 Man Tag but of course BirthRight uses numbers game to win out. Lexis will probably make a stink of losing the title without actually losing it, but that’s perfectly in character. Clearly the tag division is heating back up, and I’m a little surprised it was Sarah on location with Vanity Project, not Emily. Good stuff from Vanity Project, as well as Myles & Tavion. The way Tavion keeps bringing up his own desperation, they are definitely losing the tag titles, causing Tavion to snap and go after Myles, which might be a feud without a title if Drake also cheats away the North American title.

Very good stuff with Keanu, Kam, and Rook, and of course Rook costs Kam. Those two need a No DQ style blowoff like we got from Dion and Saquon. Though, ain’t now way Kam’s gonna do what Dion and Saquon did, that was wild stuff. Great win for Saquon, and maybe now he moves on towards the North American title scene. And awesome main event match from Fenix VS EK, EK is definitely way ahead of the game as an in-ring performer. Naturally, Fenix won, this isn’t an AAA show. EK himself could get in on the North American title scene, especially if a Heel like Drake gets it.

My Score: 8.8/10