Your past does not define you, but it does build you.

While the Dusty Cup continues, Cruz Montana looks to teach Dion Lennox a lesson about respect, and about strength of character.

OFFICIAL RESULTS

• 2026 Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic Quarterfinals: Los Hermanos Wagner VS Lexis King & Charlie Dempsey w/ BirthRight; Los Hermanos Wagner win and advance.
• Izzi Dame VS Layla Diggs; Izzi wins.
• 2026 Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic Quarterfinals: The Creed Brothers VS Hank ‘n’ Tank; Hank ‘n’ Tank win and advance.
• Cruz Montana VS Dion Lennox; Double Count-Out.

PLAY BY PLAY

Tony D’Angelo is here!

The fans cheer as The Master of Fate walks to the ring, poised as the #1 contender to go after Grayson Waller and the NXT Championship. The fans cheer as Tony grabs a mic, and he says, “Listen, anything I got to say, I can say it face to face like a man. So get your ass out here, ‘champ.'” With that, Grayson Waller makes his entrance! Waller has a mic already, and he goes to the ring to join Tony. Waller says, “Hey, it’s about time, Tony! Coming back here, I always knew it was gonna end up me and you. In fact, ever since I stepped foot in the PC, I knew it was gonna end up me and you.

“A little history lesson for you, ladies and gentlemen: Me and Tony D’Angelo, we got signed to WWE at about the same time. We debuted on TV about the same time. We were even teammates in WarGames! Remember? Team 2.0, we got rid of Black ‘n’ Gold. But every single time that this nearly happened, someone got in the way. Kinda like at Heatwave. Are you running from me, Tony?” Tony says he sees it in Waller’s eyes how it eats at him. All this bluster, and yet deep down, Waller knows, if it was 1v1 at Heatwave, he might not be standing here as NXT Champion. The fans cheer that! Waller says if we wanna stay real, it didn’t matter, the result would be the same.

But Waller does want the satisfaction of beating Tony 1v1. Because when Waller came back to NXT, he said he’d win the title and be undeniable. And he did that kinda easily. But he also said he had some demons from his past to conquer, and right now, the top of that list is Tony. Tony says he knows. Waller always resented Tony. When they first started, no one knew who they were. But look at them now! Tony still never liked Waller. Waller looked down on Tony because he was just “an athlete with some street smarts,” but then who was Waller? An indie guy? Nobody even knew who Waller was! And all Waller cared about was viral moments instead of championships.

Waller says now, he cares about both. But Tony’s right, Waller did resent him, and he still does. It’s because Tony was “chosen.” Tony didn’t even know what any of this was, and he debuted on TV before Waller. Waller had to hold Tony’s hand, walk him upstairs, and show him a WarGames match because he didn’t know what it was! But Tony was allowed to stand next to Waller like he was on the same team, like he was on the same level! It did not matter how talented Waller was on the mic or in the ring, Tony was chosen! The fans do applaud that, and Waller says all that put a chip on his shoulder, but Waller’s glad it is there.

That chip made Waller hungrier, tougher, and it made him champion! The fans also applaud, and Tony says, “Do you know why I still don’t like you? Because you’re a hypocrite. You walk around here like you’re so big and bad. Oh, you got in the best shape of your life? Good for you. You got a little meaner. It’s about time if I say so. But you’re still the guy who hides behind some smart ass one-liners or a meme on a sweatshirt because you are desperate for attention. You’re just a troll!” Waller says no, that’s called having a personality, and Tony left his in that old fedora he used to wear. Tony says this is what he’s talking about!

Waller says no, he’s not a hypocrite, it’s mental warfare, and the crazy thing is, Tony doesn’t even realize that Waller’s already won the match months ago. Waller doesn’t even need to poke and prod at Tony, Tony’s better than that because he’s been through it all. All Waller has to do at Halloween Havoc is take him to the deepest waters and let Tony drown himself. Tony says Waller can say that to the boys in the back, but Waller seems to have forgotten. When they both started, management threw them both into the deep end. Tony was busy leading their WarGames to victory in just Tony’s third match! Third! But none of that matters.

Tony likes NXT, he likes what it is, and he points out all the future greats NXT 2.0 produced. They’re all up on Raw and SmackDown right now! Bron Breakker, Trick Williams, Carmelo Hayes, Solo Sikoa, the list goes on. But y’know what? Tony and Waller are foundation guys. Sure, their paths were a little different, but you take it all, you look at it, it all comes down to Tony and Waller 1v1. The fans cheer, and Waller says, “Wow, Tony, what a beautiful story. And I know you consider yourself Mr. NXT, you’ve won all the championships, you’re the face of a new era. Tony D’Angelo even beat Oba Femi twice! Not even Brock Lesnar could do that.

“But none of that matters, because none of that means you can touch me in this ring, especially in the run I’m on right now! This title is starting to mean something again! And around my waist, this championship means more than when Bron had it, it means more than when Melo had it, and I promise you, Tony, this title means more than anything that you did-” Tony shouts, “You wanna talk about prestige?! Who the hell are you to tell me what that title means?! I carried it. I already cemented my legacy. You take away everything I ever did in NXT, all of it, I am still a Division I All American, 250 pounds of man who will rip your head off and beat you with it!”

The fans cheer, and Tony says if Waller wants to cement his legacy and keep that championship, then at Halloween Havoc, Tony is going to drag Waller through Hell! So go get your trunks and Tony will see if Waller can swim in deep waters when there’s a shark out there! The heat is rising, but who gets burned when these two wreak havoc?

Izzi Dame enters the women’s locker room.

She asks who packed up all the decorations. She worked so hard on them! Skylar Raye tells Izzi to just leave Zaria alone already. Layla Diggs agrees, why is Izzi making this more personal than it needs to be? It is clear to everyone that this is about the NXT Women’s North American title. Izzi says it is NOT about that title, yet. Skylar says oh please. Layla says it is about the title for her. She never got her shot before she got hurt. Izzy says she doesn’t care, Layla is not getting involved with what Izzi’s got going on with Zaria. Layla asks what exactly is all this for if it isn’t about the title.

Izzi says, “Isn’t it obvious, Layla?” Izzi is exposing Zaria by picking her apart piece by piece to get to who Zaria really is, something everyone in here knows nothing about. And if there are any distractions along the way, like Layla, then she’ll deal with them. Izzi heads out, but will The It Factor be able to handle Miss Everything on her way to facing the Agent of Change?

BirthRight interrupts.

Arianna Grace tells Vic Joseph to stop talking now. The future Dusty Cup winners have something to say, so listen up. Lexis King brings up that last week, Galeno said this would be a generational battle, and he is not wrong. Every battle BirthRight is in is generational! Charlie Dempsey says unfortunately for the AAA World Tag Team Champions, it is their birthright to win the Dusty Tag Team Classic. BirthRight heads out, but who is pulling up in the parking lot? And will all that talk be backed up with actions when Lexis & Charlie take on Los Hermanos Wagner?

Chantel Monroe speaks.

“Open your ears, look at me, and pay attention. Because the Reflection of Perfection, Chantel Monroe, is gracing your screen. You can tell I’m pure entertainment and love attention, so yeah, the NXT Women’s Locker Room better watch out. Because when the Showstopping Diva steps into the ring, it’s not just a match, it’s an experience.”

2026 Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic Quarterfinals: Los Hermanos Wagner VS Lexis King & Charlie Dempsey w/ BirthRight!

These teams have had their war of words, and now it is time to put up or shut up! Will Dr. Wagner III y Galeno make the most of their first round bye? Or will they go from bye to adios courtesy of Lexis & Charlie?

The teams sort out, Wagner and Dempsey start, and they feel things out to a clinch. Wagner trips Dempsey, covers, ONE, and Dempsey facelocks. Wagner slips free, waistlocks, but Dempsey wrenches out. Dempsey hits a wristlock plex! Dempsey headscissors, Wagner fights around, rolls Dempsey and hooks the legs. Then Wagner floats, but Dempsey facelocks in return. Dempsey has a leg and pulls! Wagner still trips Dempsey from that position, then goes for a kneebar. Dempsey fights it, so Wagner spinning toeholds through! The two reset and the fans duel. Wagner goes for a leg, but Dempsey fights it with a Gotch lift!

Dempsey SLAMS Wagner down, covers, TWO! Both men stand, Wagner whips and JAPANESE ARM-DRAGS! Then regular arm-drags! Then he hooks the leg to trap it. Wagner drags Dempsey up but Dempsey BOOTS free! Galeno tags in while Dempsey backs off, and Lexis tags in. The fans cheer Galeno as he steps to Lexis. Lexis talks a bit of trash, then kicks low! Lexis CHOPS, and CHPOS, but Galeno is not fazed. Galeno THROWS Lexis to a corner, but Lexis BOOTS back! Galeno shakes it off, and he catches the crossbody! Galeno pops Lexis up, but Lexis slips free and ROCKS Galeno! Lexis runs, Galeno hurdles, drops down, and CLOBBERS Lexis!

The fans fire up as Galeno then tags Wagner. They double whip and DOUBLE ELBOW! Then a very unique swing-through SLAM SPLASH! Cover, TWO! Lexis survives but Wagner stays on him. Wagner CLUBS Lexis, brings him over, tags Galeno back in, and Wagner hands Lexis’s foot to Galeno so that Wagner can then BOOT Lexis down! Galeno SENTONS on top! Cover, TWO! Lexis survives and bails out, but here comes Dempsey! Galeno TOSSES Dempsey out, then tags Wagner back in. The fans fire up as the brothers high-five and build speed! But Arianna stands in the way! The fans boo as the Pageant Queen is a roadblock!

Galeno argues with Arianna, but Wagner builds speed again, and he FLIES over his brother to wipe out Dempsey, Lexis, and even Uriah! The fans fire up as Wagner then gets Lexis in the ring, but NXT goes to break.

NXT returns as Wagner rolls Dempsey, gets a leg, but Dempsey uses that to get a TRIANGLE HOLD, then he shifts to an OMOPLATA! Dempsey CLUBS away on Wagner’s other arm, then pulls it back! The fans rally as Wagner uses his legs, and he gets the ROPEBREAK! The ref counts, Dempsey lets go, and Dempsey drags Wagner up for a KNEE! Dempsey then cobra clutches Wagner while the fans duel and rally. Wagner endures, fights up, but Dempsey ripcords to ROCK him! Wagner ROCKS Dempsey back! The forearms go back and forth, then Dempsey fires a flurry! Dempsey CHOPS, wrenches, but Wagner BODY BLOWS!

Wagner hits a BIG back suplex and both men are down! The fans rally, Wagner and Dempsey crawl, but Dempsey grabs a leg. Wagner BOOTS him away, hot tags to Galeno and Lexis! The fans fire up as Galeno rallies on BirthRight with shoulder tackle after shoulder tackle! SHINING WIZARD for Lexis in one corner, LARIAT for Dempsey in the other! Then he LARIATS again and again and again! The fans cheer as Galeno then scoops Lexis to SLAM him! Then Galeno runs the ropes for an ULTIMATE WARRIOR SPLASH! Cover, TWO! Lexis survives, the fans fire up, but Galeno keeps on Lexis. Galeno stands Lexis up and ROCKS him with a forearm.

Galeno whips Lexis to the corner, runs up and CHOPS, then tags Wagner. Wagner BLASTS Dempsey for good measure, then runs to get a boost from his brother, FLYING DROPKICK! Cover, but Dempsey breaks it! The fans are torn as Dempsey saves the match. Lexis then throat chops Wagner! Tag to Dempsey, but Wagner victory rolls Lexis! Dempsey BLASTS Galeno while Wagner is still after Lexis. Wagner pushes on the legs, but Dempsey CHOPS him on the back! Then Dempsey clamps on an IRON OCTOPUS! Wagner endures, so Lexis SUPERKICKS him! Galeno HEADBUTTS Lexis! Dempsey GERMAN SUPLEXES Galeno! Wagner LARIATS Dempsey!

The fans fire up as all four men are down! Lexis and Galeno bail out, Wagner drags Dempsey up. They throw forearms and UPPERCUTS on repeat, “This is Awesome!” as Wagner whips Dempsey away. Dempsey goes up, Lexis tags in, and Dempsey comes back to ROCK Wagner! hen a SUPERKICK DRAGON SUPLEX COMBO! Cover, but Galeno breaks it now! The fans fire up as Galeno saves the match! Dempsey jumps on for a GUILLOTINE, but Galeno powers up for a BRAINBUSTER! The fans fire up as Wagner rolls away to the outside. Wagner goes up the corner, gives some Latino Heat, and then FROG SPLASHES onto knees!

The fans are torn as Wagner coughs and sputters. Wait, ZILLA is here! He CLOBBERS Uriah! Arianna SLAPS Zilla, but he just smirks. Arianna runs away into the ring! Lexis isn’t sure what to do, but Galeno CLOBBERS Dempsey! Wagner wrenches free to scoop and FALL AWAY SLAM! Lexis flounders, staggers up, and into the MICHINOKU DRIVER! Tag to Galeno and he goes up! Galeno FROG SPLASHES!! Cover, Hermanos Wagner win!

Winners: Los Hermanos Wagner, by pinfall (advance to the semifinals)

The fans cheer, and now The Main One TOSSES Uriah, CLOBBERS Dempsey, and DECKS Lexis! The hand may be in a cast, but that might make it more dangerous! TRIPLE- NO, Dempsey BOOTS the hand! Dempsey runs, but into a POP-UP SAMOAN DROP!! The fans fire up while BirthRight is in retreat! Will Zilla make sure BirthRight never gets what they want and only gets what they deserve?

DarkState is backstage.

They watch Cruz Montana’s social media message: “He gave me every reason to unlock that cage. And next week, I hope your actions are as loud as your disrespect, because I’m about to introduce you to all of those demons, and then I’m gonna break my foot off in your ass! LET’S GET IT!” Osiris Griffin & Cutler James chuckle at how mad Cruz is. Dion attacked him and called Cruz’s mama right after, Osiris would be hot, too. Cutler tells Dion that that was insane, even by their standards. Dion says Cruz is a different dude. You can’t think small. In times like this, there will be some casualties. What’s he mean by that?

Dion says he meant what he said. He’s going to take Cruz back to that dark place. And he has the plan to do it. It’s exactly what he wanted to talk with them about. Let’s go, they don’t have much time before the main event. DarkState heads out, what depths are they about to sink to just to bring Cruz down?

Kam Hendrix speaks.

“All anybody talks about is, ‘Who’s got next in NXT?’ Is it EK Prosper? Nope. Mason Rook? What about Shiloh Hill? Y’all hella glazing, cutty. What’s crazy is nobody talks about is the best all-around athlete in NXT, me, ‘Showtime’ Kam Hendrix, and I’m about to show you why!” Kam catches a football with one hand, catches another with the other, and then uses the footballs to catch a third ball. You thought that was cool? Here’s there! Kam has someone give him his shirt, and he uses it as a blindfold. And even then, he still catches the football, juggles it, and drops it. Kam says HE is the future: Lights, Kam, Action!

Tavion Heights is here!

The fans cheer as the Olympiad goes to the ring and grabs the mic. Tavion says, “We all saw what happened, right? It was right here, in this very ring. I had a steel chair wrapped around my ankle as my day one, my homeboy, my brother, Myles, was apologizing for stabbing me in the back at Heatwave. Apologizing for stabbing me in the back at Heatwave. Meanwhile, I’m in the middle, I believed Myles. And he stabbed me in the back at Heatwave, just for me to believe it. For him to double down and take that knife in my back and twist it! You see, that was a mistake by me. And I don’t make mistakes twice.

“So naturally, me being me, I had to have the best seat in the house. I had to come front and center and watch Myles fall under the pressure of the NXT #1 contender’s spot, just like I knew he would! Matter of fact, I got to watch the whole thing in 4K, brother! Just to show the world that you are NOT who you think you are, Myles. And I am exactly who I say I am. And what’s wild, I haven’t even been a problem for you yet, Myles! You backstabbing bum ass b*tch! You better believe that I’m about to be your biggest-” MYLES ATTACKS FROM BEHIND! The fans fire up as the brawl is on! They spill out of the ring, Tavion RAMS Myles into the apron, then the fists fly!

Tavion ROCKS Myles, Myles hits back, and they end up in the crowd, then going to the back! They throw more shots, then go through a door and into the parking lot! Security and refs hurry to stop this but easier said than done! What will it take for Myles and Tavion to finally put this to rest?

Vanity Project struts around backstage.

They talk about the idea of facing Los Hermanos Wagner in the finals of the Dusty Cup, then they come across Chantel Monroe. She says finally, a group with taste! And she asks if they personally saw her video. Smokes starts to talk, his voice cracks, so he clears his throat so he can deepen his voice as he says he personally loved it. Myka says lock in, they’re headed to Stone’s office. Jackson Drake says yeah, Chantel should move along with her fine self. Now, what does that clown, Stone, want? They walk in, Drake asks Stone what’s up, and Stone asks the tag champs what’s going on. Smokes says he hates Stone so much right now.

Stone says wow, shocker. But what’s this about them and Mini Vikingo getting into it? Vanity Project defends their innocence. Drake says that, to the best of his knowledge, there was no altercation. It was just EK Prosper giving false hope to that Vikingo bootleg. Brad says Drake always drops facts. Look, they were all in the locker room, it wasn’t that deep. Stone says he was going to schedule a Six Man Tag of them all, but Mini Vikingo isn’t cleared right now. The Vanity Project feigns concern, and Smokes asks if Mini Vikingo forgot to take his Flintstones vitamins this week. Either way, Swipe Right has more important things to do, like focus on the semifinals of the Dusty Cup.

Brad says that’s right. They’ve got Noam Dar & Romeo Moreno, but that’s not even a real team! It’s a guaranteed lock that it’s another W for the boys! Drake says he might have to break out some new shades for the occasion. Stone says don’t go celebrating just yet. Drake will be in action next week. What? Why? Is it going to be a 3v2 handicap match? No, Drake is going to be defending his North American Championship. Oh, is that so? Drake doesn’t care, he can beat anyone. Who is it against? EK Prosper. Drake is upset, as are Vanity Project, but can the Carolina Reaper survive? Or is the Disrespectfully Athletic about to prosper?

Izzi Dame VS Layla Diggs!

As we saw, the only one still having fun with Izzi’s Mean Girls act is Izzi herself. Will Miss Everything humble Izzi on Zaria’s behalf? Or will even Layla see It Iz What It Iz?

The bell rings as the two circle. The two tie up, the fans cheer “Layla, DIGGS~!” but Izzi headlocks. Layla powers up and out, but Izzi RUNS her over! The fans boo but Izzi soaks up the heat. Izzi talks trash on Layla, then resets with her. They tie up, go around, and Izzi headlocks again. Layla brings Izzi down, flips over and wrenches through to wristlock. Izzi wrenches to wristlock, but Layla uses the ropes to flip through. Izzi thraot chops Layla, then THROWS her into the buckles! The fans boo but Izzi THROWS Layla into the other corner! Layla clutches her bad arm, but Izzi scoops to SLAM! And then cover, TWO!

The fans rally for Layla but Izzi is just annoyed. Izzi drags Layla up, whips, but Layla reverses! Now Izzi hits buckles, and Layla UPPERCUTS away on Izzi’s arm! Layla clamps onto the arm, grinds Izzi down, but Izzi rises up. Izzi pulls hair, whips Layla, but Layla RUNS Izzi over! Layla does her dance, then runs, but Izzi drops down. Layla counters the hip toss to wheelbarrow and arm-drag! Then she rolls Izzi, bridges, ONE! Izzi runs up, Layla goes Matrix to avoid the boot! But Izzi comes back to BOOT Layla down this time! The fans boo Izzi but she runs up on Layla, only for Layla to DUMP her out! Layla builds speed and DIVES into a forearm!

The fans boo but Izzi drags Layla to the apron. Layla BOOTS Izzi away, then goes to the apron. Layla handstands to avoid the sweep! Then she handsprings to MOONSAULT! Down goes Izzi, and Layla kips up! The fans cheer Layla and she gets Izzi back in the ring while NXT goes picture in picture.

Layla hurries after Izzi, drags her up, and scoops to POWERSLAM! Layla then STANDING MOONSAULTS! Cover, TWO! Izzi survives but Layla stays focused. Layla storms up on Izzi in the corner, but Izzi ELBOWS her away! Izzi goes for the buckle bump but Layla blocks, and Layla bumps Izzi off buckles first! Layla then whips corner to corner, but Izzi reverses. Layla goes up, but Izzi catches her to KICK her out of the air! Izzi then THROWS Layla into buckles! Layla falls in a heap, but Izzi snarls and runs back in. Izzi RAMS into Layla, then RAMS her again and again! The ref counts, Izzi backs off, and Izzi scoops Layla to BACKBREAKER!

Layla flounders away but Izzi stalks her. Izzi drags Layla up, hammerlocks her, and RAMS her into buckles! Layla writhes, clutching the bad arm, but Izzi POSTS her! Layla flops to the apron, then the floor! The ring count starts and Izzi wants it to go faster. Izzi gets impatient, goes out and puts Layla back in the ring. Izzi runs up and LARIATS! Cover, TWO! Izzi drags Layla up, brings her around, then scoops, only for Layla to slip free and roll Izzi up! TWO, and both women stand! Layla SOBATS, KICKS, then- NO, Izzi ducks the enzigiri to then wrench and WRING Layla out! Cover, TWO! Layla toughs it out and Izzi argues with the ref about the count.

Izzi drags Layla by the bad arm, hammerlocks it, then adds a chinbar. The fans rally up as Layla endures, and she fights up to her feet. Izzi wrangles Layla back down, but Layla keeps fighting. Layla rises, fires body shots, and NXT returns to single picture as Layla ROCKS Izzi! Layla then runs, ducks ‘n’ dodges, but Izzi ELBOWS her at the ropes! Izzi runs, but Layla handsprings to dodge, then PELES! The fans fire up while both women are down! Izzi goes to ropes on one end, Layla goes to the other. Layla and Izzi run up, Layla does the splits! Layla ELBOWS, LEG LARIATS, then kicks, KNEES, and ENZIGIRIS Izzi down!

Izzi flounders away, Layla runs up and KNEES Izzi in the corner! The fans rally as Layla drags Izzi up, suplexes, and GOURD BUSTERS with the splits! The fans fire up as Layla goes to a corner, climbs up, but has to steady herself. Layla FROG SPLASHES! Cover, TWO! Izzi survives and Layla is frustrated, but the fans rally behind her again. Layla goes back up the corner, but Izzi YANKS her down! And then ROLLING CRUCIFIX! Cover, TWO!! Layla survives and Izzi is shocked! The fans rally but Izzi throws a forearm first. Izzi fires back, but Izzi fires another shot! Izzi ROCKS Layla, Layla ROCKS Izzi, repeat!

The fans cheer Layla and boo Izzi, but the shots keep going! Layla ROCKS Izzi again and again, then whips. Izzi reverses, wrenches, and BACK2BACKBREAKERS! Izzi then hits a back suplex CUTTER! Cover, TWO!! Layla survives and Izzi is beside herself! Izzi reels Layla in, lifts her up, but Layla RANAS through! Cover, TWO! Izzi is up, ducks a leg lariat, then BOOTS Layla down! Izzi storms around, goes up a corner, and leaps, into a LEG LARIAT!! Layla turns things around, then she goes up the corner! MOONSAULT, but Izzi moves! Layla rolls through, but Izzi BUSAIKU KNEES! Cover, Izzi wins!

Winner: Izzi Dame, by pinfall

Izzi gets the kill with that knee, #DameOver for Layla! But wait, ZARIA is here! Izzi is upset, but Zaria tells her, “This has gone on long enough! You keep trying to dig up my past with all these photos and videos. I don’t know what you are searching for. But if you want a North American title shot, this is not the way to go about it.” Izzi shrugs, and Zaria says y’know what? She’s done with all these games. She is going to give Izzi a title match at Halloween Havoc! The fans like that, then Izzi takes the mic from Zaria. Izzi gladly accepts the match. But don’t worry about putting the title on the line. See you at Halloween Havoc, princess.

Izzi leaves, and seriously? She just wants a match with Zaria, not the title? What kind of game is Dame playing? And is she going to win it? Or will it all come around to bite her in the end?

2026 Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic Quarterfinals: The Creed Brothers VS Hank ‘n’ Tank!

The quarterfinals are about to finish up as we see two former NXT Tag Team Championship teams face off! Julius & Brutus came back to make some history, but the Big Belly Bandits aren’t done running down this highway! Will it be HONK HONK all the way to the Cup? Or will NXT once again have a need for Creed?

The teams sort out and Tank Ledger starts against Julius. They circle, tie up, and Tank powers Julius back. Julius and Tank break, and Tank slaps the belly to fire up. The fans rally, Julius shoots in, and he gets a leg, then a waistlock. Julius SLAMS Tank down, slaps him around, but Tank gets up. The fans rally as the two reset, tie up, and Julius waistlocks. Tank fights the lift, shakes it up, and he wiggles free, only for Julius to BLINDSIDE LARIAT! Julius tags Brutus, they mug Tank, then feed to a scoop and BACKSTABBER FALL AWAY SLAM COMBO! Brutus storms around while the fans duel, and Brutus pushes Tank around.

Tank fires body shots, then KNEES Brutus! Tank runs, Hank tags in, FLYING SHOULDER from Tank! Hank runs Julius off, but Brutus runs up! Hank KNEES low again and again, throws him to the corner and fires off fast hands! Tag to Tank, and Hank puts Brutus on the top rope. Hank ‘n’ Tank fire up, and they DOUBLE HEADBUTT Brutus’ side! Tank then drags Brutus down for a cover, ONE! Tank drags Brutus up, bumps him off buckles, then fires elbows. Tag to Hank, he fires hands, then bumps Brutus off buckles. Hank whips corner to corner but Brutus reverses. Hank goes up, but Brutus isn’t there, and he gets Hank for a BUTTERFLY BUSTER! Cover, TWO!

Hank survives but Brutus HAMMERS away! Brutus smash, but NXT goes to break.

NXT returns as Brutus whips Hank to a corner, only for Tank to take the hit! Hank comes back, he and Brutus DOUBLE LARIAT! The fans fire up while both men are down, and Hank hurries to hot tag Tank! Tank slingshots to SPLASH Brutus! Tank fires up, but Brutus is up, only for Tank to BACKDROP! Julius tags in as Tank runs, but Tank slides out to YANK Julius down! Then he puts Julius back in, goes up, only for Julius to go right after him! Julius fires hands, but Tank HEADBUTTS! Julius staggers, but he comes back to trip Tank up! Tank tumbles to the mat, but Julius KNEES him in the side!

Julius KNEES Tank again, putting him in the Creed corner. Tag to Brutus and The Creeds keep Tank back. Brutus KNEES Tank in the side, then storms around. Brutus ROCKS Tank, brings him around, and RAMS him into the corner! Julius tags in, Brutus feeds Tank to a clinch and GUT BUSTER! Julius looms over Tank, then clamps onto an arm with a cording hold. Julius makes it part crossface, but Tank still endures. The fans rally, Tank fights around, and he arm-drags free! Tank reaches out, but Julius gut wrenches him! Julius shakes his head as he carries Tank, and he THROWS Tank away! Julius runs up, Tank BOOTS back!

Tank ELBOWS Brutus, then hurries, but Julius RAMS him into the open corner! Julius RAMS again, again, then runs, but into an ELBOW! Brutus runs up, but Tank DECKS him! Tank crawls, reaches out, but Julius DROPKICKS him outta the ring! Then he BLASTS Hank for good measure! The fans boo but Julius goes out to put Tank back in. Julius drags Tank up, CLUBS him down, then talks trash on Hank. Julius drags Tank up, but Tank ducks a lariat! Hot tag to Hank! The fans fire up as Hank LARIATS, ELBOWS, and kitchen sink KNEES! Hank puts Julius on ropes, then runs to BOOTY BUMP! And then the COMEBACKER!

Hank keeps going, he LARIATS Brutus up and out! Julius runs up, Hank dodges, and Hank runs back in for a SPLASH! Hank runs Julius corner to corner, then runs to CLOBBER him again! The fans fire up as Hank runs and POUNCES Brutus! Hank gets in the ring, dodges Julius, BIG BOSS MAN SLAM! The fans fire up with Hank again, and he tags Tank! They go to corners, the jerseys come off, but Brutus trips Hank! Tank hurries outside, and they BELLY SANDWICH Brutus! The fans fire up as Tank then goes in, but Julius KICKS him! Julius whips corner to corner, runs up, but Tank dodges! Tank scoops Julius, Hank is in, but so is Brutus!

Brutus distracts the ref, Hank ‘n’ Tank get away with GRID IRON!! Cover, HANK ‘N’ TANK WIN!!

Winners: Hank ‘n’ Tank, by pinfall (advance to the semifinals)

The Big Belly Bandits may have just busted some brackets, because they’re the ones moving on! Hank ‘n’ Tank or Los Hermanos Wagner, Swipe Right or Dar-Romeo, who will be our 2026 Dusty Cup finalists?

BirthRight complains to Robert Stone.

The NXT GM just smirks as Dempsey, Lexis, Uriah & Arianna all complain about Zilla costing them out there. Lexis says there should’ve been a disqualification and Stone knows it! Zilla can’t just run wild on them! Uriah says this has happened one too many times, they deserve to be in the semifinals! Stone says he’s sorry, but both BirthRight teams lost, they’re out. Dempsey says how about this then. Give him Zilla! Stone isn’t even sure Zilla is cleared. Oh, how convenient! Not cleared, yet he was able to run out there! Wren Sinclair & Kendal Grey walk by, and Wren tells “Charles” to hush, Stone is doing a great job.

Stone thanks Wren, and says now they just need the contract signed. Kendal says of course. Wren says Stone had a rocky start, but he’s come to his senses and is giving the people what they want. And what they wanted was the #WrenQCC. But now, she has to go sign the contract for Halloween Havoc with Kelani Jordan. Kendal wishes Wren luck, but then Chantel Monroe pops back in. She wants them to hold on. Did they see her video? Wasn’t it so cute? Uh, hi, Chantel, yeah, it was… something. Chantel heads out, Kendal tells Wren to focus on this, she’s got this. They secret handshake, then Wren heads out. But will this title match contract signing go as they always do?

Wren heads to the ring.

NXT returns as the #1 contender goes right to the ring, contract in hand. The fans cheer Wren on while she gets the mic. Wren says, “In less than two weeks at Halloween Havoc, I’ve got my shot against Kelani Jordan for the NXT Women’s Championship. And after what happened last week, it’s pretty clear I can’t just sit back and watch Kelani do whatever she wants. I mean, I’ve been here for awhile, and have had to watch her walk around acting like nobody can touch her. Now, don’t get me wrong, Kelani is The Standout, there’s no question about that. But at Halloween Havoc, the Standout is gonna stand down.

“So Kelani, quit hiding behind that championship, get out here, and sign this contract. Because at Halloween Havoc, I won’t just be standing up to you, I’m gonna be taking your NXT-” Kelani interrupts! Lani has a mic, and a chair… Lani tells Wren, “I just want to be the first one to come out here and congratulate you on getting what you wanted: A chance at the NXT Women’s Championship. But before I sign the contract, I got you a gift just for being #1 contender. It’s actually kinda my best work yet, you’ll be really proud of this one.” Lani goes backstage, and she drags Kendal out! Kendal’s already bloodied, that’s what the chair was about!

Lani DRIBBLES Kendal off the stage floor, but Wren runs up! Lani runs away, the fans boo her, and Wren is furious, but also worried for Kendal. Lani just made this one personal, but will she see that’s a big mistake?

Stone talks with Zilla in his office.

Stone gets Zilla wanted revenge on BirthRight for breaking his hand, he gets that. Zilla says hey, tonight was just a taste of what BirthRight has coming. Yeah, and Dempsey’s demanding a match with Zilla, but Stone doesn’t know where Zilla stands medically. Zilla says he’s casted up, good to go. Don’t believe him? Go ask the doc. If Dempsey wants him, Zilla wants Dempsey! Stone says he’ll check with the docs, but Zilla says he’s ready to go. How about this? Let’s turn it up a notch! Stone says he’s listening. Zilla wants to bring back the Halloween Havoc wheel, spin that and let that dictate how Zilla whoops Charlie’s ass!

Stone says Zilla wants to bring back the wheel. That’s exactly what Zilla wants! Cuz at Halloween Havoc, time to run that fade and up the score, just like The Bloodline would! HELLO! Zilla heads out, but will Stone let him spin the wheel and make the deal?

Noam Dar & Romeo Moreno are in the locker room.

They’re hanging out with Sean Legacy, Chazz Hall and EK Prosper. They ask Sean how Dorian Van Dux is doing, and Sean says DVD’s on the path to recovery, but it might still be two months. Dar says DVD is a savage, he’ll bounce back. Starboy says Mini Vikingo’s also healing up, he’ll be back soon, too. Romeo says yeah, and now EK bounces back to become the NEW NXT North American Champion! EK says that’s right! But then Saquon Shugars is off to the side, watching something on his tablet. Sean says c’mon, Saquon, how many times are you gonna rewatch that loss to Tristan Angels? Sauqon sorry, he didn’t realize he had asked what Sean thought about the match.

Sean says hey, he’s just trying to help. Saquon says just leave him, he’s got Tristan figured out. Does he? Because to Sean, it seems like he just acts like it, but he’s in his own way to success. And clearly the results speak for themselves. Sean wants Shugars to remember, he’s got all the talent, everyone sees it. But Shugars keeps overextending himself, pushing the envelope too far. It’s like he’s creating his own glass ceiling. Shugars says EK is too quiet, can he get his man? EK says no, look, Legacy is spitting facts. They know Shugars isn’t trying to hear it, but- Yeah, he’s not. EK’s finally got another title shot and what? Now he’s leading a support group or something?

Sean should worry about himself. If he keeps talking out the side of his neck, he’ll have a handicap spot right next to your man. Shugars leaves, the others aren’t sure what to think. But is Shugars’ sour attitude and bitter words only going to make things harder for him?

Emily Agard is backstage.

She brings up that rare look at Kelani’s most violent side with her attack on Kendal Grey, and this has made things increasingly personal with Wren. Speaking of, she is here outside the Men’s Locker Room in hopes of getting word with Cruz Montana ahead of the main event. But then DarkState steps in. Osiris checks, Cruz is in here? They’ll take it from here. Cutler has the cameraman follow them, and they bust in! They taunt Cruz, asking if his mom’s watching. Cruz ROCKS Osiris, then SHOVES Cutler into lockers before he HAMMERS Cutler down! Osiris runs up, but then Cruz SHOVES him down and HAMMERS away again!

Harley Riggins & Jax Presley egg this fight on like high school kids, but the rest of the locker room hurries to break this up! Cruz wants to tear into DarkState, but he’ll get his chance to do all this and more to Dion Lennox! Will Dion learn not to put gasoline on the fire? Or is Cruz going to burn himself up before the night is over?

Naraku speaks.

“Shiloh… You have refused to heed my warnings. Two weeks ago, you escaped the wrath of my mist, but you will not be able to hide from what awaits you. But which shade of pain will I inflict? The red burns your skin like a blistering sun. The green clouds your vision into a blurry haze. The orange seeps into your mind with visions that will haunt you. The blue drains your energy until you are too weak to move. But there is another color even more dangerous. Your science experiments will not prepare you this time. You are curious and stubborn, Shiloh, but when I unleash the black mist, this will end once and for all. At Halloween Havoc, darkness will fall. HAHAHA!”

Lizzy Rain & Shiloh Hill finish watching this.

The Maiden of Metal says whoa, their first Halloween Havoc! This is legit! Shiloh says yeah, this is sweet, but that means he has only 10 days to figure out how to counteract the black mist. Also, he only just figured out the orange. Last time, his shirt started talking to him. Lizzy says Shiloh will figure this out, he’s Shiloh Hill! Chantel hurries in and asks if they saw her video. Shiloh says back to the lab. Good luck with this. Chantel says Shiloh should look in a mirror for once. Lizzy asks what is Chantel’s deal. Chantel doesn’t get what she means. Lizzy says she doesn’t get how this is possible, but somehow, Chantel has managed to annoy everyone in the last two hours.

Chantel scoffs and says she knows they haven’t meant, but she’s The Reflection of Perfection, and- Lizzy knows who she is, but how about next week, Chantel will find out who Lizzy is. Lizzy leaves, will her headbanging break Chantel’s picture perfect debut?

Cruz Montana VS Dion Lennox!

All the Boricua Badass wanted was for Next In Line types like DarkState to respect the grind. Instead, Dion disrespected him, insulted him, talked down to him, and crossed the line beyond the pale. Will nothing stop The Illest from taking out the trash? Or will Dion do whatever he has to just to get the win?

The moment Cruz is in the ring, the two rush up! The bell rings just in time for them to start throwing hands! The fans cheer as Cruz gets the edge, then scoops to POWERSLAM! Cruz rains down fists but Dion slips free. Dion goes to a corner, but Cruz LARIATS! The fans fire up with Cruz as he fires off more fists! The ref backs Cruz off, Dion sucker punches! Dion body blows, ROCKS Cruz again, then back suplexes! Cover, TWO! The fans rally for Cruz but Dion drags him up. Dion whips and SPINEBUSTERS! Cover, TWO! Cruz survives but Dion stays focused. The fans rally again but Dion whips Cruz to a corner. Cruz comes back and he LARIATS Dion down!

The fans fire up while Dion goes to a corner. Cruz runs up and CHOPS! The fans cheer again while Dion is sputtering! Cruz whips again, runs up, and CHOPS! The fans cheer and chant, “One More Time!” Cruz obliges, whips, but Dion BOOTS back! Dion runs, but into the CHOP! And SENTON! Cover, TWO! Dion toughs it out but Cruz drags him up. Cruz THRWOS Dion into buckles, then tunes up. The fans cheer as Cruz goes corner to corner, CANNONBALL! Cruz drags Dion up, reels him in, and POWERBOMBS! Cover, TWO! Dion survives but Cruz stays cool. Cruz aims, PLANCHAS, but Dion dodges! Cruz lands on his feet, but Dion FLAPJACKS him onto steel steps!

The fans boo but Dion has turned things around. Dion grins as he then pulls up floor mats! The fans boo but Dion doesn’t care about winning, he just wants to hurt Cruz! The ref reprimands but Dion drags Cruz up, scoops him, then aims! But Cruz slips free to POST Dion! The fans fire up while Dion slumps down, and NXT goes picture in picture.

Cruz shakes out the cobwebs, then rolls back into the ring. Dion follows, and Cruz stumbles his way to the far corner. Dion runs up, but into a BOOT! Cruz CHOPS, Dion snarls, and both men kick! Cruz CHOPS again, but Dion ROCKS him with a forearm! Dion fires more shots, then whips Cruz to a corner. Dion runs in and RAMS Cruz! Dion then NORTHERN LIGHTS! Bridging cover, TWO! Cruz is tougher than that, which annoys Dion. Dion stomps Cruz around, then drives in ELBOW after ELBOW! Dion stops to soak up heat, then he stalks Cruz to ropes. Dion CHOKES Cruz, the ref reprimands, and Dion steps off at 4.

Dion paces around, brings Cruz up, then whips him corner to corner. Cruz KICKS Dion away! Dion staggers around, the fans fire up, and Cruz runs in, but Dion dodges! Cruz just jumps up and springboards to CROSSBODY! Not the cleanest hit but Cruz covers, TWO! Dion LARIATS Cruz down! Dion huffs ‘n’ puffs, but he runs to SPLASH DOWN! Cover, TWO! Cruz is still in this, but Dion drags him up by his hair. The ref reprimands but Dion clamps on a chinlock. Dion leans on the hold, but Cruz endures. Cruz fights up, fires body shots, but Dion clinches to URENAGE! Cover, TWO! Cruz survives but Dion is right back on him with the chinlock.

NXT returns to single picture as Cruz fights up again. The fans rally as Cruz fires body shots! Dion whips Cruz to a corner, but Cruz dodges to SUPERKICK! Both men are down and the fans fire up again! The fans rally for “BORICUA! BORICUA!” Cruz kips up! Dion snarls, runs up, but into a flurry of haymakers! Cruz whips, LARIATS, and ELBOWS! Then he runs up, blocks a boot, and ENZIGIRIS! The fans fire up as Cruz keeps moving, ducks a shot, but Dion switches. Dion shoves Cruz, they both roll back, and Cruz hits the CUTTER! Cover, TWO! Dion survives but the fans continue to rally. Cruz brings Dion up and fireman’s carries.

Dion CLUBS away on Cruz, but Dion CHOPS! Cruz fireman’s carries again, but Dion still lands out! Dion WRINGS Cruz out, LARIATS, then REOBUND BOMBS! Cover, TWO! The fans fire up as Cruz survives! Dion huffs ‘n’ puffs as he watches Cruz crawl. Dion drags Cruz up, pushes him to a corner, and he talks trash on mama being a drug dealer! She was a failure! But the worst part is, Cruz’s daughter is gonna learn that Daddy is Dion’s B*TCH! Cruz BOOTS Dion! The fans fire up as Cruz fires fast hands but Dion runs away! Cruz follows, and has him at the desk! Cruz says Dion’s gonna regret everything he just said as he HAMMERS away on him!

The ring count climbs but the fans cheer Cruz on! Cruz CLUBS Dion again and again, then brings him up. Dion pushes free, the count is 7 of 10! Cruz SPEAERS Dion through barriers!! The ring count hits TEN, it’s a DRAW!

Double Count-Out Draw

But Cruz doesn’t care! He wants to hurt Dion now! The ref rushes out there but Cruz intimidates him with a glare. The fans want to “LET THEM FIGHT!” but security is called in. DarkState also gets Dion outta there, but Dion’s still talking trash! Cruz throws hands on security, then THROWS security! Dion DECKS someone! IT’S GAL! Dion CLOBBERS Osiris, DECKS Cutler, then brings Dion around the way! Scoop and SLAM on the exposed concrete!! Dion suffers karma in the worst way! The fans cheer Cruz on, but he’s not done! Cruz pulls the steel steps apart! Then he CURB STOMPS Dion on the concrete!!

The fans are thunderous as Dion then grabs the steps! Dion wanted to send Cruz to that dark place, but he didn’t think Cruz would thrive off it! Cruz has the steps, he hoists them up, but Cutler jumps onto Dion to shield him! Cutler gets SMASHED by the steps!! The refs reprimand, security rushes out here, but Cruz BLASTS them, too! Dion crawls away in fear, and now serious security is brought in, wearing vests and cuffing Cruz! The fans boo, but Dion smirks as he watches Cruz be subdued. Dion may not have won the battle, but did he just win the war?

My Thoughts:

A great NXT to keep building Halloween Havoc, but so far it sounds like they’re only willing to spin the wheel once, a bit of a letdown. Granted, Zilla VS Dempsey with a No Disqualification stipulation is going to be a lot of fun, though it also opens the door to BirthRight interfering without consequences. Honestly, I think they need to put a No DQ stipulation on Lani VS Wren now that Lani went and attacked Kendal, there’s still time to establish that. Same for Myles and Tavion after their segment tonight. There are a lot of feuds getting heated right about now, so the more the merrier.

Good promo from Tony and Waller, though interesting how they flipped the dynamic we also see in Dion VS Cruz, as in, the athlete-turned-wrestler VS the guy who made a name somewhere else and is now in WWE. Tony VS Waller probably doesn’t need to spin the wheel, but it certainly should be intense. Good promo from Vanity Project to give us Drake VS Prosper, but since the title match isn’t happening on Halloween Havoc, I don’t think Drake loses. Really depends on what Swipe Right is doing in the semifinals. Great Dusty Cup matches, and while duh, BirthRight was losing thanks to Zilla, I did NOT see Hank ‘n’ Tank overcoming The Creeds. That’s great for Hank ‘n’ Tank but a bit confusing for Creeds, unless they’re gonna be here for the rest of 2026 and going into Stand & Deliver 2027…

Good promo from Izzi and Layla to set up their match, and a great showing for Layla now that she’s back to 100%. Izzi wins, of course, but quite the twist in her not wanting the title. Bad memories from fighting over it with Tatum? Makes me think Izzi wins at Halloween Havoc, where she earns her shot at the title, and then they take the match to some special episode in November or December. Chantel Monroe being everywhere tonight makes me wonder if they’re already working to make her the next big Heel. She and Lizzy will have a great match, but I would think Chantel wins since it’s her NXT debut. Very good promo from Naraku to hype up the black mist, but can’t Shiloh just bring a welder’s mask to block the mist out?

And great stuff with Dion and Cruz tonight. Dion getting DarkState to do his dirty work is a clever move, and Cruz losing his cool and the match going to a draw helps extend the story. This is another match that should have a No DQ stipulation from the wheel for Halloween Havoc, allowing Cruz to get his revenge.

My Score: 8.8/10