Heydorn’s NXT Receipt 8/25/26

-Ok, Saquon Shugars defeated Dion Lennox in a Cage Match to open the show. Thank goodness. It actually was the blowoff match for this inner-DarkState feud that would never end. Sarcasm aside, Shugars and Lennox had a nice match together. They used the cage enough and the bout featured a huge top of the cage Shugars spot in the end. That’s about all anyone could reasonably ask for. The feud didn’t click and this match didn’t click all the way because of that reality. Did these two do the best they could on this night to put a bow on everything? Absolutely.

Any room at the top?

-The real question centers around what’s next for both Shugars and Lennox. With the influx of main event talent in the men’s division throughout the last month, neither of these guys have a fast track to the top of the card. Maybe a mid-card title feud with Myles Borne? That’s the best either guy can hope for at this point given the talent circumstances around them.

-Ya know, Tony D’Angelo cut a heck of a promo backstage this week. It’s total duration was less than 45 seconds, but he delivered impassioned words about being champion and remaining champion after Heatwave. This was to the point and not fancy, but it got over his intense character, the championship he’ll be defending, and the fatal four-way match that is on the PLE this weekend. Kind of a coming out moment for him in terms of acting like a lead babyface on a show.

-What the hell am I missing? Why was The Vanity Project inside of a bowling alley for their vignette this week. Since becoming fixtures of NXT this year, Vanity Project always seemed to have a good pulse on their characters. A bowling alley? That didn’t fit. A bowling alley is the last place these guys would hang out.

Time for Jaida and Nattie to go all out

-I love the idea of a Submission Match between Natalya and Jaida Parker. The promo this week to get there? Not so much. Nattie always feels like she’s forcing promos and reading off a script. Parker was fine, but I’m still not feeling that the new spin on her character is genuine. Now, the match should be excellent on Sunday and maybe Parker can find some of that character swagger once again inside of it. Here’s to letting these women go all out on Sunday.

-Keanu Carver had a good match with Kam Hendrix. Carver looked dominant, but then they did a silly protection finish that furthered a Hendrix match with Mason Rook. Huh? Carver stands out heads above both Hendrix and Rook. The hesitancy to go with Carver fully and without looking back is confusing.

-Both the Kelani Jordan and Zilla Fatu pre-recorded promos were excellent. Short, sweet, and very much tapped into the best parts of both characters. As a heel, Jordan got to be whiny, while at the same time presenting herself as a top player in NXT. As for Fatu, same thing. The charisma oozed out of him, he looked comfortable, and came across as a star.

-Yeah, they shouldn’t be beating Zaria like they did this week. I get that Kali Armstrong is one of your top prospects, but Zaria is likely going to be an eventual NXT Women’s Championship challenger for Kendal Grey in the near-future. Not only that, but she was a part of the biggest NXT women’s feud of the year last year. Beating her should be a big deal.

But … why?

-Armstrong is now added to the Women’s NXT North American Championship and Speed Championship unification match at Heatwave. Just unnecessary booking. If Armstrong is important enough to beat Zaria clean, she’s important enough to not be added to title matches at the last second. The play here is Zaria beats Wren Sinclair at Heatwave, then moves on to a real program with Armstrong. Now, that opens up different issues given that both are heels, but that’s a different problem plaguing all of pro wrestling right now.

-Wait wait wait, is that two wins in a row for Birthright? By a lottery ticket everybody!

-EK Prosper vs. Rey Fenix was far and away the match of the night. Crazy athleticism and pace. Prosper didn’t win this, but he sure was talked about like someone to watch. When he beat Keanu Carver a handful of months ago it felt odd, but now we know why it happened. The guy has huge potential.

NXT women and Zilla rule the main event

-Ehhhhhh, the championship summit main event segment was flat. Having the women’s and men’s title matches cross over in a promo segment was a fun idea in theory. In practice, it didn’t work well because the two feuds and matches are in very different places. The women came across as bigger stars than the men until Zilla Fatu walked out. That dude is getting belted up at Heatwave.

What did you think of this week’s episode of WWE NXT? Let us know in the comments!

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