The 2026 NXT Heatwave event had the potential to be transformational for the brand due to an abundance of new stars in top spots and storylines ripe for definitive endings. Bad booking and under-achieving in-ring work led to a stagnant show that never clicked out of first gear.
If you watched this instead of an all-time edition of AEW All In, I’m sorry.
Every match on the card had the bones to potentially be the match of the night, but nothing really touched that level and we’ll hand out the award strictly out of habit. Heatwave lacked energy from the performers and the audience followed suit. Maybe they were tired from the AAA show that took place prior? Ok? If running back to back shows like this acts as a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the foot, it’s time to stop doing it.
Here are my Brass Ring Ratings for the event and here’s how they work … I call it like I see it and grade accordingly. One brass ring = bad. Five brass rings = epic, all-time greatness, and perfection.
Zaria vs. Wren Sinclair vs. Kali Armstrong - NXT Women’s North American Championship and Speed Championship Unification Match
A flat opener. The match wasn’t actively bad, just passively weak and slow. This will be the first time the booking gets blamed, but not the last. Why is this match in this spot? The match choice here was important due to the nature of the AAA show finishing up right before it. This needed to be a hot match with talent that were ready to deliver at that level in order to maintain crowd energy. This match with these women was never going to fill that role successfully. It was probably the least hyped match on the show and the audience figuratively leaned back in their chairs and took a deep breath as it went on. This made for a less than ideal environment for viewers. The match itself had it’s moments, but was forgettable for the most part. Zaria won, let’s hope the Speed Championship is now gone, and those were the two best things about this one.