NXT PLE’s these days aren’t classic events.
They don’t have historically great matches on them and they aren’t known for being tremendously significant. Why? The brand is more of a true developmental property compared to the NXT heyday where the TakeOver events were the only real must-see wrestling shows in the United States.
Here’s the thing, though. In the moment, I generally find them very enjoyable. As was the case with NXT Vengeance Day 2026 from inside the WWE Performance Center in Orlando.
The show was simple. It was concise. It had action that was good enough from a roster of talent that appeared motivated to deliver. Will I turn it on again in five years? Probably not and that’s fine.
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. Period.
Blake Monroe vs. Jaida Parker - Street Fight
A solid opener. The momentum in the match went back and forth, but it all seemed designed to help Monroe get over. Monroe has lacked edge since making her NXT debut and this match was a step in the right direction to find it. There were some ambitious spots and both women nailed them. Parker has a bright future in WWE, but his night belonged to Monroe.
Heydorn’s Brass Ring Rating - OO 1/2
Tony D’Angelo vs. Dion Lennox
A wild brawl. This had strong intensity, but the painfully bad “props” hurt the match’s authenticity. How many paper walls can you crash through before the audience starts giggling? NXT either has to do away with the props and weapons, or find a better way to figure them into matches. That said, D’Angelo had a great night. He showed plenty of fire and while I’m not exactly sure what the new gimmick is, this one has a chance to make it up to the main roster.
Heydorn’s Brass Ring Rating - OO 3/4
Izzi Dame vs. Tatum Paxley - NXT Women’s North American Championship Match
The match of the night. It took a bit to get started, but both women were able to hook the crowd because of their storied history. It felt like they hated each other, which added important layers to the drama of the match. Paxley is an over babyface, who benefitted from having a special connection with the Performance Center crowd. The finish was strong and tied a nice bow on not only Paxley winning the title, but her feud with The Culling.
Heydorn’s Brass Ring Rating - OOO 1/4
Kelani Jordan vs. Lola Vice - NXT Underground Match
The Underground style matches are unique from a look perspective, but limit what the wrestlers can do. If it’s Jon Moxley or Marina Shafir in there, ok, they can find some range and have it make sense. Kelani Jordan and Lola Vice? That’s a tougher putt. The women pulled the match off, but because of the limited options, a lot of it felt repetitive. Jordan showed a bit of a darker edge, but it was smart to give Vice the win. It closes out the feud with Jordan and keeps her record in Underground matches clean.
Heydorn’s Brass Ring Rating - O 3/4
Joe Hendry vs. Ricky Saints - NXT Championship
It’s a good thing Hendry is as over as he is. This match didn’t have the best action in the world, but it had an invested audience, which helped it out a great deal. Saints hasn’t found his NXT groove yet, but he did enough in the match to come across as a heel that the fans wanted to see get beat. This gets downgraded because Hendry cheated to win. Remember that over babyface thing I just mentioned? They don’t cheat with low kicks behind the referee’s back. Doesn’t matter if he’s fighting fire with fire or however the announce team wants to frame it. There has to be better integrity with these characters.
Heydorn’s Brass Ring Rating - OO 1/2
What did you think of NXT Vengeance Day 2026? Let us know in the comments!
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