-So, I kind of agree with Tony D’Angelo. Remember when Grayson Waller cut that pipe bomb style promo and I said that he was going to have to find a deeper layer to his character if he wanted to sustain the interest he generated for himself? He hasn’t. D’Angelo called Waller a one-line wizard and that’s what he’s been. It’s a big flaw to point out, so I’m looking to see how Waller recovers in the weeks ahead.
What’s going on with Grayson Waller?
-With that said, the promo segment was fine. I know it’s the NXT Championship, but it’s the fourth most important thing happening on the show right now. On that grading scale it delivered. When you remember that Waller has the top championship on the brand, it’s easy to question what the hell is going on.
-Birthright is officially out of the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic. Wide open now for Zilla Fatu. You know me. I love seeing Fatu pick off Birthright members, but it’s crazy that the feud between them is going on over a month long. Fatu isn’t completely derailed or anything like that, but he’s lost a significant amount of momentum.
-Oh god. Kam Hendrix, I’m sorry to do this to you, but you are now in the lead for worst promo of the year. Locked down worst segment of the night too. He caught a couple footballs on a football field and then did it blindfolded. So? It reads as much more impressive than it actually was. Hendrix looked like a total goofball … at best. At worst? It was a promo that would have me questioning whether or not he should be put on television again.
Like Hendrix, like Diggs
-Layla Diggs got too much offense on Izzi Dame. Admittedly, that’s an odd thing to say given Dame is Dame, but it’s true. Diggs hasn’t been established at all. Since the match wasn’t a showcase for her specifically, she didn’t need to take as much as she did. Now for the real talk. Diggs reminds me a lot of Hendrix. She’s playing a character we’ve seen plenty of times in pro wrestling and isn’t playing it well. Ice cold.
-One of the better Tavion Heights promos this week. Unlike most other in-ring promos in NXT, he was able to hide the memorization of his lines. Plus, what he said came across authentic and real.
-The Creed Brothers are out of the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic. What??!? Look, the entire tournament has been strong this year, but the booking is confusing. There isn’t a benefit in taking these guys out of the field after how they’ve been presented since returning to NXT. Big-time booking would’ve helped the presentation. Hank and Tank can wrestle a good tag team match, but don’t have the polish or intensity that The Creeds do. It’s Vanity Project’s tournament to lose now.
-Kelani Jordan got some real heat out there this week for taking out Kendal Grey right in front of Wren Sinclair. Sinclair isn’t where she needs to be as a title contending act. However, that’s not the purpose of the feud right now. This entire storyline is a setup for a future feud between Grey and Sinclair. It’s foundational. That said, Jordan is doing her best heel work right now as champion.
-Anyone want to take a guess as to what the point of all the Chantel Monroe stuff was this week? Let me know in the comments because I’m buying a vowel. Monroe needs to thank Hendrix. If not for him, she’d have “worst segment of the night” locked down.
In Cruz’s head
-With Halloween Havoc looming in a couple weeks, it was clear that this Dion Lennox vs. Cruz Montana main event was a chapter in their story ahead of a showdown match at the PLE and not a showdown match itself. What we saw worked and the Lennox and Cruz rivalry is something the audience is clearly invested in. The ending shot of the show and the commentary around it was … chefs kiss. Montana went too far with the violence on Lennox and was taken away in handcuffs. The look on Lennox’s face told the story. He wants Cruz to crack and that’s what the audience saw. Strong storytelling because the audience will end up on the side of Cruz. Not only will they want him to beat up Lennox, but they’ll want him to do it the right way. He’s got added sympathy now.
Should The Creed Brothers have lost this early in the 2026 Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic? Let us know in the comments!
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No. Grey v Sinclair ain't it. What's with this show's tendency to rip my heart out when I emotionally attach myself to a babyface? Kendal has to get her payback. No ifs, ands or maybes and by that same token, Wren could throw a monkey wrench if she wins the title. Kam Hendrix is lame as fuck. I'd rather see Dar/Moreno v Wagner Bros in the finals. Swipe Right don't need the cup. They've got all the gold anyways.
Zaria v Izzi being non-title is a headache.
NB: I did go to an NXT house show last weekend and it was fun.