Cook’s WWE NXT Review 6.23.26

Hey kids! Steve Cook here with you for the latest episode of WWE NXT on the CW! We’re five days away from the Great American Bash, and we’ve got contract signings & face to face segments to build it up. We’ve also got some matches and probably a surprise or two, so it should be a good time!

If you already subscribe to the 411MANIA Wrestling Newsletter, earlier today you received some of my thoughts on wrestlers speaking out against Tommy Dreamer, Bully Ray doing the grift thing & Sol Ruca going private. If you don’t already subscribe, do so right now! Yes, before we get to the show because if you’re like me you won’t remember to do this a minute from now.

Cook’s WWE NXT Review 6.23.26

Then. Now. Forever. Together!

Tony D’Angelo asks Robert Stone where Naraku is. Stone wants D’Angelo to stay in line tonight, and he needs that contract signed tonight. Aaron Rourke appears, and D’Angelo puts him over as a solid competitor that he’s looking forward to seeing in NXT. Stone tells D’Angelo to not mess things up.

Vic Joseph & WADE BARRETT are our hosts tonight. I don’t mind Booker T at all, but I always like hearing Wade on a broadcast.

EVOLVE Championship Match: Aaron Rourke vs. Tristian Angels: Having only seen a few early EVOLVE shows back in the Reby Sky era, this is the first time I’ve actually watched or reviewed an EVOLVE Championship match. Tieup into the corner, Angels does some gesticulating and shoving. Shoulderblock by Rourke, a headlock, Angels with a cravate then an elbow. Some shoulderblocks in the corner, up and over & a kick from Rourke. Big boot by Rourke, then a dropkick off the middle rope gets two. Angels takes Rouke down and punches him. A nerve hold by Angels. Some red lights and laughing distract Angels, and Rourke sends him over the top rope. Angels yanks Rourke down to the floor, and we go to Nonstop NXT.

Small package gets two for Rourke. Angels sends Rourke face first into the second turnbuckle, then works the arm. Rourke gets a rollup but misses a dropkick, Angels arm wrings Rourke down for two. Angels whips Rourke hard into the turnbuckle. Angels keeps working Rourke’s arm while the referee checks on him. I forget her name but she does a great job whenever I see her.

Naraku arrives while we go back full-screen. Rourke tries a front handspring out of a move but Angels kicks him down. Rourke fights back, flips out of a suplex and clotheslines Angels. Fallaway slam by Rourke, and a kip up. We see Tony looking for Naraku as Rourke backdrops Angels. Running kick gets two for Rourke. Rourke tries to take the Mr. NXT sash & Angels kicks him off the top turnbuckle. Not a smart move from Rourke, but then Angels gets pulled under the ring by somebody or something. Angels gets kicked upon re-entering the ring, and Rourke hits the Molly-Go-Round for three!

Winner: Aaron Rourke (8:52 via pinfall)
Match Rating: **3/4
I gotta say that Rourke looked pretty darn good in his NXT debut. Hopefully we’ll be seeing more of him on this show. I’m not really sure what to make of the red lighting, the laughing or the apparently Shiloh Hill under the ring stuff, but it’s definitely a way to further that issue with him & Angels.

D’Angelo walks up to Naraku in the parking lot. Naraku hands D’Angelo the contract, when D’Angelo opens it, a fireball pops out! OK, that was somewhat preposterous but I liked it.

When we return an ambulance pulls into the parking lot while Tony’s face is being covered with a towel by NXT medical. Robert Stone is verklempt as the ambulance pulls away with his champion inside.

Saquon Shugars is in the ring, and Dion Lennox walks down to the ring for their face to face confrontation. Dion says that he’s already decided how the Great American Bash is going to go. Shugars reminds him that DarkState sent him through an announce table 35 days ago. He made sure it was him and the head of the snake at the Bash. He heard him say why they cut him loose, and he wondered if he did something wrong. Dion was the one that started acting like a leader, NXT needed Shugars to be in the spot that Lennox was given. Dion says he was put there because he was supposed to be. DarkState was never supposed to have Shugars in it, and on Sunday he’ll leave him in the past. Shugars says he loved them, and he was the one holding it together. The others couldn’t do anything without them. Dion can’t carry his jockstrap. Shugars says he’ll take care of him at the Bash. Dion says that everything people love about Shugars is fake. They could never count on him. He’d disappear moments before they came out. He was a distraction that they spent too much time babysitting. Shugars is still his own worst enemy. At the Bash he’ll hesitate, and Dion will expose him. Shugars’ name is signed on his death warrant, and on Sunday Dion will stamp it.

Matt Matthews is wearing his Hank & Tank t-shirt and ready to stand in their corner. It strikes me that Matt Matthews vs. Eddie Edwards would be one heck of a feud.

Tonight’s NXT Spotlight features Myles Bourne & Tavion Heights. He was becoming just another guy in the No Quarter Catch Crew, and he didn’t want that. Tavion Heights is his brother, but sometimes he thinks that Tavion didn’t want him to go out on his own. Tavion says that he loves Myles like a brother, but Myles seems to think that he’s better than him, and Tavion will not be forgotten.

Wren Sinclair advises Tavion that maybe sometimes the best thing to do is let a friend go. Tavion says that the rest of the NQCC has something, and he has nothing. He leaves, Kendal Grey appears, and they plan for a two-layer cake later on tonight after Kendal’s contract signing.

Hank & Tank (w/Matt Matthews) vs. BirthRight (Uriah Connors & Channing “Stacks” Lorenzo w/Lexis King, Arianna Grace & Charlie Dempsey): Tank & Connors start things off. Tank gets the advantage with arm drags. Hank tags in, as does Stacks. Stacks cheap shots Tank on the apron, and Hank gets double teamed during the distraction. Hank sends Stacks into the ropes and hits a clothesline. Tank tags in, they double team both BirthRight members. Tank atomic drops Stacks and sends him out of the ring. This leads to BirthRight surrounding Matthews, but Hank & Tank hit stereo tope suicidas and wipe everyone out save Grace. We go to commercial!

We return and Hank is fighting off both opponents until getting powerbombed for two. Hank finally gets the tag and Tank is going ham on them. Springboard crossbody by Tank. Stacks gets clotheslined over the top and Connors joins him. Tank cannonballs onto them on the floor. Hank tags in, a double faceplant gets two. Connors rolls Hank up for two. Connors hits a springboard stunner, Stacks gets a two count after a top rope elbow drop. All four face off in the middle of the ring, Connors gets kicked to the floor. Stacks tries a springboard move and gets slammed, Connors hits a swanton and everyone is down. Lexis holds Matt & Charlie tries to deck him but hits Lexis instead! Matt trips Charlie into Lexis’ lower nutsac region. Hank & Tank hit a combo bodyslam clothesline on Stacks for the three count!

Winners: Hank & Tank (7:45 shown via pinfall)
Match Rating: **1/2
Some pretty solid tag team action here. I don’t really think Hank & Tank will be given much of a shot on the main roster because of the situation tag teams face once they get there, but it feels like they should be on the verge of moving up. I’m not sure they’re going to get much better here.

Sarah Schrieber asks Shiloh Hill if he & Tristian Angels are even now. Shiloh says they aren’t, and now that he’s cleared he’ll make Angels pay for what he did at the Bash.

Earlier tonight, Tony D’Angelo got fireballed! Vic & Wade talk about it and throw us to the contract signing for the NXT Women’s Championship.

Kendal Grey tries to apologize for last week, but Lola Vice isn’t hearing it. She’ll show Kendal why she’s #1 & Kendal is #2. Kendal wants to lead the NXT women’s division and needs to win on Sunday. Lola says Kendal will have her time and her success, but not while she’s champion. Kendal will be humbled on Sunday, she’ll have her time but not until Lola is done. The contract is signed!

EK Prosper vs. Keanu Carver: Carver slams Prosper right away. Prosper tries to evade Carver but gets shoulderblocked down. Carver stomps Prosper down in the corner. Prosper hits a couple of dropkicks, then hits a springboard dropkick. Front military press slam by Carver, and he takes control of things. Prosper fights back, hits a Lionsault to a standing Carver. Prosper gets rocked on an attempted dive, and we go to Nonstop NXT.

Prosper gets whipped into the apron and sent back into the ring. Carver hits a backbreaker, then chokes Prosper on the ropes. Another backbreaker by Carver. Vertical throw by Carver. Prosper turns a slam attempt into a rollup for two. Carver responds with a backbreaker. Carver locks in a Cobra Clutch, a move we never see enough of if you ask me.

Prosper fights out as we go back full-screen, but gets slammed down. Big ol German suplex by Carver. Prosper with some punches, he kicks Carver down with a shining wizard. A dropkick sends Carver outside. Springboard moonsault to the floor by Prosper. That was fun, Carver clotheslines Prosper out of his boots for two. Prosper dropkicks Carver in the corner, hits a leg lariat off the top for two. Carver avoids a moonsault and a DDT and hits a Pounce!

Winner: EK Prosper (9:52 via pinfall)
Match Rating: **1/4
Ah, the classic story of David vs. Goliath. Carver beat the crap out of Prosper for most of this match, but Prosper still got the win somehow. I do see potential in both of these guys and look forward to seeing their development.

That winning moment doesn’t last long for Prosper, as Carver powerbombs him through the announce table.

Zaria addresses Tatum Paxley. They were standing in other peoples’ shadows, then they stood on their own and became champions. Tatum couldn’t let things go and let her enjoy her success. She had to embarrass Zaria in her first match as champion. Tatum is addicted to pain, so Zaria will give her a rematch at the Bash and she can revel in that pain forever.

Naraku tells Robert Stone that he’ll have no title match at the Bash now. Carver tells Stone that Prosper wasn’t the first and won’t be the last.

Women’s Speed Tournament #1 Contender’s Match: Izzi Dame (w/The Culling) vs. Arianna Grace (w/BirthRight): This kind of reminds me of when Bolin Services & the Disciples of Synn feuded in OVW back in the early 2000s. Well, not really, but we have two heel factions here so that’s why it came to mind. Dame attacks right away. She hits a Sky High for two. Knees by Dame, then a running kick. Grace avoids a top rope move, then hits a senton for two. Pump kick by Grace. Grace up top, Dame joins her, Stacks gets knocked off the apron, Grace hits a boot for two. Dame gains the advantage, but then Shawn Spears makes her pause for a high five & Grace rolls her up for three.

Winner: Arianna Grace (2:21 via pinfall)
Match Rating: **
Some decent action here from both wrestlers. I haven’t seen a whole lot of Grace in the ring, but she’s got some skill.

Wren Sinclair comes out to stare down Grace while Spears has his head down in the ring. Y’know, for a veteran wrestler that guy makes a ton of mistakes.

Sarah comes in to talk to Robert Stone, he says he’ll address the NXT Championship situation at the end of the night. The Vanity Project come in to complain about not having a match at the Bash.

NXT Origins features Alexa Bliss!

Karmen Petrovic & Nikkita Lyons watch Nattie win a Guinness Book of World Records award on their phone & talk smack about Jaida Parker while Jaida comes in and sits on the couch. They walk off, then OTM walks in and sits with Jaida. They ask if she’s ok, Jaida isn’t ok, so she leaves. The Perros del Mal situation is mentioned, but it doesn’t seem to be an issue that will break their team up.

The Culling (Shawn Spears & Niko Vance) vs. Sean Legacy & Dorian Van Dux: Spears chops Legacy a couple of times, Legacy trips him up and dropkicks him. Legacy works Spears’ arm, then tags Van Dux. Vance tags in, hits a shoulderblock but gets ranaed by Dorian. Sunset flip gets two for DVD, then he works Vance’s arm. DVD back suplexes Vance, Legacy hits a PK & a standing moonsault for two. Spears tags in, Legacy avoids a suplex. Spears saves Vance from a double suplex, dropkicks Van Dux to the floor, and the Culling have the upper hand as we go to commercial.

Legacy & Spears are on the turnbuckle as we return. DVD tags in afterward and takes both Culling members out. DVD hits a moonsault on Spears, Vance breaks up the count. Spears & Vance hit a double team move on Legacy for two. Spears with chops to Legacy. Legacy hits a kick to Spears, DVD moonsaults Vance on the floor. Legacy hits Sliced Bread on Spears. Spears eats a 450 from Legacy and a shooting star press from DVD for the three count.

Winners: Sean Legacy & Dorian Van Dux (7:38 shown via pinfall)
Match Rating: **1/2
This was an excellent spot to debut the team of Legacy & Van Dux, a team that NXT obviously has high hopes for with how much they’ve been building to it.

Vance has had enough of Spears and clotheslines him down before throwing him over the top rope. A chokeslam sends Spears through the announce table. That table’s been smashed twice tonight!

Sunday: Zaria vs. Paxley! Bourne vs, Heights! Shugars vs. Lennox! Sinclair vs. Grace! Hill vs. Angels! Vice vs. Grey! We see Robert Stone walking with the NXT Championship belt, and we’ll hear from him next!
Robert Stone is in the ring. He says the NXT Championship match will happen, and he wants to bring out the man that caused all this uncertainty. Narkau makes his way to the ring. Naraku says that if he has no one to face him he’ll take the championship. Mason Rook appears! He reminds Naraku that it’s NXT, and you don’t just get handed the title. Rook says that they can run it back with some gold on the line. The Vanity Project appears! Jackson Drake reminds Mason that he’s been in NXT for a minute. Stone’s been ducking them all day for what? He doesn’t want all of these studs at the Bash? Drake is a main event talent from head to toe. He calls Rook “porkchop”, and that begins the fighting between Mason & Jackson. Naraku tells Stone he can still give him the belt, Stone replies that it was always going to be “him”, and Tony D’Angelo comes out with a taped up eye! Tony forces Naraku out of the ring, and it looks like the Bash main event is still on. So long for now!

If you’d like to chime in with your own thoughts on tonight’s show, feel free to join your fellow 411 Maniacs down in the comment section! As the legendary Larry Csonka always said: Have fun and don’t be a dick. When I’m not here you can catch me on social media from time to time. To be honest, e-mail is a better option and you can reach me at [email protected].

7.6

The final score: review Good

The 411

One of the main criticisms of WWE main roster booking lately has been the lack of things happening. We can't say that about this episode of NXT, as we saw some things finally happen while building to the Great American Bash show on Sunday. I've been higher on the new crop than most, but I really think folks are going to dig this NXT era. See ya on Sunday for the Bash!