A transitional episode of NXT this week as the brand continues to introduce fresh faces in the post-Backlash landscape. Naraku made his in-ring debut, Mason Rook made things official, and Izzi Dame sent a very clear message to close the show.

Tatum Paxley & Lizzy Rain def. Zaria & Nikkita Lyons

Rain and Zaria opened the match, with Zaria using her power early before Rain answered with quick counters and a headscissors takeover. Zaria ignored Nikkita Lyons’ request for a tag, showing early tension between the partners. Lyons continued to impress since returning to NXT, but the dynamic duo of Rain and Paxley kept their opponents off balance. A fed-up Zaria decided to walk out on Lyons, allowing Rain to hit Thunderstruck and win the match.

Backstage, Paxley told Rain she wants to give her first dibs on a Women’s North American Championship shot next week.

Rating: Solid enough opener with a clean storyline finish. The Zaria/Lyons split continues to develop, and Rain looks strong heading into a title match.

Naraku def. Lince Dorado

NARAKU made his in-ring debut against Lince Dorado and immediately set the tone with heavy strikes, wrist control, chops, and a shoulder tackle. Dorado tried to use his speed, landing a springboard crossbody and later the Golden Rewind, but NARAKU repeatedly cut him off with power and aggression. Naraku hit two fisherman suplexes and an STO for the win, declaring “I am pure evil!” afterwards.

Naraku is formerly known in New Japan Pro Wrestling as EVIL.

Rating: A functional debut squash. Naraku looked dominant and his presentation was strong, but the match itself was brief. Worth watching for the character work.

BirthRight def. EK Prosper, Sean Legacy & Tate Wilder

Wilder made his NXT in-ring debut and made a comeback that underwhelmed compared to his partners. Charlie Dempsey caught him with a double-underhook superplex. Connors hit a Death Valley Driver to Prosper on the apron to loud “NXT” chants, Wilder connected with a cutter, and Stacks broke the pin. Wilder hit BirthRight with an outside dive, ignored Legacy and Prosper’s pleas for a tag, and missed a moonsault. Stacks and Connors capitalised with double dropkicks for the win.

Rating: The best pure match of the night. All six men got time to shine and the crowd was into it. Tate Wilder’s pride costing his team was a smart bit of storytelling for a debut.

Mason Rook Contract Signing

Robert Stone was already in the ring with the contract and delivered the usual “NXT is the hottest destination in wrestling” speech before introducing Rook, who entered looking every bit like someone WWE built in a lab to throw people around on television. Rook said he’s been all across Europe, travelled around the world, and has gotten the attention of John Cena — before branding himself a “flying human tank.” Before things could escalate further, Kam Hendrix attempted a sneak attack, but D’Angelo saw it coming and dropped him with a back elbow. D’Angelo and Hendrix brawled around ringside until Rook wiped everybody out with a moonsault to the floor. Rook then signed his NXT contract to close the segment.

A strong debut showcase for Rook. The segment had energy and the moonsault to the floor made an immediate impression.

Jackson Drake def. Noam Dar

The lights dimmed on Drake’s celebration, and DarkState stared down the NXT Tag Team Champions from the stands. DarkState appeared in-ring while Vanity Project escaped ringside. Saquon Shugars and the group challenged for the NXT Tag Team Titles, with Robert Stone approving a rematch for next week.

Rating: Dar’s return was good to see but the match itself was secondary to the post-match angle. Drake picking up the win makes sense for his trajectory. The DarkState confrontation was the real story here.

Kelani Jordan def. Kendal Grey (Main Event)

Two of NXT’s best squared off in the main event. Grey brought her hyper-intense grappling skills to Jordan immediately, but the former gymnast matched the intensity with a series of chops and verbal lashings. Grey started to build momentum but couldn’t find the winning fall or submission as Jordan’s resiliency started to show through.

A brawl between NXT Women’s Champion Lola Vice and Izzi Dame spilled into the ringside area, inadvertently taking out an already injured Wren Sinclair. Grey shoved Vice for hurting her injured friend, and Dame capitalised with a big boot to the champion, holding up the NXT Championship belt as the show went off the air.

Rating: A genuinely good main event elevated by the closing angle. Grey is impressing in NXT and the match had a nice intensity to it. The Izzi Dame/Lola Vice segment at the end was the shot of adrenaline the closing stretch needed.

Overall Thoughts

A decent episode of NXT that served its purpose as a building block. The in-ring quality was modest across the card but the storyline progression was consistent — Naraku is presented as a legitimate threat, Mason Rook arrives with real star potential, and Izzi Dame’s slow heel turn within The Culling is the most intriguing long-term story on the brand right now.