NXT opened with one of the most stacked women’s nights in recent memory. The show kicked off with a six-woman tag match pitting NXT Women’s Champion Tatum Paxley, Izzi Dame, and Lola Vice against the ever-conniving Fatal Influence trio. Add to that the first round of the Women’s Speed Championship Tournament and a fiery non-title clash featuring TNA Knockouts Champion Kelani Jordan, and it’s clear this episode wasn’t easing into anything.
6-WOMEN TAG TEAM MATCH: TATUM PAXLEY, IZZI DAME & LOLA VICE VS. FATAL INFLUENCE
Jayne opened against Paxley, but Tatum immediately reminded everyone why she’s champion—stiff strikes, a slap, and a back elbow to pin Jacy in the corner. Lola tagged in and unloaded with a furious flurry, but the ref’s warning gave Jayne just enough space to hit a bicycle kick and shift momentum. From there, Fatal Influence swarmed like piranhas—quick tags, double-teams, and corner traps keeping Lola isolated.
Lainey Reed tagged in and got caught in a cross-arm breaker, but powered through. Dame entered and barely blinked at Reed’s dropkick before dragging her back toward her own corner. Paxley rejoined, only for Reed to cut her off and tag Fallon Henley, who zeroed in on Tatum’s weakened knee. A chop block and lariat earned Henley a two-count.
Tatum countered with a leapfrog and tagged Lola, who blasted both Reed and Henley with kicks. Lola and Paxley landed synchronized corner bumps before breaking into a cheeky in-ring dance—Izzi’s unimpressed reaction said it all—as the show went to break.
Back from commercial, Fatal Influence were in control again. Jayne’s knee strike nearly sealed it before a missed cannonball let Lola tag Tatum. Paxley cleaned house with a T-Bone suplex and crushing corner crossbodies. Henley ducked a lariat but got caught with an enziguri. Paxley’s 450 Splash missed; Henley countered with a slick scissor roll-up for two. Reed snuck in a cheap shot, tried to steal the pin, but Dame stormed in to break it.
Chaos broke loose—everyone hit their signature offense until Paxley and Henley flattened each other with a double lariat. The match reset. Jacy Jayne and Izzi Dame got the tags. Izzi shoved Tatum clear of danger, only to eat Jayne’s Rolling Encore.
WINNER: Fatal Influence
A frantic opener with crisp sequences and character beats. The chemistry between Paxley’s side and Fatal Influence keeps paying off, and Jayne pinning Dame clean will definitely fuel future tension within The Culling.
We revisited last week’s chaos of Kelani Jordan blasting Jordynne Grace with the Knockouts Title.
Lei Ying Lee fired back in a promo, accusing Jordan of disrespecting the Knockouts Division. Moments later, Jordan herself strutted out with mic in hand, the crowd raining boos.
Jordan didn’t flinch. She delivered one of her sharpest promos yet, ripping the double standard that cheers Dominik Mysterio or Cody Rhodes for the same behavior she’s condemned for. She called NXT “drowning” in hypocrisy, condemned fans for “only caring about girls with fat asses,” and vowed not to defend the Knockouts Title at NXT Gold Rush. It was venomous, self-righteous, and exactly the kind of heel conviction that Kelani nailed!
Wren Sinclair and Kendal Grey looked uneasy backstage when Kelani approached, smugly asking if they’d caught her promo. Ava Raine entered, reminding Jordan that while she may not answer to TNA, she is on Ava’s show. The exchange drew in Tyra Mae Steele, who told Kelani she’s the reason she came to NXT. Jordan mocked her as “second place,” which earned her a match later that night.
WOMEN’S SPEED CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNAMENT: ZARIA (W/ SOL RUCA) VS. WREN SINCLAIR (W/ KENDAL GREY)
The bell rang and the countdown was on. Fast chain wrestling to start—roll-ups traded for early two-counts. Zaria countered a headlock with a backbreaker for two, but Sinclair fought back with crisp kicks and chops.
Momentum swung repeatedly until Zaria exploded with a series of lariats and a pump kick that nearly folded Wren. Sinclair fought from underneath, cinched in a cross-arm breaker, but Zaria powered out, rolled her through, and speared her in half. The exclamation point came with the Zone of Destruction (F-5) for the decisive pin.
WINNER: Zaria
Short but strong, both showed good chemistry under the tight Speed rules. Zaria advances and will meet the winner of next week’s Skylar Raye vs. Fallon Henley.
TNA KNOCKOUTS CHAMPION KELANI JORDAN VS. TYRA MAE STEELE (NON-TITLE)
Steele opened with impressive grappling, but Jordan quickly turned it into mockery—taunting while reversing wrist control. Steele cartwheeled free and landed a kick to the gut, but Kelani’s veteran poise took over. She tried a rope-assisted roll-up, got caught, then rammed Steele head-first into the turnbuckle and post.
On the outside, Jordan targeted Steele’s wrist, smashing it against the steps before slamming her on the apron. Back inside, a chinlock grounded Steele until a burst of adrenaline saw her hit consecutive lariats and a reverse Angle Slam for two.
Jordan slipped out of a follow-up, planted Steele with a standing slam, and soared with a split-legged moonsault for the victory.
WINNER: Kelani Jordan
Solid showcase for Steele, whose athleticism shone even in defeat. But Jordan’s mean streak, and precision remain unmatched.
Out popped Santino Marella via video, reminding everyone he’s still Director of Authority in TNA. He informed Jordan that she will defend her title at Gold Rush in New York in a Triple Threat against Lei Ying Lee and Jordynne Grace. Major escalation for the Knockouts division and a well-earned payoff to tonight’s promo.
Sol Ruca and Zaria met with Ava to discuss Zaria’s next step, Ruca requested a match with Blake Monroe at Gold Rush. Fatal Influence interrupted, prompting Ava to shoo them off to take a call with Adam Pearce regarding the John Cena: Time Is Now Tour.
Moments later, Blake Monroe told Ava she wanted her first title defense to be unforgettable. Ava teased Sol Ruca as the challenger if cleared, which clearly rubbed Blake wrong. Her phone buzzed mid-conversation apparently her “better half” will be on NXT next week for an interview.
Izzi Dame called out Tatum Paxley for giving out too many title shots nackstage. Paxley agreed, promising to be more selective—but hinted she still had one more match in mind to make things right. Trouble’s clearly brewing in The Culling camp.
AAA Mixed Tag Titles CELEBRATION: CHELSEA GREEN & ETHAN PAGE
The ring turned red and white as Alba Fyre, Ethan Page, and Chelsea Green boasted about their gold—AAA Mixed Tag Titles and Page’s North American Championship. Page dubbed himself the “greatest North American to lace up boots,” while Chelsea teased another run at the Women’s U.S. Title.
Enter Joe Hendry. Say his name, and he appears. Page mocked him for being alone until Hendry revealed he had a secret partner. Cue believe music and Thea Hail popped out of the giant cake! Hail smashed cake into Chelsea and Alba’s faces, Hendry did the same to Page, and the two danced in sync to end the segment. The crowd absolutely ate it up.
Great action packed show all around, Kelani Jordan cemented her heel persona with a stellar promo. That was a major standout. Great to see Thea Hail return with a storyline as well, I didn’t expect her to come out during the main event. Leave your thoughts in the comments below!