NXT returns to Tuesday night this week with a show from the Performance Center in Orlando, with less than five weeks until their next PLE, TLC, on December 12th. Three singles grudge matches are on the docket, plus the 2026 Dusty Cup winners getting a shot at the NXT Tag Team Championships. Tune in to the action on the CW starting at 8 PM ET, and follow along right here on Cageside!
Who’s next for Grayson and Kelani?
On the heels of successful title defenses over CM Punk and Paige, respectively, both of NXT’s top champions will be
looking for new challengers heading into NXT’s next PLE in a few weeks. Last week’s show almost served like a non-canon, house show-esque detour for the champs, but we should get back to regularly scheduled programming now that NXT is back on Tuesday nights.
So who will be next to step up?
On the men’s side, one potential candidate is Zilla ‘Vanilla’ Fatu. One of the more intriguing aspects of last week’s show was who John Cena would add to the upcoming John Cena Classic. After an emotional face-to-face on Wednesday, could the Main One parlay being the second person invited to the Classic into a shot at the NXT Champion? And could Fatu carry the NXT Title into the John Cena Classic as champ?
If not Fatu, then who else in the NXT locker room could emerge and line themselves up as Grayson’s next challenger at TLC?
As for the women, the obvious next #1 contender could be Kendal Grey. We haven’t seen the former NXT Women’s Champion compete since returning from injury a few weeks ago, and Kendal could stake a claim to a rematch with Kelani. Meanwhile, the other half of the WrenQCC and recent #1 contender, Wren Sinclair, finds herself busy with Izzi Dame this week.
Will Kendal Grey set her sights back on the NXT Women’s Championship? Or is there another challenger lurking for the Standout?
From Dusty Cup winners to champs?
Noam Dar and Romeo Moreno outlasted 13 other teams and won the 2026 Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic last week, defeating former NXT Tag Team Champions Hank & Tank in the finals. After the American Dream’s son, Cody Rhodes, presented them with the massive Dusty Cup trophy, he also informed them that they were now effectively the #1 contenders to the NXT Tag Team Champions, the Vanity Project.
Dar and Moreno will become the 8th team to earn a tag title match for winning the Dusty Classic and will look to become the 4th team to parlay the Dusty Cup into gold, potentially joining the Broserweights, MSK, and the Wolf Dogs. Perhaps to their advantage, Noam and Romeo beat the Vanity Project a few weeks ago to reach the finals.
Will the challengers keep the good times rolling and become new NXT Tag Team Champs?
To make that happen, they’ll have to contend with the numbers game of the Vanity Project, as Jackson Drake and Myka Lockwood will almost certainly be ringside. The reigning champs have already made history, ranking #6 in NXT history and holding the brand’s tag titles for over 230 days. Will Drake and Myka make sure that their second title reign continues as they look to overtake Imperium for 5th on the all-time list?
Quick Hits
- Kam Hendrix recently took a break from his random feats of athleticism to interfere in the North American Title match between Jackson Drake and EK Prosper, costing the latter the gold. At Halloween Havoc, as Kam mocked his way through one of Danhausen’s haunted rooms, EK emerged and dropped Hendrix where he stood. Tonight, these two go head-to-head to settle the score. Can Prosper get a measure of revenge and climb a step closer to getting another title shot? Or has the Kam Hendrix health meter had enough time to charge for Lights, Kam, Action on tonight’s show?
- Chantel Monroe is the latest Evolve prospect to get the call up to NXT in recent weeks and knocked off another recent addition to Tuesday nights, Lizzy Rain. Chantel and Lizzy will run it back this week. Can the Reflection of Perfection make it two in a row and keep her roll going? Or will the Maiden of Metal even the score and get her win back?
- Dion Lennox came up short in his unsanctioned match against Cruz Montana last week when the 946 invaded the Performance Center and were too much for Dion and his DarkState buddies. Now that Cruz is throwing hands on Raw, what’s next for Dion?
- Tony D’Angelo stood on a bridge during NXT last week. Could he be on a quest to find the Heritage Cup? Maybe see if Two Dimes washes up? Something else? After losing the NXT Championship match against Grayson Waller at Halloween Havoc, where does the former Don go from here?
All this and more NXT tonight on the CW! Tell us what you’re most excited for on tonight’s show in the comments below, and follow along with live coverage here on Cageside tonight, starting at 8 PM Eastern!
