Shawn Michaels invites Robert Stone into an office previously used by Ava, who recently departed from WWE and her tenure as NXT general manager. Michaels makes Stone the new interim general manager and admits to liking the silver brand’s craziness.
An NXT Championship package highlights the silver, rainbow and gold greats of the past in light of tonight’s multi-man ladder match. Ricky Saints, Sean Legacy, Dion Lennox, Jackson Drake, Shiloh Hill, Keanu Carver and Joe Hendry compete to become the new NXT Champion.
Thea Hail vs Lola Vice vs Izzi Dame (c) – Women’s North American Championship
The challengers trade roll-ups and submission attempts, but Orlando would rather see and chant for Tatum Paxley. Hail wins them with a hurricanrana to The Culling’s Niko Vance at ringside, and she dives onto Vice before break. Vice delivers kicks and hips, and Hail makes a comeback with suplexes. Kehlani Jordan blindsides fellow Royal Rumble participant Vice and slams her hand onto a ladder underneath the ring. Meanwhile, Orlando buys into Hail near-fall and a Kimura Lock attempt, but a gutwrench powerbomb from Dame secures the victory.
Winner: Izzi Dame
WrenQCC congratulates Sol Ruca on her final-three Royal Rumble showing, but supposed friend Zaria takes the match as betrayal. “It is my turn now,” Zaria says in the locker room.
Footage from earlier shows Uriah Connors double down to Kale Dixon on joining last week’s tag-team brawl. Lexis King, Stacks and Arianna Grace try goading Connors into claiming his birthright, but a tag team match is proposed instead.
Debuting a hard-hitting theme and entrance, Tony D’Angelo enters the ring to explain his reappearance. Still canonically a mob leader from Chicago, he says DarkState’s actions reminded him to stand on his own two feet. “This isn’t about vengeance, this is about punishment,” he says towards the faction. His second reason for returning will be revealed after he’s finished with them.
Shiloh Hill’s TikTok previews tonight’s ladder match and reveals an identity crisis for the rookie, who’s supposedly an unsettled Redditor without the follow through. Orlando has taken to the WWE LFG winner, not the character.
Elio LeFleur vs Charlie Dempsey – Speed Tournament
WWE Speed Champion Jasper Troy speaks on the latest Speed Tournament, featuring LeFluer, Dempsey, Eli Knight and Josh Briggs. He’ll meet the winner in three weeks at Atlanta’s Center Stage Theatre. Lucha meets catch in the fast-paced match, where LeFleur hits a springboard knee at the 35-second mark. He connects with a headscissors takedown at the 10-second mark for the pinfall win.
Winner: Elio LeFleur
In a backstage interview, Joe Hendry admits he isn’t 100% after The Vanity Project’s attack. He says the signature smile is hiding frustration, and he came to NXT to claim championship gold.
Triple H calls it another new era in a Royal Rumble package, highlighting the performances of Je’Von Evans, Lola Vice, NXT Women’s Champion Jacy Jayne, Jordynne Grace, Kehlani Jordan, Sol Ruca, Trick Williams, Lash Legend and Oba Femi.
ZaRuca vs The Elegance Brand (c) – TNA Knockouts Championships
Zaria pushes Ruca over in their entrance, and they already can’t coexist. The Personal Concierge introduces the champions, accompanied by Ash by Elegance, who recrosses the line. Daria Rae recrosses the line too, spectating ringside. Orlando drowns the Brand’s offense in jeers, and Ash by Elegance’s interference aids the champions through commercial. Zaria refuses to give Ruca the hot tag, so the latter tags herself in. Orlando half-commits to a wave before ZaRuca connects with double spears amid arguing. Ruca attempts Sol Snatcher but inadvertently hits Zaria, and Heather by Elegance capitalizes with a top-rope stomp for victory.
Winners: The Elegance Brand
North American Champion Ethan Page advises The Vanity Project to finish the job on Joe Hendry. He says he’s finished with Myles Borne, tells them to use their brains against Hank and Tank, and advises Jackson Drake to pick his moments tonight.
Footage from earlier shows Blake Monoe attacking Jaida Parker outside the merch stand, caught by phone footage on X. Later, Monroe versus Parker is made official for next week.
Chase University vs Stacks and Lexis King
Vic Joseph says Uriah Connors wrestles like he has a point to prove, which is all-around true with his impressive agility. Kale Dixon steals the comeback, but Stacks reverses a moonsault with his boots up. King follows up with a running elbow and the Coronation for victory. Connors leaves Dixon and Andre Chase in the ring, returning to the back behind the nepo babies.
Winners: Stacks and Lexis King
Fatal Influence arrives in-ring, and NXT Women’s Champion Jacy Jayne boasts her first Royal Rumble appearance. She blames Ruca for eliminating her and stealing the spotlight all year, vowing to kill the hype. Zaria interrupts to jump the line, Evolve Women’s Champion Kendal Grey demands a rematch, and Orlando chants to give Wren Sinclair a chance. Ruca interrupts to ignite couple’s therapy, as Jayne comments, when Interim General Manager Robert Stone makes his first announcement: WrenQCC versus ZaRuca, where the pinfall holder challenges Jayne in Atlanta.
Kelly Kincaid catches up with Kehlani Jordan, who wonders how Lola Vice can knock out her opponents with a broken hand. The weapon of choice, a ladder, aids Ricky Saints in his entrance.
After Legacy, Lennox, Drake, Hill and Carver enter in picture-in-picture, WrenQCC express their confidence over a dysfunctional ZaRuca. Charlie Dempsey comments on his Speed Tournament loss before Lexis King, Stacks, Arianna Grace and Uriah Connors come to his side.
Ricky Saints vs Sean Legacy vs Dion Lennox vs Jackson Drake vs Shiloh Hill vs Keanu Carver vs Joe Hendry – NXT Championship Ladder Match
Vic Joseph dates the last NXT Championship ladder match back to 2015, where Finn Balor defeated Kevin Owens at the first Takeover: Brooklyn. The competitors trade moments, including a Hendry camera turn with a ladder in-hand. He tosses Drake onto a mass at ringside, hitting them with an over-the-ropes senton before break. Carver rips a ladder in half for fun, and Hendry and Lennox play tug of war with one. Hill uses the halves like stilts, which ends with a Doomsday Device from Lennox.
“We believe” chants follow Hendry’s climb, followed by “no” chants for Evolve Champion Drake, who hits a top-rope corkscrew onto the ringside mass. Hill pulls the straps down (removes his fake tooth) before encouraging his opponents to bury Carver in ladders. He delivers the ladder airplane spin, and Legacy hits a springboard 450 on Drake atop a bridged ladder. Carver eventually rises, pouncing Drake into the front row and Legacy through the podium.
The broadcast mutes multiple times for deserved “holy sh–” chants. Saints answers the Carver problem, pushing him off a ladder and through a bridged one at ringside. He hits the pose before battling with Hendry on the ladder, where both unclip the belt. Hendry hits Saints with it, sending him down onto a bridged ladder to win the match. Hendry waves his hands with the NXT Championship, Orlando and his believers.
Winner: Joe Hendry
