WWE NXT Great American Bash 2026 Results, Winners, Live Grades, Reaction, Highlights

For the first time in WWE NXT history, a premium live event aired on The CW, highlighting the best young talent in WWE today with Great American Bash.

This was a crucial night for NXT from the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida including multiple major title matches.

Would Tony D'Angelo survive the threat of Naraku? Could Kendal Grey achieve her massive potential and capture the NXT Women's Championship from Lola Vice?

All the results, grades, reactions and highlights for GAB 2026 can be found below.

NXT Championship: Tony D'Angelo (c) vs. Naraku

Last Time in Action: Naraku defeated Mason Rook (NXT, June 9); Tony D'Angelo defeated Kem Hendrix to retain the NXT Championship (NXT, June 2).

Naraku headed outside to grab a steel chair outside, but D'Angelo immediately Speared him through the stage.

The former EVIL fought back by targeting the bandaged eye of the NXT champion. He even sent him eye first into the apron with Enter the Abyss.

After the Picture-in-Picture break, Naraku sent D'Angelo hard into the barricade. The NXT champion fought his way back with a Running Powerbomb and a pair of German Suplex.

Naraku responded with his own German Suplex, but D'Angelo rolled through, fired up and hit his Elevated Spinebuster for the victory.

Despite the build and attempted hype, D'Angelo vs. Naraku felt fairly ordinary when it finally went down beyond relying on the silly-looking bandaged eye as an obvious target for the former EVIL.

A hot open to the match slowed to a basic beatdown sequence as Naraku took advantage of D'Angelo's vulnerability, but they did not build to a dramatic near-fall at any point.

When the NXT champion fired up and hit his Spinebuster, it was almost a shock that the match was over.

A rushed build and the promise of Naraku delivering "evil" amounted to a fairly standard TV-level title defense.

It is a shame that NXT was not ready to reveal anything big with Naraku or at least sell him as a bigger threat to D'Angelo, who was battling a bandage nearly over both his eyes down the stretch.

Result

D'Angelo def. Naraku by pinfall to retain the NXT Championship.

Grade

C+

Notable Moments and Observations

• Because this was in the Performance Center and on network television, the presentation was identical to a usual NXT television show.
• Wade Barrett stayed on commentary with Vic Joseph for Great American Bash.
• Naraku showed an extra heel edge than NXT stars usually use, even biting hard at the fingers of D'Angelo to escape a Crossface.

Women's North American Championship: Zaria (c) vs. Tatum Paxley

Harry Aaron/WWE via Getty Images

Zaria

Last Time in Action: Zaria alongside Kelani Jordan lost to Lola Vice and Kendal Grey (NXT, June 16); Tatum Paxley lost to Zaria to lose her Women's North American Championship (NXT, June 9).

Zaria threw around Paxley early in this contest, but the former champion pulled the current champ under the apron, using the opening to repeatedly strike Zaria.

Paxley tried to choke out Zaria over the barricade, but the champion powered her way free, landing Paxley hard on the floor.

The challenger continued to use her environment to her advantage including a Snap Superplex, popping up only to take a Spear.

The two met on the apron, laying in strikes until Paxley reversed an F5 attempt into a Sunset Flip Powerbomb.

After a tug-of-war for the Women's North American Championship, Paxley hit a Cemetery Drive outside the ring followed by another in the ring for a wild near-fall.

The champion tried another Cemetery Drive that Zaria reversed into an F5 attempt. Paxley reversed into a Sunset Flip for a near-fall.

A Spear and F5 could not keep Paxley down, but after Zaria stomped Paxley's neck harshly into the mat, Zaria finished her off with another F5.

This was significantly more dramatic than the opener. Zaria and Paxley got more time than in their first match and made the most of it, battling with physical intensity.

While the result was expected in the end, Zaria and Paxley continued to keep the momentum fast to sell that either woman could take it down the stretch.

The two sold this as climactic struggle where both were willing to give up a finisher kick-out for the drama, delivering some memorable images of shock and awe near the end.

Zaria needed to retain. This is likely the end of Paxley in NXT, and she could find herself back to working with Lyra Valkyria on Raw, following "her bird" turning against Bayley.

The immediate goal in NXT should be to portray Zaria as an unstoppable force, possibly even letting her challenge for the NXT Women's Championship while still holding the Women's North American Championship.

This is the time to solidify who the top names in NXT are, and Zaria should be near the top of the list.

Result

Zaria def. Paxley by pinfall to retain the Women's North American Championship.

Grade

A

Notable Moments and Observations

• Continuing to show off her varied interests, Paxley dressed up for this match in the style of Yumeko from Kakegurui.
• Zaria repeatedly mocked Paxley by promising that she would never get her championship back.
• After winning, Zaria mocked Paxley with what looked like a kiss goodbye.

Shiloh Hill vs. Tristan Angels

Matt Pendleton/WWE via Getty Images

Tristan Angels and Shiloh Hill

Last Time in Action: Tristan Angels lost to Aaron Rourke (NXT, June 23); Shiloh Hill defeated Charlie Dempsey (NXT, May 26).

Hill quickly got his Mr. NXT sash back from Angels, who had no answer for the chaotic power and speed of his opponent.

During the PIP break, Angels began to turn the tide, throwing Hill into the turnbuckles and using the ropes to wear him down.

Hill slipped under the ring. When Angels followed, he got a phone call saying, "the fog is coming" before choking out Angels in a hockey mask.

Angels slipped away and tried to throw Hill onto the steel steps. Hill fought it off and ran up the steps for a Spear back into the ring.

Hill and Angels fought to the second rope where Hill hit the Whisper of the Beast for the victory.

This was the first match to get two commercial breaks, and it never truly felt like it earned that much time. This was solid but forgettable beyond the odd horror sequence under the ring.

Hill and Angels have solid chemistry but not to sell a match this long without any stakes.

Clearly, Hill is a priority star for NXT, and there is no point in delaying the inevitable. He should be on track for the North American Championship.

Angels has done solid work so far in NXT and has the talent to go far, but he is going to need to build some credibility after losing multiple times to Hill.

Result

Hill def. Angels by pinfall.

Grade

C

Notable Moments and Observations

• Wade Barrett put over Angels as a man that "gets my juices flowing".
• After the win, Emily Agard interviewed Hill, who said this was a perfect example of why no one sleeps on him.
• In his office, Robert Stone told Vanity Project that Jackson Drake would face Mason Rook while Brad Baylor and Rickey Smokes defended against AAA's El Hijo de Dr. Wagner Jr. and his brother Galeno.
• NXT went outside to check in with Kevin Owens and David LaGreca at the tailgate event, who talked up the action.

Women's Speed Championship: Wren Sinclair (c) vs. Arianna Grace (w/ BirthRight)

Harry Aaron/WWE via Getty Images

Wren Sinclair with Kendal Grey

Last Time in Action: Arianna Grace defeated Izzi Dame to earn this title shot (NXT, June 23); Wren Sinclair lost to Kelani Jordan (NXT, May 26).

Grace brought the speed early against Sinclair, trying to find a way to wear down the champion, who kept rebounding.

Vic Joseph sold that the champion was without support while Grace had all of BirthRight behind her, but the team mostly stayed out of the action into the final minute.

Charlie Dempsey jumped up on the apron and took a forearm shot for his trouble. Grace used the distraction for a Small Package near-fall.

Sinclair responded by spinning Grace and locked in a Final Wrench for the submission with 15 seconds on the clock.

This was a fine match for TV, but it never sold itself as worthy of the Great American Bash spotlight.

Sinclair wrestled circles around Grace, intentionally selling that the challenger was far from ready to fight the champion.

By the time this match start to move, it was over, and Sinclair once again showed she is far beyond needing the Women's Speed Champion limiting her ring time.

Grace and BirthRight move to the back of the line beyond King's oddly booked Men's Speed Championship reign, and it is hard to get excited about anything the group is doing.

Result

Sinclair def. Grace by pinfall to retain the Women's Speed Championship.

Grade

D+

Notable Moments and Observations

• BirthRight's attire gets more ridiculous by the week including the American flag cowboy gear of Lexis King.
• Backstage, Layla Diggs asked Nattie to ease off Jaida Parker, but Karmen Petrovic and Nikita Lyons continued to encourage Nattie's mockery.
• Mr. Stone continued to hand out title opportunities in his office, advising EK Prosper that he would face El Hijo del Vikingo for the Latin American Championship Wednesday.
• Tony D'Angelo, Lola Vice, Tatum Paxley, and Hank and Tank talked up America's 250th birthday.

Dion Lennox vs. Saquon Shugars

Last Time in Action: Dion Lennox defeated Jasper Troy (NXT, June 9); Saquon Shugars alongside Lennox lost to The Vanity Project (NXT, May 19).

Shugars went right after Lennox to start this match, not even removing his jacket until he toss it into Lennox's face.

Lennox found a weakness in Shugars, attacking the same back that got Powerbombed last month through the announce table.

Shugars started to fight back, hitting a Rude Awakening, before Osiris Griffin and Cutler James arrived ahead of the PIP break.

Lennox caught Shugars off the ropes with a Spinebuster for the first near-fall of the match.

Shugars fought back with a flurry of offense that ended with a Flatliner for a near-fall of his own. He followed up with a Springboard Leg Drop for another close pin.

Lennox responded with a Backbreaker on the top rope into a Side Slam for two. He tried to end it again unsuccessfully with a strong Clothesline.

Shugars lost Lennox on a Razor's Edge set-up but managed to hit a reverse Frog Splash for the victory.

Right after the win, Griffin and James attacked, laying out Shugars and finishing the job with a baseball bat swing to the stomach.

This was another match that felt like it had too much time for what it was trying to accomplish.

Lennox spent the final stretch treating every single move like the finish, but the crowd was not biting on any of it.

When Shugars got to the finish, it almost felt anticlimactic since Shugars does not have an established finisher of his own.

Both men were in the business of hitting moves but did not weave in the story that they presented on Tuesday. There was no hesitation in Shugars nor was Lennox obviously outmatched at any stage.

The post-match attack made sense but made the action feel pointless if the goal was simply for DarkState to end it standing tall again.

It may have been best to simply keep this short and sweet, allowing Shugars to overwhelm Lennox. DarkState could still get revenge post match.

Result

Shugars def. Lennox by pinfall.

Grade

C-

Notable Moments and Observations

• Shugars arrived with a new theme and entrance for his first singles entrance post-DarkState. The theme is heavily repetitive, but the presentation is solid.
• Griffin and James only menaced at ringside once they arrived (in spite of the promise that they would not appear).

North American Championship: Myles Borne (c) vs. Tavion Heights

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Myles Borne

Last Time in Action: Tavion Heights defeated Jackson Drake to earn this title opportunity (NXT, June 16); Myles Borne alongside Heights lost to DarkState (NXT, June 2).

Borne and Heights wrestled clean to start until Heights and Borne accidentally collided head first, causing a brief stop as the referee checked on both men.

After the check, both men started to work more chippy, grappling and jaw-jacking into the PIP break.

Heights threw the first punch of the match after the break and questioned if he was going too far, allowing Borne to recover and fight back.

The two kept ramping up the impactful offense. A Release German Suplex on the floor and Frog Splash in the ring nearly took the victory.

As Heights propped Borne up on his shoulders, the champion reversed into a Borne Again for the victory.

This was unlike any other match on the card so far, helped by the grappling experience of both men. They were focused entirely on rolling and suplexing.

Heights drove the pace and looked like the more impressive competitor in this style. He also continued to sell his growing frustration at failing to keep his friend down.

With two commercial breaks, this verged on longer than it needed to be, but both men sold the emotion of the match enough to excuse it.

The biggest disappointment was another tease without resolution. Commentary sold that Heights was winless against Borne going into this contest.

Throughout, Heights questioned if he needed to do more to win, but he never showed that he was willing to actually get underhanded then remained friendly afterward.

This would have been a perfect chance to highlight Heights with a memorable heel turn, especially on a night lacking for news-worthy results.

Result

Borne def. Heights by pinfall to retain the North American Championship.

Grade

B

Notable Moments and Observations

• Right before a full three-minute break and a good five more minutes to follow in the ring, Vic Joseph said that both men were nearly "on empty".
• The camera followed Heights after the loss, teasing a possible heel turn that did not materialize.

• Borne talked up his title reign in a post-match interview with Emily Agard.
• In a backstage interview, Tatum Paxley questioned what she could do next in NXT when Kelani Jordan interrupted to mock Paxley, starting a brawl.
• NXT revealed the next PLE, Heatwave, would be in Houston, Texas alongside AAA action on the same day.

NXT Women's Championship: Lola Vice (c) vs. Kendal Grey

Last Time in Action: Kendal Grey and Lola Vice defeated Zaria and Kelani Jordan (NXT, June 16).

Grey tried from the start to get a hold of Vice and ground her, but Vice used the ropes to keep her footing and hit a series of strong strikes.

The challenger attempted to challenge the strikes of Vice with her own body shots, but Vice quickly fought her off.

Kelani Jordan tried to get involved, but Wren Sinclair brawled with her to the back. The distraction allowed Vice to knock Grey off the apron with a Spin Kick into the PIP break.

Grey fought back out of the break, throwing around Vice, until she could lock in the Ankle Lock on the outside followed by Shades of Grey on the floor.

Back in the ring, Grey locked in an Ankle Lock that Vice reversed into her own. Grey turned it into an Armbar, and Vice again turned that into her own Armbar.

Vice transitioned into a Rear Naked Choke, which Grey turned into her own Choke. The two went to the ropes where the challenger missed a Moonsault and ran into a Spin Kick for the near-fall.

Vice caught Grey with a Spinning Back Fist into the ropes. Grey bounced back into a Back Elbow into a double pin with simultaneous kick-outs.

Grey managed to ducked another Spinning Back Fist into a Corner Springboard Shades of Grey for the victory.

Unsurprisingly, Grey and Vice lived up to the hype and delivered the definitive match of the night in the main event.

These two brawled with the intention of selling this as closely matching up to their legitimate fighting experience. Vice leaned into her striking prowess while Grey relied on her grappling.

This early focus set up the champion to dominate and gave Grey the explosive comeback after the PIP break, complete with pulling down the straps.

The crowd was into the action but loudest in that second half where the support for the challenger was as palpable as it can get in the Performance Center.

The homestretch was excellent, especially the memorable double pin, and the two perfectly capitalized on that energy into the finish.

While Grey has not been in NXT long, this still feels like it was a long time coming. Vice got her veteran run, but NXT belongs to Grey from here on out.

She has proved herself in the ring time and again, and hopefully the championship spotlight will allow her to refine her promo style in the coming month.

Vice will rebound, still holding the AAA Mixed Tag Team Championships, and it would not be surprising if the main roster wanted her called up before long.

Result

Grey def. Vice by pinfall to become the new NXT women's champion.

Grade

A+

Notable Moments and Observations

• Before the main event, NXT went back to the tailgate where Hank Walker and Tank Ledger's fun was interrupted by Keanu Carver, who did not appreciate their jokes about his loss to EK Prosper. He sent Hank through a table.
• Grey hugged her family in the crowd during her entrance in gear obviously inspired by WWE Hall of Famer Kurt Angle.
• Vice also found her family in the audience including her mother.
• The crowd favored Grey from the start, booing Vice's control sequences.

Overall Show

It has long been said that NXT's best asset is its women's division, and that was on full display at Great American Bash.

Zaria vs. Tatum Paxley and Lola Vice vs. Kendal Grey saved an otherwise forgettable night that was supposed to be NXT's definitive statement on its future.

Beyond the win for Grey in the main event, which was a long time coming, this show suffered from a lack of moments.

Every other champion retained, and most of the matches felt overly long for the story told.

Perhaps if NXT had lived up to its promise of bringing in AAA luchadors for the night rather than just using them to set up Tuesday, the PLE would have flowed better through its three hours.

Instead, Great American Bash was all hype and little payoff, carried by two of NXT's best matches of the year, while everything else will be forgotten within the next month.

Overall Grade: D+