WWE NXT Results, Winners, Live Grades, Reaction, Highlights Before Heatwave 2026

On the week ahead of Heatwave, NXT presented a final show on August 25 in the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida.

As part of a Championship Summit, Tony D'Angelo would meet his future challengers Grayson Waller, Cruz Montana and Zilla Fatu while Kendal Grey exchanged final words with Kelani Jordan.

Saquon Shugars and Dion Lennox opened the show in a Weaponized Steel Cage. EK Prosper challenged Rey Fénix for the AAA Cruiserweight Championship.

This was only the foundation of an important night. Check out all the results, grades and highlights for NXT below.

Weaponized Steel Cage: Saquon Shugars vs. Dion Lennox

Last Time in Action: Dion Lennox defeated Saquon Shugars (NXT, August 11).

Lennox tossed a trash can at Shugars as he entered the cage, starting an immediate brawl. Lennox relied on his surroundings early, tossing Shugars repeatedly into the steel.

Shugars found a way to fire back, trapping Lennox in a trash can which he attacked with a trash can lid and Missile Dropkick.

Lennox fought free and dropped Shugars' back onto a chair into the Picture-in-Picture break.

Out of the break, Lennox fired up, tossing Lennox into the cage and flying out of the corner with a fast Crossbody.

He whipped Lennox into a kendo stick followed by face-planting Lennox into a steel chair. Lennox responded with a Spinebuster onto a trash can for a near-fall.

Lennox began targeting the leg of Shugars, using a steel chair and Shugars' own bat to target the left knee.

Shugars tried to send Lennox through a table with a Sunset Flip Powerbomb, but his knee gave out.

Shugars kept fighting through the limp and, in a final desperation move, went all the way to the top of the cage for a Crossbody to seal the win.

This was by far the best these two have looked in singles action, especially against one another.

Plunder matches especially with this many pre-set weapons gave them the structure their standard matches lacked.

The aggression of Lennox is far more effective when he is swinging chairs and tossing his opponent into a cage than utilizing his standard offense.

He also showed some impressive ingenuity throughout, combining weapons with the cage that sold his intellect.

This match also gave Shugars a chance to lean into his ability to sell pain, highlighting his resilience while the crowd cheered him on.

The ending was hampered by an early table break, but Shugars soldiered through and still hit a nice top-of-the-cage Crossbody, even if it did not look as devastating as they originally planned.

This should be the end of the rivalry for now. Shugars does not need to go through Osiris Griffin and Cutler James. He just needs to move on.

Let Shugars start building a resume that can allow him to challenge for the North American Championship while DarkState finds a new target.

Result

Shugars def. Lennox by pinfall.

Grade

B+

Notable Moments and Observations

• Booker T oddly clarified that Shugars and Lennox don't hate each other. They just have "bad blood".
• Vic Joseph explained that this could have been on Heatwave, but Robert Stone did not believe these two could wait. Booker again oddly questioned if this would have made the premium live event card.
• "Use the Table" is a new obnoxious chant the NXT audience provided in place of "We Want Tables".
• Shugars Superkicked Lennox after trapping him in a trash can on top of a table, only for the table to break early before the finish.

Nattie and Jaida Parker Agree to a Submission Match at Heatwave

Matt Pendleton/WWE via Getty Images

Jaida Parker

Jaida Parker asked Thea Hail to stay in the back before she headed to the ring to face down Nattie.

The Low-Key Legend explained that she came to NXT to fight Ms. Parker, but she saw a Jaida that had grown soft and failed in her potential.

Jaida called out that Nattie tried to break her, but she only fired up a woman that was ready to embarrass her.

The two agreed to fight at Heatwave in a Submission match.

It is far too rare in the NXT women's division to see two stars just talk without interruption, especially without it quickly turning to violence.

That made this fairly basic promo stand out. Ms. Parker rode a supportive crowd to talking her way through Nattie, selling her confidence.

Even though The Low-Key Legend is the favorite on paper in this type of match, Jaida came out of this selling that there is no way that Nattie could make her tap out again.

Jaida should win against Nattie, and this win should set her up to take the next step to gold in NXT. She is ready for bigger opportunities.

Grade

B

Notable Moments and Observations

• In a backstage interview, Tony D'Angelo ran down all his challengers, promising none of them were ready for his fight.
• The Vanity Project met Sarah Schreiber at a bowling alley where they called Myles Bornes and Tavion Heights fake friends while talking up Myka Lockwood as their secret weapon.