WWE NXT Results, Winners, Live Grades, Reaction, Highlights From October 20

Despite Halloween Havoc 2026 being less than two weeks away, only two matches are currently confirmed for the event emanating from WWE's Performance Center in Orlando on Halloween night.

That makes the upcoming episode of WWE NXT all the more crucial as far as setting up the rest of the show in addition to selling viewers on what's already been announced.

Grayson Waller and Tony D'Angelo are bound to have words before they collide for the NXT Championship at Halloween Havoc, while NXT Women's champion Kelani Jordan and Wren Sinclair make their match official in a contract signing.

The night's featured match will see Cruz Montana and Dion Lennox do battle after weeks of trash talk. Depending on the outcome, a rematch seems likely for Halloween Havoc to help fill out the incomplete card.

In Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic quarterfinal action, El Hijo de Dr. Wagner Jr. and Galeno del Mal will take on BirthRight and the decorated duo of Hank Walker and Tank Ledger will face The Creed Brothers.

Here are the complete results, grades and reaction for the Oct. 20 edition of WWE NXT as it airs live on The CW.

Tony D'Angelo Calls Out Grayson Waller

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Tony D'Angelo wasted no time in calling out Grayson Waller upon getting in the ring to start the show. Waller told him that he's been waiting for this match, acknowledging that they got signed to NXT around the same time five years ago and that they both represented NXT 2.0 in WarGames.

Waller added that D'Angelo's been ducking him and that he wants him one-on-one to prove who the superior star truly is. D'Angelo is one of the only demons he has yet to conquer, he said.

D'Angelo fired back by saying that he specialized in street smarts while Waller was always more focused on having viral moments instead of winning championships. Waller admitted that he still resents D'Angelo because he was essentially "chosen" by management and that put a chip on his shoulder.

D'Angelo called Waller a hypocrite and a troll desperate for attention. Waller interrupted him by saying that he already won their Halloween Havoc match mentally months ago, and that he's going to take D'Angelo out to the deepest waters and let him drown himself.

Bron Breakker, Carmelo Hayes and everyone else from NXT 2.0 may now be on Raw and SmackDown, but D'Angelo said that he and Waller are foundation guys. His legacy is already cemented, and he wants to see if Waller can swim in the deep waters with him.

Grade

B+

Notable Moments and Observations

• This was strong stuff from these two. Waller is always on point with his promos, but D'Angelo isn't the most dynamic on the mic. Despite that, D'Angelo cut one of his better promos ever, and they successfully left this viewer more interested their match than before.
• Waller mentioning that D'Angelo owns two wins over Oba Femi (something no one else can lay claim to, by the way) was wild. They tend to shy away from that because of where the both of them are now, but it did give D'Angelo a bit of a credibility boost considering how far Femi has come since then.
• It's also incredible to think that Waller and D'Angelo were among the new fresh faces dominating NXT 2.0 five years ago, yet they're still on the same show. Granted, Waller has been on the main roster since then, but D'Angelo has been an NXT stalwart, similar to the spot Johnny Gargano once occupied.

Dusty Classic Quarterfinal: El Hijo de Dr. Wagner Jr. and Galeno del Mal vs. BirthRight

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Last Time in Action: El Hijo de Dr. Wagner Jr. and Galeno del Mal def. El Mesias and Mecha Wolf (AAA on Fox, Oct. 3); BirthRight def. Toyko Boys (NXT, Oct. 3).

El Hijo de Dr. Wagner Jr. and Galeno de Mal are the reigning AAA World Tag Team Champions, though the titles obviously aren't on the line here. Meanwhile, BirthRight is represented by Lexis King and Charlie Dempsey.

Wagner Jr. and Dempsey exchanged holds to start. It didn't take long for Wagner Jr. and Galeno to gain the early advantage, double-teaming King and laying out most of BirthRight at ringside right before the commercial break thanks to an impressive dive over the top rope from Wagner Jr.

A little while later, a hot tag to Galeno resulted in both Dempsey and King taking some punishment. Once the pace picked up, King accidentally landed a superkick on Dempsey, and everyone took each other shortly thereafter.

BirthRight got back on the same page and covered Wagner Jr., only for Galeno to make the save before the three count was made. Zilla Fatu emerged at ringside to attack Uriah Connors, leading to the AAA World Tag Team champs to put down King with a frog splash for the win.

Result

El Hijo de Dr. Wagner Jr. and Galeno de Mal defeated BirthRight to advance to the semifinals of the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic.

Grade

B-

Notable Moments and Observations

• This was a good, well-worked match from successfully served both as a showcase for AAA's top tag team and as a vechile to progress the program between Fatu and BirthRight. Thankfully, the action itself didn't feel like an afterthought, and they were given an ample amount of time before Fatu showed up.
• With BirthRight currently feuding with Fatu, it was safe to assume they weren't getting much further in the tournament. It also would have been silly for the AAA World Tag Team champs to get eliminated this early.
• Despite having a "broken hand," Fatu laid out BirthRight with ease after the match was over. The stage is set for Fatu to have some sort of a match with the group at Halloween Havoc that will allow him to get his revenge once and for all.