CM Punk Challenges Grayson Waller for the NXT Championship

CM Punk will compete in an NXT ring for the first time in more than 16 years when he challenges Grayson Waller for the NXT Championship. Waller defeated Tony D’Angelo to retain the title at Halloween Havoc, only to be confronted by Danhausen. Danhausen revealed The Second City Saint’s video, which announced Punk's intentions. NXT General Manager Robert Stone immediately made the match official, setting the stage for an epic, must-see NXT Championship Match.




— We see the likes of John Cena, Cody Rhodes, Kelani Jordan, and Grayson Waller pulling up to the Performance Center. We also see CM Punk chatting with Shawn Michaels before heading over to a video recapping the events of Halloween Havoc.

— Vic Joseph and Booker T greet audiences at home as Chad Gable, Dragon Lee, and Rey Fenix make their way to the ring. Vanity Project follows.

Vanity Project (w/ Myka Lockwood) vs. Chad Gable, Dragon Lee, and Rey Fenix

Jackson Drake and Gable begin the action. The bell rings and Gable levels Drake. Drake fires off elbows on Gable and gets in his face, then shoves him into the mat. Everyone begins dumping one another out of the ring, but they all get back inside and stare one another down in one of those fun stare downs we all love in tag team matches.

Smokes and Baylor pull Dragon Lee out of the ring, but Rey Fenix takes down Baylor and Smokes with a crossbody off the top rope on the outside.

Back from the break, Drake and Smokes get Fenix up. Gable and Lee come to Fenix's aid, but Baylor tags out to Smokes and sends Gable crashing into the mat with a spinebuster. Drake delivers a springboard moonsault to Gable and lands his feet on Gable's chest.

We see MMA star Mike Chandler talking to Santana backstage as Drake wears down Gable with a sleeper hold. Baylor tags in, but Gable delivers a double underhook belly-to-belly suplex on him that I thoroughly enjoyed.

Fenix delivers a kick to Baylor off the top rope before he pins Baylor, but Baylor kicks out and delivers a shoulderbreaker to Gable. Gable suplexes Smokes into Baylor as he teeters on the ropes with Lee to stop him before Lee pulls Baylor off the ropes. Gable cinches in an Ankle Lock on Drake as Lee sends Baylor crashing into a mat with a Sidewalk Slam and Fenix wears down Smokes with a Torture Rack. Lee then pins Baylor to score the win for his team in a nice little sequence to end the match.

Winners: Chad Gable, Dragon Lee, and Rey Fenix

— Backstage, CM Punk and Shiloh Hill talked about mist and fog before Punk told Hill he had a bright future. Hill said he wanted a title shot after Punk defeated Grayson Waller. Waller interrupted and promised he would still be NXT Champion by the end of the night. Waller told Punk to wipe his feet, and Punk responded that he would wipe them on Waller’s face.

— Back at ringside, Kelani Jordan makes her way out. SmackDown star Paige follows.


NXT Women’s Championship Match: Kelani Jordan (c) vs. Paige

The bell rings and Jordan delivers a low crossbody to Paige. Paige rocks Jordan with a pair of headbutts, then fires off knees on Jordan before the action spills out of the ring and Paige delivers a cannonball to Jordan off the ring apron.

Back from the break, Jordan fires off knees on Paige's face. Paige levels Jordan before the two women rock one another with forearms and Paige delivers a double underhook suplex to Jordan. She follows it up with a Paige-Turner and goes for a pin, but Jordan kicks out and rolls onto the ring apron under the bottom rope.

Paige rolls up Jordan, but Jordan kicks out and cinches in a crossface on Paige. Jordan then sets up for a split legged moonsault on Paige, but Paige gets her knees up and sets up for Ram-Paige. Jordan counters into a roll up for the win.

Winner and STILL NXT Women's Champion: Kelani Jordan

— We head backstage and see Sol Ruca chatting to Kendal Grey and Wren Sinclair. Izzi Dame crashes the conversation, leading to a verbal confrontation between her and Sinclair.

— Cody Rhodes makes his way to the ring to join the announce desk as Romeo Moreno, Noam Dar, Hank Walker, and Tank Ledger are all already waiting inside.

Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic Final: Noam Dar & Romeo Moreno vs. Hank Walker & Tank Ledger

Ledger and Moreno begin the action. The bell rings and the two lock up. Dar and Walker tag in and Dar pins Walker, but Walker kicks out. Ledger drags Dar into the middle of the ring and ascends to the top rope, then lands a Frog Splash on Dar. Walker looks to follow suit, but Dar traps Walker in a Triangle as Moreno cinches in a Kimura Lock on Ledger.

Walker powers up to his feet and lands a sit-out powerbomb on Dar to escape as Ledger escapes with a vertical suplex to Moreno in a nice little sequence. All four men exchange right hands and left hands with one another.

Back from the break, Walker sends Moreno crashing over the announce desk and tags out to Ledger. Walker and Ledger look to double team on Dar, but Moreno comes to Dar's aid. Walker and Ledger then land a double neckbreaker on Ledger and Walker before they connect with a clothesline-spinning kick combination to Ledger for the win.

Winners of the 2026 Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic: Romeo Moreno and Noam Dar

— After the match, Cody Rhodes congratulates Moreno and Dar. He reveals to them that Robert Stone has announced an NXT Tag Team Championship that will see Vanity Project defend against Moreno and Dar next week.

— UFC fighter Michael Chandler is waiting in the ring as Dion Lennox makes his way out.

Unsanctioned Match: Dion Lennox vs. Cruz Montana

Montana attacks Lennox from behind, but Lennox scoops up Montana on one shoulder and sends him crashing into the ring post and the ring steps after the bell has rung. Montana grabs a table from under the ring and sets it up on the outside, but Lennox sends Montana crashing into the barricade spine first and sends him crashing over a pile of chairs.

Montana sends Lennox crashing through part of the NXT set piece, and Chandler checks on Lennox. Montana sends Lennox crashing into the ring steps and exposes the concrete. He drags Lennox up the ring steps, but Chandler puts a stop to it.

Back from the break, Montana and Lennox fire off right hands on one another. Montana clotheslines Lennox out of the ring and looks to send him crashing into the exposed concrete, but right on cue, Cutler James and Osiris Griffin come to Lennox's aid and beat down Montana.

The lights go out, and when they come back on, Montana's new 946 stablemate Jaida Parker is standing at ringside as fellow 946 members Carmelo Hayes, Bronco Nima, Lucien Price, and Royce Keys make their way to the ring through the crowd.

The 946 beat down DarkState, with Price sending James crashing through the announce desk and Montana powerbombing Lennox through the table set up on the outside in a scene of pure chaos.

Montana dumps Lennox back in the ring and connects with a Spin The Block on him for the win.

Winner: Cruz Montana

— After the match, 946 celebrates in the ring. The show then cuts backstage to John Cena walking through the hallway and looking at photos of former NXT Superstars, including Gunther. We head to a break.

— Back from the break, John Cena makes his way to the ring, taking the time to celebrate his arrival with the Performance Center crowd.

Cena says he loves NXT because it's passion, creativity, and potential as the live crowd chants for him.

Cena says it's opportunity season and he wants to talk about The John Cena Classic, announcing the next invitee: Zilla Fatu.

Zilla makes his way to the ring, and Cena says he loves Zilla's family and his father Umaga. He says Zilla's family has done lots for him and it's an honor to give him an opportunity to debut in The John Cena Classic in a really sweet moment shared between the two men. Zilla thanks Cena and says he has him really emotional, then says he appreciates Cena and the relationship he has with his family. The two men then hug in the middle of the ring. We head to another break.

— Back from the break, Tony D’Angelo is shown standing on a bridge looking out over the water.

— We then head backstage, where Kam Hendrix talks to John Cena and assumes he's automatically in The John Cena Classic. Cena responds by telling Hendrix not to focus on The John Cena Classic and put his focus on his match next week against EK Prosper.

— Grayson Waller then makes his way to the ring. CM Punk follows.


NXT Championship Match: Grayson Waller (c) vs. CM Punk

The bell rings and Punk sends Waller crashing into the mat with a pair of arm drags. Waller wears down Punk with a side headlock, but the action spills out of the ring and Punk traps Waller in the ring skirt. He then lands a right hand on him.

Waller sends Punk crashing into the ring post. He slides under the bottom rope to clothesline Punk on the outside of the ring and dumps him back inside as we see Vanity Project yelling at Robert Stone in his office.

Punk dumps Waller out of the ring over the top rope, but Waller fires off stomps on Punk and levels Punk with a right hand. He fires off knees on the side of Punk's head, but Punk flies out of the ring to take down Waller on the outside and dumps him back in the ring.

Punk delivers a crossbody to take down Waller before calling for a GTS. Kevin Owens hops up onto the ring apron, but security holds him back which opens the door for Waller to roll up Punk for the win in a pretty good ending for someone who should not have won but needed a good reason to lose.

Winner and STILL NXT Champion: Grayson Waller

— After the match, Owens escapes while Punk is left frustrated in the ring. Waller celebrates his victory as the show goes off the air.