WWE NXT Review - March 17, 2026

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

NXT Women's Champion Jacy Jane def. Sol Ruca and Zaria in a Triple Threat Match

It was already obvious Jane wasn't losing the title this close to Stand & Deliver, and having this start the show foreshadowed the finish even more. Despite that, this was a quality, well-worked Triple Threat from these three. Ruca and Zaria can now go on to face each other one-on-one at Stand & Deliver while Jane presumably defends against (and loses to) Kendal Grey. If not Grey, I'm not sure who else would make sense for that spot.

Tony D'Angelo Attacked NXT Champion Joe Hendry, Ethan Page and Ricky Saints

Hendry and Page briefly teased tension before teaming up to take out Hendry, who was able to lay them out before being laid out himself by D'Angelo. It was simple stuff, but it once again hinted at a Fatal 4-Way for the NXT Championship at Stand & Deliver. Saints will face D'Angelo next week and that should be where the match is made official given the event will be less than two weeks away at that point.

Los Americanos (El Grande Americano, Bravo Americano and Rayo Americano) def. The Varsity Project (NXT Tag Team Champions Ricky Smokes and Brad Baylor and Evolve Men's Champion Jackson Drake)

It's bad enough that we get the Americano crap on Raw every week. Do we really need them on NXT, too? I have no idea what purpose this was supposed to serve other than to get main roster names on the show to sell more tickets. For some reason, they were in babyface mode here. This was a well-worked six-man tag team match, but again, I question what the point of this was because it felt like filler on paper and did Varsity Project no favors.

Keanu Carver Crashed Booker T Appreciation Night

You knew exactly how this "Appreciation Night" was going to go as soon as it was announced a week ago. Carver has been targeting Booker since he returned to NXT and I was starting to think we'd get Carver vs. Booker at Stand & Deliver, but it looks like we're headed for Carver vs. Jasper Troy instead. Booker was Troy's mentor on WWE LFG, so it's logical for Troy to step up. This segment built toward that bout.

Wren Sinclair def. Fallon Henley to Win the WWE Women's Speed Championship

Five minutes is better than three minutes, but these quick time limits still limit the quality of these Speed matches. I credit Sinclair and Henley for maximizing their minutes, but they unfortunately didn't have a chance to do much. On the bright side, Sinclair winning the Women's Speed title in her home state was the right call and a cool moment, especially considering how far she's come.

Birth Right (Uriah Connors and Channing "Stacks" Lorenzo) def. Hank Walker and Tank Ledger in an NXT Tag Team Championship No. 1 Contender's Tournament Semifinal Match

A tournament bracket was never shown, but I'm just assuming this tourney will consist of four teams based on the backstage segment from last week's show. Anyway, this was more about establishing credibility for Birth Fight than the action itself. What we got was fine, but this was too short to be anything out of the ordinary. Birth Right will need to show more personality on the whole if this group is going to work.

NXT Women's North American Champion Tatum Paxley def. Izzi Dame in a Steel Cage Match

While it would have made more sense to do this stipulation at Vengeance Day and blow the feud off there, at least they took center stage on this show. They put forth a strong effort and delivered a really good main event. Post-match, Blake Monroe dragged Paxley through the ramp, so that appears to be the title match for Stand & Deliver. Monroe never got a rematch for the title after losing it a few months ago, so that's a nice addition to the card.

Overall Show

Honestly, this felt more like one of NXT's premium live events than Vengeance Day did, and this show being on the road in Houston made a major difference. We got three title matches and more build for Stand & Deliver. Plus, as has been the case for a while now in NXT, the show was highlighted by the women, who continue to be the best part of the brand right now.

SEE MORE: NXT Reviews