The fallout from Heatwave — plus a potential appearance by a TNA star — are set for WWE NXT tonight.

Ethan Page became the new NXT Champion at Heatwave, winning a fatal four-way match by pinning Je’Von Evans. We’ll get Page’s first appearance as champion tonight, and Trick Williams will likely have something to say after he lost his title without being involved in the decision.

Heatwave ended with a tease that TNA’s Joe Hendry will be showing back up in NXT. Another Hendry tease then appeared in a commercial for tonight’s show. We’ll see if Hendry makes his presence felt.

Wes Lee is set to address his future after coming up short against NXT North American Champion Oba Femi at Heatwave. In the Women’s North American title match on Sunday, Sol Ruca impressed but lost to Kelani Jordan. Ruca takes on Fallon Henley tonight.

There will be a Heritage Cup title match with Tony D’Angelo defending against Lexis King. Karmen Petrovic vs. Arianna Grace, Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson vs. OTM, and Gallus vs. Tyson Dupont & Tyriek Igwe have also been announced.

Plus, Brooks Jensen sits down with NXT General Manager Ava to discuss his status.

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NXT began with a highlight package of Sunday’s Heatwave event, ending with another glimpse of Joe Hendry. Vic Joseph & Booker T were on the call.

NXT Champion Ethan Page’s Gloating Session

I hate promo trains so much, and this was no exception. Page was as generic as he could be in his opening to the show, and nothing was accomplished here.

The new NXT Champion Ethan Page came to the ring, flanked by security. Vic Joseph noted that Page broke Kevin Owens’ record for the fastest man to win the NXT Title. Page gloated about his win, noting that everyone probably hated him for how quickly he got to the top. Oro Mensah tried to get to Page, but Page’s security team carried him away. Page promised to make sure no outsider took the NXT Title from him. Page said that the Whoop That Era was over, as this was the Era of Ego.

Trick Williams came out. The security must’ve still been busy with Mensah. Williams cut straight to the point, wanting his rematch for the title tonight. Page joked about falling into the title before turning Williams down. Shawn Spears came out, asking Page for a thank you as he held Williams back from breaking up Page’s incidental cover. Spears then asked Williams who the “goofy ass” was now, since he lost his title without being pinned. Je’Von Evans came out, telling Page and Spears to shut the hell up. A fight broke out, and the Canadians bailed.

We got a recap of Karmen Petrovic & Arianna Grace’s win from the Countdown to Heatwave show, followed by their subsequent break-up and the set-up for their match against each other tonight.

We got Twitter/X promos from Lexis King & Tony D’Angelo, setting up their Heritage Cup match tonight.

Arianna Grace defeated Karmen Petrovic

Grace was already in the ring as Petrovic made her way out. Grace knocked Petrovic down while calling herself the MVP before Petrovic tagged her with a slap. Petrovic hit some middle kicks for a nearfall as Jacy Jayne & Jazmyn Nyx made their way to ringside. Page & Spears vs. Williams & Evans was announced for the main event as Grace hit a knee lift for a nearfall.

Booker said something about “Canadianites” as the two went back and forth. Petrovic hit a leg sweep before hitting a tornado kick for the win. After the match, Fallon Henley jumped Petrovic before telling Jayne and Nyx she was tired of these rookies. It should be noted that Jazmyn Nyx is also a rookie.

Brooks Jensen was meeting with Ava in her office. Jensen apologized for his actions as of late and talked about how much pressure he felt being a second-generation star. Ava said that she and Shawn Michaels were ready to release him after his recent actions. But after several people vouched for him, they would give him a second chance. She made it clear that Jensen had to behave himself, as he was a WWE Superstar at all times.

(I guess the intrigue is in who vouched for him and if Jensen stays in line. I don’t know how a Last Call Scott Hall-esque character will get Jensen over any more than he was, but that’s for them to worry about.)

WWE NXT Heritage Cup Title Match – Tony D’Angelo (c) (w/ The D’Angelo Family) defeated Lexis King 2-1

(The match was what it was, as Lexis King is an absolute zero. The mid-match DJ is the kind of preposterous silliness that makes NXT what it is, for better and for worse. Mostly for the worse.)

Both men were in the ring as we came back from the ad break. I think King shaved his beard to look even dumber. Eddy Thorpe was DJ’ing on the crow’s nest during this championship match. I don’t remember DJ Ran doing that on Monday Nitro back in the day, but my memory may be failing me.

The first round was uneventful, with the most notable thing being the strap on D’Angelo’s shirt popping. King got caught in a Boston Crab but got saved by the bell. Thorpe played a set in between rounds, annoying King. King distracted himself with Thorpe as the second round started, allowing D’Angelo to score a fall with the Fisherman Buster. Most of the third round was in the commercial break, but King hit the Coronation to score a fall with ten seconds left in the round.

The fourth round started with King stomping on D’Angelo before running into a lariat. D’Angelo fired up, hitting a pair of belly-to-belly suplexes. D’Angelo teased a second rope belly-to-belly, but King knocked him down and hit a diving DDT for a nearfall. They countered each other’s finishers, leading to D’Angelo hitting a main event spinebuster for the second fall and the win.

We cut to Brooks Jensen jumping Je’Von Evans in the back. Josh Briggs pulled him off of Evans and yelled at him, as Briggs was the one to vouch for him. Jensen said he was trying to make an impact, and Briggs shoved him away.

(I guess Ava’s stirring pep talk didn’t work.)

Chase U was backstage. Ridge Holland walked in and said that Thea Hail was ready for an NXT Women’s Title match, so he got Hail her match tonight to prove it to Ava. Holland also got Duke Hudson a North American Title match next week against Oba Femi. Hudson was less than pleased.

(I don’t know what the angle is here with Holland in Chase U, nor do I care.)

Gallus (Mark Coffey & Wolfgang) (w/ Joe Coffey) defeated Tyriek Igwe & Tyson Dupont

Igwe & Dupont jumped Gallus during their entrance, continuing the brawls they’ve been having the past few weeks. Igwe & Dupunt double-teamed Coffey in the ring, not even allowing him to get his ring jacket off. Coffey hit a dropkick and tagged Wolfgang, getting the advantage with a backslide into a knee drop.

Vic Joseph noted that Je’von Evans was out of the main event, and that Trick Williams would need to find a new partner. Why they couldn’t announce this after the match so I could pay attention, I don’t know. Coffey low-bridged either Igwe or Dupont – I don’t know which one is which, and the announcers never said – allowing Gallus to hit the Nadger’s Badgers for the win. That’s not the actual name of their finisher, but I heard a Scottish person say that phrase once and it made me laugh. I have to get through these Gallus matches somehow.

The partnerless Trick Williams was backstage with Kelly Kincaid. Williams said that going at it alone in the main event wasn’t a good idea – you don’t say – so he’ll look for a partner. If it wasn’t clear enough what was going to happen, Joe Hendry flashed on the screen behind Kincaid as she wrapped the interview.

Wes Lee Town Hall

Wes Lee came to the ring. Lee gave Oba Femi respect for beating him on Sunday before talking about how picturing the North American title in his hands got him through rehab. Lee said that the loss on Sunday hit him differently. Lee teased retirement when the MSK music hit. Out came Lee’s old partners, TNA’s Zachary Wentz & Trey Miguel.

Wentz and Miguel hyped Lee up, calling him the best North American Champion of all time. Wentz offered to reunite MSK and bring the Rascalz to NXT. They all hugged to end the segment.

(This was a cool surprise. Getting Lee back together with the Rascalz is a nice diversion for him, although I think he’s well overdue a shot to run on top in NXT.)

Ethan Page & Shawn Spears were warming up when Sarah Schreiber asked about the main event. They both laughed and assumed that the match would be a handicap match.

Thea Hail (w/ Chase U) defeated Izzi Dame

(Can we get a match on this show without a really dumb interference spot? Whatever happened to someone just walking to ringside?)

Dame caught Hail on a wheelbarrow and ran her into the turnbuckles to take control. Dame hit a backbreaker before locking on a Chono-esque STF. Tatum Paxley popped out from the crowd. Dame beat her ass until Paxley ducked a charge into the post. Hail fired up with a dive and a high cross. Hail got something resembling a double wristlock on to get the win.

After the match, Oba Femi spoke to Duke Hudson from the crow’s nest. Femi promised destruction to Hudson. Hudson told Femi not to underestimate him, as he caught Trish Stratus’ attention with his performance at Heatwave. Hudson promised the biggest Chase U ass-whooping next week. The fans seemed unconvinced.

The Rascalz were backstage when Gallus walked up. Gallus says that they don’t want them here, and that goes for the rest of the TNA roster, especially that funny Scottish guy.

OTM barked at Gallows and Anderson as they walked to the ring.

Brooks Jensen & Josh Briggs were in Ava’s office as she chewed out Jensen. Ava told Jensen that if Je’Von Evans was cleared for next week, they would have a match. Briggs wanted to be in his corner, but Jensen said he’d go alone. Briggs then asked Ava for a match against Shawn Spears, as he put Briggs out of action for a month. Ava agreed, but only if Briggs didn’t get involved in the main event. Wait a minute, isn’t Trick looking for a partner? Why can’t Briggs get involved? Stevie Turner asked that very question, with Mr. Stone making another Joe Hendry joke.

(Jensen’s punishment for wrecking the main event mere minutes after getting reinstated is…continuing to do his job. I tell you what, I wish I had a boss like Ava.)

Out The Mud (Bronco Nima & Lucien Price) (w/ Jaida Parker) defeated The OC (Karl Anderson & Luke Gallows)

Nima held Gallows up in a stalling vertical suplex, marking the biggest bump Gallows has taken in a decade. The Good Brothers brought Nima to their corner, but Nima carried Anderson to the OTM corner to get the tag out. Price dropped Anderson with a big main event spinebuster.

OTM worked over Anderson until he made his way to the corner for a tag. Gallows ran wild as Michin came out from the crowd to go after Parker. They chased each other to the back as OTM isolated Anderson. They hit a double-team main event spinebuster for the win.

Sol Ruca was backstage, watching a Fallon Henley promo from after Heatwave. Ruca said that you either put in the work, or you just bitch. Ruca put the work in, and it was clear what path Henley chose.

No Quarter Catch Crew was in the parking lot, sticking someone in a trunk. We got another deaf joke with Myles Borne before Wren Sinclair saw them in the parking lot. She claimed not to see anything, and they drove off.

(This was Damon Kemp’s write-off, as he announced his departure from the company on social media. I don’t understand why Charlie Dempsey is trying to be Tony D’Angelo.)

Fallon Henley vs. Sol Ruca