‘WWE NXT’ Review (Jan 27th 2026)
Welcome to this week’s review of NXT, right here on Nerdly. Let’s get straight into it and see what went down on this week’s show!
Match #1: NXT Tag Team Championship – DarkState def. OTM
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
DarkState retained the NXT Tag Team Championship against the hulking OTM in a hard-hitting affair. The powerhouse Osiris Griffin refused to back down to Bronco Nima and Lucien Price, leading to an incredible showing of power and ferocity by both teams. However, The Vanity Project appeared out of nowhere and their distraction allowed Saquon Shugars to steal the win, kicking off a major brawl between NXT’s best tag teams.
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #2: Jaida Parker def. Nikkita Lyons
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Jaida Parker made a statement by crushing Nikkita Lyons in singles action. After a bone-crushing Hipnotic, Parker hit Deja Vu to win the match.
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Match #3: NXT Championship Ladder Match Qualifier – Dion Lennox def. Myles Borne
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Dion Lennox punched his ticket to the NXT Championship Ladder Match by defeating Myles Borne. Borne was determined to win the match, disregarding his rival, NXT North American Champion Ethan Page’s arrival to ringside. Page demanded Borne hit Lennox with his title, but when he refused, Lennox hit Borne with a match-ending powerslam.
My Score: 2.5 out of 5
Match #4: Lexis King def. Tavion Heights
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Lexis King exacted payback on Tavion Heights after their previous matchup that lasted only eight seconds. A noticeably more focused King withstood another early storm from Heights, with TNA International Champion Channing “Stacks” Lorenzo and Arianna Grace arriving at ringside. King eventually hit his signature Coronation DDT for the win before embracing with Stacks and Grace on the ramp.
My Score: 2.5 out of 5
Match #5: Zaria def. Thea Hail
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Thea Hail scored a huge win over Zaria thanks to an accidental assist from Tatum Paxley. NXT Women’s North American Champion Izzi Dame sat in on commentary, but was ambushed by Paxley. The ensuing chaos allowed Hail to roll up Zaria, giving her the win. After the match, Fatal Influence appeared, only for Zaria to scare them off by F-5ing Hail.
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Match #6: NXT Championship Ladder Match Qualifier – Keanu Carver def. Andre Chase
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Keanu Carver shined in his NXT debut as he showed out against Andre Chase and qualified for the NXT Championship Ladder Match. Chase fought admirably, but Carver slammed him on the announce table before hitting a huge powerslam to secure his spot in the NXT Championship Ladder Match.
My Score: 2.5 out of 5
Final Verdict: 3/5
This week’s NXT was a bit of a mixed bag, leaning more toward table-setting than must-see television. The opener delivered the goods in terms of physicality, with DarkState vs. OTM bringing real heft and a chaotic finish that effectively fired up the tag division. Jaida Parker continues to look like a serious problem, while Thea Hail vs. Zaria was messy in a storyline-heavy way, but at least felt consequential. Elsewhere, the ladder match qualifiers largely did their job without ever truly clicking, with a few matches feeling more functional than exciting. Keanu Carver’s debut showed promise, but didn’t quite land as a statement moment. Overall, this was not a bad episode by any means, just one that felt more transitional than thrilling.
