‘NXT: Vengeance Day 2026’ PLE Review
Welcome to this review of NXT: Vengeance Day, which took place this past Saturday, right here on Nerdly. Let’s get straight into the review!
Match #1: Street Fight – Blake Monroe def. Jaida Parker
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
The Glamour dragged Jaida Parker to hell as Blake Monroe won a brutal Street Fight to kick off Vengeance Day. The strategically placed weapons around the ring immediately played a role as Parker smashed Monroe onto a steel chair before bashing her with a Kendo stick. The Glamour answered with a brutal attack of her own, tying up Parker in the corner and using a steel chair to smash her with a hip attack. The assault continued with a pearl necklace-loaded right hand, but Parker fought back with another devastating Kendo stick attack. Parker could taste victory after a huge Teardrop through a table and a Hipnotic, but Monroe somehow found a way to kick out and extend the match. Monroe dumped a bag full of diamonds onto the canvas, threw some of them in Parker’s face and executed a Glamour Shot DDT to secure the win.
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #2: Tony D’Angelo def. Dion Lennox
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Tony D’Angelo finally exacted payback against DarkState as he defeated Dion Lennox in a hard-hitting affair. The match began in a very fitting way as both Superstars met in the parking lot, kicking off a major brawl that saw the two bitter enemies thrash each other using random objects in the Performance Center. Out of nowhere, OTM intervened as Bronco Nima and Lucien Price evened the odds and allowed D’Angelo to battle Lennox one-on-one. The action spilled into the ringside area, and the bell finally rang as both Superstars brought chaos to the ring. The two rivals continued to battle on the outside, and Lennox threw D’Angelo into the crowd before suplexing him from the first row onto the announce table below. In the ring, Lennox berated D’Angelo, who got even more fired up and hit a massive Spear followed by a Spinebuster to win the epic match.
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #3: NXT Women’s North American Championship – Tatum Paxley def. Izzi Dame
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Tatum Paxley made history at Vengeance Day by winning the NXT Women’s North American Championship from her former friend turned enemy Izzi Dame. The frenzied Paxley channeled her chaotic energy into a strong start as she kept Dame off-balance, at one point even nearly hitting Cemetery Drive. It took one giant boot from the champion to flip the match, as a chorus of boos ran down on Dame and The Culling. The match quickly devolved into a technical showcase as both Superstars traded submission attempts, but neither could make the other submit. Paxley put Dame in position for a 450 Splash, but the champion rolled out of the way and hit a massive dropkick for a two-count. The two exhausted rivals traded strong forearm strikes, but Paxley hit Dame’s I-Drive. Dame became increasingly frustrated, which led to Shawn Spears attempting to interfere, but Paxley wouldn’t take the bait. The challenger dug deep and somehow withstood a Codebreaker to hit a match-ending Cemetery Drive to deliver her the gold.
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Match #4: NXT Underground Match – Lola Vice def. Kelani Jordan
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
NXT returned to The Underground for an epic matchup that saw Lola Vice walk away the victor over Kelani Jordan. Vice’s advantage in the combat-style matchup was taken away due to her pre-existing hand injury, and Jordan targeted the weak spot early and often. Vice refused to let the injury hinder her as she knocked Jordan out of the ring and even laid out some bystanders on the outside. Jordan got the upper hand and began talking trash to Vice’s family seated at ringside, but it backfired as she rolled into a Spinning Backfist that knocked her out cold.
My Score: 2.5 out of 5
Match #5: NXT Championship – Joe Hendry def. Ricky Saints
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
The NXT Championship remains with Joe Hendry after a fantastic main event at Vengeance Day. The match started off disastrously for the champion as Hendry got his foot trapped in the ropes, allowing Saints to stomp him out as he helplessly dangled on the outside. The challenger continuously mocked the champion, but Hendry finally countered him with a massive Spear. As the two battled in the ring, Ethan Page arrived at ringside, but his attempt to interfere backfired as Saints couldn’t corral the NXT Title belt nor win the match with his Revolution DDT. Hendry sent Saints into the corner and with the official’s view blocked, and the champion low-blowed the challenger and hit a Standing Ovation to retain his title.
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Final Verdict: 3/5
This year’s Vengeance Day delivered a solid, if somewhat unspectacular, premium live event that leaned heavily on physicality and character-driven feuds rather than outright show-stealing matches. The opening Street Fight between Blake Monroe and Jaida Parker set the tone for the night with a suitably chaotic brawl, using the stipulation well even if it never quite reached the level of brutality the setup promised. Similarly, Tony D’Angelo and Dion Lennox brought plenty of intensity with their fight spilling from the parking lot to ringside, though the interference slightly dulled what was otherwise a gritty grudge match. The standout contest of the night was the NXT Women’s North American Championship bout, where Tatum Paxley’s victory over Izzi Dame combined strong storytelling with a satisfying title change. It was easily the most engaging match on the card, showcasing just how strong NXT’s women’s division continues to be. By comparison, the NXT Underground match between Lola Vice and Kelani Jordan felt like more of a novelty than a must-see fight, never quite living up to the concept. The main event between Joe Hendry and Ricky Saints was a good, competitive title match, though the slightly underhanded finish – with Hendry resorting to a low blow before hitting the Standing Ovation – added an unexpected wrinkle to the champion’s character heading forward. It capped the show well enough, even if it didn’t quite reach the level of a classic NXT TakeOver-style finale. Overall, this was a consistently watchable event without ever truly hitting top gear. There were no outright disasters on the card, but aside from Paxley’s title win, there also weren’t many moments that will linger long in the memory.
