WWE NXT is a particularly interesting brand in the promotion. Expectations are that the quality of the show is going to be lower than that of Monday Night Raw and SmackDown, but the reality is that NXT has put together long streaks where it’s the best product presented by WWE. With NXT Homecoming set for September 16, there’s a strong chance that this show will remind fans of how great NXT is and has been throughout the years.
The September 9 edition of NXT featured several surprises throughout the show. While some were predictable, there were still some excellent additions that caught fans off guard. The night ended with Fatal Influence, Jacy Jayne, Fallon Henley, and Jazmyn Nyx being confronted by three former NXT Women’s Champions in Stephanie Vaquer, Tiffany Stratton, and Rhea Ripley. This set up a big match for next week, but also pushed a major point home.
This is the type of big moment fans of NXT live for, and one that puts the spotlight back on the fact that NXT is the best representation of women’s wrestling in North America today. The Tuesday show consistently puts its focus on the women’s division, with several contenders being built each week, multiple angles both with and without the championships, and several matches on the weekly shows and PLEs. The women’s roster may be young, but it is still doing some of the best work the industry is seeing right now.
Then, there were those surprises no one saw coming. Tyler Breeze made a surprise return to NXT and is now slated to face NXT North American Champion, Ethan Page. “Prince Pretty” popped up with selfie stick in tow, making his first appearance in WWE since 2021. As of this writing, there’s no word on whether this is a longer-term return for Breeze, but fans were still excited to see him back in the ring.
But the biggest return was perhaps Carmelo Hayes. He came back to stand next to Trick Williams as he faced down DIY. Hayes returning to NXT is not the move his fans want to see. No, they’d rather he get stronger booking on the main card, but it is still a move that is exciting. First, he’ll get to work with two great performers in Johnny Gargano and Tomasso Ciampa. But second, there’s a callback and potential evolution to his story with Trick Williams. When they were last together, the two finally split in a violent feud. Now, there’s more to tell with this story that can impact not only this brief stint, but Williams’s main roster run to come.
These are just the surprises that came this week. Expect more when the show goes down next Tuesday. NXT long felt like the “fun” version of the WWE product, where performers could experiment, storylines were more interesting, and things were done differently than on the main roster. NXT Homecoming should not only pay homage to what has happened in the Black and Gold brand, but what is still to come as WWE builds its future.