WWE NXT - 8/18/2026: 3 Things We Hated & 3 We Loved

We are getting closer and closer to Heatwave. Another edition of "WWE NXT" has added a bit more substance to the August 30 card. Not one, not two, but three contenders for the NXT Title were named, titles were defended, and more happened, which can all be read about over on the WWE NXT 8/18/2026 Results Page.

As always, there was plenty to love and plenty to hate from the show, and the Wrestling Inc. Staff is here to break down all the good and bad moments from Tuesday's program. There was plenty to love, like the blistering opening AAA Cruiserweight Title contender contest, and plenty to hate, like Saquon Shugars being left off Heatwave. The comments section will be open, as it always is, should you feel the need to keep the conversation going.

Without further ado, the best and the worst of the August 18 WWE NXT.

I'm all for attempting to pop a rating on weekly television, especially when it comes to "NXT," but the fact Dion Lennox and Saquon Shugars' feud-ending weaponized steel cage match is taking place next Tuesday and not at "NXT" Heatwave is really strange.

I knew these guys were set for a grudge match, the third match of their series following Lennox kicking Shugars out of DarkState back in mid-May, after their bout last week put them at one win each. Adding the cage match to the Heatwave card would have rounded it out at six matches total, with the stipulation match being the only one without a title on the line. To me, that's a solid premium live event, but I guess WWE creative doesn't think the same.

The pair had a really fantastic side-by-side interview segment tonight, in separate rooms to prevent any physicality. While Lennox held his own, Shugars once again was the star of the show, with his witty comebacks and just overall charisma and energy. His cadence and delivery are so good, he's just such a natural. If he's getting handed a script to memorize, he's doing a fantastic job of making it seem like he's not.

As exciting as the match is going to be, and I love myself a good cage match, it also sucks because I'm hopeful Shugars is going to win this one, and it would have been nice to see it happen on a bigger stage after all this time. This feud has been going on way too long, and he deserves something bigger coming out of it. Thankfully, Lennox mentioned, and was deadly serious, in their segment tonight that "this is where their story ends." Maybe that's why I initially assumed it was at Heatwave in the first place.

While I can't say I have much hope for DarkState following this grudge match, whether Lennox wins or loses, Shugars is destined to be a star on his own very soon. A victory here would certainly help him get there quicker, and a victory on a PLE would have really made more sense, if that's the direction they're going with him. All I can do now is be hopeful these two get the main event next week, and with all the craziness that's going on in "NXT" these days, I honestly can't be too sure about that.

Written by Daisy Ruth

I have to admit that I didn't think that the Fatal Four-Way Number One Contenders Match for the AAA Cruiserweight Championship would be my favorite thing to come out of this edition of "NXT", but here we are.

Two things made this match really click for me. First off, the action in this match itself was super fun to watch and fast-paced throughout its duration. I find that matches tend to slow down in the midst of commercial breaks, but this was a rare occurrence where it actually didn't happen, and I was still entertained. This was a classic case of putting four great young performers in the ring with one another who had that instant chemistry and stellar work rate to make for something that was incredibly enjoyable. I also thought it was a nice touch that this match had some stakes added to it, with a AAA Cruiserweight Championship match against Rey Fenix hanging in the balance to make things feel that much more urgent.

Second, I really liked that this match was used as a storytelling device to further the idea of Romeo Moreno trying his best to improve in the ring under the mentorship of Noam Dar despite accumulating losses. With Moreno being the man to ultimately take the pinfall in this match, it furthers the idea of him lacking the experience that he needs in order to pick up wins similar to what "NXT" has been doing with Tate Wilder throughout the time he's been featured on their programming. It adds an interesting element to Moreno's character, and keeps the door open for Dar to turn on him out of frustration down the line if and/or when "NXT" chooses to do so. I also have to give Moreno a little shoutout for the spot he did where he fell on top of Tristan Angels to pin him before La Parka broke up the fall, as it ended up being my favorite spot of the entire match for how different it was.

Written by Olivia Quinlan

Wren Sinclair will be putting her Women's Speed Championship up against Women's North American Champion Zaria in a unification match at Heatwave.

Yet, despite her partner, Kendal Grey, sporting a bandage over an injured ear that had been bleeding profusely earlier this month, she was the one to lose clean as a whistle to Kali Armstrong and Kelani Jordan in tag team action.

The match was predicated on the upcoming Women's Championship match between Grey and Jordan, therefore making sense for the challenger to get one over on the champion. But the way that went down ensured that Sinclair, built as a challenger to Zaria, looked inferior to everyone else.

Grey was rallying but already showing signs that her ear was bothering her, seemingly laying up the win via capitalism. Instead, she tagged out to Sinclair, continued to fight with Jordan on the outside, and got thrown into the steel steps.

Sinclair then took her eye off the ball because of the horror, and Armstrong dialed up a jumping shoulder tackle for the winning pinfall. Armstrong was then later given a match against Zaria next week, which would see her enter the title unification match and make it a triple threat if she were to win.

Once again, Sinclair is being treated as a tertiary player in a unification match involving a title she holds. She is second fiddle to Grey in her tag team, which may be understandable given the level of competitor Grey is. But not even being second fiddle in your own title unification match is rough.

It didn't feel like she was going to win the match anyway, but it would be nice if the brand even pretended there was a chance.

Written by Max Everett

Tony D'Angelo isn't just facing fresh Bloodline meat at "NXT" Heatwave; he's facing an "NXT" alum and a former TNA World Champion, too.

On Tuesday, "NXT" General Manager Robert Stone announced that D'Angelo would defend his title against Grayson Waller, Cruz Montana, and Zilla Fatu at "NXT" Heatwave. For Fatu, the match will mark his first chance to break out in a major company. For Montana (formerly TNA's Mike Santana), it's a chance to prove that his success elsewhere can carry over into WWE. And for Waller, it's an opportunity to get himself back into a storyline of substance, even if it means going back down to "NXT."

D'Angelo's challengers enter with different levels of experience and exposure in WWE, and that's what makes this upcoming Heatwave clash exciting. The unpredictability of a fatal-four-way adds another layer of intrigue. Will we see a repeat of Ethan Page's lucky Heatwave victory from 2024? Will D'Angelo overcome the odds? Or something else entirely? The answer is anyone's guess, and I'm more than okay with watching to find out.

Written by Ella Jay

Is Naraku on track for one of the shortest "WWE NXT" runs in history? Is he awaiting new creative plans? Or is something else going on? Those are the questions I asked myself after not seeing the former NJPW star on "NXT" television for one month.

Naraku (aka EVIL) came into "NXT" in April with an abundance of appeal surrounding him. A dark and misty vignette cast him as a mysterious figure that immediately captured my interest. As we got to know him, we then learned that his motivations were equally as dark. The man blinded the NXT Champion with a fireball, after all. After losing back-to-back title matches, however, Naraku just disappeared completely and hadn't been seen or heard from on WWE television since.

To an extent, I understood the need for Naraku to stay off "NXT" programming for a little bit. He lost a brutal Street Fight to NXT Champion Tony D'Angelo. A handful of new contenders — Cruz Montana, Zilla Fatu, and Grayson Waller — then surfaced in his absence. To disappear for a whole month, especially so early in one's "NXT" run, confused me, though.

Even more confusing was the manner in which he returned. Naraku emerged from under the ring on Tuesday to blind Shiloh Hill with "poison" mist, which in turn, helped secure title matches for Vanity Project at "NXT" Heatwave.

To my knowledge, Naraku has no affiliation with Vanity Project; furthermore, he's never faced Hill on "NXT" TV. That's why his sudden reappearance corresponding to them seems nothing but random.

Written by Ella Jay

Zilla Fatu closed "WWE NXT," announcing his arrival in style as he had his fellow challengers fighting to get at him, after it was declared that he would be wrestling his first match as the fourth man in a triple threat that had only been announced earlier.

He brought all of the energy of someone who belonged in the NXT title picture, showing no fear in the faces of Grayson Waller and Cruz Montana, both of whom he screwed over with his cameo last week. He felt like a star in the making and someone who the brand saw as that, taking his place in a match that could have one of three first-time champions.

The NXT title picture is feeling vibrant, and Fatu is another layer added to the mix, he has a real outsider quality about him and could very well steal it from beneath his established opponents. Zooming out of Fatu himself and what it means for him, the entire segment had the energy befitting a marquee title match. Tony D'Angelo was the stoic champion. Waller continued to have a koala-sized chip on his shoulder. Montana continued to be the badass ready to fight through anyone standing between him and the title. Fatu slid in like Mister Hollywood with the fast-track card.

It was all great fun.

Written by Max Everett