The May 12, 2026 edition of NXT featured the WWE debut of Naraku, the official arrival of Mason Rook, rising tension within DarkState, and a chaotic ending centered around the NXT Women’s Championship picture.

• Tatum Paxley & Lizzy Rain defeated Zaria & Nikkita Lyons

Zaria abandoned Lyons on the ring apron, leaving her vulnerable for the deciding fall.

Backstage, Kendal Grey and Wren Sinclair discussed Kendal’s upcoming match against Kelani Jordan. Wren insisted she did not want to be a distraction, while Kendal reassured her that she would not be. Lola Vice later joined the conversation, but things quickly became heated after Kendal claimed wrestling was superior to MMA. Kendal vowed to defeat Kelani before eventually facing Lola for the championship.

• Naraku (formerly EVIL) defeated Lince Dorado

Elsewhere backstage, EK Prosper thanked Sean Legacy and Tate Wilder for helping him recently. Legacy advised Wilder to be smarter about picking his moments, but Wilder responded by saying he preferred to jump directly into chaos. Dorian Van Dux later appeared and expressed excitement about seeing Wilder compete.

Earlier footage from the day showed Nattie filming content for LFG before Jaida Parker interrupted the session and had to be escorted away by security.

• Birthright (Charlie Dempsey, Uriah Connors & Channing “Stacks” Lorenzo) defeated Sean Legacy, EK Prosper & Tate Wilder
• Wilder failed to tag in Legacy and crashed on a missed top rope moonsault.

Backstage, Tatum Paxley spoke with Lizzy Rain about wanting to become the champion she envisioned herself to be and offered Rain a future title opportunity. Their conversation was interrupted when Shiloh Hill brought up Tristan Angels. Rain admitted she could not stand Tristan before Angels appeared and dismissed the idea that Hill could outclass him. Angels then announced that he would make his in-ring debut next week.

During this week’s NXT Focus segment, Izzi Dame reflected on her recent success alongside Niko Vance and Shawn Spears. Spears stated that The Culling was strongest together, while Vance said Izzi had given the group direction. Izzi warned that if Lola Vice was watching the night’s main event, then she was watching Lola as well.

General Manager Robert Stone then welcomed the newest NXT signee, Mason Rook, formerly known as Will Kroos, for his official contract signing. Rook boasted about wrestling throughout Europe and Japan while referring to himself as a “flying human tank.” He also claimed that even John Cena had taken notice of him.

Tony D’Angelo interrupted the segment and warned Rook not to make a name for himself at his expense. Moments later, Kam Hendrix stormed the ring and attacked D’Angelo before Rook wiped out security and several others with a top rope moonsault. Rook then officially signed his NXT contract while Stone voiced frustration over the chaos.

Backstage, Romeo Moreno watched footage of Noam Dar’s previous matches while Dar prepared for his first match in nearly a year. Dar admitted he was unsure if he was still the same competitor, but Moreno reassured him that he still believed in him.

Emily Agard later interviewed OTM during a cookout segment. Bronco Nima spoke emotionally about losing his mother at a young age and credited her lessons on responsibility for helping him care for his younger brother JJ. The segment also highlighted Lucien Price’s artistic side before OTM made it clear that the NXT Tag Team Championships were their target.

• Jackson Drake defeated Noam Dar

Myka Lockwood interfered and grabbed Dar as he attempted to fight off members of The Vanity Project. Following the match, the arena lights went out and DarkState appeared.

DarkState later confronted The Vanity Project in the ring. Dion Lennox declared that the group wanted the NXT Tag Team Championships, while Saquon Shugars warned that Cutler James and Osiris Griffin were prepared to destroy the champions. Brad Baylor reminded DarkState that The Vanity Project had previously taken the titles from them and claimed Lennox and Shugars were divided. Cutler James then revealed that Robert Stone had approved a title match for next week, though he stressed Lennox and Shugars needed to settle their issues first. The confrontation eventually turned physical after The Vanity Project attempted a cheap shot.

Backstage, Robert Stone briefly met with Naraku before running into Mason Rook and Kam Hendrix. Hendrix complained about being forced into a team, while Rook promised they were about to make noise together. Tate Wilder later approached Stone in search of a match for next week, only for Keanu Carver to interrupt angrily after being forced into an interview earlier in the night. Stone immediately booked Carver against Wilder for next week’s episode.

Blake Howard later interviewed Kali Armstrong, who stated she was surveying the NXT landscape before making her next move. Armstrong promised to run through the NXT locker room just as she had on Evolve. Kendal Grey and Wren Sinclair interrupted, with Kendal warning Armstrong that she would only run through “almost everybody.”

• Kelani Jordan defeated Kendal Grey

outside chaos shifted momentum late in the contest. During the bout, Lola Vice watched from backstage before being attacked by Izzi Dame. Their fight spilled ringside, distracting Kendal long enough for Kelani to avoid a top rope attack and connect with One of a Kind for the victory.

Following the match, Kendal confronted Lola over the distraction, but the show came to a close with Izzi Dame blasting Lola in the back of the head with a big boot before standing tall over her while holding the NXT Women’s Championship.

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