[CM Punk]

A new era of chaos erupts as fresh faces collide with questionable creative decisions

The April 28 episode of WWE NXT marked a return to the brand’s usual programming after two weeks of “Revenge” specials, and the black-and-gold brand delivered a night of unpredictable chaos, surprising debuts, and at least one truly head-scratching moment that left fans wondering what they just watched.

With General Manager Robert Stone, Matt Bloom, and Shawn Michaels huddled together backstage to open the show, Michaels essentially gave Stone a choice: overthink the roster shake-up following recent call-ups, or drop a stick of dynamite into the locker room and see what happens. Stone chose chaos, and the result was one of the most unpredictable episodes in recent memory.

Here’s what worked, what didn’t, and what left us genuinely confused.

LOVE: The Chaos Era Begins
The departures of several key talents to the main roster left gaping holes in the NXT landscape, and rather than playing it safe, creative threw open the floodgates. Throughout the night, fresh faces appeared seemingly at random, creating a genuine sense that anything could happen.

Following Myles Borne’s successful defense over Saquon Shugars, the dissension within DarkState seemed to be the story — until Tristan Angels appeared from nowhere. Before viewers could process that arrival, Kam Hendrix emerged behind Borne and leveled him. The back-to-back surprises set a tone of delightful unpredictability.

Later, NXT Champion Tony D’Angelo prepared to address his challengers after receiving a mysterious box marked with Japanese characters. Before he could speak, former NJPW star EVIL’s music hit and the King of Darkness made his way to the ring. But even that massive debut wasn’t the end — a towering blonde man identified as former Progress talent Will Kroos hit an impressive moonsault on the champion, while Tavion Heights also inserted himself into the conversation.

The chaos even extended to the tag team division, where Wilder appeared alongside BirthRight to a surprisingly warm crowd response. For a brand rebuilding its identity after significant losses, this “anything goes” approach felt fresh and genuinely exciting.

HATE: That AI Video Was A Nightmare
Someone in the NXT production department needs to have their computer privileges revoked.

The AI-generated video package featuring Zaria and Sol Ruca was an all-timer in terms of “what did I just watch?” The digital slop factory produced nightmarish approximations of both women, with that awful rippling effect plaguing every frame, accompanied by nonsensical free-verse poetry that sounded like it was written by an algorithm that had never actually heard human speech.

Zaria barely looked like Zaria. Sol Ruca barely looked like Sol Ruca. The animations had the quality of a fever dream recorded on a malfunctioning smartphone. WWE has historically produced some of the best video packages in the business — the kind that give you chills before a big match — and watching that legacy reduced to “aura farming from digital hallucinations” is genuinely disheartening.

Also, who is supposed to have made this? Are we meant to believe Zaria took time out of her schedule of bench-pressing logs and being terrifying to direct an AI art film? It made no sense and everyone involved looks worse for having been associated with it.

LOVE: Izzi Dame Finds An Unlikely Ally
Last week, the jury was still out on Izzi Dame as a convincing challenger to Lola Vice’s NXT Women’s Championship. This week, that picture started to come into focus — thanks in large part to Mr. Iguana.

When Dame and Niko Vance cornered Vice, it looked like the champion was in serious trouble. But Vice had thought one step ahead, and her mixed tag team partner Mr. Iguana slithered into the ring to even the odds. Together, they beat down Dame and Vance, with Vice landing a spinning kick on Vance that brought the crowd to its feet.

The possibilities here are genuinely intriguing. With Mr. Iguana in the picture, the storyline has natural avenues to explore — including a potential challenge for the AAA World Mixed Tag Team Championships. Even without those titles, a tag match where Dame scores a pinfall or submission over Vice would dramatically boost her credibility ahead of a championship match.

Plus, adding Mr. Iguana (and his puppet La Yesca) to any storyline automatically makes it more fun. That’s just science.

HATE: What Exactly Is Birthright Supposed To Be?
For every successful faction in wrestling history, there are dozens that never find their footing. Right now, Birthright is trending dangerously toward the wrong end of that spectrum.

A group introduced by William Regal and Fit Finlay, featuring second-generation talents like Charlie Dempsey, Lexis King, Stacks, and Uriah Connors along with TNA Knockouts World Champion Arianna Grace — on paper, that should be money. But in practice, they’re starting to feel like a joke.

This week, despite having the numbers advantage against EK Prosper and Sean Legacy, Birthright came up short. King may hold the WWE Men’s Speed Championship, but he’s always felt more like a parody act than a serious competitor. Grace carries the Knockouts title like an accessory rather than an accolade. Dempsey is genuinely talented and deserves better than this. Connors hasn’t established what he wants. And Stacks’ entire personality appears to be “Grace’s boyfriend” — which would be an interesting subversion if this wasn’t the guy who beat the reigning NXT Champion.

Losing with the odds stacked in your favor isn’t a good look. Doing it repeatedly creates a stench that’s hard to wash off. Every promotion needs its middle card, but Birthright feels like a missed opportunity rather than a work in progress.

LOVE: Lizzy Rain Brings The Metal
Sometimes the simplest gimmicks work best, and Lizzy Rain’s heavy metal character instantly sets her apart from everyone else on the roster.

In her debut match against Nikkita Lyons, Rain looked absolutely fantastic — fast-paced, smooth, and engaging. The character work was on point from the moment she walked through the curtain, and her in-ring ability backed up the presentation. In an era where so many wrestlers blend together, Rain stands out immediately, and that’s half the battle.

Lyons, while not everyone’s cup of tea (including this writer’s), kept up admirably and the match was far more competitive than expected. That’s a testament to Rain’s ability to elevate her opponent while still getting herself over.

If NXT continues to lean into this chaotic rebuilding phase, Rain is exactly the kind of fresh presence the brand needs. She’s different. She’s memorable. And she can go in the ring. That’s a winning combination.

HATE: The Women’s Speed Championship Is Collecting Dust
Here’s a math problem for you: Kelani Jordan vs. Wren Sinclair went just over 11 minutes. The Women’s Speed Championship has a five-minute time limit. Neither woman is the Speed Champion (Sinclair holds that title). So why wasn’t this match for the championship?

The Speed titles have felt increasingly pointless as the NXT women’s division has outgrown them. Almost the entire roster is above the “Speed rules” concept, and the belts would be far better suited on WWE EVOLVE, where newer talents could benefit from the short-match format and increased exposure.

Jordan is a former TNA Knockouts and Women’s North American Champion — she doesn’t need the Speed title. Sinclair is equally above it. The title seems to exist only for random tournaments when creative has nothing else for the undercard, and that’s not sustainable.

The match itself was excellent — that’s not the issue. The issue is that having a championship and not using it for championship matches makes that title inherently less valuable. Either move the Speed belts to a brand where they make sense, or quietly retire them. The current purgatory serves no one.

Final Thoughts
This was a transitional episode of NXT, but in the best possible way. The chaos approach to filling roster gaps created genuine excitement, and debuts like Lizzy Rain and EVIL gave fans reason to tune in next week. The women’s division continues to be a highlight, even if the Speed Championship situation needs addressing.

Just please, for the love of all that is holy, no more AI video packages.

Grade: B+

What did you think of the April 28 episode of NXT? Did the chaos approach work for you? Sound off in the comments below.

[Frade]

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