CM Punk to challenge Grayson Waller for WWE NXT Championship on November 4
CM Punk will challenge Grayson Waller for the WWE NXT Championship on the November 4 episode of NXT after confronting the champion at Halloween Havoc on October 31. The announcement followed Waller’s successful title defence in the pay-per-view main event.
In the Halloween Havoc main event Grayson Waller retained against former champion Tony D’Angelo after a contested finish: D’Angelo appeared to have the match won following a Spear, but the referee was knocked down and could not make the count, allowing Waller to use a crowbar and then deliver a Rolling Stunner to secure the pinfall. The finish prompted a surprise on-screen announcement from CM Punk after special host Danhausen’s appearance.
CM Punk then appeared on the arena screen and issued the challenge in full: "Grayson Waller, up here, bud. Pay attention, because you’ve been running your mouth about me specifically for weeks, saying I need to ask you permission to come into your house because you run NXT. Well, I’ve waited patiently, and I wanted to see how you and Tony would shake out. Now that you’re still NXT Champion, buddy, hold on to that belt tight because I’m coming November 4th. It is CM Punk versus Grayson Waller for the NXT title. And you say that NXT is your house? Kid, I’m the landlord, and Wednesday the rent is due." After the broadcast @MrStoneWWE made the Grayson Waller vs. CM Punk match official for the November 4 episode.
The rivalry has origins in comments Waller made in September on Busted Open After Dark, where he said he had once been a major Punk fan but now wanted to face him rather than just admire him. The two have also crossed paths through Punk’s recent visits to WWE’s Performance Center and NXT, and Waller previously recounted seeing Punk, AJ Styles and Shawn Michaels backstage after a match, describing the trio as people who genuinely care about the future of the wrestling business.
The November 4 episode’s announced card includes multiple high-profile elements: John Cena is scheduled to appear and Cody Rhodes will present the trophy to the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic winners, with the final set to feature Hank Walker and Tank Ledger against Noam Dar and Romeo Moreno. An unsanctioned match between Dion Lennox and Cruz Montana will include UFC’s Michael Chandler in a ringside role described by the broadcast as the special guest referee; a promotional tweet also described Chandler as the special guest enforcer for that bout.
Additional matches announced for the episode feature Chad Gable teaming with Dragon Lee and Rey Fenix against The Vanity Project, while NXT Women’s Champion Kelani Jordan is slated to defend her title in an open challenge. WWE moved the show to Wednesday because of election coverage on The CW, placing the NXT broadcast directly opposite AEW Dynamite: Blood & Guts.
The November 4 meeting presents CM Punk with an opportunity to win a title he has not previously held and gives Grayson Waller a high-profile defence against a veteran he has publicly challenged. CM Punk will challenge Grayson Waller for the NXT Championship on the November 4, 2026 episode of WWE NXT.