WWE NXT (November 4, 2026) at Performance Center: CM Punk challenges Grayson Waller; Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic final set
WWE presented a special Wednesday edition of NXT at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida on November 4, 2026, featuring Grayson Waller defending the NXT Championship against CM Punk and appearances from John Cena and Cody Rhodes. The show aired opposite AEW Dynamite’s Blood & Guts and was promoted as a stacked episode for NXT.
Khel Now provided live coverage from the venue with host Abhijit. NXT moved to Wednesday night for this special episode and the card combined title matches, tournament climax and attraction bouts. John Cena was announced to appear following his Monday Night Raw appearance, with WWE continuing to promote the inaugural John Cena Classic; the company had not released details of Cena’s segment. Cody Rhodes was scheduled to present the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic trophy to the winners of the final.
The NXT Championship match saw Grayson Waller put the title on the line against CM Punk, a return to NXT for Punk more than 16 years after his last appearance there. Waller’s challenge had been set up after he successfully defended the title against Tony D’Angelo at Halloween Havoc, retaining by using a crowbar while the referee was down and finishing D’Angelo with his Rolling Stunner. After that bout, Danhausen introduced a video message from Punk in which Punk challenged Waller for the November 4 episode.
The 2026 Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic concluded with Noam Dar and Romeo Moreno facing Hank Walker and Tank Ledger in the tournament final. Dar and Moreno reached the final after victories over teams including Fraxiom and The Vanity Project, while Hank and Tank advanced by defeating opponents including The Creed Brothers and the Wagner Brothers. Cody Rhodes was scheduled to present the trophy to the winners of the Dusty Cup final.
A six-man tag team match pitted Chad Gable, Rey Fenix and Dragon Lee against The Vanity Project’s Jackson Drake, Brad Baylor and Ricky Smokes. Jackson Drake entered the match as the North American Champion, and Brad Baylor and Ricky Smokes were identified as the NXT Tag Team Champions. The matchup brought together the title-holding members of The Vanity Project and the trio of Gable, Fenix and Lee.
Kelani Jordan was listed to defend the NXT Women’s Championship on the November 4 episode against a mystery opponent. Jordan had previously retained the title against Wren Sinclair at Halloween Havoc, and NXT General Manager Robert Stone informed her she would have another defence on this special episode; the identity of the challenger was not disclosed.
An unsanctioned match between Cruz Montana and Dion Lennox was announced to settle their rivalry, with UFC star Michael Chandler named as the special guest referee. The bout, declared unsanctioned at Halloween Havoc, carried no official championship implications and featured Chandler in a non-competitive officiating role.
The episode was scheduled to air at 8 ET/7 CT on The CW, and the card’s confirmed items included the NXT Championship bout, the NXT Women’s Championship defence, the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic final and the unsanctioned contest with Michael Chandler as special guest referee.
