Posted in: CW, TV, WWE | Tagged: NXT, The Great American Bash

WWE NXT The Great American Bash 2026 Preview: Star-Spangled Action

WWE NXT is airing the NXT Great American Bash 2026 totally free on The CW tonight - but after a lackluster build, is the card worth it?

WWE NXT usually does a great job of putting together its PLE events. Usually. This time around, however, the build for The Great American Bash has been kind of lackluster. They have had since the WrestleMania 42 weekend to build this show, and in that time, it's been a lot of people circling each other, a lot of matches ending on interference, and then, this week, someone getting briefly lit on fire. It's like watching a soapbox car some kid put together last minute, fall apart as it crosses the finish line. Sure, it made it, but in what condition?

WWE NXT Gets All-Star-Spangled Awesome For Free Tonight With The Great American Bash 2026

That's the question we ask ourselves as WWE will offer this usual PLE event TOTALLY FREE tonight on The CW. We can't even call it a PLE, because WWE has officially/unofficially decided they're going to try and steal viewers from AEW's Forbidden Door PPV tonight, with a 1-2 punch of this and TNA's Slammaversary at 4 pm ET (both of which you can also read previews for from me and El Presidente). In any case, they managed to get seven matches on this show, which is two more than we normally get, five of which are singles championship title matches. We have the full rundown from WWE about tonight's special attraction, I guess we'll call it, airing on The CW starting at 7 pm ET.

The NXT Championship will be on the line when Tony D'Angelo defends his title against the mysterious Naraku. Since arriving in NXT a few weeks ago, Naraku has mystified the NXT Universe and D'Angelo, delivering cryptic gifts to the champion and showing him respect. Naraku lived up to his status as one of the best in the world as he took down Mason Rook in a No. 1 Contender's Match, setting the stage for an epic NXT Championship bout.

Lola Vice will defend the NXT Women's Championship against one of the fastest-rising Superstars in WWE, Kendal Grey. The former Evolve Women's Champion has taken NXT by storm, dazzling fans weekly with her blend of mat-wrestling skills and athletic ability. Vice, meanwhile, is on top of the brand after dethroning Jacy Jayne and becoming NXT Women's Champion, but she now must overcome arguably her toughest challenge.

Tatum Paxley is out to regain the NXT Women's North American Championship when she takes on the dangerous new champion, Zaria. The Australian powerhouse dethroned Paxley a few weeks ago, but the former champion is not going down without a fight. Can Paxley become a two-time Women's North American Champion, or will Zaria continue her reign of terror?

Myles Borne will defend the NXT North American Championship against his friend and former training partner, Tavion Heights. Borne and Heights forged a strong bond as members of No Quarter Catch Crew, a grappling-based group designed to maximize in-ring technician skills, but they decided to amicably branch off and go their separate ways. It has paid dividends for Borne in the form of the NXT North American Title, but a frustrated Heights is still looking for his first championship.

Former friends turned bitter enemies will square off at NXT Great American Bash in a deeply personal grudge match. Saquon Shugars broke into NXT when he aligned with Dion Lennox, Osiris Griffin, and Cutler James to form DarkState, one of the most dangerous and devastating groups the brand has ever seen. After DarkState won multiple NXT Tag Team Titles, the cracks began to form, leading to Lennox, Griffin, and James kicking Shugars out of the group with a vicious beatdown. Shugars has terrorized his former teammates over the past few weeks, setting up this incredible one-on-one match.

Wren Sinclair is cleared to compete, and she will defend the Women's Speed Championship against Arianna Grace. Representing BirthRight, Grace is aiming to win her first championship in NXT, but standing in her way is one of the most spirited Superstars in the form of Sinclair. Can Sinclair stave off Grace, or will BirthRight add more gold to their collection? Finally, two of NXT's fastest-rising Superstars will collide on one of NXT's biggest stages. After losing the Mr. NXT pageant to Shiloh Hill, Tristan Angels went on a rampage against his opponent, but it proved to be a serious mistake. Hill began tormenting Angels, and now they will battle one-on-one.

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