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Tony D’Angelo has held the WWE NXT Championship for the past few months and his upcoming title defense at the Great American Bash could prove to be his biggest test yet.
Naraku burst onto the NXT scene in May and immediately declared his intention to win the championship. He earned the right to be the #1 contender by defeating fellow NXT newcomer Mason Rook. On June 28, D’Angelo and Naraku will face off with the title on the line.
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NXT Champion Tony D’Angelo makes his entrance during NXT at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida on April 14, 2026. (Kevin Sabitus/WWE)
D’Angelo suggested to PK Press Club Digital in a recent interview that he was keeping his channel open after his latest interaction with Naraku. The challenger presented him with the unsigned official match contract. D’Angelo signed his name on the dotted line but was told he would have to wait a little longer for Naraku to sign his name.
“I mean, a little bit. But I also took it because he might question himself,” he said. “He might be a little scared of Tony D. He doesn’t know yet if he wants to get in the ring with me. Yeah, that’s a possibility.”
D’Angelo said he expected Naraku to pursue him immediately given his reputation.
Naraku came to NXT from New Japan Pro-Wrestling where he wrestled under the name Evil and was the IWGP Heavyweight Champion, IWGP Intercontinental Champion, and four-time Open Heavyweight Champion. Naraku’s reputation precedes him.
“I’ll just say I’m not surprised. He came from Japan. I don’t think he would travel that long just to hang out. Of course he’ll come for the big dog,” D’Angelo told PK Press Club Digital. “I understand. It was to be expected, but what threw me off, I’ll be honest, was all, oh, he was trying to protect me and my title. I didn’t quite understand, but after I went home and thought about it, I was like, OK, this is just mind games. Him making fun of me, trying to paint the honorable guy as (opposed to), ‘If I want to beat you, I want to beat you at your best’, thing.
Naraku applies an armbar on Mason Rook during NXT at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida on June 9, 2026. (Matt Pendleton/WWE)
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“I’m not quite convinced yet, especially last Tuesday when he brought me to his workplace and went to sign a contract and he hadn’t even signed it himself, which… sketchy. We’ll see. He said next week, in due time. So, my head was on a swivel, to say the least.”
D’Angelo said he expected some sort of shenanigans before the match considering Naraku was part of the House of Torture. D’Angelo, who was the gift of NXT at one point, has now proven he can do it alone. He also challenged Naraku to prove it.
“Absolutely,” he replied when asked about any funny business that might happen to him. “I wouldn’t be surprised if something like that happened. Like I said, it’s nothing new to me. I have a past life. I was the head of a family and maybe I got involved in shenanigans like that a time or two. I’d be a fool not to expect that. I’m fully aware of the little minions he had in his past life. I expect the unexpected.”
D’Angelo and Naraku’s title match is one of the few scheduled matches.
Lola Vice will put her NXT Women’s Championship on the line against Kendal Grey, Myles Borne will defend the NXT North American Championship against Tavion Heights, Wren Sinclair will face a challenger for the WWE Women’s Speed Championship and Saquon Shugars will face Dion Lennox.
Tony D’Angelo celebrates his victory at NXT: Stand and Deliver at The Factory in St. Louis, Missouri on April 4, 2026. (Craig Melvin/WWE via Getty Images)
The Great American Bash will be NXT’s first premium live event exclusively on the CW Network at 8 p.m. ET.
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“I think it’s great. Like you said, it’s the first ever PLE on the CW network,” D’Angelo said. “We’re going to reach a wider audience. I think this kind of thing is very important for WWE but also for NXT – we’re the ‘third brand’ in my opinion, ‘development’ in others. I think it’s good to get emerging talent in front of as many faces as possible.”
