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Tony D’Angelo has held the WWE NXT Championship for a 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 #1 contender when he defeated fellow NXT newcomer Mason Rook. On June 28, D’Angelo and Naraku will square off with the title on the line.
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NXT Champion Tony D’Angelo makes his NXT debut at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Fla. on April 14, 2026. (Kevin Sabitus/WWE)
D’Angelo suggested to Pakinomist Digital in a recent interview that he’s keeping his antenna up after his latest interaction with Naraku. The challenger presented him with the official fight contract unsigned. D’Angelo signed his name on the dotted line, but was told to wait a little longer before Naraku signed his name.
“I mean, kind of. But I also took it that maybe he was second-guessing himself,” he said. “He might be a little afraid of Tony D. He doesn’t even know if he wants to step in the ring with me yet. Yes, it’s a possibility.”
D’Angelo said he expected Naraku to go after him immediately because of his reputation.
Naraku joined 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 Never Openweight Champion. Naraku’s reputation precedes him.
“I’m just going to say I’m not surprised. He came in from Japan. I don’t think he’d make the long trip just to hang out. Of course he’s going to come after the big dog,” D’Angelo told Pakinomist Digital. “I get it. Expected, but what threw me off, I’ll be honest, is the whole, oh, he was trying to protect me and my title. I didn’t really get it, but after going home and thinking about it, I was like, OK, this is just mind games. Him messing with me, trying to portray the honorable guy as the ‘I want to be, I want to be at your best,’ thing.
Naraku applies an arm bar to Mason Rook during NXT at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Fla. on June 9, 2026. (Matt Pendleton/WWE)
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“I’m not quite sold on it yet, especially on Tuesday when he brought me to his place of business and went to sign a contract and he hadn’t even signed it himself, which… sketch. We’ll see. He said next week, in good time. So I got my head spinning, to say the least.”
D’Angelo said he expects some kind of brawling going into the match since Naraku was part of the House of Torture. D’Angelo, who was the don of NXT at one point, has now proven that he can do it on his own. He challenged Naraku to prove it as well.
“Absolutely,” he said when asked about any fun business that would potentially come his way. “I wouldn’t be surprised if something like that happens. Like I said, it’s not new to me. I have a past life. I used to be the head of a family, and maybe I was part of some squabbles like that a time or two. I’d be a fool not to expect that. I’m fully aware of his little minions, which I expected in my past life.”
D’Angelo and Naraku’s title match is one of the few matches on the card.
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 contender for the WWE Women’s Speed Championship and Saquon Shugars will take on Dion Lennox.
Tony D’Angelo celebrates his win 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 the first NXT 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 PLE ever on the CW Network,” D’Angelo said. “We want to reach a bigger audience. I think that kind of thing is very important for WWE, but also for NXT – that we’re the ‘third brand’ in my opinion, ‘developmental’ in others. I think it’s good to get the upcoming talent in front of as many faces as we possibly can.”
