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WWE NXT wrestlers Tatum Paxley and Kendal Gray have been two of the standout performers on the brand during 2025.
Paxley went from being on the tag team scene with Gigi Dolan and Shotzi to start the year and quickly worked her way up the ladder to earn shots at the NXT Women’s Championship and the NXT Women’s North American Championship.
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Tatum Paxley celebrates as the new NXT Women’s Champion during NXT Halloween Havoc at the Findlay Toyota Center on October 25, 2025 in Prescott Valley, Arizona. (Meg Oliphant/WWE via Getty Images)
Tatum Paxley in action against Lola Vice during NXT at the WWE Performance Center on October 28, 2025 in Orlando, Florida. (Kevin Sabitus/WWE via Getty Images)
She became the NXT Women’s Champion after defeating Jacy Jayne at Halloween Havoc. But her recent relationship with Izzi Dame and The Culling fell apart, leading to an emotional match at NXT Deadline, which she lost thanks to the help of Dame’s compatriots.
Sol Ruca, who has been making waves of her own in NXT over the past three years, told Pakinomist Digital in a recent interview that she loved Paxley when her hard work paid off.
“Tatum, she’s grown so much and when she won the title I was literally backstage like I was trying not to cry because she’s just tried so hard and she’s just always at it,” Ruca said. “She always shows up and is ready to work and I think she really deserved to be the NXT Women’s Champion.”
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Kendal Gray enters the ring during NXT at the WWE Performance Center on October 28, 2025 in Orlando, Florida. (Matt Pendleton/WWE via Getty Images)
Kendal Gray enters the arena during NXT Deadline at the Boeing Center at Tech Port on December 6, 2025 in San Antonio, Texas. (Andrea Kellaway/WWE via Getty Images)
Gray found her footing at WWE Evolve, splitting time between that brand and NXT. She won the Evolve Women’s Championship against Kali Armstrong back in September. She then won the Women’s Iron Survivor Challenge and earned a shot at the NXT Women’s Championship.
Ruca suggested she was impressed with Grey’s growth over the past two years. Gray joined the WWE organization in 2023 as part of WWE’s Next In Line program five years after being named the United States High School Wrestler of the Year.
“Same thing with Kendal, she’s gotten really good in the past, I don’t know, she’s been here for what? Like two years, maybe? I think the background in amateur wrestling definitely helps, but they’re really putting her in the deep end right now,” Ruca said. “And I definitely think she’ll hold her own.
“I think she’s performing very, very well. I think her promos are getting better and I don’t think she’s super nervous about the position she’s in. I think she’s pretty confident, which is definitely a good thing for her.”
Zaria and NXT Women’s North American Champion Sol Ruca interrupt Fatal Influence during NXT at the WWE Performance Center on July 15, 2025 in Orlando, Florida. (Andrea Kellaway/WWE)
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Ruca gets a big opportunity to make an impression on WWE fans. She will face Bayley on Saturday at Saturday Night’s Main Event, which will also be John Cena’s final match of his WWE in-ring career.
