Much has been said regarding WWE reducing its live event schedule, with figures like Cody Rhodes speaking out about his desire to ramp it back up. Former WWE star Maven Huffman has now joined the chorus of voices in favor of “house shows,” with the retired wrestler covering the topic on his YouTube channel.

“The first problem I see is the absence of house shows, or non-televised events,” Maven said. “During my time, we were wrestling, weekly, three untelevised shows, then we had ‘Raw’ or ‘SmackDown’ every week.”

Maven elaborated that sometimes wrestlers would have to work both TV shows in addition to live events, meaning that they’d be performing four or five nights each week. While there are still occasional house shows, with Maven pointing out that they’re mostly in bigger cities like New York, it can’t be denied that the schedule is very different.

“By eliminating shows, [it] makes the wrestlers not always be at their peak, optimum performance level,” Maven continued. “The current talent is wrestling as much in a month now as we would wrestle in one week, sometimes even less. Young me would’ve loved that schedule, but I also recognize now … that you only get better by doing something repeatedly.”

He pointed to CM Punk vs. Jey Uso at WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event earlier this year to illustrate what he meant. Maven explained that both men are excellent wrestlers, but their match was lackluster, most likely because they didn’t have live event reps to work out what they were going to do.

In addition to match quality dropping, Maven also believes the lack of live events hurts camaraderie in the locker room, as that extra time on the road leads to bonds being developed among performers.

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit Maven Huffman and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.

Tony D’Angelo is the new NXT Champion after a chaotic and hard-hitting Fatal 4-Way Match at NXT Stand & Deliver 2026. D’Angelo defeated Joe Hendry, Ricky Saints, and Ethan Page to secure his first reign with the title.

The match opened at a fast pace as Page and Saints immediately targeted Hendry before shifting their focus to D’Angelo. Hendry fought back with strong strikes, while D’Angelo used his power to keep both opponents in check. The action quickly broke down into multiple exchanges, with all four men trading heavy offense inside and outside the ring.

Hendry showed early control with suplexes and near falls, but Page and Saints worked together to slow him down. Their brief alliance included double-team moves and quick pin attempts, though it did not last long as both men argued over who would take control. That hesitation allowed D’Angelo to re-enter the match and swing momentum back in his favor.

The pace remained high as each competitor delivered key moves. A PowerPlex combination from Page and Saints nearly ended the match, but Hendry kicked out. D’Angelo answered with a series of suplexes and power moves, while Hendry continued to rely on his striking and signature offense to stay in contention.

The match spilled to the outside, where Page and Saints set up the steel steps near the announce table. Saints drove D’Angelo into the floor with a tornado DDT, and Page followed with Twisted Grin. Moments later, Hendry wiped them out with a leaping back senton, keeping the match wide open.

The closing moments saw multiple near falls and weapon use. Saints introduced a steel chair and struck Hendry, but could not secure the win. Page and Saints continued to fight among themselves, which led to a major turning point. As they attempted a big move from the steel steps, D’Angelo charged in and speared both men off the steps and through the announce table.

Back in the ring, Hendry attempted to finish D’Angelo with Standing Ovation, but D’Angelo countered. He delivered a spear followed by a chokeslam to score the three-count and win the championship.

This victory marks the first NXT Championship reign for D’Angelo, who joined NXT in 2021 during the NXT 2.0 era. Hendry’s title run comes to an end after 61 days, during which he recorded two successful defenses.

Tony D’Angelo Wins NXT Championship at Stand & Deliver 2026

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We’ve missed you, “Johnny Takeover.”

Ever since his long-time friend and wrestling soulmate Tommaso Ciampa stepped away from WWE, Johnny Gargano has been in a sort of slump…which is putting it lightly. Gargano has become a shell of his former self. He hasn’t been wrestling and seems to not be doing much, really. However, when Candice LeRae (because behind every man, successul or not, is a hardworking woman) pushed him to fight for the chance to contend for, then claim, Myles Borne’s “NXT” North American Championship, flashes of the old Gargano began to come to life. When Gargano walked out onto the steel entrance ramp of Stand and Deliver, “Johnny Takeover” had come to do just that: take over.

While Gargano ultimately came up short in his fight against Borne, both men did exceptionally well. Gargano, a man who is known for his time in “NXT’s” Black and Gold era, played the hits for a nostalgic “NXT” crowd, and Borne, one of “NXT’s” quickest-rising stars, managed to hold his own in the ring, right next to one of the greats. With Borne’s recent improvement and Gargano’s uniquely-“NXT” style of wrestling, there was no way this match was ever going to be bad.

Gargano played the hits. We saw “Johnny Takeover” come to life, if only for a few moments, in the big ’26. We saw his signature Superkicks, we saw One Final Beat, we saw several attempts at the Gargano Escape. They were all masterfully placed so that it didn’t feel gratuitous, or like he was doing too much. Gargano paid respect to, frankly, the highlight of his WWE career, and showed us all who “Johnny Takeover” is. You could argue that Gargano became a shell of his former self long before Ciampa left. For him to reignite that fire in him for the “NXT” crowd was a blessing to watch.

Borne was able to hold up extremely well with Gargano, and that, in and of itself, is a feat. Borne has improved significantly since his No Quarter Catch Crew days, and while I know that WWE is probably just high on him because of the “baby Randy” comparisons, I do think he has a lot of potential to stand out in the overall wrestling world as his own star. Borne is doing great work, and I think that if he is sharpened by iron, like he was against Gargano Saturday, then he can absolutely help carry the company as it moves towards its future.

“Johnny Takeover” returned tonight, but Myles Borne was right there with him. This was easily the best match of the night. No question.

Written by Angeline Phu