WWE NXT champ Tony D'Angelo believes challenger may be 'second-guessing himself' ahead of Great American Bash

Tony D’Angelo has held nan WWE NXT Championship for a fewer months and his upcoming title defense astatine The Great American Bash whitethorn beryllium to beryllium his biggest trial yet.

Naraku burst onto nan NXT scene successful May and instantly declared his volition to triumph nan championship. He earned nan correct to beryllium nan No. 1 contender erstwhile he defeated chap NXT newcomer Mason Rook. On June 28, D’Angelo and Naraku will quadrate disconnected pinch nan title connected nan line.

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NXT Champion Tony D'Angelo makes his entranceway during NXT astatine nan WWE Performance Center successful Orlando, Fla., connected April 14, 2026. (Kevin Sabitus/WWE)

D’Angelo suggested to Fox News Digital successful a caller question and reply that he’s keeping his antenna up aft his latest relationship pinch Naraku. The challenger presented nan charismatic lucifer statement to him unsigned. D’Angelo signed his sanction connected nan dotted statement but was told he would person to hold a spot longer earlier Naraku signed his name.

"I mean, kinda. But I besides took it arsenic he mightiness beryllium second-guessing himself," he said. "He mightiness beryllium a small acrophobic of Tony D. He doesn’t cognize himself if he wants to measurement successful nan ringing pinch me, yet. Yeah, that’s a possibility."

D’Angelo said he expected Naraku to spell aft him instantly fixed his reputation.

Naraku came to NXT from New Japan Pro-Wrestling wherever he wrestled nether nan sanction Evil and was nan IWGP heavyweight champion, IWGP intercontinental champion and a four-time Never openweight champion. Naraku’s estimation precedes him.

"I’ll conscionable opportunity I’m not surprised. He came successful from Japan. I don’t deliberation he would make that agelong trek conscionable to bent out. Of course, he’s gonna travel for nan large dog," D’Angelo told Fox News Digital. "I get it. To beryllium expected, but nan point that threw maine off, I’ll beryllium honest, is nan whole, ohio he was trying to protect maine and my title. I didn’t rather understand it but aft going location and reasoning astir it, I was like, OK, this is conscionable mind games. That he’s messing pinch me, trying to represent nan honorable feline arsenic (opposed) to, ‘If I’m gonna hit you, I want to hit you astatine your best,’ thing.

Naraku applies an arm-bar connected Mason Rook during NXT astatine nan WWE Performance Center successful Orlando, Fla., connected June 9, 2026. (Matt Pendleton/WWE)

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"I’m not rather sold connected that yet, particularly this past Tuesday wherever he brought maine to his spot of business and went to motion a statement and he hadn’t moreover signed it himself, which … sketch. We’ll see. He said adjacent week, successful owed time. So, I sewage my caput connected a swivel, to opportunity nan least."

D’Angelo said he’s expecting immoderate benignant of shenanigans going into nan lucifer fixed that Naraku was a portion of nan House of Torture. D’Angelo, who was nan don of NXT astatine 1 point, has now proven he tin do it alone. He put nan situation to Naraku to beryllium it arsenic well.

"Absolutely," he said erstwhile asked astir immoderate funny business perchance coming his way. "I wouldn’t beryllium amazed if thing for illustration that happens. Like I said, this isn’t caller to me. I person a past life. I utilized to beryllium nan leader of a family and maybe, I was a portion of immoderate shenanigans for illustration that a clip aliases two. I’d beryllium a fool not to expect that. I’m afloat alert of his small minions that he had successful his past life. I’m expecting nan unexpected."

D’Angelo and Naraku’s title lucifer is 1 of a fewer matches connected nan card.

Lola Vice will put her NXT Women’s Championship connected nan statement against Kendal Grey, Myles Borne will take sides nan NXT North American Championship against Tavion Heights, Wren Sinclair will look a challenger for nan WWE Women’s Speed Championship and Saquon Shugars takes connected Dion Lennox.

Tony D'Angelo celebrates his triumph astatine NXT: Stand and Deliver astatine The Factory successful St. Louis, Missouri, connected April 4, 2026. (Craig Melvin/WWE Via Getty Images)

The Great American Bash will beryllium nan first NXT premium unrecorded event exclusively connected nan CW Network astatine 8 p.m. ET.

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"I deliberation it’s great. Like you said, it’s nan first ever PLE connected nan CW Network," D’Angelo said. "We’ll beryllium reaching a larger audience. I deliberation that benignant of worldly is very important for WWE but besides NXT – america being nan ‘third brand’ successful my opinion, ‘developmental’ successful others. I deliberation it’s bully to get nan up and coming talent successful beforehand of arsenic galore faces arsenic we perchance can."