Lola Vice and the New NXT Hierarchy

The dust has barely settled on a transformative weekend for the developmental brand, but the hierarchy has already shifted. Following her massive victory at Stand & Deliver, Lola Vice stepped into the ring this week to deliver her first promo as the reigning NXT Women’s Champion. It was a moment that felt less like a celebration and more like a warning shot to a locker room that is still reeling from the fallout of the biggest show of the year. Vice has always carried herself with the swagger of a world-class athlete, but with the gold around her waist, that confidence has evolved into something far more clinical.

The promo itself was lean and focused. Vice didn't waste time thanking the fans or reflecting on her journey; instead, she focused on the reality of being a hunted champion. She spoke about the transition from being the underdog with a kickboxing background to being the standard-bearer for a division that is arguably the deepest in the industry. The analysts on the PWTorch Dailycast, Kelly Wells and Nate Lindberg, noted that this was a pivotal test for Vice. Cutting a promo as a challenger is one thing, but maintaining that same edge as the face of the brand requires a different set of gears.

This is Lola Vice’s division now, and she isn’t interested in sharing the spotlight. She has the striking accuracy to back up every word, and the locker room knows it.

The shift toward Vice as the center of the division comes at a time when NXT is leaning heavily into its "NXT Revenge" branding. This two-week special event is designed to capitalize on the momentum of Stand & Deliver while bridging the gap as we head toward the chaos of WrestleMania 41 in Las Vegas. By positioning Vice as the focal point of the first week, Shawn Michaels and the creative team are signaling that the era of the "Miami Heat" is officially here to stay. It is a necessary move, especially as the brand prepares for the inevitable call-ups that follow the WrestleMania season.

The DarkState Factor

While Vice is holding down the women’s side, the men’s main event scene has been dominated by the presence of DarkState. The recent main event at Stand & Deliver saw the group solidify their status as the premier threat in the promotion. Wells and Lindberg discussed the implications of DarkState’s continued dominance, suggesting that the group’s cold, calculated approach to match finishes is a direct response to the flashy, high-flying style that often defines NXT. Their matches aren't meant to be five-star technical clinics; they are meant to be systematic dismantlings of their opponents.

This creates an interesting dynamic for the upcoming "NXT Revenge" specials. If DarkState continues to hold the main event hostage, the babyface locker room is going to need a unified front to push back. We are seeing a slow-burn story where the very identity of NXT—as a place of work-rate and athletic competition—is being challenged by a group that only cares about the result. It is a classic booking trope, but it works because the execution is so disciplined. There is no wasted movement with DarkState, and their presence on the show ensures that every segment they touch feels high-stakes.

WrestlePro’s Decennial Identity Crisis

Away from the bright lights of the Performance Center, the independent scene is trying to find its footing amidst the WrestleMania 41 hype. WrestlePro recently celebrated its Tenth Anniversary, a milestone that should have felt like a massive celebration of everything the promotion has achieved. However, according to Chris Maitland and Justin McClelland on Wrestling Coast to Coast, the show struggled to differentiate itself from a standard monthly event. This is a common pitfall for indie promotions that rely on big-name imports to move tickets; when the "spectacular" elements are just the same names you see every week, the sense of occasion starts to evaporate.

That isn't to say the wrestling wasn't high-caliber. The card featured a clash between Ricochet and Akeem that provided exactly the kind of technical wizardry you would expect. Ricochet remains one of the most fluid performers on the planet, and his ability to make even the most complex transitions look effortless is still a marvel to behold. The match went roughly 14 minutes and served as a reminder that while the presentation of WrestlePro might have lacked that "anniversary feel," the talent in the ring was doing everything possible to elevate the brand.

The WrestlePro Tenth Anniversary felt more like a regular show than a tenth anniversary spectacular, despite a card loaded with major names.

The issue here is one of expectation. When a promotion labels a show as a decennial celebration, the fans expect a narrative through-line that honors the history of the company. Instead, WrestlePro gave us a series of individual showcases that felt disconnected. The NWA reportedly received a big break during this event, which adds another layer of corporate synergy to the mix, but it didn't do much to help the show find its own soul. It was a professional, well-executed wrestling card that failed to meet the emotional weight of its own branding.

MJF and the Ricochet Clinic

The appearance of MJF was undoubtedly the biggest talking point of the WrestlePro event. Even in an indie setting, MJF carries the aura of a man who knows he is the most important person in the building. He didn't have to wrestle a twenty-minute classic to make an impact; he just had to be himself. His interaction with the crowd and his ability to command the microphone remains the gold standard for modern heels. He understands that in 2026, the audience is smarter than ever, so he plays into that intelligence with a sarcasm that is both biting and hilarious.

We also saw The Acclaimed’s Max Caster and Anthony Bowens face off, a rare internal conflict that added some much-needed tension to the middle of the card. Seeing teammates go at it is always a gamble, but Caster and Bowens have enough chemistry to make the friction feel real without burying the team. It was a smart bit of booking that provided a different flavor of storytelling compared to the high-flying showcase of Ricochet or the pure heat of an MJF promo. If WrestlePro can find a way to bottle that kind of internal drama more consistently, they won't need to rely so heavily on the "anniversary" label to get people through the door.

The Ghost of John Laurinaitis

Perhaps the most baffling news of the week involves John Laurinaitis. The former WWE executive is once again booking appearances on the independent circuit, despite a string of controversies that would have ended anyone else’s career years ago. Most recently, Laurinaitis was caught in the middle of a bizarre AI photo controversy—a situation where his team supposedly used artificial intelligence to generate promotional material that looked uncanny and dishonest. It was a PR disaster that served as a microcosm of his entire post-WWE run: a series of attempts to remain relevant that only result in further scrutiny.

The fact that Laurinaitis is still being booked at all is a critical indictment of a certain segment of the wrestling industry. There is a stubborn refusal to move on from the "Big Johnny" era, even as the details of past corporate misconduct continue to haunt his legacy. Promoters see a name that fans recognize from the mid-2010s and they ignore the baggage that comes with it. It’s a short-sighted strategy that prioritizes a minor ticket bump over the long-term health and reputation of the promotion. The AI photo incident was just the latest example of a man who seems completely out of touch with how the modern world, and the modern wrestling fan, actually operates.

As we head toward WrestleMania 41, the industry is in a state of hyper-speed evolution. We have champions like Lola Vice who represent the future of the sport—athletes who are faster, smarter, and more versatile than those who came before them. In that context, the continued presence of figures like Laurinaitis feels like a glitch in the system. The contrast between the vibrant, high-stakes energy of NXT’s Stand & Deliver fallout and the desperate, AI-generated attempts at relevance from the old guard couldn't be more stark. Wrestling is moving forward, and it is leaving the relics of the past behind, whether they are ready to go or not.