At NXT Great American Bash, Tony D’Angelo defeated Naraku to retain his NXT Championship. But Naraku hasn’t been the only person who has been after D’Angelo in the last two months. Both Jackson Drake and Mason Rook have been winning matches and climbing the ladder to be the next person to face him. On the June 23, 2026 episode of NXT, the contract signing between D’Angelo and Naraku became a chaotic mess. Rook and the entire Vanity Project interrupted, leading to a brawl.
Unhappy about what took place between them and Rook, he and the Vanity Project went to NXT General Manager Robert Stone’s office on Sunday to complain. Stone heard their pleas, deciding to take action. It was decided that he and Rook would be put in a match together on the June 30 NXT.
That’s not what he wanted to hear, but Rook was probably excited when he got the news. What was the result when the two men, both desperate to be the next challenger for the NXT Championship, faced each other?
Jackson Drake Gets the Victory with Help from the Vanity Project
Over the past few months, fans have seen many men get called up to the main roster, such as Ethan Page, Joe Hendry, and Ricky Saints. With so many open spots, many men have either debuted on NXT or have gotten called up from Evolve.
Drake arrived in January with current NXT Tag Team Champions Brad Baylor and Ricky Smokes after a 301-day reign as Evolve Champion. They were some of the first people to get signed to NXT from Evolve, so expectations were high for them.
Myka Lockwood joined the Vanity Project in May, expanding the faction to four members. Rook made his debut in April, and has been causing havoc ever since. He had a great showing in a loss to Naraku, showcasing how he got so popular on the British independent circuit. In such a short amount of time, they have shown their talent and willingness to challenge for the NXT Championship, leading to the tension between them.
The match started with both of them locking up. Rook shoved Drake into the corner and tried to chop him, but got kicked in the leg. Drake tried to kick him again, but he caught his leg this time.
He tried to swing at him, resulting in him being in a headlock. Once he got out of it, both men ran the ropes, with Drake knocking Drake to the ground. More running occurred, with Drake getting powerslammed and kicking out of a pin attempt. Rook chopped him twice, leading to another unsuccessful pinfall. He then drove his knee into Drake’s back, causing intense pain.
After an unsuccessful body drop, Drake jumped onto Rook. He then tried to backflip onto him, but ended up flat on the canvas. Rook then delivered a huge string of offense, leading to a failed pinfall. He looked for a splash, but Drake got his knees up, which led to him getting hit with a cutter and an unsuccessful pin attempt.
Afterward, he chopped him several times before tossing him to the ground. After more offense, Drake delivered a springboard stomp to Rook, which couldn’t end the match. They traded more pin attempts, which included a DDT by Drake and a powerbomb by Rook, leading to more kickouts.
The match finally ended when the rest of the Vanity Project interfered. Lockwood distracted the referee, which allowed Smokes to attack Rook. He threw him out of the ring and immediately got hit with the backstabber to give Drake the victory.
Lockwood grabbed his shoe to ensure Drake would get the win. Afterward, he attacked Baylor and Smokes, mad that they got the victory. It seems like Rook’s issues with Drake and the Vanity Project are far from being resolved.
