Right now in NXT, two major factions are doing amazing things every week: DarkState and the Vanity Project. Since their debut at Vengeance Day last year, DarkState has been a key component in many rivalries. They have been two-time NXT Tag Team Champions, reigning for 44 days and 121 days. In addition, Dion Lennox has been impressive in his singles run. However, that has ignited tension between him and fellow member Saquon Shugars.
The Hardy Boyz ended their first reign, but the Vanity Project ended their latest reign. They have all been impressive, with Jackson Drake beating Noam Dar on the May 12, 2026, episode of NXT. Afterward, DarkState showed up and told them that Brad Baylor and Ricky Smokes will defend their titles next week. Lennox and Shugars would be the ones to face Baylor and Smokes. Will this be a bad decision, or would they shock the Vanity Project and become three-time champions?
DarkState Will Crumble if They Don’t Get on the Same Page
For the past several weeks, things haven’t been going too well for DarkState. Cutler, James and Osiris Griffin have been stressed out, and not because of a losing streak. The two of them have been trying to navigate the fighting between Lennox and Shugars. Lennox believes that he is doing everyone a favor by doing a singles run. Shugars thinks that he is being selfish and is putting himself before everyone else.
Cutler and Griffin know that in order to fix their problems, they will be the ones who will face the Vanity Project. But doing that is putting the faction in a very risky situation. If they win, they become three-time NXT Tag Team Champions. The only other tag team to do that was the Undisputed Era.
But if they lose, the faction could be changed forever, with one of them potentially leaving. If that happens, they will have to deal with each other instead of another tag team.
The Vanity Project Can Properly Beat a Great Faction
Even with all of the infighting between Lennox and Shugars, DarkState has been a dominant force for over a year now in NXT. Fans probably thought that they were just an entrance, intimidating outside of the ring but doing nothing inside the ring. But over time, it’s clear that they all have talent that has been showcased several times. The Vanity Project already beat them for the tag titles once before, but it wasn’t due to them getting the advantage.
On the February 24 NXT, Tony D’Angelo interfered with Griffin and Shugars, allowing Baylor and Smokes to take the victory. There’s no question DarkState remembers their last encounter. With D’Angelo in a storyline with newcomer Mason Rook, there’s going to be no interference like last time.
That will probably motivate Baylor and Smokes as well, who also remember what happened. Beating a great faction will give the Vanity Project even more accomplishments in a short amount of time, further expanding its ever-increasing popularity.
A Lot is on the Line in the Match
This match for the NXT Tag Team Championships isn’t just a typical title match. There’s a lot on the line for both DarkState and the Vanity Project. For DarkState, losing means a potential breakup for the faction.
Lennox and Shugars have to make next week’s match a success, or things will happen that Griffin and James won’t like. More than likely, the two of them will enter into a rivalry, changing the faction forever. Winning means a record-tying third reign as tag champions.
But their loss means more accolades for the Vanity Project. They are all super athletic and very young. Even if things weren’t up in the air regarding the status of DarkState’s members, beating them would be very impressive.
There’s a reason why Baylor, Drake, and Smokes weren’t split up when they were called up from Evolve and why Myka Lockwood joined them as their muscle. Winning next week would continue an impressive run for NXT’s hottest new faction.
