As a Grand Slam Champion in “WWE NXT,” Tony D’Angelo is no stranger to gold. His current reign as NXT Champion carries some extra weight, however.
During an interview with “The Sportster,” D’Angelo explained how his run as NXT Champion stands apart from those he had with the NXT Tag Team, Heritage Cup, and North American Championships. “This one definitely feels different because it’s the heavyweight championship of the brand, which means you’re the face of the company. So a lot more eyes are on you,” he said.
“The other day, one of the differences that I noticed is that when you’re the guy, when you’re the champion, everybody judges you a little bit more. So little stuff that nobody would have cared about beforehand, before I got this belt, they’re like, ‘Oh, man. Look, did you see Tony? He slipped. He slipped right there.’ Now everything is like you have to be on the whole time, which is fine. It’s totally okay. I recognize it comes with the job, but that’s just something I noticed people are a lot more critical of everything you do.”
The former D’Angelo Family leader captured the NXT Championship by pinning Joe Hendry amidst a four-way title bout at the 2026 “NXT” Stand & Deliver premium live event. In the months following, he’s since successfully defended the title against Ethan Page, Kam Hendrix, and Naraku (formerly known as NJPW’s EVIL), the latter of whom stepped up to the plate at the “NXT” Great American Bash.
D’Angelo’s next challenger has yet to be officially named, though based on the events of the GAB fallout episode, it’s clear that Naraku wants a rematch.
If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit “The Sportster” with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.
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