Tony D’Angelo Returns at NXT Deadline

Tony D’Angelo Returns at NXT Deadline – Tony D’Angelo made his long-awaited return to NXT during the closing moments of Saturday’s Deadline PLE, setting up a new direction for the brand while leaving major questions for the weeks ahead.

The show ended with Je’Von Evans celebrating his Iron Survivor Challenge victory, a win that guaranteed him a future shot at the NXT Championship. As Evans stood in the ring, the new champion Oba Femi arrived, creating a tense staredown between the two. Before either man could make a move, the arena went dark. A brief video played featuring a hooded figure walking alone near a bridge, and when the lights returned, Tony D’Angelo stood behind Evans. Evans offered a handshake, but D’Angelo responded by lifting him into a chokeslam. He then dumped black material onto Evans, leaving the final shot of Deadline focused on D’Angelo staring directly at Femi.

D’Angelo’s return comes months after his last appearance in July, when he defeated former associates Luca Crusifino and Stacks in a three-way match. That episode included a vignette filmed at his restaurant, where an unknown figure approached before the screen cut to black in a style reminiscent of The Sopranos finale. Reports in October indicated that D’Angelo had requested time off, and he was later spotted at the WWE Performance Center in November, signaling that a comeback was nearing.

NXT began hinting at his return earlier this week. During Tuesday’s show, Ava received a mysterious box from Robert Stone. When she dumped the contents onto her desk, it was the same black substance that closed Deadline, tying the earlier tease directly to D’Angelo’s reemergence.

With D’Angelo now back in the fold and already targeting top names, the next chapter of NXT appears set for an unexpected shift, especially with Evans and Femi both pulled into his path.

As noted, Tony D’Angelo is one of the names rumored to be called up to the main roster.