Bully Ray Declares Kendal Grey the Future of WWE NXT
Grab a stool, order a cold one, and let’s talk about the absolute rocket ship WWE has strapped to Kendal Grey. On the July 7 episode of NXT, the new NXT Women’s Champion went toe-to-toe with Nattie in the main event, walking out with her title intact after hitting her signature finisher, the Shades of Grey. It was a massive night for a kid who only won the strap from Lola Vice back on June 28, 2026, at the Great American Bash.
But the real fireworks started after the cameras went off, when Bully Ray took to the airwaves on Busted Open After Dark and basically told the entire wrestling world to get on board or get run over. The Hall of Famer did not mince words, declaring that the veteran Nattie lost to the actual future of women's wrestling:
As many Guinness Book of World Records (she has), championships she has, as many accolades as she has, she’s got a book, she’s got her own segment here on Busted Open. She lost tonight. She lost to the future of women’s wrestling. And if you don’t think Kendal Grey is the future, you’re wrong.
Now, Bully Ray screaming into a microphone is nothing new; the man is paid to have opinions that make you want to throw your drink at the TV. But this time, his hyperbole has sparked a massive debate across the internet wrestling community, splitting fans into three distinct camps.
The Believers: The Female Kurt Angle Hype Train
First up, you have the enthusiasts who are already booking Kendal for main roster gold before she even has her driver's license picture updated. They point to her collegiate wrestling pedigree at Life University, where she wrestled under her real name, Peyton Prussin, and won multiple national titles. The comparison everyone is throwing around is Kurt Angle, and honestly, it is not as crazy as it sounds.
To understand why people are losing their minds over this win, look at what Kendal had to overcome during the match:
- Nattie had veteran backups Karmen Petrovic and Nikkita Lyons lurking in her corner.
- Kendal was coming off her first major championship win from Lola Vice.
- The main event spotlight put all the pressure on Kendal to carry the show's closing segment.
On Reddit, the hype train is moving at full speed. Fans are marveling at how easily she has adapted to the squared circle in just under two years of professional training. The consensus among the believers is that her amateur background gives her an instant credibility that cannot be faked, allowing her to hit suplexes with a snap that makes veteran wrestlers look like they are moving in slow motion.
In their eyes, beating a veteran like Nattie in her first title defense is the ultimate proof of concept. Nattie is the ultimate gatekeeper, the woman WWE sends to NXT when they need to see if a prospect can actually work a television main event. Kendal did not just survive; she looked like she belonged in the spot, which is why the praise has been coming in from all directions, as WrestleTalk reported earlier today.
The Skeptics: Green Promos and the Nattie Standard
Then come the skeptics, the crowd that refuses to get excited about anyone until they have put in five years of hard labor on the indies. They are pointing to the opening segment of the July 7 NXT show, which was a chaotic mess that exposed some of the division's current growing pains. Kali Armstrong came out claiming she was the center of attention after attacking Kendal, only for Lola Vice and Kelani Jordan to interrupt and spark a massive brawl.
The skeptics argue that while Kendal is a beast in the ring, her promo work is still incredibly raw. When you put her on a microphone next to someone like Lola Vice, the gap in charisma is obvious. They believe the NXT creative team is rushing things, putting the championship on a wrestler who still needs cue cards to get through a basic back-and-forth segment.
There is also a vocal segment of fans pointing out that Nattie could have a good match with a broomstick, so using a main event against her as proof of greatness is a flawed metric. In their view, Kendal needs to prove she can carry a match against someone who is not a fifteen-year veteran before we start calling her the savior of the division.
The Contrarians: The Call-Up Curse and Vet Fatigue
Finally, we have the contrarians, the people who love to complain about the booking no matter who is winning. Their main target is Nattie herself, with some fans complaining that the veteran's trips down to Orlando are starting to feel like a repetitive loop. They argue that having Nattie main event NXT shows in 2026 is holding back younger talent who actually need the television time.
Other contrarians are panicking about the NXT call-up curse. They look at recent success stories like Je'Von Evans or Oba Femi and worry that Kendal will be called up to Raw or SmackDown before she is ready. The fear is that the main roster creative team will have no idea what to do with a pure athlete who does not have a wacky gimmick, leading to her sitting in catering within three months.
Our Take: The Future Is Bright, but Let Her Cook
So, who has the stronger argument here? If you are asking me, Bully Ray is closer to the truth than the skeptics want to admit, but we all need to pump the brakes just a little bit. The raw athleticism Kendal shows in the ring is something you cannot teach; she moves with an explosive energy that makes her stand out immediately.
However, the skeptics are not entirely wrong about her mic work. Her promos still feel like someone reciting lines they memorized five minutes before going through the curtain, and NXT needs to address that before they start planning her main roster debut. Letting her work program feuds with talkers like Lola Vice or Kelani Jordan is exactly what she needs to find her voice.
The worst thing WWE could do right now is call her up to Raw or SmackDown too quickly. NXT has a bad habit of stripping the championship off a hot prospect and immediately throwing them into the deep end on Monday nights, only for them to drown. Kendal has the physical tools to be a superstar, but she needs the time to fail and learn in Orlando first.
For now, enjoy the ride. The kid is 25 years old, she has a championship around her waist, and she just beat one of the most respected veterans in the business. Bully Ray might be loud, and he might be annoying, but when he says Kendal Grey is the future, he is spot on.
