In a major announcement ahead of the NXT vs. TNA Showdown, Santino Marella revealed that Joe Hendry will serve as the special guest referee for the men’s Survivor Series-style elimination match at WWE Showdown. The event, set for October 7, 2025, will air live on The CW at 8 PM ET from the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida.
The men’s elimination match will pit Team NXT—comprising Ricky Saints, Trick Williams, Je’Von Evans, and Myles Borne—against Team TNA, which features Moose, Leon Slater, Mike Santana, and Frankie Kazarian.
The women’s elimination match will also feature a guest referee: Jordynne Grace, who will oversee the battle between Team NXT (Jacy Jayne, Sol Ruca, Jaida Parker, and Lola Vice) and Team TNA (Kelani Jordan, Jessie McKay, Cassie Lee, and Mara Sade).
Beyond the elimination matches, the card includes a tag team match with DarkState (Dion Lennox and Osiris Griffin), the reigning NXT Tag Team Champions, against TNA legends The Hardys—Matt and Jeff Hardy—in a winner-takes-all match for both promotions’ tag titles.
Also on the card is a North American Championship match between Ethan Page and Mustafa Ali. “I’ve waited long enough,” Ali said. “Now it’s time to take what should’ve been mine months ago.”
It’s official, @joehendry will be the special guest referee for the men’s survivor series style match at #showdown #TNA #NXT @ThisIsTNA @WWENXT pic.twitter.com/ZhDXf2hECa
— Santino Marella (@milanmiracle) October 6, 2025
