On WWE NXT tonight, we’ll find out Oba Femi’s challenger for New Year’s Evil.
Joe Hendry, Leon Slater, Myles Borne, and Dion Lennox are set to battle it out in a fatal four-way number one contender’s match. The winner advances to New Year’s Evil on January 6 to face Oba Femi for the NXT Championship. It was originally supposed to be Je’Von Evans challenging for the belt, but Evans instead got his match last week and lost to Femi after Ricky Saints interfered.
Jacy Jayne vs. Kendal Grey for the NXT Women’s Championship is set for the New Year’s Evil special. Tonight, Grey & Wren Sinclair team up against Jayne’s Fatal Influence allies Fallon Henley & Lainey Reid.
The NXT Women’s North American Championship will be up for grabs tonight as Blake Monroe defends against Thea Hail. Plus, Hank Walker & Tank Ledger take on Bronco Nima & Lucien Price in tag team action.
Join us for live coverage starting at 8 p.m. Eastern time.
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The show begins with a recap of current events and happening in NXT, and cut to Je’Von Evans in the parking lot waiting for Ricky Saints to arrive. NXT General Manager approaches Evans and tells him to come inside and talk. Evans stayed outside and Ava remarked sarcastically this was a great start to her night.
NXT is on the air in front of a live studio audience on a sound stage at the Performance Center in Orlando. Opening the show is a women’s title match.
Blake Monroe vs. Thea Hail for the NXT Women’s North American Championship
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They were having a decent enough match, then came a perplexing finish after the title bout went through a commercial break.
Monroe applies a tarantula hold in the ropes just before the show cuts to a break. The match continues with a split screen. Back from commercial, Hail eventually makes a fiery comeback. She somersaults and springboards into a trust fall senton.
After the senton, Hail covers Monroe and the referee counts three to the astonishment of most everyone. Monroe seemingly got her right shoulder up, but the ref counted anyway. Did he think the shoulder was down and count like it was a shoot? Was it an audible? Who is getting worked here? So many questions, but the only answer is Hail has apparently won the title.
Hail cries when she realizes she is the new champ, while Monroe is in shock. Monroe talks with the ref as Hail parades around the ring with the North American title belt. Much like the opening skit on this episode, this was bizarre. And new…
Match result: Thea Hail defeated NXT Women’s North American Champion Blake Monroe via pinfall to win the title.
— The Culling faction acts weird and get scared of a doll that reminds them of Tatum Paxley. Izzi Dame basically reassures the group she has things under control.
— North American Champion Ethan Page is headed to the ring for a monologue as the show cuts to a commercial break.
— After the break comes a recap of the title change from moments ago, just in case viewers thought it was a fever dream.
Triple confrontation between Ethan Page, Stacks, and Moose
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Co-holder of the AAA Mixed Tag Team Championship and current NXT Men’s North American Champion, Ethan Page, saunter down the aisle for a in-ring promo. Page is angry about being attacked by Tony D’Angelo, who jumped Page as part of a gimmick makeover that began at the last NXT PLE. Page cuts a promo on D’Angelo.
Page is interrupted by a former associate of D’Angelo, which is TNA International Champion Stacks. He is joined by Arianna Grace, who is wearing his title belt around her like a sash. Stacks says Grace wants more gold for Christmas, and they have their sights on the AAA Mixed tag titles. Page objects to Stacks interrupting him.
Out comes Moose to interrupt the proceedings, and he objects to someone from NXT holding a TNA title. But this is Stacks’ lucky day because Moose currently has his sights on Page and his title. Moose reveals that Page will defend his North American title against Moose on December 30.
Scuffle ensues and Page powders. He flees to fight another day, like December 30 perhaps.
— Leon Slater is outside in the parking lot trying to convince Je’Von Evans to come inside the building. Slater wants Evans in his corner tonight, and Evans agrees to have Slater’s back in his match later on. They go inside.
Hank Walker & Tank Ledger vs. OTM (Bronco Nima & Lucien Price)
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These teams rematch in a hoss fight, and they trade wins in a continuation of their feud. The finish here could easily lead to a rubber match. This particular hoss fight goes through a commercial break, and they were given a lot of time to beat the heck out of each other.
Nima & Price look strong as the show cuts to commercial break, having thrown Hank & Tank into each other. Double power bombs. Hank & Tank are down, but they fight back when the show returns from the break. They take their jerseys off as they fire up for the finish. OTM seemingly cut them off, but not for long.
Haphazardly, there is a collision as Nima attempts to suplex Hank. Tank springboards into a shoulder block that sends Price crashing into his partner. That allows Hank to secure a small package on Nima for a three count out of nowhere. Hank & Tank get their win back.
Match results: Hank Walker & Tank Ledger defeated Bronco Nima & Lucien Price when Hank pinned Bronco.
— Ricky Saints arrives and exits a SUV along with a gang of security.
— WWE Speed Champion Jasper Troy is talking with Ava when she informs him a new Speed tournament starts next week. The tournament decides Troy next challenger, but Troy vows to destruction on any challenger.
Attack on Ricky Saints backfires for Je’Von Evans
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Ricky Saints delivers a monologue before he is attacked by Je’Von Evans. Saints, despite his security acting as bumbling henchmen, thwarts the attack. Saints then puts Evans through the announce desk for his troubles. Saints is now a dastardly heel after being a babyface character mere weeks ago. At this rate he will turn more times than Jerry Lawler in Memphis.
First, Saints cuts a promo while drowned in boos from the live studio audience. Saints is not here to offer any apologies, and Saints proceeds to lay out his grievances pertaining to his recent heel turn. Saints cuts a promo on Evans, which leads to Evans running in for an attack.
Saints’ security team cannot handle a fiery Evans. Saints and Evans brawl on the floor, where Saints sends Evans crashing into the metal steps. Saints then gives Evans a Roshambo on the announce desk, and Evans crashes through the desk. Evans is laid out as Saints stands tall.
Fatal Influence (Fallon Henley & Lainey Reid) vs. Wren Sinclair & Kendal Grey
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NXT Women’s Champion Jacy Jayne is ringside for guest commentary alongside Vic Joseph and Booker T. She would go on to interfere in the match.
The tag match itself went through a commercial break, as they were given some time. Jayne distracts Sinclair before the break, allowing Henley to swing around the ring post to kick Sinclair. Heat on Sinclair during the break, and the babyface team eventually get a hot tag.
Grey runs wild after a hot tag, and she gets a near fall on Henley. Grey goes or an armbar, but Jayne jumps on the apron to cause a distraction. Jayne is knocked off the apron, and Sinclair leaps off the top turnbuckle with a high cross on Jayne and Reid.
Grey is somewhat distracted, but she kicks out when Henley goes for an O’Connor Roll. They then go into the finish, where Grey takes down Henley with a cross armbar. Henley tapped out and the babyface team wins by submission. Jayne’s next challenger won the match for her team, much to chagrin of Jayne and company.
Match result: Kendal Grey & Wren Sinclair defeated Fallon Henley & Lainey Reid when Grey submitted Henley.
— New Women’s North American Champion Thea Hail is interviewed by Kelly Kincaid in a backstage skit. Hail says she has been crying over winning the title. Enter Jordynne Grace, who congratulates Hail on winning the title. Former champ Blake Monroe enters the scene to bitch about losing the title, but Grace tells her to get out of here. Hail then hugs Grace to end a goody skit.
— Izzi Dame is talking on a phone, as Niko Vance is missing. The skit leads to Lola Vice having words with Dame, and Vice then bickers with Kelani Jordan. She was returning to the locker room, and Jordan argues with Vice while unpacking her belongings.
— In another skit, a mixed tag match is set up with the LFG winners against Arianna Grace & Stacks. Shiloh Hill is chatting with Skylar Rayer when Stacks barges in alongside Grace. This led to challenge for a mixed tag bout.
— Main event time and all of them in a fatal four-way get an entrance. Darkstate enters with Lennox, but the rest of the faction leaves before the match starts.
Dion Lennox vs. Joe Hendry vs. Leon Slater vs. Myles Borne in a fatal four-way NXT Championship number one contender’s match
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Why a fatal four-way? Why not?! It makes more sense than most of the things on this show. They are at least trying to get people over, for better or worse. The four-way match was at least pretty dang good. All four got to shine, and they did some cool spots at time. That includes a Tower of Doom spot after a commercial break.
Near falls and false finishes as they go home. Hendry fires up and is on a roll. He military presses Slater and tosses him outside the ring into the waiting arms of Lennox. Slater himself was able to shine earlier on his array of aerial offense.
They tease Hendry winning the title as h executes a finisher on Borne. Hendry goes for a cover, but Lennox pulls Hendry out of the ring to break the count. Hendry and Lennox then brawl at ringside, as they seem programmed together in a feud. Slater leaps off the top rope with a Swanton 450, and he hooks a leg to cover Borne for the deciding pinfall.
Match result: Leon Slater defeated Myles Borne, Joe Hendry, and Dion Lennox in a fatal four-way match to become number one contender for the NXT Championship.
In winning, Slater is now the number one contender for the NXT Championship. Vic Joseph on commentary noted a TNA wrestler won the chance for a NXT title match.
NXT Champion Oba Femi enters the sound stage for a stare down with Leon Slater. Femi poses with the title belt, and the camera pans over to show Tony D’Angelo looking on above the crowd.
