WWE NXT live results: Final build to New Year’s Evil
Tonight’s NXT is the last episode of the show before New Year’s Evil.
Bron Breakker is set to defend his NXT Championship against Grayson Waller at next Tuesday’s New Year’s Evil special. Tonight, the two will meet face-to-face on the Grayson Waller Effect. It will be the first time they’ve been in the same place since Waller outsmarted Breakker two weeks ago. Waller tricked Breakker into giving him a spear while Waller had a metal vest on.
In a match with potential NXT Championship implications, Carmelo Hayes will take on Apollo Crews tonight. Both are looking to get the next shot at either Breakker or Waller.
A grudge match will also take place as Alba Fyre and Isla Dawn collide in an Extreme Resolution match. Plus, Axiom goes one-on-one with Trick Williams and Charlie Dempsey faces off with Hank Walker.
Our live coverage begins at 8 p.m. Eastern time.
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The show begins with a retrospective video package looking back on 2022. It ends with a message wishing a happy new year.
Carmelo Hayes (with Trick Williams) defeated Apollo Crews
Hayes pinned Crews in a great opener. Both wrestlers in this match should both be featured on the main roster instead of a soundstage at the PC. Nonetheless, they cooked here.
Hot from the start. They settle in before picking up the pace again. Crews with a moonsault off the apron, and the show cuts to split-screen commercial break. They again pick up the pace when the show returns from the break.
Crews is distracted by Williams, and Hayes capitalizes by targeting a knee. Hayes goes to work on the knee. Hayes with a sly transition into a single leg crab, further targeting the Crews’ leg. Crews is able to counter moments later, and Crews lands an enzuigiri.
Comeback by Crews and he connects with a series of lariats, followed by a backstabber and a flying lariat. Crews gives Hayes a superplex. Hayes fights back to counter Crews, and they trade high kicks. Crews is fired up, but Hayes catching him with a diamond cutter. Crews answers back with a blockbuster.
Williams interferes to help Hayes, and Crews clotheslines Williams. Hayes tries again capitalize on a distraction, only for him to eat a knee strike from Crews. Hayes takes an Ultimate Warrior military press from Crews, but Hayes is able to roll away when Crews attempts a standing moonsault. Codebreaker by Hayes, and he climbs the turnbuckles. Hayes leaps off with a guillotine legdrop. Looked like it missed by a mile, but Crews sells it. A three count later, and Hayes wins the match.
Axiom runs in after the match, and he leaps off the top rope with a flying crossbody on both Hayes and Williams. Axiom springboards into a moonsault outside the ring. Axiom rolls Williams back into the ring, as Axiom cannot wait any longer to have his scheduled match with Williams. The television channel has other ideas, and they have bills to pay. So, the show cuts to a commercial break.
Axiom defeated Trick Williams
Axiom pinned Williams in a decent enough match. Much shorter than the opener, Axiom got to shine here in the match itself. Williams gets his heat back after the match when he and Hayes jump Axiom.
The match is joined in progress after the show returns from commercial break. Besides getting to fly, Axiom also grapples with Williams. Axiom goes for a cross armbreaker, but Williams gets a rope break.
Williams fights back and winds up looking to deliver a kick, but Axiom cuts him off with a superman punch. Shining wizard by Axiom, and he covers Williams for a pinfall.
Williams and Hayes jump Axiom after the match for a beatdown. Crews runs down to make a save, and he runs off Hayes and Williams. That would seem to set up a tag team match if that is something they want to do.
The Schism confront NXT Tag Team Champions New Day in a contrived backstage skit. This sets up a match for later tonight with Kofi Kingston against Joe Gacy.
One contrived skit follows another, as Dijak has kidnapped Channing “Stacks” Lorenzo. Stacks is bruised up and handcuffed to a chair. Dijak hits him some more. Stacks tells Dijak to “be a man,” uncuff him, and settle it in the ring. Dijak says he plans on it, and Dijak sets a key on a nearby desk. Dijak then leaves. This all apparently happened earlier today, leading to a match up next tonight.
In yet another skit, Duke Hudson is with Thea Hail and other students from Chase U. They are training with Drew Gulak. Andre Chase comes in and takes exception to training his students without his permission. The back-and-forth between Chase and Gulak reveals that Charlie Dempsey is supposedly injured, so his match for tonight is off. Gulak pisses off Chase, and Chase curses at him.
Dijak defeated Channing “Stacks” Lorenzo (with Tony D’Angelo)
Dijak wins via pinfall in a match he dominates. Stacks did pretty good for a guy that had supposedly been kidnapped, beaten, and tied up for a week.
Dijak punishes Stacks throughout the match, as Stacks sells his ribs and other body parts. David against Goliath type of energy, as Stacks begins a rally. Dijak cuts that off when he mows down Stacks with a big boot. Stacks still manages to kick out.
Stacks gets a last minute near fall before they go home. Dijak does a slingshot suplex to set up his Feast Your Eyes finisher. Dijak then covers Stacks for a three count.
Dijak continues to attack Stacks after the match is over, causing D’Angelo to jump in. D’Angelo peppers Dijak with punches, and D’Angelo clotheslines Dijak out of the ring. D’Angelo then cuts a promo on Dijak, and he challenges him to a match at New Years Evil. Dijak accepts the challenge, so the match is on for next week.
McKenzie Mitchell is interviewing Oro Mensah when Javier Bernal interrupts them. Bernal is pitching a Christmas album. This was a comedy skit to hype a match later tonight between Mensah and Bernal.
The duo of Toxic Attraction head to the ring for a promo segment. Jacy Jayne and Gigi Dolan cut promos in the ring where they vow revenge on Roxanne Perez. They are interrupted by Indi Hartwell.
Hartwell says she is tired of hearing about Toxic Attraction. Cora Jade is next to interrupt, and Jade cuts a promo burying Hartwell. Nikkita Lyons interrupts, followed by Zoey Stark and Wendy Choo. Wash, rinse, repeat. They all want to be the “new blood” in the top of the women’s division. Thea Hail is in the crowd, and she screams “GIRL FIGHT!” A huge brawl erupts.
In the melee, Alby Fyre comes out and she is attacked by Isla Dawn. Others in the women’s division run out and the brawl grows larger in number. Fyre and Dawn fight their way outside the building.
Cue Roxanne Perez’s theme song, and the NXT Women’s Champion is standing on a perch looking over the ring. The brawling halts, and everybody in the ring freezes. A chipper Perez says next week is a 20-women battle royal, and the winner gets a title shot at Vengeance Day. Perez signs off, and the brawl begins again like someone hit “play” on a paused video.
Meanwhile, Fyre and Dawn are still fighting outside the building. The show goes into a commercial break, and Dawn and Fyre and still brawling when the show returns from the top of the hour break. They fight into warehouse space, and they fight on props. Referees pour in trying to order them to stop fighting, but they fight on.
Dawn takes a Nestea Plunge off camera in a contrived stunt. Contrived seems to be a theme on tonight’s show aside from a kickass opener. Anyway, Fyre puts Dawn in a wheelbarrow, and Fyre rolls her into the soundstage and towards the ring. Their gimmick match officially begins.
Alba Fyre defeated Isla Dawn in an “Extreme Resolutions” match
Fyre pinned Dawn in a weapons-filled brawl.
The wild brawl that preceded the match continued when they finally got into the ring. From there things settled into more of wrestling match, albeits gimmicks were still plentiful. This was a grudge match, and they fought like it.
Fyre gets a near fall with a Gory Bomb. She then uses a metal folding chair to punish Dawn. Fyre puts the chair on Dawn, and then Fyre climbs the turnbuckles. Dawn flings the chair at Fyre, and cracks her in the head. The show cuts to a split-screen commercial break with Fyre down selling on the floor.
Fyre fights back after the show returns from the commercial break. Fyre fired up on Dawn, and Fyre dives through the ropes. Fyre sets up a table at ringside, only for Dawn to counter Fyre. Dawn slams a toolbox shut on Fyre’s hand as they fight near the set up table.
Fyre goes on to do a swanton off the top rope trying to put Dawn through the table, but the table did not break. So, Fyre gives Dawn a Gory Bomb through the table. It broke that time. Fyre then rolls Dawn back into the ring to score a pinfall.
Grayson Waller is being obnoxious in an interview with McKenzie Mitchell. Waller is hyping “The Grayson Waller Effect” segment for later tonight, when NXT Champion Bron Breakker is the special guest.
A feature package chronicles the upcoming match between Indus Sher and The Creed Brothers. This was a good way to build up anticipation for the tag match next Tuesday during New Years Evil.
Oro Mensah defeated Javier Bernal
Bernal attacked Mensah before the bell, and Bernal shows some aggression. Mensah comes back as the match goes back-and-forth. Mensah fires up with series of forearms and a lionsault. Mensah applies a submission hold in the ropes. Northern light suplex, and Mensah delivers a spinning heel kick in a corner. Mensah then scores a pinfall to win the match.
Kaina James was oddly nice in a skit where she congratulates Fallon Henley on winning in their match last week.
Drew Gulak (with Hank Walker) defeated Andre Chase (with Duke Hudson & Thea Hail)
Gulak submitted Chase to win the match. The story of the match is Gulak’s unsportsmanlike conduct.
Gulak was all about sportsmanship when he was getting the better of things, but Gulak becomes angry when Chase begins to counter him.
Charlie Dempsey is seen on a split-screen with his arm in a sling. Dempsey takes off the sling and storms out of the locker room.
Chase does his version of the Garvin Stomp, and Chase applies a figure four leglock. Gulak gets a rope break, and he cheapshots Chase. The cheapshot played off a spot earlier in the match when Gulak was seemingly all about sportsmanship.
Gulak pummels Chase, and Gulak applies a Dragon Sleeper. Chases tapped out, and Gulak was reluctant to break the hold.
NXT North American Champion Wes Lee says he will be at ringside doing guest commentary during Tony D’Angelo and Dijak’s match next week. The winner of that match is the next challenger for Lee’s title.
Kofi Kingston (with Xavier Woods) defeated Joe Gacy (with The Schism)
Kingston pinned Gacy in a really good match.
Xavier Woods provided guest commentary during the match. From outside the ring, Ava Raine interferes to crotch Kingston on a turnbuckle. A superplex from Gacy follows, and Gacy begins to work over Kingston.
Kingston makes a comeback, and he runs through some of his moveset. Gacy counters a Trouble in Paradise, but Kingston was counters of his own. Near fall for Kofi and he again climbs the ropes. Schism looks to interfere again, but Kingston escapes their clutches.
However, the distraction allows Gacy to clobber Kingston with a right hand. Kofi goes down like a sack of concrete, but he quickly recovers. Woods gets up from the announce desk, and he confronts The Schism at ringside. Kingston wipes out Schism with a flip dive over the ropes. Back in the ring, they go home as Kingston connects with Trouble in Paradise. Kingston pins Gacy to win the match.
The Grayson Waller Effect with NXT Champion Bron Breakker
Breakker is cheerful and overly polite to Waller, despite Waller repeatedly insulting him. Breakker basically baits Waller into getting his butt kicked. Breakker does good in his speaking role, even with the contrived creative. Waller is as obnoxious as usual, which is a compliment to his heel persona.
Breakker plays it cool, and he is about to leave when Waller begins insulting him again. Waller insults Breakker’s father, Rick Steiner. Breakker finally hears enough, and Breakker decks Waller with a punch. Breakker picks Waller up in a military press, and Brekker drops Waller into a powerslam.
Breakker grabs Waller’s cell phone, looking to create a viral moment. Breakker holds the phone while he runs the ropes and leaps into flip dive over the ropes to the floor. Breakker poses with a title belt over a fallen Waller as the show goes off the air.