WWE NXT live results: New Day’s first title defense

A pair of Tag Team title matches will take place on tonight’s episode of NXT.

After winning the NXT Tag Team titles at Deadline, The New Day (Kofi Kingston & Xavier Woods) will make their first defense tonight. They’re taking on Josh Briggs & Brooks Jensen.

New Day became champions by defeating Pretty Deadly at Deadline. Last week, Kingston & Woods offered Pretty Deadly a rematch — but it came with the condition that Pretty Deadly would have to say the Pledge of Allegiance. When Pretty Deadly refused, Briggs & Jensen stepped in and said the Pledge of Allegiance instead.

The NXT Women’s Tag Team titles will be contested in a triple threat match tonight. The match will feature champions Katana Chance & Kayden Carter, Jacy Jayne & Gigi Dolin, and Ivy Nile & Tatum Paxley. It will be Toxic Attraction’s first appearance since Mandy Rose was released by WWE.

A grudge match between Nikkita Lyons and Zoey Stark, Carmelo Hayes vs. Axiom, and an appearance by Apollo Crews have been announced for the show as well. Our live coverage starts at 8 p.m. Eastern time.

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The show is opening with what is on paper a good opener.

Carmelo Hayes (with Trick Williams) defeated Axiom

Hayes pinned Axiom after interference from Trick Williams. The match delivered as a good opening bout.

They started off hot and then settled things down. Hayes does a springboard off the middle rope, and Axiom catches him with a dropkick as the show cuts to a commercial break. Axiom hits Axiom with a springboard lariat just before the show is coming back from the break. Hayes has Axiom grounded as the show returns, but Axiom soon fires up.

Hayes fights back and applies a crossface. Axiom with a nifty counter on Hayes, followed by a flying body press. Hayes gets a shoulder up to break the count, but Axiom transitions into a triangle. Hayes with a deadlift powerbomb to break the hold, and he had him in a pinning combination, but the referee didn’t count. 

They both springboard there way to top rope, where Axiom executes superduper Frankensteiner. Trick Williams suddenly interferes and jerks down Axiom. Hayes capitalizes by leaping off the top rope with guillotine legdrop. Hayes then covers Axiom for a tainted victory. Axiom takes out Williams after the match with a dive to gain a measure of revenge.

Grayson Waller in an interview with McKenzie Mitchell says he wants his title shot tonight. He is supposed to be the next challenger for NXT Champion Bron Breakker. Mitchell informs Waller that Breakker is not even in the building tonight. He is on a media tour. Waller calls out Breakker anyway, challenging the champion to meet him in the ring tonight.

Tony D’Angelo is backstage with Stacks for a skit where D’Angelo says he has a North American title shot against Wes Lee. D’Angelo tells Stacks to inform Dijak to stay out of the way. That will probably not end well for Dijak. 

Next up is a grudge match several weeks in the making.

Zoey Stark defeated Nikkita Lyons 

Starks pinned Lyons, after Stark cheats by holding the bottom rope. Could be an excuse for a return match, possibly at the next supercard. 

This grudge match starts with a slugfest and them trading strikes. Stark soon baits Lyons into leaving the ring, and Stark sends Lyons crashing into the ring steps. Stark then begins to work over Lyons, as Stark controls the match.

Lyons begins to a comeback, and Lyons rolls up Stark with an O’Connor Roll. Stark counters the roll-up, and Stark bridging backwards. Stark grabs the bottom rope for illegal leverage, and the referee doesn’t see it as he counts to pinfall.

Cora Jade is being interviewed by McKenzie Mitchell when Wendy Choo attacks Jade. They are pulled apart by officials.

Fallon Henley is in her family’s bar with Briggs & Jensen. Kiana James and her assistant walk to take inventory of the place. Turns out, James paid off the bar’s tax bill, so James can somehow now legally take the bar. That seems suspect, but that’s the storyline.

NXT Women’s Tag Team Champions Kayden Carter & Katana Chance defeated Toxic Attraction (Jacy Jayne & Gigi Dolan) and Ivy Nile & Tatum Paxley in a triple threat match to retain their titles

Carter pinned Nile in a match with a lot of action, and it also ends with a Bret Hart finish.

The match goes through a commercial break. Carter & Chance do a stereo plancha just before the show goes to break. The action is fast paced when the show returns from the break, with Carter getting to shine.

Paxley is on Carter’s shoulders as both are on the top rope. Chance makes a blind tag, and then she executes a super Frankensteiner on Paxley with Paxley still on Carter’s shoulders. 

Superkick party and a flurry of other strikes, and everybody goes down selling. Moments later, Nile assists Paxley in executing a corkscrew body press on Jayne for a near fall.

Chance is on the top rope going for her finisher, but she is shoved off by Paxley into the waiting arms of Toxic Attraction at ringside. Nile then applies her modified Dragon sleeper. Similar to the finish Bret Hart vs. Roddy Piper at WrestleMania VIII (and later Hart vs. Steve Austin at Survivor Series ’96), Carter kicks off the ropes to counter the hold, catching Nile in a pinning combination. The champs retain.

Oro Mensah in a vignette is at a nightclub being cool.

New NXT Women’s Champion Roxanne Perez sat down with Booker T for an interview. Booker was really great here, much more serious than he usually seems on commentary. Perez is also great in telling her story, talking about her journey to winning the title. Perez trained under Booker at his wrestling school, so Booker is probably the best person for this interview. Good stuff here.

Apollo Crews comes to ring for a monologue. He is soon interrupted by Carmelo Hayes, who says he is next in line for a NXT Championship title shot. They banter back and forth, as they insult each other. This leads to Crews challenging Hayes to a match.

In a comedy skit, NXT Tag Team Champions New Day are in the locker room when in comes Pretty Deadly. They have a bunch of Christmas gifts they got for New Day, which is a list New Day made in order for Pretty Deadly to get a title shot. The list includes a bunch of wrestling memorabilia, and Pretty Deadly did not get it all, so no title shot.

Alba Fyre is walking backstage when Isla Dawn in a sneak attack blows red powder in Fyre’s eyes. Fyre sells big, and she is blinded by the powder. She is later cleared to compete by the head trainer.

Edris Enofe, Mailk Blade and Odyssey Jones are going clubbing, and they invite Ava Raine to go with them. She turns them down, while in walks The Schism. The group all now has matching t-shirts, which are seemingly on sale via WWE Shop. Wacky is see a cult with branded merchandise.

Elektra Lopez defeated Indi Hartwell

Lopez pinned Hartwell after she hit her with brass knux. This match was set up last week after a backstage brawl. With the tainted win by Lopez, maybe they run it back?

Lopez worked over Hartwell, until Hartwell made a comeback. Lopez cuts off Hartwell, and Lopez pulled out brass knux she had hidden. Lopez hits Hartwell with the knux, and Lopez covers Hartwell for a pinfall.

NXT North American Champion Wes Lee in an interview with McKenzie Mitchell talks about next week’s title match against Tony D’Angelo. Lee also mentions Dijak. Lee vows to remain champion.

Sol Ruca vs. Alba Fyre never begins

The match never got past the ring introductions. Isla Dawn in a sneak attack jumps Fyre before the match. Dawn puts Fyre’s arm between the ring steps, and Dawn uses Fyre’s own baseball bat to smash the steps onto the Fyre’s hand. 

A skit with Chase U has the students giving Andre Chase gifts for Christmas. Duke Hudson forgot to get a gift, so he cons another student. Hudson steals a gift, and he gives the stolen gift to Chase. They have a group hug, and Hudson smirks.

Josh Briggs & Brooks Jensen are cutting a promo when Kiana James walks in to interrupt. Jensen is wearing a sweet Terry Gordy t-shirt. James must’ve been even more impressed by the cool shirt than I was, as she wishes Jensen good luck. Their courtship continues, much to the chagrin of everyone else.

Drew Gulak was doing a training session when Hank Walker comes by the ask Gulak for advice.  Gulak invites Walker to observe a seminar Gulak is teaching next week.

NXT Tag Team Champions New Day (Kofi Kingston & Xavier Woods) defeated Brooks Jensen & Josh Briggs (with Fallon Henley) to retain their titles 

Woods pinned Briggs to win a good match. Easily the best television match for Briggs & Jensen. 

Briggs gets to shine with power moves. Kingston & Woods go for dives, but Briggs cuts them both off. He mows them down with lariats. Jensen jumps in for a combo where Briggs connects with a big boot. Kingston manages to kick out for a near fall. More near falls for Briggs & Jensen. Briggs with a moonsault press off the top rope for a two count. Big pop for that spot.

Briggs & Jensen look to go for a Doomsday Device, but Woods shoves Jensen off the top rope. Kingston then counters Briggs to deliver a poison rana. Trouble In Paradise by Kofi on Briggs, and Kofi does a flip dive to wipe out Jensen on the floor. Woods leaps off the top rope with a flying elbow drop, and Woods covers Jensen for a pinfall. They all shake hands after the match, showing good sportsmanship.

Stacks is backstage where he is working up the courage to confront Dijak.

Grayson Waller knocked out Bron Breakker

Grayson Waller is still looking for Bron Breakker, despite being told earlier that he is not in the building. 

Diamond Mine is leaving the building when they are stopped in the parking lot TMZ-style. Indus Sher interrupts to confront The Creed Brothers. Veer & Sanga want the Creeds to prove to them they are ready to compete with Indus Sher. Julius Creed vows to show them he is one hundred percent in a singles match next week, where Julius is set to face JD McDonagh.

Grayson Waller comes to the ring looking to again call out Bron Breakker. Waller cuts a promo where he rants and raves about himself. Waller puts himself over, vowing to become the greatest NXT Champion of all-time. Waller is insulting Breakker when Breakker arrives to the building in his sports car.

Breakker enters the soundstage and marches to the ring. They spoof a famous angle on WCW Monday Nitro from 1999 that involved Bret Hart and Goldberg (which itself spoofed a climatic scene with Clint Eastwood from the Western movie A Fistfull of Dollars). Breakker spears Waller, but Breakker is knocked out on impact. Waller gets up to reveal he is wearing a protective vest under his jacket.

Waller stood over a fallen Breakker, and Waller held up the title belt. Waller vowed to outsmart Breakker again when Waller becomes the new champion. Waller dropped his catchphrase as the show closed.