WWE NXT live results: North American title match, Battle for the Bar
NXT closes out its 2022 with a North American Championship match headlining tonight’s episode.
The North American title will be on the line as Wes Lee faces off with Tony D’Angelo tonight. D’Angelo and Dijak have both recently been vying for a shot at Lee’s title.
In another high-stakes matchup, Fallon Henley and Kiana James will compete in the Battle for the Bar. If Henley wins, her family will retain control of their bar. James, who has been trying to take over the bar amid its financial difficulties, will become the bar’s new owner if she defeats Henley.
A grudge match between Wendy Choo and Cora Jade will also take place tonight. Plus, Malik Blade, Edris Enofe & Odyssey Jones team up as they take on Schism (Joe Gacy, Rip Fowler & Jagger Reid) in a six-man tag team match. Ava Raine will be at ringside with Schism.
Our coverage starts at 8 p.m. Eastern time.
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The show opens with the Creed Brothers getting hyped for Julius Creed’s singles match. His opponent, JD McDonagh, also cuts a promo on his way to the ring. The Creeds are looking to prove to Indus Sher that they deserve a tag match against them.
Julius Creed (with Brutus Creed) defeated JD McDonagh
Creed pinned McDonagh in a good opener. They start off hot, and they pretty much keep it up throughout the match.
Julius has ditched the singlet in favor of combat shorts. As the fight spills outside, Creed flapjacks McDonagh on top of the announce desk. Nevertheless, McDonagh quickly turns the tables, and he cuts off Creed. McDonagh is working over Creed as the show cuts to its first commercial break.
As the show is returning from the break, Creed deadlifts McDonagh and plants him on the mat. Creed is looking to make a comeback, but McDonagh again cuts him off after a running Spanish Fly. Moments later, McDonagh hits a brainbuster for a near fall.
Creed takes a Nestea Plunge off the top rope. McDonagh follows with a moonsault, bu no water in the pool. Creed is firing up. A rolling fireman’s carry slam spikes McDonagh, and Creed then delivers a sliding lariat. Creed goes on to cover McDonagh for a three count.
Indush Sher come out after the match with a message for the Creeds. Sanga & Veer go to the ring to tell Julius & Brutus that they are finally ready to wrestle them in a tag match. That bout is apparently set for New Year’s Evil.
McKenzie Mitchell interviews Tony D’Angelo and Stacks. D’Angelo says he has waited a long time for his title shot tonight, and D’Angelo vows to win the North American Championship. Mitchell asks a follow up question about Dijak. D’Angelo is assured Stacks took care of that last week. Stacks says he “laid down the law” with Dijak, and Stacks also vows that D’Angelo will win the title tonight.
Cora Jade enters the soundstage, going to the ring with her trusty kendo stick. Her grudge match with Wendy Choo is next bout on tonight’s card. But before that, a commercial break and a video package.
The Schism in a video package hype their trios match set for later tonight. They face Malik Blade, Edris Enofe & Odyssey Jones in a six-man tag later on, and Schism ends their promo with their catchphrase — four roots, one tree.
Cora Jade defeated Wendy Choo
Choo pinned Jade in a good match. Choo looks strong in winning, and Jade looked plenty heelish throughout the match.
To start this grudge match, Choo storms to the ring and attacks before the bell. They brawl at the outset, and Choo shows a lot of fire. Jade counters Choo, and Jade begins to work over Choo. Jade cuts off some hope spots, but Choo is eventually able to rebound.
Choo begins a comeback after a Liger bomb. Choo comes back with a Muta elbow in the corner, and Choo follows up with her bedtime crossbody for a near fall. Small package by Choo for another two count. Jade is again able to cut off Choo, but Choo also has a counter of her own. Choo with a full nelson slam to set up her super Vader splash off the top rope. Choo them covers Jade and hooks a leg for a pinfall.
Ikemen Jiro is angry and looking for revenge on Scrypts, who recently attacked Jiro and stole his sports coat. Scrypts wears the stolen to the ring for the next match.
Scrypts defeated Ikemen Jiro
Scrypts pinned Jiro with a somersault into a seated senton. Jiro gets some offense after a rally, but Scrypts ultimately wins. The real opponent here is a poor storyline. Bret Hart fought Jean Pierre Lafitte (PCO) over a stolen jacket in 1995. They were able to overcome bad creative to deliver good matches. Jiro and Scrypts — not so much.
Nothing wrong with their match, but it could not overcome the wacky gimmicks. Bret at least won his jacket back from a thieving pirate. Scrypts simply gave it back after winning his match with Jiro. Why even steal it in the first place?
A video package teaser hypes the debut of a repackaged Oro Mensah.
Lyra Valkyria defeated Lash Legend
Valkyria pinned Legend, in what was Valkyria’s second match on NXT television with her new character. Legend gets some offense, but she dropped a fall in what is essentially an enhancement match designed to get Valkyria over.
Legend got to be a monster heel at the outset, but Valkyria quickly dispatched Legend. She takes an awkward DDT from Valkyria, and Valkyria delivers a roundhouse kick. Valkyria then leaps off the top rope with a Superfly splash, and Valkyria covers Legend for a three count.
Toxic Attraction (Gigi Dolan & Jacy Jayne) are in a vignette where they talk about rebuilding their faction. They do not mention Mandy Rose, but Dolan & Jayne threaten to target Roxanne Perez for taking down their faction.
NXT Champion Bron Breakker in a backstage interview vows to call out Grayson Waller tonight. McKenzie Mitchell informs Breakker that Waller is not here tonight, which plays off Waller calling out Breakker last week despite Breakker not being there.
Waller is back home in Sydney, Australia. He sends in a promo message for Breakker, but Waller really just showed us the sights of Sydney. First fishing with Breakker, now sightseeing with Waller? The recent builds to NXT title matches have been odd.
Waller goes on to say next week is a contract signing with Breakker on a special edition of “The Grayson Waller Effect.” That upset Breakker, and he stormed out of the locker room.
The Schism (Joey Gacy, Rip Fowler & Jagger Reid with Ava Raine) defeated Malik Blade, Edris Enofe & Odyssey Jones
Gacy pinned Enofe to win a good match that notably ends with some wild high spots.
The trios match goes through a commercial break. Raine is at ringside, and she yells at the commentary team at one point. The babyfaces rally before the commercial break, and they would rally again after the break.
Hot tag to Jones, and he cleaned house. Enofe lands a flying elbow for a near fall. Schism repeatedly take turns hitting Jones with tope suicidas. Jones would not go down after six dives, but Jones eventually falls like an oak tree.
Just before they head home, Gacy makes a blind tag to set up a double Doomsday Device. Blade and Enofe are clotheslined by Reid off the shoulders of Gacy and Fowler. The heel trio then focuses solely on Enofe.
For the finish, Reid and Fowler deliver stereo codebreakers on Enofe. Gacy then executes his signature handspring lariat. Gacy covers Enofe for the pinfall.
Carmelo Hayes and Trick Williams in a backstage interview vow to win their respective matches next week against Apollo Crews and Axiom.
Fallon Henley (with Josh Briggs & Brooks Jensen) defeated Kiana James in the Battle for the Bar
Henley pinned James after a kayfabe injury. James has an out for losing, and this outcome seemingly blows off the family bar storyline. Jensen is still fawning over James.
The match was seemingly going too long when they went home. It ends before it starts to drag. James falls down selling her ankle like it was hurt. Henley then delivers a shining wizard to a wounded James, and Henley scored an easy three count. That seemed somewhat anticlimactic, but it would instead set up to an angle after the match.
At the finish, Jensen is visibly bummed in the background over James losing the match. Jensen looks further conflicted as he fawns over James. On the bright side, Henley wins her family bar for good.
NXT Women’s Champion Roxanne Perez says in a backstage interview that she has to stay on top of her game to remain champion. She is not taking it lightly.
Isla Dawn has a warning for Alba Fyre ahead of their return match next week.
The Drew Gulak Invitational
Gulak is in the ring with three students and Hank Walker. Gulak introduces himself and says Walker is here as his guest. Walker there just to observe.
Gulak asks the first student to come forward. His name is Luka, and Gulak demonstrates a chicken wing on him. Gulak makes sure to note he let go of the hold soon as the student tapped out.
Next up is Tavion Heights, who has “a little more experience” as Tavian has an amteur wrestling background. Gulak grapples with Tavion, and Gulak looks for an opening to bar a knee. Tavion tapped out, and Gulak releases the hold.
Myles Borne is the third and final student, and he has even more experience that the others. He and Gulak start off with a collar and elbow in their exhibition. Borne counters Gulak with a fireman’s carry for a takedown. Gulak grows increasingly more irritated with Borne. Gulak catches Borne in a Dragon Sleeper, but Gulak does not release the hold when Borne taps. Walker rushes over and gets Gulak to break the hold.
Out comes Charlie Dempsey in street clothes. He gets into the ring to confront Gulak, and Dempsey challenges Gulak for a match. Instead, set up for next week is a match where Dempsey faces Walker.
Matches and segments announced for next Tuesday on NXT:
- “The Grayson Waller Effect” with NXT Champion Bron Breakker
- Extreme Resolution Match: Isla Dawn vs. Alba Fyre
- Carmelo Hayes vs. Apollo Crews
- Trick Williams vs. Axiom
- Charlie Dempsey vs. Hank Walker
NXT North American Champion Wes Lee defeated Tony D’Angelo (with Channing “Stacks” Lorenzo) to retain his title
Lee pinned D’Angelo in a fairly decent match. Dijak appears just before the finish, which distracts D’Angelo. That and his need for vengeance cost him the match.
D’Angelo with some walking and talking in the beginning, but Lee soon cranks up the tempo. D’Angelo takes a powder, and he tries to regroup. Lee subsequently catches D’Angelo in a hold, but D’Angelo soon cuts off Lee. Not for long, as Lee comes back with a standing shooting star. D’Angelo rolls out of the ring to avoid getting covered. Lee then flew through the ropes for a flying clothesline.
The match goes through a split-screen commercial break, and Lee looks in control as the show returns. However, D’Angelo counters Lee to execute an exploder suplex. D’Angelo begins to work over Lee, and D’Angelo punishes Lee. D’Angelo keeps Lee grounded on the mat as D’Angelo works a knee.
Double down leads into a comeback by Lee. Hulking up and rallying, Lee hammers D’Angelo with punches and strikes. D’Angelo counters with a powerbomb. Instead of going for a cover, D’Angelo attempts to further injury Lee by jumping off the middle rope onto Lee’s wounded knee. Stacks is at ringside looking on when Dijak appears out of nowhere. Dijak kidnaps Stacks, which distracts D’Angelo. Lee backflips into a flying kick, and Lee covers D’Angelo for a pinfall.
The final NXT show of 2022 ends with a victorious Wes Lee posing with his North American Championship belt.
Spoilers aside, these taped show are way better than the live episodes of NXT.