WWE NXT New Year’s Evil live results: Two title matches
WWE’s New Year’s Knockout Week continues tonight with a special episode of NXT.
TTwo championship matches headline NXT New Year’s Evil 2024. Trick Williams and Blair Davenport are getting the title shots that they earned by winning the Iron Survivor Challenge matches at NXT Deadline. Williams is challenging Ilja Dragunov for the NXT Championship. Davenport is facing Lyra Valkyria with the NXT Women’s Championship on the line.
A grudge match between Tiffany Stratton and Fallon Henley will go down tonight. If Stratton wins, Henley has to become her servant for a day. If Henley wins, Stratton will need to spend 24 hours working as a ranch hand for Henley.
The winner of the Men’s Breakout Tournament will be crowned when Riley Osborne and Oba Femi face off tonight.
With Dragon Lee unable to appear due to visa issues, Joaquin Wilde & Cruz Del Toro will have a mystery partner against the No Quarter Catch Crew (Drew Gulak, Damon Kemp & Myles Borne). Roxanne Perez vs. Arianna Grace is also set.
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The show begins with a video package highlighting tonight’s supercard. The first of two title matches opens the show, which is live from a sound stage at the Performance Center in Orlando.
The first 30 minutes is commercial free. That is special, but the setting itself is run-of-the-mill. Special graphics on the video screen aside, this looks like any other episode of NXT from the PC.
NXT Women’s Champion Lyra Valkyria defeated Blair Davenport to retain her title
Valkyria pinned Davenport after a Michinoku Driver/fireman’s carry combo finisher. Seemed very snug at times, like they were beating the heck out of each other.
In setting up the finish, Davenport executes an avalanche Falcon Arrow off the top, but Valkyria rolls outside the ring before Davenport can cover her. Davenport goes outside after Valkyria, and Davenport is tossing her around near the announce desk. Davenport goes for a knee strike, Valkyria moves, and Davenport strikes the desk. Davenport sells her knee after she broke a hole in the desk.
Back in the ring, Davenport goes for a suplex, but her knee gives out. She goes for a double stomp, after delivering one earlier in the match. No water in the pool this time around. Davenport lands on the mat, and sells her knee. Valkyria boots her in the face, and Valkyria executes a finisher. One, two, three, and Valkyria retains via pinfall.
Lola Vice ran down to ringside with her contract she recently earned. The gimmick is the contract is like Money in the Bank, and it can be cashed it at any time. Vice is about to cash in when Tatum Paxley jumps out from the front row to attack Vice. In runs Elektra Lopez to back up Vice, and she brawls with Paxley. Valkyria makes a save, and there is a brawl at ringside. Seems to set up a tag match with Valkyria teaming with Paxley for sometime soon.
A crawler at the bottom of the TV screen during the last match promised breaking news, and it involved the men’s NXT Championship match scheduled for the show. NXT Champion Ilja Dragunov is not cleared to compete, so they title bout for later tonight is reportedly off.
In another change to the advertised card, Dragon Lee is having some of sort of issue with his visa. Therefore, Dragon Lee is missing the show. He is replaced by Carlito in a trios match that is up next.
LWO (Carlito, Joaquin Wilde & Cruz Del Toro) defeated No Quarter Catch Crew (Drew Gulak, Damon Kemp & Myles Borne) in a six-man tag team match
Kemp drops the fall for his team, after he is pinned by Del Toro.
Wilde does a wild dive to the outside, where Carlito and Del Toro help by launching him off the middle rope. Wilde is soon cut off, and the heels work him over. That builds to a hot tag, where Carlito tags in and cleans house.
Wildes wipes out Gulak and Borne, after a corkscrew senton off the top to the floor. Kemp goes for an O’Connor roll on Carlito, not realizing there was a blind tag. Kemp takes a backstabber from Carlito, and Del Toro follows up with a Phoenix Splash. Del Toro then scores a pinfall on Kemp. Playing into his gimmick, Carlito spits an apple in Gulak’s face after the match.
Grayon Waller returns to NXT when he interrupts an interview with Trick Williams and Carmelo Hayes. Hayes hypes up Trick, before Hayes promises that Williams will put up his title shot tonight in a match against Waller. Trick is not happy with Hayes, but Waller accepts the challenge nonetheless.
Riley Osborne is featured in a vignette from Chase U. In the skit, Osborne recites and essay he is writing about his match later tonight.
Arianna Grace defeated Roxanne Perez via a reversed decision
Perez attacks Grace after the match, and the referee reverses his decision. That awards the match to Grace, despite Perez scoring a pinfall. Perez teases a heel turn, or something like that.
Perez pinned Grace after Pop Rox (Code Red). Grace got some offense with some heel tactics, as she worked over Perez. Eventually, Perez hulks up. Perez looks to make a comeback. Grace cut her off, but Perez counters into her finisher. Perez then cradles Grace for a three count.
Grace yells at Perez after the match, screaming that Perez “needs help!” Perez snaps and jumps Grace. Perez locks in a crossface, and several referees have to pry her off Grace. Perez flashes a sinister smile before letting go of the hold. I will never be comfortable with that sport after living through the summer of 2007.
Blair Davenport and Nikkita Lyons argue in a backstage skit, nearly leading to a fight. This would seem to set up a singles bout between the two.
Fallon Henley defeated Tiffany Stratton in a servant or ranch hand stipulation match
Henley pinned Stratton to win this grudge match. Thus, Stratton has to serve as a ranch hand for Henley.
This is a takeoff of an angle done with Jimmy Garvin and David Von Erich in World Class, during the heyday of that promotion in the 1980s. Garvin lost a match, and he had to serve as Von Erich’s valet for a day. That led to humorous skits where Von Erich ordered Garvin (and Garvin’s valet Precious) to do various chores around the ranch. The angle was likely done elsewhere at other times, by the World Class version I recall fondly the most.
The match goes through a split-screen commercial break. They had a good grudge match. The setting hurt it some, as they likely would have more heat in an arena setting outside of the sameness of the sound stage.
For the finish, Stratton grabs a metal folding chair. Stratton looks to use the chair as a weapon. The referee takes the chair from Stratton. With Stratton distracted by the chair, Henley charges at her to deliver a running knee strike. Henley then covers Stratton for a pinfall.
Baron Corbin and Bron Breakker star in a lackluster skit where they agree to team up for the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic. They still bickered, but they are a team. Whatever, dudes. Why should we care?
Oba Femi cuts a promo ahead of his match tonight in the finals of the Men’s Breakout Tournament. Oba Femi is such a promising new character.
Cora Jade and Gigi Dolan get into a argument over a locker. So, we have another grudge match over a locker. Half expecting to see Mr. Belding run in to ask, “What is going on her!?” Even Saved by the Bell had more complex storylines than fights over a dern locker.
Ridge Holland sits down for an interview, where he discusses the injury angle with Dragunov. Holland also discussing other injuries he either suffered or was part of during his WWE career.
Holland talks about blowing out his knees in a NXT match. Holland returns and joins the main roster, and Holland gets smashed in the face. He had reconstructive surgery. Now Holland is back. Holland goes on to say he had no ill intend when Dragunov suffered an injury in their match.
Holland concludes by saying he is going to show who he truly is by running through the NXT roster.
In a backstage skit, Thea Hail marks out when she high fives her crush, Riley Osborne.
Oba Femi defeated Riley Osborne to win the NXT Men’s Breakout Tournament
The match probably went too long, but it was a tournament final so they were given a lot of time. Femi is portrayed like a monster heel.
As they went home, Osborne is going for a shooting star press. Oba Femi gets his knees up, and he awakens like a Kraken. Femi gives Osborne a snake eyes, and Femi tosses Osborne with a suplex that seems rather unsafe. Femi then delivers a powerbomb, and Femi covers Osborne for a pinfall.
OTM cut a promo on NXT Tag Team Champions The Family. This hypes up a tag team title match on the next episode of NXT.
Kiana James and Izzi Dame are interviewed by Kelly Kincaid. Another interview on this show where no one interrupted them. That has to be some kind of record.
More tension between Trick Williams and Carmelo Hayes, as Williams tells Hayes that Williams wants to wrestle on his own tonight. That means no Hayes at ringside, which visibly upsets Hayes.
Jacy Jayne is somehow no in charge of Chase U, or at least their booking of matches. Jayne tells Andre Chase to only focus on his debt, and she is now in running things. Jayne replaces Chase with Riley Osborne as Duke Hudson’s tag team partner in the Dusty Classic. Jayne vows to restore Chase U to glory. I was unaware her character cared so deeply about education until now.
Tatum Paxley continues to freak out WWE Women’s Champion Lyra Valkyria.
Nathan Frazier and Axiom agree to team up for the Dusty Classic. Edris Enofe and Malik Blade overhear Frazier bragging, which is Frazier’s new gimmick where he stick his foot in his mouth.
NXT Tag Team Champions Tony D’Angelo and Channing “Stacks” Lorenzo cut a promo on OTM. Tony D also introduces the audience to Adriana Rizzo, who has been featured in skits over the last several weeks. Joe Gacy also locked himself in a trunk for some unrelated reason. Tony D was not alone in being confused by Gacy’s gimmick. Same here.
Trick Williams defeated Grayson Waller
Williams pinned Waller, after a surprise appearance by Kevin Owens. Carmelo Hayes also did a run-in, as he argued with Williams just before the finish. In winning, Williams remains the number one contender.
Not a bad match, but anti-climatic after it replaced a main event title match that was build up for a few weeks. A cameo by Kevin Owens at least made it feel a little more special.
The match goes through a split-screen commercial break. Probably did not need to be that long, but it was the main event so they got main event time. They did some good near falls after the show returns from the commercial break. Waller is overheard at times loudly calling spots. Kayfabe, brother.
Carmelo Hayes runs down and jumps on the apron at one point. Williams and Hayes argue as Waller looks to capitalize. Kevin Owens suddenly appears at ringside. Owens attacks Waller, and Owen rolls Waller back into the ring. Williams abandoned his argument with Hayes just in time to hit Waller with a flying knee. Williams then covers Waller for a three count. Williams retains his number one contender status.