Our WWE NXT New Year’s Evil results for tonight include Evolve Women’s Champion Kendal Grey challenging Jacy Jayne for the NXT Women’s Championship, Tatum Paxley battling The Culling’s Izzi Dame, Thea Hail defending the Women’s North American NXT Championship against the former champion Blake Monroe, and TNA X-Division Champion Leon Slater going one-on-one with Oba Femi for the NXT Championship. Here’s our review and grades for tonight’s show, live from the WWE Performance Center in Orlando.
WWE NXT New Year’s Evil Card:
- NXT Women’s Championship Match: Jacy Jayne (c) vs. Kendal Grey
- NXT Championship Match: Oba Femi (c) vs. TNA X-Division Champion Leon Slater
- NXT Women’s North American NXT Championship Match: Thea Hail (c) vs. Blake Monroe
- Tatum Paxley vs. Izzi Dame
WWE NXT New Year’s Evil Results:
Highlights from last week show the lead up to tonight’s event.
NXT Women’s North American NXT Championship Match: Thea Hail (c) vs. Blake Monroe
As Hail is making her entrance, Monroe attacks her from behind. Monroe sends Hail into the ring step, then through the barricade. Security and officials hold Monroe back. As the medical staff checks on Hail, Ricky Saints walks to the ring.
No contest
The Revolution
Saints says in 2025, he needed NXT. In 2026, NXT needs him. Trick Williams and Je’Von Evans chose free agency because they knew they can’t touch Saints. No one can touch Saints, and if anyone steps up to him, he’ll send them back where they came from. They may be good, but they aren’t absolute. Saints wants whoever wins the NXT Championship match tonight.
Grade: C+
Not exactly Saints’ best promo. Retreading the same old talking points isn’t the best way to to put the best foot forward as the supposed face of NXT.
Tatum Paxley vs. Izzi Dame
Paxley and Dame trade strikes. Paxley drops a knee on Dame’s leg. Dame is hurt. Paxley works over Dame’s leg. After the break, Dame is beating down Paxley. Dame goes up top. Paxley cuts Dame off and lands a top rope Spanish Fly. Dame and Paxley meet in the middle and trade strikes. After trading big moves, Paxley crushes Dame with a 450 splash. Paxley hits Cemetery Drive for the win.
Winner- Tatum Paxley
Read More: WWE RAW Signs NXT Star Je’Von Evans
Grade: B-
Fun match with a ton of heat. Paxley got a good win here, but if this angle is over, what’s next for both superstars? Paxley could go to the main roster. There is a built-in story with Lyra Valkyria that they can easily tell.
NXT Women’s Championship Match: Jacy Jayne (c) w/Fatal Influence vs. Kendal Grey w/Wren Sinclair
Grey runs circles around Jayne, sending her out of the ring after a dropkick. Grey flattens all of Fatal Influence with a moonsault to the floor. Jayne gets trapped in an armbar on the apron. Jayne swings Grey into the barricade. Cannonball against the barricade by Jayne. After the break, Grey pulls down the straps and fires up.
After a flurry, Grey gets a near fall after a rolling DDT out of the corner. Jayne eats two German suplexes, but responds with a nasty running knee! Grey kicks out at 2.9. Jayne goes up top. Grey cuts Jayne off and hits a suplex off the top. After interference from her stablemates, Jayne hits the Rolling Encore for the win.
Winner and STILL NXT Women’s Champion, Jacy Jayne!
Grade: B-
This was a good one. Grey’s speed and technical ability meshed with Jayne’s stiff strikes and flare. It’s not Grey’s time to hold the big belt, so this match had the right winner.
NXT Women’s North American NXT Championship Open Challenge:
Thea Hail is still banged up on her way to the ring. Hail grabs a mic and says she promised the WWE Universe a championship match tonight. Hail has to prove to herself and everyone else that she deserves this championship. The Open Challenge is official. The women’s locker room spills into the aisle. Tatum Paxley runs through the crowd with a chainsaw. Before Paxley can get in the ring, Izzi Dame rolls in the ring and boots Hail in the face. Shawn Spears gets the bell rung to start the match.
NXT Women’s North American NXT Championship Match: Thea Hail (c) vs. Izzi Dame
Dame eventually hits her finish off the second rope for the win.
Winner and NEW North American Champion, Izzi Dame!
Grade: C
This was what it was, but the issue here is the booking. What the heck is the point of this? Is Monroe getting called up? Why Dame? Let’s see how this plays out.
Ego… Ego…
The North American Champion Ethan Page says he’s the only champion that matters in NXT. NXT Speed Champion Jasper Troy interrupts and says he’s the monster of NXT. Josh Briggs interrupts. Stacks and Grace are out next. Then comes Shiloh Hill, then Tavion Heights. Heights tries to deck Page, but hits Troy. a huge brawl breaks out that ends with Hill spitting his false teeth on Grace.
Grade: D
NXT loves these “champion in the ring getting interrupted by several people” thing. It’s tired and never gets anyone or thing over.
NXT Championship Match: Oba Femi (c) vs. TNA X-Division Champion Leon Slater
Femi pounds on Slater with stiff strikes. Slater tries to fire back, but Femi obliterates him with a chop. Femi launches Slater over the top to the floor. After the break, Femi chops Slater off the apron. Femi accidentally bangs his knee into the ring post. Slater kicks Femi in his injured knee and hits a frog splash. Femi kicks at two. Slater walks into a lariat from Femi.
Read More: WWE Views Oba Femi On The Same Level As This RAW Star
Chokeslam by Femi. Slater kicks out. Femi’s knee gives out as he’s charging in. Slater slams Femi. Kick out by Femi. Femi gets sent out of the ring. Slater leaps over the ring post onto Femi. Femi gets his knees up while Slater attempts the Swanton 450. Femi drops Slater with the Fall from Grace for the win!
Winner and STILL NXT Champion, Oba Femi!
Backstage, Ava is in the back with the Evovle roster, talking to them about NXT call-ups. Mr. Stone barges in and asks Ava if she saw what Femi just did. Ava says no. The camera cuts back to the arena, where we see the NXT Championship sitting in the ring. Tony D’Angelo can be seen in the crowd staring at the title.
Grade: B-
Good match, but we all knew the finish here. Hard to get into a contest when the result is obvious. They did manage a few solid nearfalls that almost dragged this writer in. Solid contest overall. Femi leaving the belt in the ring signifies the end of his run in NXT, which will rank as one of the best in the history of the brand.
This event is ongoing. This information will be updated as the event progresses.
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