Recapping American wrestling since 2013. Not only following the current stuff in WWE, Impact and ROH but also going back in time and doing stuff from back then as well.
We see Kelly Kincaid's interview with Kendal Grey and Wren Sinclair from earlier this week.
We see Blake Howard's interview with Dion Lennox from earlier this week.
Oba Femi beats Ricky Saints to become NXT Champion for the second time! After the match, Ricky Saints offers his hand to Oba Femi, and Oba Femi shakes it.
New Year's Evil is Tuesday, January 6th!
Sol Ruca and Zaria apologize to each other over the phone, then Zaria says that they need to talk thing through next time they meet.
We hear from Tank Ledger regarding his and Hank Walker's time in Japan for Pro Wrestling Noah, where they have won the GHC Heavyweight Tag Team Championships. Hank and Tank return next week.
Kendal Grey (3 points) beats Kelani Jordan (2 points), Sol Ruca (2 points), Jordynne Grace (2 points) and Lola Vice (2 points) in the Women's Iron Survivor Challenge to become the #1 contender for the NXT Women's Championship with a last-minute top rope cutter to Lola Vice.
Backstage, Blake Monroe is meeting with General Manager Ava. Blake Monroe wants to make an open challenge for the Women's North American Championship next week. Ava reminds her of what is at stake and that she is only champion because Zaria threw in the towel, but wants to see if Blake Monroe can defend the title on her own and approves of the open challenge.
Backstage, Sarah Schreiber interviews Myles Borne. Myles says that while he wanted to face Ricky Saints, he has no problem getting another shot at Oba Femi. He then says he has taken entrance order seriously and that he will enter third. All of a sudden, Jordynne Grace and Kelani Jordan are brawling backstage, and referees have to step in.
"All Ego" Ethan Page retains the NXT North American Championship against Mr. Iguana.
Backstage, Sarah Schreiber interviews Kendal Grey and Wren Sinclair. Kendal is euphoric and feels she was not supposed to win that match. Sol Ruca shows up and says Kendal Grey was the better woman, but says she would have won if she was in the ring for her whole and if her knee was 100%, she would have won. Wren thinks this is an excuse, since Zaria hit a Spear on Kendal and Kendal still won. Sol Ruca says Zaria may not be here to defend her behavior, but they are still best friends and that she will fight for Zaria just like Zaria fought for her.
Backstage, Oba Femi meets up with DarkState (Dion Lennox, Cutler James, Saquon Shugars, Osiris Griffin). Dion Lennox says his Iron Survivor opponents will not be safe, and soon, neither will Oba Femi.
Izzi Dame beats Tatum Paxley after Shawn Spears uses two dolls - one of Izzi, one of Tatum - to use Tatum's emotions against her before ripping the head off the Tatum doll. Shawn Spears gets slapped, but Izzi hits Tatum with a big boot and a sit-out powerbomb as soon as Tatum gets back in the ring for the pin and the win.
Backstage, Ricky Saints is angry with himself for not being able to beat Oba Femi again. Meanwhile, Je'Von Evans hopes to win the men's Iron Survivor Challenge and become NXT Champion. Saints also hopes Je'Von wins the match and the title.
We hear from Shiloh Hill. Shiloh talks about how he got into football by chasing squirrels as well as how he has a tooth in his head from a fight he got into at age nine when an older kid talked crap about his sister and he headbutted him. He then uploads what is a video talking about everything he just mentioned to what looks like an AI program, which says that it is time for everyone to wake up and to not sleep on Shiloh Hill. It also announces that Shiloh Hill's NXT debut match will be next Tuesday.
Je'Von Evans (2 points) beats Leon Slater (1 points), Joe Hendry (1 points), Dion Lennox (1 points) and Myles Borne (1 points) in the men's Iron Survivor Challenge to face Oba Femi for the NXT Championship with a last-second inside cradle on Myles Borne. After the match, Oba Femi shows up and stares down Je'Von Evans from the ramp. All of a sudden, the lights go out, and we see a blurred image on a bridge. All of a sudden, Tony D'Angelo shows up in the ring for the first time in months and attacks Je'Von.
It is announced by General Manager Ava that Eddy Thorpe is not medically cleared to compete following the attack on him from earlier this week, and that a suitable replacement will be found for the men's Iron Survivor Challenge.
Backstage, Sarah Schreiber interviews Wes Lee, who says that he symphatizes with Eddy Thorpe, then tells him to look on the bright side because he was not going to win this match anyway, as it is extremely cutthroat in NXT. He says that he will be winning tonight and that nobody else in the men's Iron Survivor Challenge match will go the lengths that he will. When asked if he took out Eddy Thorpe, he says that it is extremely cutthroat in NXT and refuses to confirm or deny it.
We hear from Trick Williams, who announces that he has been medically cleared for Deadline, and while Ridge Holland took him to Hell and back, he is not taking the NXT Championship, as he is doing this NXT, Chase University and himself.
Backstage, Sarah Schreiber interviews Nathan Frazer and Axiom. Frazer says tonight is a big night, saying he will win the men's Iron Survivor Challenge and retain the NXT Tag Team Champions. Axiom says that this is No Quarter Catch Crew's (Tavion Height and Myles Borne) first premium live event and that they will go all out. On the subject of Eddy Thorpe being taken out, Axiom denies doing it, as does Frazer, but Frazer has the feeling Axiom might replace Eddy.
We hear from Stephanie Vaquer, who says that the women's Iron Survivor Challenge is all about pioneering. She states that the match has elements of dominance, strategy, preparation and adaptation that she is familiar with, as she has blazed a trail from her home country of Chile all the way to here. She says that she is made of fire and that when she has a goal, she achieves it, and tonight, she shows why she is the best luchadora in the world when she sends her four opponents to hell and starts a new era by becoming Iron Survivor.
We hear from Wren Sinclair, who says she has no idea how she will win tonight's women's Iron Survivor Challenge. Charlie Dempsey shows up, and Sinclair shows up and changes her turne, saying she will win the match and that her other challengers will not even know what hit them. When Dempsey leaves, Sinclair whispers "Help me."
We hear from Lola Vice, who tells Jaida Parker that she will not get her moment again and says that Parker is playing the victim when she is the reason for all of what has happened. She says that Parker will pay for everything she has done to her and that she will punish her solely with her fists, because she played with the wrong person, and that she wake up knowing why she should never cross her.
We hear from Jaida Parker, who says that everyone was talking about her when she knocked Lola Vice out. She says that Lola may be good with her hands and that the NXT Underground match may be her kind of match, but she will make the match , she will find out that she does not play when she knocks her out again.
In backstage footage from earlier today, Blake Howard interviews Ridge Holland. Ridge says the main thing about coming back to NXT was opportunity and showing what he was all about. He says he put in the effort, but people would not accept him because of his controversies, and he decided to use the fans' hatred for him as fuel. He says that Chase University used him, and that he is sick and tired of his needs not being used in a group; therefore, he had to destroy Chase University. Ridge says he holds resentment towards Trick Williams and his rise to the NXT Championship as he has been haned everything while he tried to work his way to the top and got only a fraction of what Trick got. He says that he came from a sport ten times tougher than American football while Trick got everything handed to him. On the subject of injuring Trick, Trick struck first and he answered back. He then says that he will be walking out of Deadline as NXT Champion, saying the fans can do whatever they want, as it will turn from "Whoop that Trick" to "Smash that Trick."
We hear from Giulia, stating that coming to WWE gave being the beautiful madness a new meaning after travelling all over the world to build a reputation, and that wrestling in Japan gave her a small taste of what it takes to be the beautiful madness. She says that she will be in the ring with in a match nobody can prepare for, and sys it is her against the clock, avoiding the penalty box, and getting pins with the NXT Women's Championship in mind. She says that she wins, Roxanne Perez's biggest nightmare will come true.
Backstage, Sarah Schreiber interviews Sol Ruca. Sol Ruca says she is stoked for her match tonight, and as she talks about it, "All Ego" Ethan Page shows up wanting to know about Eddy Thorpe no longer being in the men's Iron Survivor Match. Sol Ruca tells Ethan Page to use social media, but Ethan says he has no time to check it because he is preparing for the men's Iron Survivor Challenge. Sol Ruca then asks why Ethan is here before threating to snatch his soul if he interrupts her again. When Sarah asks Ethan if he attacked Eddy Thorpe, Ethan says no and that he knows who did, then sarcastically states it is Sol Ruca after the icy reception she gave him.
Backstage, Sarah Schreiber announces that a replacement for Eddy Thorpe has been found for the men's Iron Survivor Challenge.
Eddy Thorpe's replacement in the men's Iron Survivor Challenge is revealed to be Oba Femi, who enters last.
Oba Femi (3 points) beats Je'Von Evans (2 points), "All Ego" Ethan Page (2 points), Wes Lee (1 point) and Nathan Frazer (1 point) to win the men's Iron Survivor Challenge, with Je'Von Evans failing to tie it up in time after hitting Wes Lee with a high-flying cutter.
We hear from Lexis King, who says that he is not even on tonight's show and yet he is here in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He says he is here because the city has a pit in the bottom of his heart as it is where he was left out in the cold with no one to look up to. He says that he hoped to be better than his father, yet he now struggles more than ever did, and that he is in the cold air of the town because nothing feels better than the warm air of satisfaction.
Lola Vice beats Jaida Parker by submission in an NXT Underground match despite injuring her right hand hitting a spinning back first into the ring post inadvertently and Jaida targeting the hand throughout the match.
Backstage, Axiom meets with a badly beaten-up Nathan Frazer. Axiom says he will do the heavy lifting while Nathan does whatever he can.
Nathan Frazer and Axiom retain the NXT Tag Team Championships against No Quarter Catch Crew (Tavion Heights and Myles Borne) despite Frazer being at less than 100% after Axiom kicks out of a crucifix pin by Borne and pins Borne with an inside cradle. During the match, OTM (Bronco Nima and Lucien Price) show up, and Tavion Heights sends them packing after tossing Frazer over the top rope and into them with an overhead belly-to-belly suplex.
Backstage, Sarah Schreiber interviews Je'Von Evans. As he talks about the match and is still in high spirits despite narrowly losing, Wes Lee shows up and chastises Je'Von for acting like he did not lose the match. Je'Von says Wes Lee is salty, and Wes Lee says Je'Von will be like him one day and understand why he is the way he is before punching him out. Officials have to break up the ensuing brawl.
Trick Williams retains the NXT Championship against Ridge Holland despite getting his neck caught in the ropes near the end of the match.
Backstage, "All Ego" Ethan Page says it took him four matches to become NXT Champion but has dropped the ball since, and that it took him eighteen years to get to this point as well as figure out that he has no clue how to get back there.
Backstage, General Manager Ava admits that Oba Femi changed the game for the men's Iron Survivor Challenge, then makes a match between Je'Von Evans and Wes Lee for next week. She then announces that NXT's first show of 2025 will be in Los Angeles, California, then Tiffany Stratton shows up, hinting that she may cash in on the NXT Women's Champion.
Giulia (2 points) beats Wren Sinclair (1 points), Sol Ruca (1 points), Zaria (1 points) and Stephanie Vaquer (1 points) with ten seconds left to go to win the women's Iron Survivor Challenge.
Backstage, Bron Breakker says that his opponents are in trouble, for they are facing "the bad-ass of WWE."
Backstage, Kelly Kincaid interviews Dijak. Dijak says he is on the big stage once again, and people have seen what he can do on it. He says he will be the Iron Survivor when he hurts his opponents one by one like he did Eddy Thorpe to the point that they will never be the same again like Thorpe.
Backstage, Kelly Kincaid interviews Josh Briggs, Brooks Jensen and Fallon Henley. Fallon Henley says the nerves are at an all-time high, and Josh Briggs says opportunities like these do not grow on trees. Brooks Jensen says that they have gone over strategies. Both Briggs and Henley look forward to becoming Iron Survivor in their respective matches.
Axiom beats Nathan Frazer in the kick-off match. Axiom and Frazer show good sportsmanship after the match.
Shawn Michaels heads to the ring at the start of tonight's show. Shawn welcomes everyone to tonight's show, then fires the crowd up before CM Punk shows up. After Shawn and Punk goof around, with Shawn mentioning Punk's Bret Hart hoodie and Punk taking a selfie with Shawn after having done it backstage with quite a few members of the locker room, Punk teases the idea of being in NXT.
Rey Mysterio guests on commentary for the next match.
Dragon Lee beats "Dirty" Dominik Mysterio to become the NXT North American Champion!
Blair Davenport (3 points) beats Kelani Jordan (0 points), Lash Legend (2 points), Tiffany Stratton (1 point) and Fallon Henley (1 points) to win the women's Iron Survivor Challenge and face Lyra Valkyria for the NXT Women's Championship at New Year's Evil. Blair Davenport scores her first point at 9:45 (nine minutes, forty-five seconds) with a pinfall on Fallon Henley. Fallon Henley scores her first fall at 12:10 (twelve minutes, ten seconds) with a pinfall on Tiffany Stratton. Lash Legend scores two points at the same time at 16:13 (sixteen minutes, thirteen seconds) by pinning Fallon Henley and Tiffany Stratton at the same time after laying out everyone in the match. After this, the rest of Meta-Four (Noam Dar, Oro Mensah, Jakara Jackson) try to keep Tiffany and Fallon from leaving the penalty box, leaving Tiffany and Fallon to climb out only Tiffany to push Fallon down into the announce table before taking out the rest of Meta-Four. Blair Davenport scores her second point at 20:14 (twenty minutes, fourteen seconds) with a pinfall on Kelani Jordan. Tiffany Stratton scores her first point at 23:18 (twenty-three minutes, eighteen seconds) with a pinfall on Lash Legend. Blair Davenport scores her third point at 24:44 (twenty-four minutes, forty-four seconds) with a pinfall on Fallon Henley. After the match, Blair Davenport tells Lyra Valkyria that the clock is ticking and that she will see her at New Year's Evil. Lyra Valkyria shows up, but as she stands on the stage while holding up the NXT Women's Championship, she is suddenly attacked from behind by a returning Cora Jade.
Backstage, Carmelo Hayes and Trick Williams are locked in for their matches. Carmelo tells Trick that he has the Iron Survivor Challenge in the bag, and Trick tells Carmelo to take care of business with Lexis King. Carmelo tells Trick that Lexis King will get his.
Carmelo Hayes beats Lexis King with Nothing But Net from the top rope. After the match, Lexis King tells Carmelo Hayes that they had "one hell of a match," then says it was not him who attacked Trick Williams before thanking him for "that PLE spotlight."
Backstage, Kelly Kincaid interviews Cora Jade, who says there are plenty of women who are shocked to see her back and that she is taking NXT to a whole new level, then says she will see Kelly Tuesday when it comes to her next move.
NXT Vengeance Day is live Sunday, February 4th!
Backstage, Trick Williams apologizes to Carmelo Hayes, then Carmelo tells Trick that tonight is his night.
Trick Williams (4 points) beats Dijak (3 points), Tyler Bate (2 points), Josh Briggs (2 points) and Bron Breakker (3 points) to win the men's Iron Survivor Challenge and face Ilja Dragunov for the . Dijak scores his first point at 5:01 (five minute, one second) on Josh Briggs after hitting Feast Your Eyes before Tyler Bate heads to the ring. Briggs scores his first point at 7:02 (seven minutes, two seconds) on Dijak after hitting Tyler Bate with a big boot during Bate's airplane spin. Tyler Bate scores his first point at 9:03 (nine minutes, three seconds) on Dijak, who responds by punching Bate so he lands on Briggs, and Dijak argues with the referee and keeps the referee out of position long enough to keep Bate from scoring another point off Briggs. Tyler Bate scores his second point at 13:55 (thirteen minutes, fifty-five seconds) with a pinfall on Trick Williams following the rebounding clothesline. Bron Breakker scores his first three points on Josh Briggs at 15:15 (fifteen minutes, fifteen seconds) on Josh Briggs, at 15:24 (fifteen minutes, twenty-four seconds) on Tyler Bate and 15:33 (fifteen minutes, thirty-three seconds) on Dijak after Spearing all three men and pinning them in quick succession. Dijak scores his second point at 17:54 (seventeen minutes, fifty-four seconds) with a pinfall on Trick Williams. Tyler Bate scores his third point at 18:28 (eighteen minutes, twenty-four seconds) with a pinfall on Dijak. Dijak scores his third point on Trick Williams and Briggs scores his second point on Bron Breakker simultaneously with top rope moonsaults at 21:10 (twenty-one minutes, ten seconds). Trick Williams scores his first point at 23:47 (twenty-three minutes, forty-seven seconds) on Dijak with a schoolkid pin. Dijak goes for another point on Tyler Bate, but Eddy Thorpe pulls the referee out of the pin and punches out Dijak, giving Trick his second point at 24:27 (twenty-four minutes, twenty-seven seconds) on Dijak. Trick Williams scores his third point at 24:40 (twenty-four minutes, forty seconds) with a jackknife pin on Tyler Bate. Trick Williams scores his fourth point at 24:56 (twenty four minutes, fifty-six seconds) with a pinfall on Bron Breakker after hitting Breakker with a jumping knee to counter the Spear to win the match and become Iron Survivor.
Backstage, Josh Briggs, Brooks Jensen and Fallon Henley are met by Meta-Four (Noam Dar, Oro Mensah, Lash Legend, Jakara Jackson) after Briggs almost goes off on Jensen for saying he knows how Briggs and Fallon feel and that they should hold their heads up high. When Noam Dar calls the threesome losers, Fallon chops Oro Mensah in the chest, starting a backstage brawl.
We see footage of Kiana James leaving WWE corporate headquarters and leaving in the back of a black corporate SUV.
Kiana James is seen leaving a black corporate SUV and heading to the ring before the next match.
Kiana James beats Roxanne Perez in a steel cage door after Izzi Dame suddenly shows up and slams the steel cage door in Roxanne's face as Roxanne tries to escape, allowing Kiana to hit Roxanne with a chair before using it to hit Roxanne with a Deal Breaker for the win.
Ilja Dragunov retains the NXT Championship against Baron Corbin following three H-Bombs, a hug to Baron Corbin and a Torpedo Moscow. After the match, Trick Williams shows up and stares down Dragunov from the stage as Carmelo Hayes watches from behind him.
Backstage, Kelly Kincaid announces that a number draw for order of entry. Roxanne Perez announces that she drew #1 and has to be an "iron woman" to win the Iron Survivor Challenge, but she is neither happy nor sad. Zoey Stark shows up and says that she has drawn #2, and that she will soon be in the ring with her for 25 minutes. She says that she hopes Roxanne Perez likes being in the penalty box.
We hear from Carmelo Hayes and Trick Williams. Trick Williams says everyone should be talking about Carmelo Hayes, as he will walk out as the Iron Survivor while the other competitors were not born for greatness. Carmelo says 2022 has been his year and that while the Iron Survivor Challenge may be a challenge for the others, it is his destiny.
Backstage, Kiana James is met by Brooks Jensen, who thanks her for the tickets and places flowers for her in her locker. Kiana tells Brooks to wear a shirt that actually fits him next time.
Backstage, Kelly Kincaid interviews JC McDonagh, who looks through a book on the human body as he finds new ways to hurt people. He says that Axiom got his wish when he qualified for the men's Iron Survivor Challenge, and that he will soon make him regret that since he and Axiom are the first two men in the match.
Roxanne Perez (2 points) beats Zoey Stark (1 point), Kiana James (0 points), Cora Jade (1 point) and Indi Hartwell (1 point) to win the women's Iron Survivor Challenge match and become #1 contender for the NXT Women's Championship. Zoey Stark scores the first point at 9:31 (nine minutes, thirty-one seconds) via pinfall on Roxanne Perez. Cora Jade scores her first point at 12:38 (twelve minutes, thirty-eight seconds) via pinfall on Kiana James. Indi Hartwell scores her first point at 15:59 (fifteen minutes, fifty-nine seconds) via pinfall on Roxanne Perez. Roxanne Perez scores her first fall at 18:39 (eighteen minutes, thirty-nine seconds) via pinfall on Zoey Starks. Roxanne Perez scores her second point via pinfall at 23:02 (twenty-three minutes, two seconds) on Cora Jade.
NXT Vengeance Day is live on WWE Network and Peacock on February 4th!
Backstage, McKenzie Mitchell interviews Ivy Nile and Tatum Paxley. Ivy says it is a shame that Julius Creed is not medically cleared, but she is looking out for them. She knows she is not The Creed Brothers' favorite person, but she wants them at 100%. Tatum Paxley says that Ivy Nile has a tough outer shell, but if one proves themselves to her, she is not that bad. Kayden Carter and Katana Chance congratulate Ivy Nile on doing the right thing, but Ivy tells them not to take her kindness for weakness. Tatum Paxley tells Katana and Kayden that they will see them real soon, and Katana says she and Ivy know where to find them.
Isla Dawn beats Alba Fyre. During the match, Isla Dawn exposes a middle turnbuckle. Later on in the match, black goop comes out of the referee's nose and mouth thanks to Isla Dawn, and another referee has to replace him. As the first referee is being checked on, Isla Dawn sends Alba Fyre head-first into the exposed turnbuckle to get the pin and the win.
Tribute to the Troops is next week on Fox! (Check local listings for time.)
Backstage, McKenzie Mitchell interviews The New Day (Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods). Xavier Woods says they are in NXT to fight Pretty Deadly (Kit Wilson and Elton Prince) because they are constantly looking for the best competition and that Pretty Deadly are in the way of being Triple Crown tag team champions. Kofi Kingston says Pretty Deadly have become good enough to travel across the ocean to become champions and have a big aspirational mindset, but Xavier Woods says that they will become NXT Tag Team Champions.
In a match that sees a twerk-off, everybody pulling Eddie Guerrero's "throw the belt to the other person and fall down" trick and a little bit of comedy, The New Day (Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods) beat Pretty Deadly (Kit Wilson and Elton Prince) to become NXT Tag Team Champions, making themselves the first Triple Crown tag team winners. This also becomes Kofi Kingston's fifteenth tag team title reign in WWE, surpassing Booker T's total number of fourteen reigns in WWE and WCW.
Countdown to the New Year is January 10th!
Backstage, Kayden Carter and Katana Chance meet with Odyssey Jones, Malik Blade, and Edris Enofe. Odyssey is focused on training. Kayden and Carter then meet Gigi Dolin and Jacy Jayne. Gigi and Jacy make fun of them for challenging Ivy Nile and Tatum Paxley, then say they beat Katana and Kayden two weeks ago. Suddenly, Ivy Nile and Tatum Paxel attack Gigi and Jacy from behind, and Odyssey, Malik and Edris have to hold everyone back.
Grayson Waller (3 points) beats Axiom (2 points), JD McDonagh (0 points), Joe Gacy (2 points) and Carmelo Hayes (2 points) to win the men's Iron Survivor Challenge match and become #1 contender for the NXT Championship. Carmelo Hayes scores the first fall at 7:13 (seven minutes, thirteen seconds) via pinfall on Axiom. Grayson Waller scores his first point at 10:13 (ten minutes, thirteen seconds) via pinfall on Axiom. Grayson Waller scores his second point at 10:17 (ten minutes, seventeen seconds) via pinfall on JD McDonagh. Axiom leaves the penalty box 90 seconds later, but when McDonagh grabs him, Axiom slaps him and both men brawl in the penalty box. He then slams the penalty box door on McDonagh's head. Axiom scores his first point via pinfall at 14:14 (fourteen minutes, fourteen seconds) on Grayson Waller. Axiom scores his second point at via pinfall at 14:36 (fourteen minutes, thirty-six seconds) on JD McDonagh. Joe Gacy scores his first point via submission at 16:02 (sixteen minutes, two seconds) on Axiom. Joe Gacy scores his second point via pinfall at 17:11 (seventeen minutes, eleven seconds) on Carmelo Hayes. Carmelo Hayes cores his second point via submission at 19:24 (ninteen minutes, twenty-four seconds) on Grayson Waller. Grayson Waller scores his third point via pinfall at 24:30 (twenty-four minutes, thirty seconds) on Axiom.
NXT New Year's Evil is live on USA Network on January 10th!
Backstage, McKenzie Mitchell interviews Drew Gulak, who says that he has not fulfilled his full potential, and he has only himself to blame. He says that to get there, he came to NXT to grind in that ring, and if anyone has potential, he wants to face them. Damon Kemp introduces himself to Drew Gulak, and mentions that he will be back in the ring next Tuesday against Duke Hudson. Gulak tells Kemp he will check his match out, then leaves.
Bron Breakker retains the NXT Championship against Apollo Crews. After the match, Grayson Waller runs into the ring and hits a rolling Stunner on Bron Breakker before lifting up the NXT Championship and bragging in front of a downed Bron Breakker.
