Saturday Night’s Main Event spotlighted NXT highlights in Je’Von Evans, Sol Ruca, Joe Hendry and NXT Champion Oba Femi; John Cena’s time is up, but their time is now. The silver brand looks ahead to New Year’s Evil on January 6, where Evans originally lined up an NXT Championship match. Facing Femi last week instead, former champion Ricky Saints interfered and foiled “Young OG’s” opportunity. Tonight, Evans demands to see Saints in the parking lot to an angsty NXT General Manager Ava.
Blake Monroe (c) vs Thea Hail – NXT Women’s North American Championship
Vic Joseph is still shocked at Saints, but Booker T believes he’s on the right track. Hail gains control with a standing moonsault, suicide dive and exploder suplex. But before break, Monroe reverses momentum with a rope-hung armbar. Hendry is seen warming up for tonight’s main event as Hail makes a comeback. She lands a springboard backdrop, Monroe is late to lift her shoulder, and the referee calls for the bell. Monroe’s music is mistakenly played, but the belt is ultimately given to Hail. “You didn’t kick out,” the referee mouths to Monroe.
Winner: Thea Hail
In the back, The Culling finds another one of Tatum Paxley’s dolls. “I corrected the mistake, and we’re done [with her],” Izzi Dame says. After break, Joseph and Booker T replay Hail’s victory and solidify that Monroe, indeed, did not kick out.
North American Champion and AAA World Mixed Tag Team Champion Ethan Page enters the ring, offended that everyone’s focus is on Cena rather than Tony D’Angelo’s attack on him last week. TNA International Champion Stacks and Arianna Grace appear instead, saying the latter asked for more gold this Christmas. TNA staple Moose arrives next, relaying the TNA roster’s problem with Stacks having their championship. “Today is your lucky day, because I’m laser-focused on Ethan Page,” Moose says to an unsuspecting champion. On Dec. 30, Page versus Moose for the North American Championship is made official, and the challenger sends his opponent packing with a clothesline.
TNA X-Division Champion Leon Slater tries convincing Evans to come inside. “You are going to get your lick back,” Slater says, and Evans agrees to accompany him in tonight’s main event.
Hank Walker and Tank Ledger vs OTM
“The ‘Belly Boys’ is back,” Booker T says about Hank and Tank, who return from their Japanese excursion. OTM’s beginner-level trap theme shakes the camera, and they drop the opposition like 808s. Hank and Tank make a comeback as an SUV pulls into the parking lot, surrounded by security. Meanwhile, the “Belly Boys” weaponize their midsections until OTM hit stereo powerbombs before break. Ledger hits a suicide dive on Bronco Nima, and Lucien Price hits a superplex on Walker. The former pairing trade blows, and Price slams Walker onto his partner. Cameras catch Myles Borne preparing in the back as Ledger kicks out of a double-team slam. He fights back with an apron senton and top-rope Swanton to Price. Hank and Tank deliver the “Honk Honk,” and an inside cradle from Walker to Nima earns the win.
Winners: Hank Walker and Tank Ledger
The SUV door opens, and shades-on Saints is escorted by security into the building. Like the iconic De La Salle football quote on Fox 2 News Detroit: “I think I got my swagger back!”
WWE Speed Champion Jasper Troy learns about the next Speed tournament, starting next week, in Ava’s office. “It’s bad news for whoever wins that tournament, because if they step into the ring with me, destruction is guaranteed,” he says.
In-ring, surrounded by security and a wall of boos, Saints says he became obsessed with being number one. “You really wanted someone else,” he says about beating Femi for the NXT Championship and checking Evans. “My entire career… I have been passed over and stepped on – but no more.” He rips into Evans’ inexperience and proclaims his own suave, debonair superstardom. Evans sneaks past security, but Saints hits Rochambeau through the announce desk. “Absolute” Ricky Saints is back.
Back in the office, Page and Women’s United States Champion Chelsea Green interrupt Ava’s conversation with Ruca and Zaria. Ava announces Green vs Ruca for the Smackdown strap on NXT next week with an undeserved snark.
Fatal Influence vs Wren Sinclair and Kendal Grey
NXT Women’s Champion Jacy Jayne joins the booth, scheduled to defend her belt at New Year’s Evil against Grey, the WWE Evolve Women’s Champion and 2025 Iron Survivor winner. She wrestles with a mesmerizing fluidity until Jayne distracts Sinclair, leading to Tiger Feint Kick from WWE Women’s Speed Champion Fallon Henley. Lainey Reid capitalizes with a springboard stunner as X-Division Champion Slater gets ready backstage. Grey receives the hot tag, Fatal Influence stifles it, and the former eventually cinches an armbar. She knocks Jayne off the apron, Sinclair hits an outside splash, and Grey swiftly reapplies the armbar for the submission win. Grey has claimed the women’s limelight with an ease similar to her crisp offense.
Winners: Kendal Grey and Wren Sinclair
Deliberately or not, Thea Hail celebrates her new Women’s North American Championship in a frantic interview. She tells Jordynne Grace to just stay positive as Blake Monroe strolls in sobbing. “Enjoy your new muscle muffin,” Monroe says as Hail hugs Grace.
In the women’s locker room, Lola Vice sides with Tatum Paxley when Izzi Dame can’t find Niko Vance. Meanwhile, Kelani Jordan returns to her locker space, claiming to be the best crossover wrestler in the room. “Gymnastics is nothing like MMA… [you’ll] find out real quick,” Vice says.
WWE LFG winners Shiloh Hill and Skylar Raye are interrupted by Stacks and Arianna Grace, complaining about Moose. “Typically they don’t come this far south,” says Hill, the painfully awkward Redditor. Stacks sets up a mixed tag team match between them as DarkState walks through for tonight’s main event.
Myles Borne vs Leon Slater vs Joe Hendry vs Dion Lennox
The fatal four-way winner faces Oba Femi for the NXT Championship at New Year’s Evil, the spot Evans lost last week. Lennox powers through the opposition, but Hendry gains control to “we believe” chants. Slater comes back with a springboard elbow and high crossbody, delivering 10 punches in the corner to Lennox (fans restrain themselves from hitting the 6-7). He appears to tweak his knee landing outside but eventually gets caught in an impromptu Doomsday Powerbomb before break. Slater slams his knee down for a sunset triple-double powerbomb (not to be confused with the double-triple powerbomb) for a two-count on each. The competitors trade slams, and Slater hits a Swanton on Lennox. Borne interrupts the next with a standing dropkick, and Hendry follows with two fallaway slams. He hits Standing Ovation on Borne, tosses Slater onto Lennox and brawls away with the latter. Meanwhile, Slater finally hits the Swanton 450 to head to New Year’s Evil. NXT Champion Femi appears in the entranceway, staring down his newest prey – as Tony D’Angelo looms from above.
Winner: Leon Slater
