NXT got the new year off to a bang in LA with New Year’s Evil and a few title changes.
Roxanne Perez arrives on the 276th day of her title reign. Giulia, Femi, Trick and Thrope drag their luggage into the arena.
A car arrives in the back. It is The Rock, his energy drink and his belt. What will be bringing to New Year’s Evil? We will have to see.
Cory Graves has joined the NXT commentary team.
NXT New Year’s Evil Results
Roxanne Perez (c) vs. Giulia – NXT Women’s Championship Match
Booker wonders if Giulia can become a champion in NXT for the first time? Graves says the NXT women’s division is arguably the best on planet Earth.
Perez corrects Mike Rome. She is a two-time champion not just the champion.
Both women trade arm drags and head locks. They exchange roll-ups and attempted pins. Perez rolls over Giulia slapping her in the face. A missile drop kick knocks Perez into a corner where she takes a big boot and bails out of the ring. Giulia rolls her back in. Perez puts Giulia’s arm over the bottom rope jumping on it. The official checks on Giulia to see if she is injured.
Another drop kick rocks Perez. Perez catches Giulia on the top rope with a hurricanrana. She stomps on Giulia’s arm into the mat and then suplexes her. Giulia get right back up. They throw hands at each other.
Perez splashes Giulia on the floor and rushes to the top rope. Giulia catches her on the top rope. A double-underhook suplex by Giulia. Giulia drives Perez into the mat with a sort of Michinoku Driver for a two count. Giulia escapes Pop Rox but gets drop kicked to the floor. Perez drives Perez into the arena floor. Neither women is moving.
Cora Jade throws Perez back into the ring. Giulia barely makes the count back in. Giulia kicks out of Pop Rox. Perez puts an arm lock on Giulia. Giulia hits the Arrivederci Knee and a Northern Lights Bomb for the win. Perez rolls around on the floor crying.
Winner: …and new NXT Women’s Champion Giulia.
We go backstage and see Eddy Thorpe being attended to by officials as he lays on the ground. GM Ava arrives on the scene. Eddy claims to have been attacked. Ava rolls her eyes and walks away. She doesn’t believe Eddy due to his previous shenanigans.
We relive Ethan Page’s attack on Je’Von Evans. Evans gives an interview with his jaw wires shut. He claims Page will pay for what he did to him and Cedric Alexander.
“I’m going to make you feel my pain!”, he growls.
Kelani Jordan vs. Cora Jade vs. Stephanie Vaquer vs. Lola Vice – Number One Contender’s Match for NXT Women’s North American Championship
Too much action to call from these four ladies as bodies are all over the place with so many quick pinfalls. Lola whips Vaquer into the barricade. Jordan dives onto Lola on the floor. Jade dives onto Jordan on the floor. Jade is the last one standing after that car crash. Kelani grabs Vaquer by her hair. Kelani gives her a leg screw in the ropes. Lola kicks the crap out of Vaquer and Kelani across the ring into separate corners. Jade misses Jade with a drop kick Jade drops her over the top rope. Vaquer splashes both Jade and Vice from the top rope on the floor. Kelani moonsaults them all. Jade hits Lola with a jumping knee but Kalani gives her an Olympic Slam. Kalani misses her 450 Splash off the top rope. Vaquer pins Kelani with the SVB.
Winner: Stephanie Vaquer
GM Ava chats to Alba Fyre and Isla Dawn in her office. They will have a match next week against Lash Legend and Jakara Jackson to be the number one contenders for the Women’s Tag Team Championship. Ava is asked about Eddy’s condition. GM Ava isn’t buying Eddy’s act. Oba Femi interrupts. He admits to attacking Eddy as payback for him smashing the award in his face last week. Ava refuses to change the match. It will be a triple threat match for the NXT Championship.
Nick Khan and HHH are shown in the audience.
OTM warn Axiom and Nathan Frazer that they will drag them through the mud next week and those tag team titles will be theirs.
Shotzi, Tatum Paxley and Gigi Dolin vs. Fatal Influence
Gigi, Paxley and Shotzi are attacked from behind during their entrance. They fight back with Paxley splashing Jacy Jayne in a corner. Dolin, Shotzi and Paxley all attack Nyx to set her down. Shotzi rocks the champion with a suplex in a corner. She gets a two count on Fallon Henley. Henley turns things around with a facebuster. The match breaks down with everyone throwing hands in the middle of the ring. Shotzi dives through the ropes at Henley. Henley moves out of the way. Shotzi hits the floor hard. They all brawl on the floor. The official lets them go at it. Fatal Influence takes over dishing out punishment to Paxley. Paxley hot tags Dolin into the ring. Dolin goes nuts on Jayne putting her to the mat with a big STO for a two count. Shotzi and Dolin hit Henley with a belly to back suplex, neckbreaker combination. The rest of Fatal Influence breaks up the count. Paxley and Dolin splash Nyx and Jayne on the floor. That leaves Shotzi to senton Henley from the top rope for the win.
Winners: Shotzi, Tatum Paxley and Gigi Dolin
GM Ava reads Ethan Page the riot act in her office. Page wonders why he isn’t on the show tonight. “This is my show. I call the shots,” says Ava. The Rock shows up. The Rock shakes his hand. The Rock says he has heard good and bad things about him especially about him breaking fingers and jaws. The Rock explains that payback is a bitch. He says anyone in NXT can come to him if they need anything, including Page. He calls GM Ava the “Final Boss of NXT”. The Rock tells Page if he wants to be cool with The Rock, he has to be cool with Ava. Page thinks that is fine. They shake hands again. The Rock doesn’t know what he will say tonight but it will come from the heart that he is certain.
Charlie Dempsey vs. Lexis King (c) – Sudden Death for NXT Heritage Cup Match
Dempsey concentrates on submission holds especially targeting King’s arm. They go back and forth with take overs and head locks. King stands Dempsey up in the corner with chops. They exchange chops and forearms. King leaps onto Dempsey and No Quarter Catch Crew on the floor. Lexis punches and chops his way out of arm lock. Lexis hits a big clothesline and a Northern Lights Suplex for a two count. A scoop slams gets Lexis a two count. Dempsey rolls through Lexis’ body press from the top rope into another arm lock. Lexis picks up Dempsey slamming him to the mat for a two count. Lexis and King collide in the middle of the ring. Dempsey tries to leap frog over King. King accidentally (?) head butts Dempsey in the “lower abdomen”. Lexis pins Dempsey with The Coronation.
Winner: … and new NXT Heritage Cup Champion, Lexis King.
GM Ava is chatting with Vaquer and Henley in her office. Shotzi and Vaquer argue about who the real number one contender should be to Fallon Henley’s Women’s North American Championship. Henley thinks the two women should battle it out for that opportunity. Vaquer says she won that right tonight. Shotzi says she pinned the champ. Ava decides Vaquer and Shotzi will fight it out next week.
Trick Williams (c) vs. Oba Femi vs. Eddy Thorpe – NXT Championship Triple Threat Match
Eddy Thorpe is nowhere to be found. Femi throws around his weight tackling Williams in a corner. Williams lifts up Femi on his shoulders slamming him to the mat. We see Eddy smash his way through a door and carrying a steel chair. Williams dodges Femi. Femi crashes into a corner. Trick gives Femi a Rock Bottom from the second rope for a two count. Femi and Williams throw hands in the middle of the ring. A kick takes Femi down. Jumping neckbreaker, a slam, a flapjack by Williams. Femi blocks Williams’ Trick Shot. Sitdown Powerbomb from Femi. Eddy pulls the official out of the ring before Femi can get the three count. Femi powerslams Eddy and one hand slams him. Femi clocks Eddy with series of elbows in a corner. Williams hits the Trick Shot on Femi. Femi kicks out. Williams sets up another Trick Shot. Femi throws Williams into Thorpe. He hits Thorpe with the Trick Shot. Eddy’s steel chair hits Williams though. Fall From Grace from Femi pins Williams.
Winner: …and new NXT Champion Oba Femi.
The Rock addresses the crowd. He is getting chills as they cheer him. He reminds the crowd that they only have six minutes left on the clock. He says it will be the best six minutes though. The Rock reminds everyone about how he was ridiculed and told he couldn’t be mean to Cody. Last night, he saluted Cody and he was told he couldn’t be nice to Cody. The Rock is confused. The Rock sees he has two minutes left. He says they are going to go all f—–g night long. He laughs believing the producers are nervous now. The Rock thanks the crowd saying NXT is the brand the people WANT to go to. The crowd chants NXT! He says the crowd is critical to NXT. Those men and women in the back could be in the main event of WrestleMania. “You matter more than anything,” he says. The Rock loves NXT…if you can smell what he is cooking.
