Good evening Fight Fans, and welcome to our coverage for tonight's edition of WWE NXT!
KUSHIDA & Leon Ruff vs The Way (Johnny Gargano & Austin Theory w/Candice LeRae & Indi Hartwell)
KUSHIDA and Austin start the match off with KUSHIDA taking Austin down to the mat and spinning around on his back before hitting an inverted atomic drop into a knee lift. KUSHIDA drags Austin to the corner and tags in Leon who gets dropped with a stiff forearm by Austin before Ruff briefly comes back with a dropkick and Austin drops him with a back elbow. Johnny comes in and Leon hits a head scissors and an arm drag before choking Johnny in the ropes and dropping him with a boot to the face. Johnny comes back with a front suplex before smashing his face into the top turnbuckle and Austin comes back in and KUSHIDA gets the hot tag. KUSHIDA and Ruff clear the ring before messing up a springboard dive onto the floor and Austin sends him back into the ring before Leon hits a DDT.
Johnny then hits a slingshot spear as we go to commercial.
We come back KUSHIDA in control of Johnny, hitting a PK before Johnny counters the Hoverboard Lock and Leon hits a missile dropkick. KUSHIDA and Ruff hit a double enzuigiri in the corner for two before Ruff counters an attempted powerbomb by Theory. Theory hits a blue thunderbomb for two before Johnny knocks KUSHIDA off of the apron and Johnny and Austin superkick Ruff for two. KUSHIDA takes out Austin before Johnny superkicks him and Ruff superkicks Johnny before Ruff hits a diving cutter into a crucifix bomb. Theory then pins Johnny with This is the Way when Ruff doesn't notice that he's the legal man when he gets the blind tag for the win.
Winner: Austin Theory and Johnny Gargano defeat Leon Ruff and KUSHIDA via pinfall.
- We get a video package promo by Toni Storm ahead of her match against Rhea Ripley in tonight's main event.
- We see Kyle and Pete backstage getting ready for their number one contender match later tonight as we go to commercial.
- We come back to a video package promo by Legado Del Fantasma brought to us by Progressive.
- Shotzi Blackheart is interviewed backstage ahead of her match against Indi Hartwell where she says that she's not done with Candice even if her team lost at WarGames.
Tyler Rust vs Tommaso Ciampa
Before the match starts Ciampa puts a chair out at ringside for Timothy Thatcher before they lock up and Ciampa backs Tyler into the corner for a clean break. Tyler and Tommaso go move for move until Ciampa controls Rust on the mat with a side headlock as Tim makes his way down to ringside. Ciampa chops Rust in the corner and drops him with a back elbow before tossing him out of the ring and has words with Tim. Ciampa sends Tyler into Tim before Tim accidentally drops Tim with a boot and Tim is sent to the back when he threatens to attack Ciampa. Tyler then snaps the arm of Ciampa in the ropes when he tries to get him back into the ring as we go to commercial.
We come back to Tyler in control in the ring until Ciampa comes back with several clotheslines and an air raid crash for two before chopping Tyler in the throat. Tyler drops Ciampa with an ax kick for two before Ciampa counters an armbar and stomps Tyler's face to free himself. Tyler counters the Fairytale Ending before Tyler gets a near fall and goes for a Fujiwara armbar before Ciampa scrambles to the bottom rope. Tyler locks in a double armbar before Ciampa gets his foot on the bottom rope and Tyler kicks him in the chest. Ciampa then catches a kick and elbows the knee of Tyler before chopping him and hitting a V-Trigger into the Willows Bell for the pin and the win.
Winner: Tommaso Ciampa defeats Tyler Rust via pinfall.
- After the match Tim is kept back by security when Ciampa reaches the ramp before we get a video package promo by The Grizzled Young Veterans as we go to commercial.
- During the commercial we see that Malcolm Bivens came down and left with Tyler after his match with Ciampa.
NXT Championship Number One Contender Match
Kyle O'Reilly vs Pete Dunne
Before the match The Kings of NXT and UE brawl before Breezango show up and all three groups are sent to the back. Once the match starts Kyle and Pete exchange holds on the mat before Kyle locks in an armbar that Pete turns into a short arm scissors. Up on their feet Kyle and Pete run the ropes before Pete clotheslines Kyle and he rolls out of the ring before both miss moves off of the apron. Kyle then counters an x-plex before they exchange forearms until the count of nine and nearly get counted out before exchanging more once they're back inside as we go to commercial.
We come back to Kyle choking Pete and dropping him with a knee before Pete counters a suplex attempt into an x-plex before stomping on his hand. Pete stomps the ribs of Kyle and kicks him in the spine when Kyle kicks Pete's legs before Pete hits a neckbreaker. Pete locks in a twister before stomping the face of Kyle and chopping him in the side of the neck before Kyle hits a kitchen sink. Kyle knees and kicks Pete before sweeping him and hitting several rolling butterfly suplexes for a near fall. Kyle crotches Pete backwards on the top turnbuckle before Pete counters a spider suplex and stomps Kyle in the tree of woe.
Pete then hits a running dropkick with Kyle in the tree of woe as we go to commercial.
We come back to Pete still in control, hitting a sit-out powerbomb for a near fall before locking in an armbar and Kyle rolls to the ropes for the break. Kyle counters a piledriver into an armbar attempt of his own before Pete counters and they exchange ankle locks. Pete goes for a double wrist lock before Kyle counters into an arm triangle and Pete headbutts Kyle to get free before Kyle hits a brain buster. Kyle hits a bridging suplex for two before stomping the hand of Pete and hitting a dragon screw before they exchange submission attempts until Kyle hits a PK. Pete stomps the hands of Kyle and hits a roundhouse kick into an enzuigiri before snapping the fingers of Kyle and kicking him in the ropes. Kyle then suplexes Pete off of the apron and down onto the floor before tossing him back inside and hitting a diving knee drop for the pin and the win.
Winner: Kyle O'Reilly defeats Pete Dunne via pinfall to become the new number one contender for Finn Bälor's NXT Championship.
- Backstage Rhea is interviewed about her current rivalry with Raquel Gonzalez before addressing her match against Toni Storm in tonight's main event. Rhea then says that she's going to finish things with Toni once and for all as we go to commercial.
- We come back to BOA and Xia Li training and bleeding before Xia beats BOA unconscious.
Indi Hartwell w/ The Way (Candice LeRae, Austin Theory & Johnny Gargano) vs Shotzi Blackheart
Indi and Shotzi exchange standing switches before Shotzi dropkicks Indi and locks in a short arm scissors on the mat. Shotzi hits a cannonball in the corner before missing a running senton and Indi comes back with a back elbow for two. Indi hits a full nelson slam for two before Shotzi comes back with a kick and a splash in the corner before sending Shotzi into the corner and hitting another cannonball. Shotzi then dropkicks Indi off of the apron and rolls her back inside before Candice gets on the apron and tries to distract the referee, but he turns around right when Indi hits Shotzi with Candice's trophy for the disqualification.
Winner: Shotzi Blackheart defeats Indi Hartwell via disqualification.
- After the match The Way stand over the fallen Blackheart before we cut to a video package for Karrion Kross who returns to action up next as we go to commercial.
- We get a graphic for the return of Bronson Reed next week.
Karrion Kross w/Scarlett vs Desmond Troy
Kross stops a single leg and takes the back of Troy before hitting him with forearms in back mount and running clotheslines in opposite directions. Kross then rocks Troy with a roundhouse before hitting a Doomsday Saito and locking in a rear naked choke for the tap and the win.
Winner: Karrion Kross defeats Desmond Troy via submission.
- After the match Kross cuts a promo to the camera about Damian Priest ahead of their match at New Year's Evil next month.
- Backstage we get an interview with Isaiah Scott where he talks about losing to Jake Atlas last week and that he's already spoken to General Manager William Regal and that he's going to get his rematch next week before he leaves.
- Ever-Rise immediately show up after Isaiah leaves and demand that their loss last week be stricken from the record. ER then declare that they're winning streak continues before leaving after screaming that Ever-Rise Rules.
- We see Dexter Lumis in the ring with a drawing on the big screen and we're told that he's going to be the host of New Year's Evil as we go to commercial.
- We come back to a black and white promo by Finn Bälor ahead of his title defense against Kyle at New Year's Evil before we get a graphic for Kross and Priest being added to the card for NYE.
Toni Storm vs Rhea Ripley
They lock up and Toni backs Rhea to the ropes for a clean break before Rhea backs her into the corner for a clean break. Toni locks in a standing side headlock before taking Rhea down to her knees and Rhea punches her way free before dropping Toni with a shoulder block. The two exchange pin attempts for several one counts before Toni kicks Rhea in the midsection and they run the ropes before they exchange chops. Rhea slaps Toni across the back before clotheslining her and Toni sends her through the ropes and out of the ring before Toni sends Rhea into the post. Toni then boots Rhea off of the apron and down onto the floor as we go to commercial.
We come back to Toni in control of Rhea on the mat before missing an elbow drop and Rhea rocks her with a boot before locking in a cravat. Rhea knees Toni in the face and hits a running basement dropkick for two before stomping her and Toni headbutts her before they both collapse. We get the announcement for a Very Gargano Christmas next week before they exchange running moves against the ropes until Rhea dropkicks Toni for two. Rhea locks in a submission before Toni counters and sends Rhea into the middle rope before hitting a bridging German suplex for a near fall. Toni sends Rhea across the ring by her hair before missing a running hip attack in the corner and Rhea hits a snake eyes in the corner for a near fall.
Rhea hits several jumping leg drops before Toni counters Rhea and sends her out onto the apron before Raquel comes out of nowhere. Rhea knocks Toni into Raquel before bringing Toni back into the ring and Raquel sweeps her when she tries to get back into the ring herself. Raquel then picks Rhea up when the referee is distracted and sends Rhea into the post before Toni capitalizes off of the attack by Raquel and hits Rhea with Storm Zero for the pin and the win.
Winner: Toni Storm defeats Rhea Ripley via pinfall.