Good evening Fight Fans, and welcome to our coverage for tonight's special edition of WWE NXT with New Year's Evil!
- We open tonight's show with guest host Dexter Lumis who is at the control panel for the CWC before he pulls a lever and he's now in a red suit and New Year's Evil appears on the big screen.
Karrion Kross w/Scarlett vs Damian Priest
Priest rushes Kross and the two lock up before spilling out of the ring and driving each other into the plexiglass before breaking and getting back inside. Kross counters several kicks by Priest before one lands and Priest rocks Kross with right hands before Kross hits a spine buster. Kross focuses on the injured ribs of Priest and rocks him with running boots in the corner before hitting a pair of running clotheslines. Kross suplexes Priest before stretching him and Priest turns it around before Kross clotheslines him over the top rope and down onto the floor. Kross sends Priest into the steps before separating the steps and Priest kicks him in the midsection to make him drop them.
Kross knees Priest in the midsection and tosses him back inside before going back to the ribs of Priest and rocking him with forearms. Priest smiles at Kross and mocks him before Priest rocks Kross with a stiff forearm and right hands before clapping his ears. Priest hits a flat liner into a jumping back elbow in the corner before hitting a clothesline into a Broken Arrow for two. Kross goes shoulder first into the middle turnbuckle before Priest hits another flat liner and focuses on the left arm and shoulder of Kross. Kross counters and drives his elbow into the ribs of Priest before they exchange strikes until Priest hits a diving cannonball.
Kross hits a lariat for two before stomping the hand and foot of Priest before putting him in the tree of woe stomping him in the ribs. Kross lowers his knee pad and hits a running knee to the ribs of Priest before setting Priest backwards on the top turnbuckle. Priest counters an avalanche Doomsday Saito before Priest hits the Razor's Edge and collapses to the mat in agony before covering Kross for a near fall. Priest knocks Kross off of the apron and hits a front flip springboard before tossing him back inside and hitting a diving, spinning heel kick. Priest hits South of Heaven for a near fall before Kross counters The Reckoning into a powerbomb for a near fall of his own.
They end up at ringside where Kross drops Priest across the steps before tossing him back inside and rocks Priest with a roundhouse kick. Kross then hits a Doomsday Saito before knocking Priest out with a running forearm to the back of the head for the pin and the win.
Winner: Karrion Kross defeats Damian Priest via pinfall.
- We get a video package and graphic for the NXT Cruiserweight Championship match between the champion Santos Escobar and the challenger Gran Metalik up next as we go to commercial.
- We get a video package for the return of the Dusty Classic Tag Team Tournament next week.
- Undisputed Era's Adam Cole and Roderick Strong are interviewed backstage where they're informed that they're facing Breezango in the opening round of the tournament. Adam says that every week is significant for UE and that he and Roddy are on another level and that Kyle will defeat Finn Bälor to become the new NXT champion.
NXT Cruiserweight Championship Match
Santos Escobar (c) w/Legado Del Fantasma (Raul Mendoza & Joaquin Wilde) vs Gran Metalik w/Lince Dorado
Gran backs Santos to the ropes for a clean break before Santos backs Gran into the corner for a clean break and the two sweep each other. Gran hits a head scissors that sends Santos out of the ring before posing in the ring and Santos comes back in before Gran chops Santos. Gran hits a springboard arm drag before hitting a tope and tossing Santos back inside before hitting a springboard flipping senton for two. Gran slams Santos onto the mat before landing on his feet when missing a moonsault before hitting an enzuigiri Santos catches Gran coming off of the top. Santos then swings Gran into the barricade as we go to commercial.
We come back to Santos in control, Gran on the top turnbuckle before Santos drops him ribs first across the top rope for two before applying a surfboard stretch. Santos turns the hold into a pin attempt for two before Gran hits a Samson Clutch for two and Santos clotheslines him for yet another quick two count. Santos stomps Gran on the mat, focusing on his lower back before Gran rocks him with a boot and superkicks him before hitting a reverse sling blade into a missile dropkick. Santos rolls out of the ring before Gran hits a springboard flipping senton before hitting a springboard splash back in the ring for two. Gran hits an enzuigiri before Santos drops him in midair with a jumping knee before hitting a suicide dive before tossing him back inside for two.
Santos rocks Gran with a jumping forearm before setting him up top and nearly unmasks Gran before Lince takes out Raul and Joaquin at ringside. Gran then hits a springboard frankensteiner for a near fall before Santos crotches him and hits Legado into the Phantom Driver for the pin and the win.
Winner: Santos Escobar retains his NXT Cruiserweight Championship by defeating Gran Metalik via pinfall.
- We see Rhea Ripley and Raquel Gonzalez backstage getting ready for their Last Woman Standing match later tonight.
- We then get a video package for the re-debut of Xia Li up next as we go to commercial.
- We come back to a video package promo where Mercedes Martinez says that she's coming for Io Shirai and her NXT Women's Championship.
Xia Li vs Katrina Cortez
BOA accompanies Xia to the ring as we see the mysterious woman seated in a chair on the stage before the match. Xia then drops Katrina with a spinning roundhouse kick before kneeing her in the head and sweeping her before finishing with jumping knee into a jumping roundhouse kick for the pin and the win.
Winner: Xia Li defeats Katrina Cortez via pinfall.
- After the match Xia and BOA go back up to the seated woman and bow.
- We get an update on the status of Timothy Thatcher who has been injured and has not been cleared for his Fight Pit match against Tommaso Ciampa that was scheduled for tonight.
- We get an interview with Bronson Reed who says that 2021 is going to be a colossal year before saying that he's picking Rhea against Raquel before Rhea's music hits.
Last Woman Standing Match
Rhea Ripley vs Raquel Gonzalez
The two brawl all over the ring as soon as the bell rings before Raquel clotheslines Rhea and hits a trio of fall away slams. Raquel knees Rhea in the midsection and screams at Rhea before Rhea comes back with a right hand a basement dropkick that sends Raquel out of the ring. Rhea drives Raquel into the apron before hitting her with a kendo stick and Raquel blocks a shot with the stick before rocking Rhea with a forearm. Raquel knocks Rhea out of the air with a chair shot before sending her into the barricade and hitting her with the kendo stick. Raquel goes to handcuff Rhea who drops her before driving her face first into the barricade and handcuffs Raquel to the fencing on the plexiglass.
Raquel breaks free and hits Rhea with the handcuff around her wrist before Rhea drives her into the post and goes to hit her with the ring bell. Raquel blocks Rhea and sends her face first into the ring bell before Raquel sets up the announce table to put Rhea through it. Raquel back drops Rhea through the announce table before burying her underneath the pile in hopes that she won't be able to answer the ten count. Rhea then gets to her feet before Raquel tosses her back into the ring as we go to commercial.
We come back to the two on the ramp and stage with Raquel still in control before Raquel boots Rhea off of the stage and Rhea spears Raquel through a glass door. They come back out and Rhea lays Raquel on a table before climbing a scaffold and hitting a Swanton Bomb onto Raquel through the table before they get back up at nine. Dakota Kai shows up and attacks Rhea with a kendo stick before Rhea takes out Dakota and stuffs her in a locker before trapping her inside. They make their way back to the stage where Raquel hits Rhea with a chair and Rhea headbutts Raquel before locking in a Cloverleaf with a chair around the neck of Raquel. Raquel gets free before they get to their feet at seven and Rhea hits a DVD into the LED board on the stage before Raquel sends Rhea face first into the steps.
Raquel then chokeslams Rhea off of the steps and through the stage before beating the count for the win.
Winner: Raquel Gonzalez defeats Rhea Ripley when Rhea can't answer the ten count.
- We see The Way making their way to the arena with a police escort parade as we go to commercial.
- We come back to The Way making their way into the arena before making their way out to the ring to celebrate Johnny breaking the curse and successfully defending his title. Candice and Indi then unveil a painting of them as superheros. Johnny announces that he and Austin are going to be entering the Dusty Classic together. Shotzi comes out to the stage and shoots Austin with her tank when he goes up the ramp before Shotzi takes out Indi and sends Candice out of the ring. KUSHIDA then shows up and rips Johnny off of the apron before Dexter Lumis rings the bell and we see he drew a mixed tag match on the big screen.
The Way (Johnny Gargano & Candice LeRae) vs KUSHIDA & Shotzi Blackheart
Candice and Shotzi start the match off with Shotzi hitting an enzuigiri into an inverted cannonball for two before Candice rolls out of the ring as we go to commercial.
We come back to Candice in control of Shotzi before she gets the hot tag to KUSHIDA who hits Johnny with a cartwheel dropkick. KUSHIDA goes for a flying armbar before Johnny goes for the Gargano Escape and KUSHIDA reverses into an armbar before Johnny gets to the ropes for the break. KUSHIDA kicks the arm of Johnny before Candice gets in the ring and blocks KUSHIDA from Johnny before Johnny nearly hits Candice and Shotzi and KUSHIDA double team Candice. KUSHIDA and Shotzi clear the ring before Shotzi hits a suicide dive and KUSHIDA takes out Johnny with a tope of his own. Back in the ring Indi takes out Shotzi behind the referee's back before Austin interferes and KUSHIDA sends Johnny face first into the crotch of Austin.
KUSHIDA then pins Johnny with a sunset flip.
Winner: KUSHIDA and Shotzi Blackheart defeat The Way via pinfall.
- We get a video package announcing the return of Takeover on Valentine's Day next month.
- We see Kyle O'Reilly and Finn Bälor getting ready ahead of their NXT title match up next as we go to commercial.
- We come back to a backstage interview with the NXT General Manager William Regal who announces the first ever Women's Dusty Classic Tag Team Tournament at some point in the future.
NXT Championship Match
Finn Bälor (c) vs Kyle O'Reilly
Kyle locks in a standing side headlock before dropping Finn with a shoulder block and locks in a head scissors. Finn hops up and locks in a cross face before transitioning into a side headlock that Kyle reverses into a head scissors. Finn struggles to get free before rolling Kyle over and over the two gets to their feet where Finn blocks a kick by Kyle. Kyle takes Finn down onto the mat before snapping Finn's arm across his own shoulder before Finn locks in an abdominal stretch. Kyle immediately counters into a short arm scissors before Finn reapplies the abdominal stretch and Kyle gets to the ropes by grabbing it with his teeth.
Finn kicks the rope before the ringside doctor checks on Kyle and Finn hits a snap mare into a headlock that he grounds Kyle with. Kyle comes back and rips Finn down onto the mat before Finn rolls out onto the apron and Kyle hits a variation of a dragon screw in the ropes. Finn focuses on the jaw of Kyle before hitting a back suplex into a cross face before Kyle gets to the bottom rope for the break. Finn drops Kyle with a back elbow and scrapes his forearm across the face of Kyle before Kyle hits a kitchen sink and knees Finn before sweeping his feet out. Kyle goes for a double wrist lock that Finn counters by kneeing the face of Kyle before chopping him in the corner the two exchange until Kyle goes for a heel hook.
Finn kicks his way free and sends Kyle out of the ring before Kyle gets back in at the count of nine and locks in a guillotine before transitioning into a triangle choke. Kyle transitions into a knee bar before transitioning into a heel hook and Finn gets free with a right hand to the jaw of Kyle. Finn hits a reverse DDT before locking in a cross face and Kyle focuses on the left arm of Finn to get free before Kyle comes back with kicks only for Finn to hit a sling blade. Finn hits a jumping stomp before following up with a shotgun dropkick before going up top for the Coup De Grace, but Kyle meets him. Kyle hits a superplex before hitting a brain buster for a near fall before going back to the arm of Finn for the arm bar.
Finn nearly taps before sliding to the ropes as we see that Finn has been busted open before Finn kicks Kyle in the liver. Finn then locks in an abdominal stretch before transitioning into a crucifix submission for the tap and the win.
Winner: Finn Bälor retains his NXT Championship by defeating Kyle O'Reilly via submission.