WWE NXT New Year’s Evil had some big matches planned for its second show of the year. Bron Breakker would go on to defend his NXT Championship against Grayson Waller in one of the biggest matches of the series.
Throughout the evening, several other challengers to the brand’s major titles were crowned. Wes Lee found his next opponent for the NXT North American Championship, while a returning team became the next challenger for the New Day titles.
A battle royal was also scheduled to determine Roxanne Perez’s opponent for Vengeance Day. All in all, the evening turned out to be productive for the brand.
Check out five things WWE NXT New Year’s Evil got right this year.
#5. Dijak became Wes Lee’s next challenger for the NXT North American Championship
Dijak and Tony D’Angelo competed in a #1 Contender match for the WWE NXT North American Championship. Wes Lee joined the commentary team as the two big men entered the ring.
Dijak took control early on and also penalized Channing “Stacks” Lorenzo. The latter tried to protect D’Angelo during the match, and the focus shifted from the match to their relationship as a family.
Tony hit a spinebuster for a near fall before Dijak exploded with a Superkick and a Chokeslam. Stacks tried to help D’Angelo, but The Don told him to step aside and mind his own business.
The distraction allowed Dijak to hit Cyclone Kill and take the win to become Lee’s next challenger. The game was decent and Dijak got the spotlight he needed. It’s time for WWE to give him the recognition he deserves and hand him the North American Championship.
#4. Jinder Mahal joins Indus Sher in surprising the Creed Brothers
The Creed Brothers came out for their match against Indus Sher, but Sanga was eliminated without Veer. It looked like fans would get a handicap match between the two teams on WWE NXT New Year’s Evil before a superstar from the main roster made a surprise appearance.
Jinder Mahal came out to attack the Creeds and sent Julius into the ring before laying him down with the Khallas. Meanwhile, Sanga took Brutus outside and sent him down the steel stairs.
Later that night, Mahal was awarded a singles match against Julius Creed. The babyface took control early on before Jinder hit him with a Spinebuster. Julius didn’t stay on the ground for long and fell close a few times.
Sanga distracted Julius, allowing Jinder to avoid a toprope dive. The distraction helped Mahal land a big kick followed by Khallas for the win.
The former WWE Champion has been working aimlessly on the main roster for years. Moving up to the NXT roster could be a good move for Jinder, especially if Veer is out of action for a while. It works perfectly as a heel.
#3. Gallus returned to present Pretty Deadly on WWE NXT
Pretty Deadly wanted a shot at New Day’s WWE NXT Tag Team Championship this week. They took part in a challenge match against three teams this week.
The first team turned out to be a few signing talents who couldn’t do much against the former champions. After some double team moves, Pretty Deadly took the win with Spilled Milk.
Edris Enofe and Malik Blade came out as the second team to take on Pretty Deadly. Both men battled Elton Prince and Kit Wilson and nearly claimed victory with a Spinebuster.
Blade hit a Frog Splash for another near pinfall before a fight broke out between the two sides. Prince rolled up his opponent and took victory on an inside cradle.
Gallus returned to WWE NXT and surprised the heel team. Mark Coffey went hard on Pretty Deadly before Wolfgang took over. Both men played with Wilson and Prince before hitting their finisher for a dominant win.
Gallus’ return will strengthen the NXT Tag Team Division. The faction ranks among the best tag teams in the industry. New Day will likely struggle to retain their titles against Coffey and his men on Vengeance Day.
#2. Grayson Waller and Bron Breakker couldn’t close their game decisively
Grasyon Waller challenged Bron Breakker for the WWE NXT Championship. The heel attempted to flee the match early, but suffered a major blow and a standing moon jump on his return.
The Australian superstar mounted a return and hit a suplex, but Bron was too powerful for him. The two superstars traded moves before sending the champion into the turnbuckles. One of the buckles broke and authorities had to fix it.
Waller stayed on the attack when the action resumed, dodging a javelin before landing a big knee kick. He went off the ropes for a movement, but the turnbuckles snapped again, throwing Waller out.
The challenger was counted out as he was unable to return to the ring, and Breakker retained his title. Later that night, Shawn Michaels announced that the two superstars would meet for the title on Vengeance Day, this time in a Steel Cage.
The match itself was a good one and WWE found another way to end it while protecting both superstars. This will keep Breakker busy for some time as he has faced many challengers over the past four months.
#1. Gigi Dolin and Jacy Jayne became Roxanne Perez’s NXT Women’s Championship challengers
The entire women’s roster had their eyes on the NXT Women’s Championship as the 20-man Battle Royal got underway in the main event. Cora Jade left the ring before Tatum Paxley was eliminated.
The ring quickly emptied as Lash Legend knocked out Amari Miller. Sol Ruca saved herself from elimination and returned to the ring stepping on her hands.
Jade returned to the ring before being fired almost immediately. Fans were surprised when Wendy Choo, Nikkita Lyons and Zoey Stark were also eliminated from the match.
Alba Fyre, Lyra Valkyria, Jacy Jayne and Gigi Dolin were the last four in the ring. Valkyria took out Fyre before Cora Jade returned to take him out.
Jayne and Dolin were the last two in the ring and faced each other to determine who would face Perez. They fought outside on the apron and fell at the same time, confusing the referees. In the end, they were both announced as the winners of the competition.
The game was good because there were interesting places. It also spawned new rivalries. However, the finish could have been much better as both women could have jumped out of the ring at the same time to show that it was all part of their plan.
The match between Perez and Toxic Attraction will be a good one as the champion will have to face two heels that have been working together for several months. A win would give Perez a huge boost.
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