WWE NXT New Year’s Evil notes: Field takes shape for Dusty Classic, Lola Vice attempts to use contract, Ava

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Starting on January 9th, the 2024 NXT Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic tournament will be underway. At New Year’s Evil, the field began to take shape and the following duos have opted to enter the tourney: 

  • Baron Corbin & Bron Breakker
  • Duke Hudson & Riley Osborne
  • Axiom & Nathan Frazer
  • Malik Blade & Edris Enofe

Kicking off the program was Lyra Valkyria defending the NXT Women’s Championship against Blair Davenport. Valkyria successfully retained but after the match, women’s Breakout tournament winner Lola Vice ran to the ring and was going to use her contract to get a title match. She was halted by Tatum Paxley. That led to Elektra Lopez coming to the aid of Vice and then Valkyria got involved to even the odds. 

Ava has taken on an authority role in NXT and is relaying decisions made by Shawn Michaels. She told Kelly Kincaid in an interview that a ‘wise man’ told her as NXT grows, Michaels would need help and that’s how she asserted herself into said role.

There was a singles match between Arianna Grace and Roxanne Perez. After Perez scored the win, Grace had words with her and then Perez took her opponent to the mat. She would not unlock the submission she had on Grace after multiple referees got involved. As a result, the official for the match reversed his decision and crowned Arianna Grace the victor. 

Per the stipulation if Fallon Henley defeated Tiffany Stratton, Stratton now has to help Fallon at her ranch. 

In addition to the Dusty Classic, scheduled for 1/9 NXT are the following bouts: 

  • NXT Tag Team Championships: The Family (Tony D’Angelo & Channing ‘Stacks’ Lorenzo) (c) (w/ Adriana Rizzo) vs. O.T.M. (Bronco Nima & Lucien Price) (w/ SCRYPTS) 
  • Gigi Dolin vs. Cora Jade
About Andrew Thompson 8405 Articles
A Washington D.C. native and graduate of Norfolk State University, Andrew Thompson has been covering wrestling since 2017.