The post-Deadline edition of NXT saw Je’Von Evans use his Iron Survivor Challenge to gain an immediate title shot at Oba Femi rather than wait until New Year’s Evil.
The match was set up during the opening segment, and they implemented a social strategy, having Paul Levesque and other top talent like Cody Rhodes promote the match on X throughout the episode.
RESULTS:
- Kelani Jordan over Jordynne Grace (Recommended)
- Shiloh Hill over Lexis King
- Sol Ruca over Wren Sinclair
- NXT Championship: Oba Femi © over Je’Von Evans (Recommended)
Oba Femi started the show and said NXT wasn’t the same without the ruler on top. The NXT Championship belongs to him; he’s done with Ricky Saints and is now focused on Cody Rhodes at Saturday Night’s Main Event.
Ricky Saints interrupted and admitted that Oba Femi was the better man at Deadline. He will not bow down and fade to the back of the line; he is coming back for his title, and they are tied 1-1, so he wants a rematch.
Je’Von Evans is out next and has watched Deadline over and over again, and he won the Iron Survivor Challenge. He asks why he would wait until January for his title match, and he’s ready now and wants the match tonight. Saints told him to wait, and he should go first, and then they can fight for the belt, “that’s the play”. Evans is tired of being called “the future” when he’s “the now”. Evans says no one is touching him and lists off all the promotions and shows he’s working. Saints agreed that it’s Evans’ time and told him to go for it.
Femi points out he’s never lost to Evans and tonight, “It’s game on”. The match was confirmed by Ava later in the show.
In a taped promo, Tatum Paxley said the old version of her is gone, and she has nothing left to lose, “but you do” as she holds up the dolls of Shawn Spears and Niko Vance. Paxley tossed them aside and stated that it would be her and Izzi Dame alone in the end.
Kelani Jordan vs. Jordynne Grace
Jordan met Grace on the floor, and they began fighting. Grace Under Pressure missed, and Jordan attacked Grace’s knee and drove it on the edge of the apron.
From the Tree of Woe position, Grace sat up and tossed Jordan off the turnbuckle. Grace applied a Stretch Muffler, but Jordan tossed Grace to escape and connected with a chop block on the floor.
Grace avoided a chair shot, returned Jordan to the ring, and hit a spine buster. Grace used a Chaos Theory for a two-count. They battled on the floor with a Grace Under Pressure from the steps by Grace. She grabbed a chair, which the referee took away, allowing Jordan to send Grace off the steps and through the barricade.
With Grace selling the effects of the fall, she was rolled into the ring, and Jordan won with a 450 splash.
WINNER: Kelani Jordan
After the break, Grace is with the women’s roster in the locker room and complains about her losing streak and “can’t even beat rookies,” naming Kelani Jordan. Thea Hail tried to give her a pep talk and needs to believe in herself even more because of who she is, but Grace dismisses her as a “16-year-old,” and Hail clarifies she is 22.
Blake Monroe walks out and says how the women’s roster looks up to her and is in the giving mood in the holiday season. She is hosting an open challenge, prompting all the women on the roster to storm the ring. Then, Thea Hail jumps her from behind and applies the Kimura and Monroe tapped. The bell never rang, so it wasn’t an official match.
Kelly Kincaid interviewed Shiloh Hill, and he broke down the science of being nervous.
Lexis King vs. Shiloh Hill
The two connected with clotheslines simultaneously and went down. Hill removed his mouthguard and handed it to the referee, and fired up with clotheslines and a swinging neck breaker. Hill ate a superkick and no-sold it, shaking the ropes and hoisting King into the air for a reverse neckbreaker, and won.
WINNER: Shiloh Hill
The match was kept exceptionally short, and they are really pushing Hill, including posting a message from The Undertaker stating one career ends this week and another begins, linking John Cena to Hill.
Kincaid interviewed Oba Femi backstage. He hopes Cody Rhodes is watching tonight because he isn’t aware of what “The Ruler” is all about and will break the Iron Survivor and then break the American Nightmare.
Ethan Page came to the ring and complained about wrestlers being too busy on TikTok and posting photos when they were kids with their favorite wrestlers. He said John Cena will be a distant memory one week after he’s gone, and he will fill the void. He is 1-of-1 as a double champion (Chelsea Green? Dominik Mysterio?), and he is the biggest superstar in WWE.
The lights go out, and Tony D’Angelo appears behind Page and gets laid out.
Ava met with Joe Hendry, Leon Slater, Myles Borne, and Dion Lennox, and they will have a fatal four-way to determine the challenge for the NXT title at New Year’s Evil. Ethan Page stormed into the office and was furious about Tony D’Angelo’s attack.
Wren Sinclair vs. Sol Ruca
Ruca spots Zaria in the stands and gets distracted momentarily. Sinclair kicked out Ruca’s leg and targeted the knee. Ruca gets to her feet, and they had their timing off with a phantom chop by Sinclair, and Ruca sends her into the corner for the Sol Snatcher to win.
WINNER: Sol Ruca
Zaria dismissed Ruca and walked away as Ruca chased after her.
Fatal Influence came out to confront Kendal Grey and Sinclair. Jacy Jayne called her a “relatively unknown” who has now become the Iron Survivor, but this is as good as it’s going to get. Reality will smack her in the face at New Year’s Evil, and her fifteen minutes of fame will be up. The audience will move on to the next flavor of the month, and Jayne is happy to be the bad guy, and “potential” doesn’t win championships. Jayne says she owned 2025 and became the most dominant woman in the deepest division. Jayne called her “A bootleg Kurt Angle with a ponytail,” and she doesn’t stand a chance at beating her. Jayne’s promo was great.
Grey admitted she was the rookie and had a lot to learn, but then she won the Iron Survivor Challenge, and no one thought Jayne would beat Stephanie Vaquer earlier this year. She said this underdog will fight back. Wren Sinclair said they are coming for all their titles, including Fallon Henley’s Speed belt, which led to Fatal Influence attacking and beating them down 3-on-2.
Kincaid interviewed Hank & Tank to reflect on their tour with NOAH, and they were confronted by OTM and told them they should have stayed in Japan. A challenge was issued for next week.
Ava met with Blake Monroe, and Monroe complained about being ambushed in her open challenge. Monroe said “no more open challenges,” but Ava made a title match with Thea Hail next week.
Sol Ruca found Zaria outside the building. She wanted to support Ruca tonight and wished her luck at Saturday Night’s Main Event. Ruca invited her to be with her on Saturday, and they hugged and made up.
NEXT WEEK
- Fatal Four-Way #1 Contender’s Match: Joe Hendry vs. Leon Slater vs. Dion Lennox vs. Myles Borne
- Women’s North American Championship: Blake Monroe © vs. Thea Hail
Oba Femi vs. Je’Von Evans for the NXT Championship
Evans hit a Busaiku knee immediately for a near-fall. Vic Joseph listed Evans’ record in title matches at 0-9-1.
Femi yanked Evans off the apron to the floor. Evans avoided a lawn dart but was swatted coming off the apron and dropped to the floor. Femi drove Evans’ knee into the mat and dominated Evans throughout the break. Evans finally connected with a ‘rana on the floor to put Femi down.
Evans side-stepped as Femi crashed over the announcer’s desk. Evans hit a Frog Splash in the ring for a two-count. They traded strikes with Femi sent to the floor and Evans connecting on a big dive. A springboard by Evans was met with a forearm smash, then Femi popped up from a release German and ran into a cutter by Evans for a big near-fall.
Femi went for the Fall from Grace, but was countered with a cutter and landed the OG Cutter and had it won when Ricky Saints yanked the referee out.
Evans continued his attack but was struck by a lariat, an uppercut in the corner, and a Fall from Grace to retain the title.
WINNER: Oba Femi
The main event was really strong and ended with Femi staring at Ricky Saints, who seems poised for a heel run and a program with Evans.
