Results
- Tatum Paxley def. Izzi Dame (11:38)
- Jacy Jayne def. Kendal Grey (NXT Women’s Championship) (12:36) (Recommended)
- Izzi Dame def. Thea Hail (NXT Women’s North American Championship) (9:59)
- Oba Femi def. Leon Slater (NXT Championship) (11:11) (Recommended)
First match of the night ends before it even gets started, Ricky Saints says he’s got next for the men’s title
A special New Year’s Evil edition of NXT this week from the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida, got started with the first of three title matchups tonight, a clash between NXT Women’s North American Champion Thea Hail against former titleholder Blake Monroe… Or, at least that was the plan. For those who forgot, Hail scored a huge upset win last month when she took the title off Monroe in a result that was reportedly not supposed to happen.
It’s rare that we see the champ enter first, but that’s what happened here with Hail. Why, you ask? So that Monroe could jump her from behind during her entrance, of course. Since the match hadn’t officially started, Monroe utilized a steel chair then put Hail through a barricade at ringside. They were separated, and for a moment it seemed as though NXT staff were trying to give them some space before getting the match officially started.
But, then, suddenly, former NXT Champion Ricky Saints hit the ring for a promo. Hail was helped to the back, and commentary said that the match is not happening, for now at least. That’s not how I expected things to get started this evening. Odd? Sure. But let’s see what the payoff ends up being.
Saints said that he thought he needed NXT last year, but now NXT needs him due to the flurry of recent main roster call-ups. He said that Trick Williams, Je’Von Evans, et al. are leaving NXT because there’s only room for one star on the brand.
He addressed tonight’s main event, expressing his interest in facing whoever wins. He said that he’s tied 1 and 1 with Oba Femi, and that bothers him. “Regardless of who wins, NXT is going to be in my hands as well as the NXT Championship, and that, as if you needed a reminder, is absolute.”
Backstage, a frustrated Ava told Robert Stone to go find Blake Monroe. She then made the call that Izzi Dame and Tatum Paxley would be the first match of the night.
After the break, Ava confronted Monroe about her actions. Monroe was unapologetic for the attack, saying she’s ready to be fined for her actions then get her title shot. Ava had some bad news for her: Monroe is not only no longer getting that title opportunity, she’s banned from the building.
Considering the reports of Monroe being considered for a main roster spot, is this possibly how they’re writing her off the roster? You would hope not, because this was a pretty bad way to end the storyline, if that’s what is happening here. But we’ll see.
Tatum Paxley begins 2026 with some good ole’ revenge
In the sole grudge match of the evening, Tatum Paxley went against Izzi Dame. This is a rematch of their bout atlast month’s Deadline card, which Dame won in 12 minutes. Commentary made note during Dame’s entrance that the rest of The Culling aren’t with her at ringside.
Paxley led the fight through the first two minutes, including a nice step-up enzuigiri. Dame took control just before a break, catching a kick from Paxley through the ropes, then knocking her off the ring apron with a forearm.
Paxley started to regain some momentum as the show returned, but had it derailed by a nasty backbreaker from Dame. Paxley was put in a Boston Crab, but escaped by reaching the ropes. Dame climbed to the top rope, where Paxley hit her with a head kick. Paxley joined her at the top, causing them to both crash down to the mat with a huge Spanish Fly.
Paxley gained some steam with a series of strikes in the middle of the ring followed by a German Suplex. She came off the ropes for a move but ate a big boot to the head from Dame.
Dame scored a gutwrench powerbomb for a near fall. Paxley tried to reverse a move into a finisher, but Dame instead landed a Crucifix Bomb. She followed up with a hard lariat then a cutter, giving her a two-count. As Paxley sat against the ring’s bottom rope, Dame charged at her with a spear, causing them to both crash to the floor – Paxley took a really bad fall on her head.
Paxley escaped a move from Dame then landed a Cartwheel kick (shoutout to Tenshin Nasukawa). She came off the top with a 450 Splash which didn’t really land, then earned the win with her Psycho Trap finisher. This was a good match, although some late errors (the reckless spot to the outside late and the failed 450 Splash) stopped this one from being great. Nonetheless, Paxley begins 2026 with some momentum, which is great because she’s one of the stand-out names left on the roster following recent call-ups.
We saw a video package for Elio Lefleur, “The French Luchador.”
Backstage, Thea Hail insisted on defending her title tonight. Since Blake Monroe is banned from the building, Ava agreed that she can do an open challenge later tonight.
Numbers advantage helps Jacy Jayne retain NXT Women’s Championship
The top NXT women’s belt was on the line next, as EVOLVE champ Kendal Grey looked to pull off an upset win over Jacy Jayne. Grey earned her opportunity at the belt by prevailing in the 2025 Women’s Iron Survivor Challenge match last month.
Grey sent Jayne flying out of the ring a minute in with a dropkick, then landed on all three Fatal Influence members with a huge moonsault to the outside. Grey put Jayne in an armbar on the ring apron, but Jayne escaped by slamming her into a barricade. Jayne landed a cannonball onto Grey against the barricade as the show went to the break – Awesome start to this match.
They started to tease a Grey comeback after the show returned. She eventually started to put moves together, scoring a headbutt then a German Suplex. Grey peeled down the straps on her singlet to signal that she means business.
Grey came off the ropes with a double stomp the body, then a DDT out of the corner, but it wasn’t enough to put away Jayne. Grey climbed to the top for a move but was tripped by Jayne. The champ scored a draping neckbreaker off the top for a two-count.
A cannonball in the corner from Jayne was dodged by Grey. The challenger put together a pair of German Suplexes but then ate an amazing-looking knee to the head from Jayne when charging forward for another move. She went for the pin, but the match continued.
Jayne climbed to the top but was taken down by a Superplex from Grey. After a series of reversals, both got close with roll-up pin attempts. Grey put in an armbar, but Jayne was able to escape thanks to Lainey Reid, who pulled Grey out of the ring. The referee didn’t see this, as Fallon Henley ran into the ring as a distraction.
Grey took out Reid at ringside with a huge belly-to-belly suplex. Wren Sinclair knocked Henley off the ring apron with a forearm, but then also got dropped herself with a Rolling Encore from Jayne.
Grey got back into the ring and applied another armbar, but Jayne escaped with a roll-up pin attempt. Grey tried to score an Into Oblivion, but Henley held the tights of Jayne near the ropes, allowing her to stop the move from being hit. Jayne then scored her Rolling Encore spinning forearm for the pinfall win in 12 minutes.
This was a stellar matchup, Grey has been one of the better additions to the NXT roster as of late and Jayne continues to be a consistent player in the title picture. I’m hoping they can build to a successful Grey title run later this year, maybe once she’s wrapped up with her EVOLVE duties.
Izzi Dame capitalizes on open challenge, captures first title
After her matchup against Blake Monroe earlier tonight was thrown out, Thea Hail limped her way to the ring for an NXT Women’s North American Championship open challenge in the next segment.
Hail said the first woman in the ring gets a shot. Numerous women came down the ramp, but the crowd made way for Tatum Paxley, who scared everyone off with a chainsaw. However, as she was on her way down the ramp, Izzi Dame emerged from the crowd and attacked Hail! Dame was the first one in the ring, so she got the title match!
Despite Dame being the one who arguably took more of a beating earlier on the show, she was in control early on. Hail tried to get back into the match after the show returned from a break, but couldn’t string together enough to get ahead. Dame blocked a top-rope move by putting her knees up then scored a huge head kick for a two-count.
Hail sent Dame out of the ring with an Exploder Suplex. She tried to follow her with a tope suicida, but Dame caught her and instead landed a chokeslam onto the commentary desk.
Dame rolled Hail back into the ring, aware that she couldn’t win via count-out. The match went to the top rope, where Hail tried for a kimura. Dame got out of this submission by scoring a powerbomb off the top, scoring her the pinfall win. Dame is your new NXT Women’s North American Champion.
While it looked as though Dame was going to be one of the losers of the night, she capitalized on an open challenge and now has her first-ever title.
Backstage, Lola Vice said that she wants to go after Dame’s title after handling her business with Kelani Jordan. The aforementioned Jordan stormed into the room just moments later, causing a pull-apart brawl to end the segment.
Joe Hendry told Ava that he wants to face DarkState leader Dion Lennox in a No-DQ match next week, incensed by the group interrupting one of his concerts recently. Ava raised a good point: If it’s No DQ, all of DarkState will interfere. Ava eventually said she would sign off on the match if Hendry can find some people who would prevent such an outnumbered beatdown from happening.
Hendry was seen later on the show trying to enlist OTM for the match,
Everybody has something to say
Before the main event, Ethan Page hit the ring to gloat about his success as of late, carrying the NXT North American Championship and one-half of the AAA Mixed Tag Team Championships.
We were all waiting for someone to eventually cut off this speech. It was eventually interrupted by Jasper Troy. “Why you out here pump faking like you the only NXT Champion that matters?” said the Speed Champion. I’m going to assume he wasn’t implying the Speed belt matters here.
Troy said that he wants to prove in 2026 that he’s “The Monster” of NXT and already is the brand’s best big man. His speech was interrupted by Josh Briggs, who refuted Troy’s claim that he’s the best big man on the brand.
Next to join the conversation was TNA International Champion Stacks, accompanied by Arianna Grace. Stacks said he’s “as International as it gets” because he’s the TNA International Champion – this was almost as bad as the comment about the Speed title mattering.
Shiloh Hill joined the segment as well, confronting Stacks about a TNA International Championship match, which apparently has been booked for next week. Tavion Heights was in next to challenge Jasper Troy to a match for the WWE Speed Championship next week.
Page caused a brawl to begin with everyone in the ring, with Hill being the one who stood tall in the end. Hill briefly held Grace and his dentures fell onto her during their exchange. This was a bit of a mess.
The broadcast had a rundown of next week’s lineup:
- Stacks vs. Shiloh Hill (TNA International Championship)
- Tavion Heights vs. Jasper Troy (WWE Speed Championship)
- Lola Vice vs. Kelani Jordan
- Joe Hendry vs. Dion Lennox (No DQ)
Oba Femi defends against TNA’s Leon Slater, hints at relinquishing title afterward
The main event of the night saw TNA X-Division Champion Leon Slater attempt to score an upset win, trying to take down Oba Femi and end his second reign with the NXT Championship. It was worth noting heading into this match that Femi’s main roster WWE call-up has been teased in recent weeks, which made the odds of Slater winning here, even if he’s a TNA star, much bigger.
Femi made it clear early that he was the big man in the match, tossing Slater across the ring with a huge slam. They had a chop exchange in the second minute, where Femi scored a gigantic slap to Slater’s chest.
Femi tossed Slater into a corner of the ring and sent him flying over the top and to the outside as the show went to its final break. Slater sent Femi out of the ring with a hurricanrana after the show returned and tried for a move off the ring apron, but Femi instead dropped him with another thudding chop to the chest.
Femi tried to land a knee to the body of Slater, but the TNA star dodged the move, causing Femi to go knee-first into a ringpost. Femi would play up a leg injury after this moment. An awesome series of reversals at ringside ended with Slater shoulder-tackling Femi into steel stairs.
The fight went back into the ring, where Slater got a two-count after a top-rope crossbody. Slater kicked the injured leg of Femi, but Femi fought back with a pair of lariats and a chokeslam. However, Slater kicked out at two.
Femi scored a series of uppercuts in a corner of the ring, but had the combo stopped after his injured knee buckled. Slater dropped Femi with a leg lariat, then, in a testament to his strength, picked up the massive champion for a bodyslam. Femi kicked out at two.
Slater dropped Femi off the ring apron with a head kick, then went flying over the ringpost with a massive dive to the outside – one of his most impressive moves. Slater dragged Femi back into the ring and tried to end the show with a Swanton 450, but Femi blocked the move by putting up his knees.
Slater tried for a roll-up but Femi just barely kicked out. Slater came running off the ropes for a move, but Femi picked him up for his Fall From Grace finisher, earning him the pinfall victory in 11 minutes.
A great battle between these two which would’ve been even better if given just a little more time. They did a solid job at putting over the idea that Slater could actually win the belt, making the end of this bout real edge-of-the-seat entertainment.
The show ended with a dramatic reveal: Femi left his title in the ring following his win, likely signalling that he is dropping the title amid his move to the main roster. A close-up shot of the belt panned out to reveal Tony D’Angelo in the crowd, teasing that he’ll get into the mix soon.
Final Thoughts
The men’s and women’s top title matchups were the clear highlights of this show, both delivering some really great in-ring action. NXT heads into the new year with two big questions: Who will be the big babyface built up to eventually stop Jacy Jayne, and who will emerge as the new face of the men’s division following numerous big departures. The answer to those two questions is what will make the show interesting to watch in the coming months.
