wrestling / TV Reports
Jeremy’s WWE NXT Review 12.19.23
Image Credit: WWE
Loading...Hello everyone, and welcome to our live WWE NXT coverage right here on 411! Jeremy Thomas here with you as always, and tonight the NXT North American Championship is on the line as Dragon Lee battles a member of the No Quarter Catch Crew (which is definitely not a name that WWE came up with on the fly in the last couple of weeks). In addition, Fallon Henley and Tiffany Stratton will settle their differences in a singles match, while Thea Hail & Jacy Jayne seek revenge against Kiana James & Izzi Dame for their interaction backstage last week. Plus there’s plenty more on tap including the men’s NXT Breakout Tournament semfinals. Hopefully it will be a fun show.
Here at Thomas HQ, I’m in overdrive on catching up with my movie-watching for 2023. That said, I started the week with a rewatch of Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour which is as good of an experience at home as it was in the theater. I also watched the Disney+ documentary Stan Lee, which was very hagiographic but also quite nostalgic, and the Gran Turismo movie which was enjoyable enough for a guy who doesn’t like racing or racing video games. The holiday horror film A Creature Was Stirring, on the other hand, had tons of ambition and some wild concept, but shot itself in the foot with a disaster of a third act and a denouement that strangled any remaining goodwill.
I did enjoy the holiday DC animated film Merry Little Batman on Prime Video, which was cute enough. Netflix’s new star-studded thriller Leave the World Behind had great performances and some creepy sequences, though calling the script “on the nose” is the overstatement of the year. And finally, I watched the boring-as-shit demonic “horror” film Nefarious, which I can let pass for proselytizing at me but can’t let pass for being just abjectly awful in every way.
On TV, I’m still watching Drag Race Canada season four and The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula season five, and began watching the true crime series 1990s: The Deadliest Decade which is…uneven, to say the best.
Anyway, we’re gonna have a lot to cover tonight so let’s hop right in.
As a reminder, the GoFundMe for Larry’s daughters is still active and if you can make a donation, that would be awesome. Thank you so much to everyone who’s done so thus far.
* We’re (not really) live in the Capitol Wrestling Center and starting off with Tiffy vs. Fallon!
Tiffany Stratton vs. Fallon Henley
They start getting physical at the bell, with Tiffany hitting a snapmare and coming off the ropes but getting rolled up for two. Fallon comes off the ropes but Tiff dodges the dropkick. Test of strength is cut off quickly by Tiff with a kick but Fallon cuts her off. Fallon slides out of the ring, Tiff catches her in the apron but Fallon escapes; they go back in the ring and Fallon goes up top but gets shoved to the floor.
Fallon takes over and brings it back inside for headslams into the turnbuckle, and a whip into the corner for a splash. She sends Fallon hard into the turnbuckle across the ring and mocks her, then chokes her against the middle rope and goes into the opposite rope for a hip smash, cover gets two.
Tiffany mocks Fallon and stomps on her. Fallon fights back but gets hit with an elbow, they trade shots and Henley is sent into the corner but she dodges a Tiffany splash. Fallon climbs up for a 9-count of punches before Tiff grabs her for a power bomb; Fallon counters with a rana. She comes off the ropes into a spinebuster from Tiff for two.
Stratton looking frustrated, she gets Fallon on her shoulders but Fallon down the back for two. They trade pin attempts and Fallon gets a roll-up for three!
Winner: Fallon Henley (3:56)
Rating: ** 1/4
Thoughts: Not much of a match due to the time, but what we got was fine. The feud must continue.
Tiff attacks Fallon after the bell and sends her to the outside, manhandling her on the booth before throwing her into the guardrail. She grabs Fallon by the hair and rags her to the back, tossing a table on her and rubbing a mop in her face and hair. She dumps the contents of a trash can on Fallon and officials get over there as Tiff mocks the downed Henley.
* Trick is backstage as Melo walks in. Trick congratulates Melo on the win on Smackdown, and Melo says he wants to apologize for accidentally hitting Trick last week. Trick says they’re good and accidents happen. He has a question for Melo though: did he really see who attacked him? Melo says no, but only Ilja ever hit him that hard. Melo suggests making the NXT Championship match at New Year’s Evil a triple threat. Trick asks why, he says they don’t have to fight and they’ll ensure a win. Trick isn’t sure; he says he won the Iron Survivor so he could get the title shot. Melo says it doesn’t matter who wins the title as long as they have it, and Trick says it does. He wants Ilja one-on-one like Melo did. Melo says he’s right and says Trick has to Whoop that Trick. Trick says he wants Melo to help him train and be at his side. Melo says all right.
* Ilja WALKS into the CWC.
* Back from break and the Mad Dragon is here! Ilja makes his way down to the ring in his suit with the NXT Championship and gets a mic. He says he doesn’t know how he got caught up in the Trick & Melo saga, and it almost feels like he’s the third wheel in a bad bromance movie, which was not on his 2023 bingo card. But moving to America was, as well as capturing the NXT Championship. He showed the world who he is: a human who uses his body as a weapon and sacrifices himself, butting every gram of himself in the ring because the championship deserves it. He starts talking about 2024 and Ridge Holland comes into the ring.
Ridge says he’s not here to cause problems or confusion, he needs to figure out who he is and where he’s going. He needs to rewrite his story so he’s back in NXT. Ilja asks what Ridge wants, and Ridge says he knows what it’s like to be weighed down by a stigma like Ilja is with Trick & Melo. Ridge says his career has been a series of unfortunate events, accident after injury, and he’s here to redeem himself. And Ilja can help him prove himself, find redemption and earn it. Because he needs to prove he can hang in the main event and the NXT Championship makes Ilja the measuring stick.
Ilja asks if Ridge is honestly asking for a title shot, and Ridge says he has too much respect for Ilja and NXT to come in asking for anything, even a title shot. He’s here to prove himself and will run through everyone backstage until they have this moment again. And when it happens, which is inevitable, it will be his honor. It’s the first chapter in the Redemption of Ridge Holland.
Ilja is tired of people getting in his face and questioning him. He says Ridge doesn’t need to wait, because he’ll find out where he stands tonight. Ridge extends his hand, Ilja takes it and they STARE.
* Lexis King is walking backstage saying he’s already the Breakout star of the year, and when he wins the tournament he’ll have the contract to prove it. His match is next.
* Ilja is walking backstage and Trick walks up, asking what the hell that was? Ilja says Ridge will find out where he stands and that he is challenge, and Trick is champion. And the champion dictates things. Trick says Ilja is champion… until New Year’s Evil.
Men’s NXT Breakout Tournament Match
Lexis King vs. Dion Lennox
Circle to start and King with a kick to the gut and a chop. He manhandles Lennox, then hits a clothesline in the corner, a chop and a boot choke for four. King argues with the ref and Dion fights back, but Lexis takes over and hits a kneelift off the ropes. Clothesline to the back of the head of Lennox.
King with a kick to the back of the head but Lennox is pissed. Kick to the chest, he no sells, stands and batters King. Off the ropes into a roll-up for two. Lennox runs Lexis over a couple of times and hits a dropkick Bodyslam and he charges at King in the corner for a BIG Stinger Splash. Suplex and a bridge for two.
King is out of the ring and grabs the contract to leave, but Dion grabs him and slams him into the apron. Another slam into the apron, they’re back in the ring and Lennox gets thrown shoulder-first in the corner. Coronation finishes it.
Winner: Lexis King (2:59)
Rating: N/A
Thoughts: RIP Dion Lennox.
Trey Bearhill comes out with a chair after the match, but King rolls out of the ring and says Trey hasn’t earned a shot yet. Trey helps Lennox up and holds his hand high.
* Eddy Thorpe says 2023 has been a trial of fire for him and put him in the fight of his life with Dijak. He says it’s been grueling for him and his family but he’s pushed on, and says that the universe has put them together again. It appears the ropes can’t contain them anymore. No ropes, no excuses; next week they finish it once and for all in NXT Underground.
Jacy Jayne & Thea Hail vs. Kiana James & Izzi Dame
Thea and Izzi start off the match, Thea with a waistlock into a headlock. SHot into the ropes, wheelbarrow armdrag by Thea. Izzi with an elbow to Thea and jaws with Jacy, but Thea hopes on her back. Izzi snapmares her over but Jacy gets the tag and trips Izzi, then covers for two.
Jacy with a couple of chops to Izzi but gets pushed into the corner. She dodges a splash and knocks Kiana off the apron, then counters a clothesline for a crucifix. Izzi holds on but is hit with an armdrag, Jacy rolls her up for two.
Irish whip reversed by Izzi, who hits a big lariat to Jacy. Kiana tags in and stomps on Jacy, talks trash to Thea and then hits Jacy with kneelifts. Off the ropes for a kick to the head, cover gets two. Kiana whips Jacy into the hostile corner and stomps her down, then tags in Izzi who whips Kiana into Jacy’s gut. Izzi puts Jacy on her shoulders for a facebuster, cover gets two.
Izzi with a chinlock to Jacy in the middle of the ring now, Jacy fights to her feet and rolls Izzi up. Izzy with a forearm, Jacy slides off Izzie’s back, double clothesline. Kiana tags in, she tries to stop Thea from getting the hot tag to no avail. Splash to Kiana in the corner and an Exploder suplex, a senton and a springboard back senton. She picks Kiana up, but Kiana with a shot to the throat. Bling tag to Izzi, Thea locks in an armlock but it’s on Kiana and Izzi comes in to flatten Thea for three.
Winner: Izzi Dame & Kiana James (4:52)
Rating: ** 1/2
Thoughts: A little rushed but fine. Thea and Jacy have developed a really good rapport as a team, I would love to see them get a stronger run and some momentum behind them.
* The women are backstage talking about how Kiana and Izzi are a good team, and Roxy says she’s not done with them. Arianna Grace says it’s about good sportsmanship, not wins and losses, and Roxy slaps her. Arianna cries and asks if she’s still pretty.
* Andre Chase is playing craps with OTM to win money as Duke Hudson watches. Chase is winning big, and Duke tells him to stop while he’s ahead. OTM mock him, and he suggests a match between him & Chase against Lima and Price. Chase gets double the money if he wins, and OTM gets a tag title match if they win. Chase says he can make it happen and Tony’s girl walks in and makes a call to Tony, saying they have a deal. Everyone leaves and Chase says next week they pay their debt in full. He rolls the dice once more and it would have been a loss.
* Dragon Lee comes down for the North American Title match, and we don’t know who he’s facing yet. Everyone steps back — it’s Charlie Dempsey.
BUT WAIT! Gallus approaches! Joe Coffey says he didn’t hear the bell yet and walks down to the ring, stepping inside. He tells Lee to make a decision as to who he faces, and Lee says it’s both of them!
NXT North American Championship Match
Dragon Lee vs. Charlie Dempsey vs. Joe Coffey
Lee starts battering both of them and rolls up Dempsey for two. Dempsey with a kneelift but gets put in the corner, he gets Lee on the apron but Lee with a kick to the head and then springboard rana into the corner! Lee goes to charge but Coffey hits him from behind, throws him into a boot from Dempsey.
Coffey takes down Dempsey and goes for a splash but Dempsey gets the knees up. Lee kicks Coffey and Gallus try to trip Lee up — Gallus has been tossed from ringside! Lee takes down Coffey and covers him, but Dempsey picks him up off Coffey for a suplex as we go to PIP break.
We’re back as Coffey is knocked to the floor as Dempsey gets Lee up for a superplex — but Coffey is right back in and hits a powerbomb/superplex combo! All three men slow to get up. Coffey and Dempsey are up and grab Lee for a whip into the ropes, he ducks and leaps onto Coffey while also rana-ing Dempsey. He leaps on Coffey in the corner and hits a springboard dropkick, then charges at Dempsey for a diving dropkick! One to Coffey too. Covers on both get two.
Coffey sends Lee into the corner but charges into a boot — so does Dempsey. Lee leaps for a double DDT, but they catch him for a double team suplex. Dempsey covers for two, Coffey breaks it up and covers, Dempsey breaks that up. They trade shots and my feed went wacky, but it comes back with Dempsey trying to German suplex Coffey. Lee leaps into the ring for a sunset flip but Coffey gets in the ring and they all go flying!
We’re now trading strikes between ll of them, Lee with a DDT that takes out Dempsey, he charges at Coffey but is popped up into a Euro uppercut. Pounce to Lee sends him into Dempsey, Coffey covers Lee for two. Coffey sets Lee on top of the turnbuckle and hits some chops, he goes up top but Lee trips him up into a Tree of Woe — double stomp to the chest! And Lee dives onto Dempsey! Big knee to Coffey gets a nearfall for the champ.
Lee dives onto Dempsey but Dempsey with an uppercut. They trade a couple of shots before Coffey leaps OVER the ropes onto them — and Joe Gacy is under the ring watching. Sure.
Coffey rolls Lee and Dempsey into the ring but gets pulled under by Gacy. Dempsey charges at Lee but gets kicked in the head! Lee with a crossbody but Dempsey with a fallaway slam into a bridge for two. Lee battles back, Operation Dragon finishes it.
Winner: Dragon Lee (12:05)
Rating: *** 1/4
Thoughts: The stupid Gacy stuff aside, this was a hell of a match as should have been expected.
After the match, Gulak and company attack but Joaquin Wilde and Cruz Del Toro are here! They clear the ring of the No Quarter Catch Crew. Oh, and Gacy fled the ringside area earlier.
* Trick isn’t pleased Ilja has taken the match with Holland, and he thinks if Holland wins it’ll be a triple threat at New Year’s Evil. Melo says that’s what he’s been talking about. Trick says he’s the man who should take him out, take that title off Ilja like no one has been able to do. Melo says he gets it, even though he clearly isn’t pleased with that phrasing.
* Cora Jade walks into the women’s locker room and says the savior of the women’s division is back — check that, the savior of all NXT. First step, pin the women’s champion. Second step: take her locker back. She pulls Karmen Petrovic’s name off her locker and dumps her jacket before leaving. Karmen comes in unhappy and Gigi Dolin says there’s only one way to deal with Cora.
Men’s NXT Breakout Tournament Match
Tavion Heights vs. Luca Crusifino
Tavion with a takedown into a cover for less than one to start. Tavion grabs Luca’s arm and twists it up, Luca counters and Tavion counters right back. Back elbow by Luca, Tavion fires back with a forearm. Luca blocks the waistlock and comes off the ropes into a spinning sidewalk slam for two.
Heights with a headlock into a waistlock, Luca stomps the foot to escape and hits a big right followed by a dropkick to the knee. Luca with a forearm to the back and then an Irish whip, but Tavion blocks it. They trade shots, Luca with a leaping neckbreaker for one. Irish whip and a hiptoss into a neckbreaker for two.
Luca batters Tavion against the ropes and into the corner, he slams Tavion in and whips him across the ring. He goes for a toss but Tavion counters and lays in the fists. Overhead belly to belly, followed by a release German suplex. Tavion blocks a kick and hits an Exploder suplex. One more spinning belly to belly and that’s it.
Winner: Tavion Heights (3:25)
Rating: ** 1/2
Thoughts: Too short to be rated much higher, but it was a nice hard-hitting affair and Heights has star intensity.
* We get a video package hyping Lyra Valkyria vs. Blair Davenport at New Year’s Evil. It talks about their having come from their homes and travelling before they made it to NXT, and never collided in a singles match before thanks to an injury to Lyra. They’re presented as opposites, with Lyra doing things “the right way” and beating Becky Lynch for the title while Blair chose the dark side by attacking her rivals. We get clips from Blair’s Iron Survivor win and then it sets up the question of who will win when they finally meet at NYE.
* Lyra is backstage when Nikkita walks up. She says she didn’t have a problem with creepy Tatum before last week when she put her hands on her. Nikkita says she will take care of her freak problem but says she came back for Blair, but also the NXT Women’s Title.
* Noam Dar is with Kelly Kincaid and in a holiday mood. Kelly asks about Briggs’ Heritage Cup Champion. Dar says he’s nothing if not giving, and the rest of the guys prop him up. Dar says Briggs has a Christmas miracle coming his way because he’ll defend the title against Briggs next week.
Nikkita Lyons vs. Tatum Paxley
Tatum lunges low at Nikkita, who blocks her with the splits and decks her. Tatum to the outside, Nikkita follows and swings but Tatum misses and Nikkita hits the steps. Back in the ring, Tatum stomps on the hand. Snapmare from Paxley and a diving shot to the forehead. She rolls Nikkita up for two.
Paxley goes in but gets rolled up for two, and she nails Lyons in the cut. Paxley works the hand, slamming it into the mat and dropping a knee and then an elbow drop on it. Cover gets two. Paxley right back to the hand to bend the joints back, Lyons gets to her feet and rolls Paxley up for two.
Paxley goes in but Lyons with a kick from her back. She hits a big kick and another, then lays in punches to the torso followed by a right to the head. Sitdown splash off the middle rope and a German suplex. Roundhouse and split-legged ledrop finishes it.
Winner: Nikkita Lyons (3:18)
Rating: ** 1/2
Thoughts: Perfectly fine squash match, Nikkita still looked good in the ring so that’s a plus.
* Tank and Hank are hyped because they have a shot against Gallus. Hank says body shots turn to knockouts. They hit first, they hit last.
* Fallon is backstage with Briggs and Jensen. Jensen asks if she’s okay and she says she’s embarrassed, humiliated and pissed off. She doesn’t see Tiff as a hard worker and she’s not done with her. She walks off and Brooks says he’s never seen her that pissed. They talk about the Heritage Cup Match next week and Jensen says he and Fallon will be there to counteract Meta-Four. Briggs says he needs to do it on his own and can’t explain it, but next week he needs to ride solo. Jensen says all right and wishes Briggs good luck.
Hank Walker & Tank Ledger vs. Gallus
Joe Coffey is a bit paranoid, looking around for Gacy. Hank starts against Mark and runs him over. Wolfgang gets the tag, Hank goes to work on him and they run the ropes. Tank runs over Wolfgang and gets a senton for one. Tank tags in but gets decked by Wolfgang, Mark in but gets caught with a wristlock and shoulderblock. Mark countered a third of those but is shot into the ropes and run over.
Hank tags in and they send Mark into the ropes for a shoulderblock. They send Wolfgang out of the ring, Hank with a headlock takedown to Mark. Mark back up, into the ropes and Wolfgang gets a blind tag, then trips Hank. Mark knocks Hank to the outside and Wolfgang shoves him into the ringpost.
Back in the ring, Hank goes for the tag but Wolfgang has blocked him. Mark Coffey distracts Tank from making the tag and Hank gets pulled to the hostile corner. Mark tags in and snapmares Hank, then sends him into the corner. Hank is fighting his way out but is hit with a forearm to the face. Hank sent into the corner but comes out with a forearm to Mark!
Hank goes for the tag but Tank is away from the tag rope, and Mark drops Hank for three.
Winner: Gallus (3:56)
Rating: ** 1/2
Thoughts: Extended squash match. Tank looked like a goof, but he is so that’s fine.
* Dijak is in his warehouse and mocks Eddy about NXT Underground. He says he put Eddy in the hospital in front of his family and now he wants to face Dijak in a match with hardly any rules? He acknowledges Dijak cut him last week, but then what happened? Dijak snapped the ring ropes and drove the buckle into Eddy’s ribcage, opening the injury back up. He says next week will be Thorpe’s lats match ever.
* Ridge Holland WALKS backstage. So does Ilja.
* Tiffany Stratton says it feels good to finally put Falon in her place where she should be: a servant to others. She would never set foot in Fallon’s trashy bar and she doesn’t belong in Tiff’s world. She says Fallon will always be trash no matter what. She calls for a match between them at New Year’s Evil and if she wins, Fallon becomes her servant.
Set For Next Week:
– NXT Underground Match: Eddy Thorpe vs. Dijak
– Men’s Breakout Tournament Semifinal Match: Lexis King vs. Riley Osborne
– Men’s Breakout Tournament Semifinal Match: Tavion Heights vs. Oba Femi
– NXT Heritage Cup Match: Noam Dar def. Josh Briggs
– Karmen Petrovic vs. Cora Jade
Ridge Holland vs. Ilja Dragunov
They go right into it, ILja with a headlock and is shot into the ropes. He collides with Ridge several times but Ridge back with a big kick. Ilja fires back but gets clotheslined to the mat. Bodyslam by Ridge but Ilja slips out the back for a waistlock, Ridge with a back elbow. Ilja gets sent into the ropes and spins through for a big lariat.
Ilja with rapid-fire shots to Ridge in the corner, he goes for one more but Ridge blocks it and hits a headbutt. Big boot blocked by Ilja who nails Ridge, he goes for a powerbomb but there’s too much weight and RIdge hits an Alabama Slam. Ilja back up and hits an enzuigiri, he locks in a waistlock and hits Germans. Ridge blocks the second but Ilja fires off a shot and then connects with it as we go to PIP break.
We’re back and Ilja is in control of Ridge, punishing him with kicks to the upper body. Chops send Ridge into the corner, Ridge fires back with a shot and then a kick between the shoulderblades before slamming him to the mat with a lariat. Ridge charges in for an avalanche and then hits another in another corner. Belly to back, cover gets two.
Ridge goes for the half and half, Ilja blocks it and hits some back elbows. He goes for the Constantine special and gets knocked to the outside. Ridge grabs Ilja on the apron and bends him back for some Brawling Brute forearms but pauses, and Ilja takes advantage until Ridge stops him and suplexes him — but Ilja counters with a DDT!
Ilja goes for the powerbomb but Ridge picks him up — Ilja with a sunset flip! H-Bomb follows, and Ilja goes for the powerbomb but Ilja with a back body drop. enzuigiri by Ilja, pump kick by Ridge, cover gets a nearfall. Ridge grabs Ilja and picks him up, but Ilja hits knees to the top of the head out of the suplex. Ridge with a bearhug, Ilja drops the elbows and Ridge counters with a modified brainbuster.
Ridge goes to cover and Ilja is down. The ref checks on Ilja and he’s not moving. (This is a work according to reports, by the way.) Ridge lokos beside himself in the corner and the match is over.
Winner: No Contest (10:49)
Rating: ***
Thoughts: Damn good match before the finish, but I am not okay with them using Ridge’s history of injuring opponents as an angle. It’s not fair to anyone and a little classless.
Dragunov is put on a backboard and stretchered out as Ridge looks on in anguish. Ugh.
And with that, we’re done for the night!
