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Hello, everyone and welcome to our live WWE NXT coverage on 411! I’m Jeremy Thomas, with you as always, and I hope y’all’s holiday season have been good ones. Tonight NXT closes out the year as it builds toward New Year’s Evil in a couple of weeks, and we have the North American Championship on the line with Wes Lee defending against Tony D’Angelo. In addition, Cora Jade will battle Wendy Choo as their rivalry heats up and Fallon Henley and Kiana James face off in a battle for Henley’s family bar. There’s a lot more sure to go on as well.

Here at Thomas HQ, I’ve been playing some catch-up to see some movies that might make my best and worst of lists for 2022 (while also just getting some other movie-watching in). That meant a ton of movies I saw in the past week, starting with Shudder’s Scare Package II: Rad Chad’s Revenge which was a fine if not great comedy-horror anthology. Bones and All was a wonderfully-made if somewhat meandering film that is toplined by two amazing performances from Timothee Chalamet and Taylor Russell; Don’t Worry Darling was so close to being good but was let down by a script that didn’t push as far as it needed to.

I loved Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, which is an absolute delight of a follow-up to Knives Out, and Spirited was a fun little holiday musical-comedy. Meanwhile, Netflix’s The School for Good and Evil and Senior Year were mediocre films that aren’t worst of the year contenders, but definitely left me wanting more. And I did my yearly holiday watch of Love Actually, which I will always adore. I also finally watched Wednesday, which just goes further to prove that Jenna Ortega is our rightful new queen of genre and I acknowledge her.

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.

* The Creeds are excited and had a good holiday season. Julius says that JD McDonagh is about to get a receipt. Meanwhile, JD says that he believes it’s always better to give than to receive, so he’s going to give Julius a loss.

JD McDonagh vs. Julius Creed

Circle and a lockup to start, JD with a headlock takedown. They break and go back into the lockup, JD with a takedown that Julius headscissors out of it. They slap and shove each other, Julius with a headlock. JD grabs the hair to escape but Julius reciprocates. Into the ropes, Julius takes down JD a couple times and a cover for two.

Julius keeps the headlock on as JD gets to his feet and arm twists out of it. Wristlock by JD, Julius tries to escape but gets put on the mat. Back to their feet, Julius springboards off the ropes out of it and dives at JD, but he moves and Julius goes outside. JD moves to attack but Julius grabs him and drops him onto the booth. He picks JD up and runs to the turnbuckle, but JD slides off the back and Julius collides. JD works on Julius against the ringpost as we go to PIP break.

We’re back with Creed powering out of a hold by JD and suplexing him to the mat. JD to the corner and kicks at Julius, but Julius slams JD to the mat. He picks JD up over his shoulder, JD slides out, Devil Inside countered into a high knee, Julius into the ropes and JD grabs him for a flipping slam.

JD starts slapping away at Julius, but the Creed Brother up to his feet and answers with his own punch followed by a German suplex. JD with a step-up enzuigiri and a brainbuster, cover for two.

JD goes up to the top, but he’s too slow and Julius leaps up! He goes for a suplex but JD blocks it and hits a headbutt. He goes for a moonsault but Julius moves, slam and a diving clothesline for three!

Winner: Julius Creed (9:53)
Rating: ***
Thoughts: Very crisp match between these two as we would expect. The result was a surprise as I don’t see Julius as a singles star, but it advances the Creeds vs. Indus Sher while JD isn’t in a feud.

Indus Sher appear after the match and say Julius has proven himself and they’ll face The Creeds at New Year’s Evil, where they’ll get the respect they deserve.

* McKenzie asks Tony D about how he’s feeling ahead of his title match. He says he feels great and has been waiting for this moment for a long time now. McKenzie asks about the looming threat of Dijak and Tony says Stacks took care of it last week. Stacks said Dijak won’t be an issue and implies he beat Dijak up. I doubt it.

* The Schism is here and Joe Gacy says he understands that their lifestyle is not accepted in NXT. They talk about Edris Enofe, Malik Blade, and Odyssey Jones and how they are trying to fill a void, but they wear masks of fake happiness and they see through the charade. Gacy says they have loyalty but they must continue to nuture their bond. Schism is four roots, one tree.

Cora Jade vs. Wendy Choo

Wendy runs down to the ring and goes right at Cora, sending her into the ropes and suplexing her. Cora escapes to the outside and tries to run, but Wendy takes it to Cora and slams her into the apron. Back into the ring, Cora escapes again and when Wendy goes after her Cora grabs her and pulls her out of the ring. She grabs her pipe and swings, but Wendy ducks and Cora hides the ringpost.

Wendy gets Cora back in the ring and takes it to her, but Cora dodges a charging kick in the corner. Double stomp to Wendy’s back and a cover for two.

Cora chokes Wendy against the ropes and then goes into the opposite ropes to drive into Wendy. She slams her down and covers for two again, then starts to work the shoulder over. Wendy tries to get up but gets taken to the mat, Cora wrenches the neck. Wendy gets to her feet and elbows out, she escapes a waistlock and hits a forearm. Two more, she tries to roll Cora up off the ropes but Cora hangs on and then hits a knee on a charging Wendy for two.

Full nelson from Cora, she slams Wendy into the corner and leaps in for a high knee, but Wendy catches her for a sit-out powerbomb for two! Both women slow to get up, they start trading shots again and Wendy takes over, floo9ring Cora with a lariat. Overhead belly to belly off the ropes, handspring elbow in the corner and a cover for two.

Wendy with a full nelson but Cora escapes and hit a a DDT for two. Cora screams in frustration and kicks at Wendy’s head, talking trash. Wendy with an inside cradle for two, but Cora with a kick. Wendy escapes and sends Cora face-first into the middle turnbuckle. Full nelson slam, Vader Bomb, cover for three!

Winner: Wendy Choo (6:12)
Rating: ** 1/2
Thoughts: Perfectly fine match that sold the animosity between these two. Given a little more time it could have been great, but everything here was solid. Wendy needed a win like this.

* Ikemen Jiro talks in the back about his jacket is what makes him #1 and how he’s just Jiro without it. So tonight, he will beat SCRYPTS and take back what’s his.

* Josh Briggs is hyping up Fallon Henley for her match with Kiana James, and Brooks is distracted. He says he’s on “her” side and has to clarify he means Fallon and not Kiana.

Ikemen Jiro vs. SCRYPTS

SCRYPTS goes after Jiro from the start but gets knocked to the outside, and Jiro dives onto him. He rolls SCRYPTS back in and starts battering him, getting in him the corner for kicks. SCRYPTS ends Jiro to the apron, Jiro with a sunset flip but SCRYPTS flips out and kicks Jiro before laying in some fists. Kicks to a downed Jiro, Irish whip and a kneelift to Jiro followed by a kick to the head off the ropes for two.

Headscissors submission to Jiro by SCRYPTS, Jiro is able to turn it around and SCRYPTS stands up for a chinlock. Jiro powers out and lays in fists, SCRYPTS fires back but gets sent into the corner. Back bodydrop from Jiro, palm strikes follow until SCRYPTS is groggy. BIG knee strike, cover for two.

Fireman’s carry by Jiro, SCRYPTS slides out and hits a back elbow. Corkscrew crossbody, SCRYPTS goes for a standing Shooting Star Press but Jiro moves. Kick to SCRYPTS in the corner, Jiro goes up but gets knocked down so he kicks SCRYPTS hard and goes back up. Superplex, but SCRYPTS fights out of it and pushes Jiro the mat. Somersault sit-down splash for the pin.

Winner: SCRYPTS (4:12)
Rating: ** 1/4
Thoughts: This was fine for a four-minute match, but I just don’t care about SCRYPTS yet at all.

* We get a vignette from Ora Mensah about his nightlife activities and how that energy can only be duplicated in the ring and he’s bringing that vibe to NXT.

* Alba Fyre says Isla Dawn’s attacks on her have awakened a barbaric nature in her soul, and they’ll see who laughs last because anything goes next week between them.

Lash Legend vs. Lyra Valkyria

Lash with a kneelift to start the match, she grabs Lyra and throws her across the ring. Lyra up in the corner, Lash leaps in with a Stinger Splah. Elbow drop to the back of the neck, cover for two.

Lash picks Lyra up, but Lyra lays in some kicks and a headlock. Lash throws her off, Lyra comes off the ropes with a couple body blocks, she ducks a knee and then takes Lash down. Lash to the outside, Lyra with a diving dropkick through the ropes. Lash recovers and pulls Lyra off the apron, chop to her chest. She rolls Lyra in and covers for two again.

Lash talks some trash and Lyra gets up, nailing some kicks. She comes off the ropes with a crossbody but Lash catches her and hits a swinging backbreaker. Lash with a handspring moonsault but Lyra moves and nails some kicks, clothesline off the ropes and then a secong one. Lyra with a tilt-a-whirl DDT that was a bit awkward, roundhouse kick follows. Lyra to the top, frog splash for three.

Winner: Lyra Valkyria (3:30)
Rating: **
Thoughts: Not great. It was too short and thus rushed, they didn’t click very well either. Lyra winning was clear.

* Gigi talks with Jacy about how they built the greatest women’s faction in WWE. They talk around Mandy’s loss and Jacy says the eyes haven’t shifted from the attraction of WWE. Gigi says everyone wants to know what they’ll do, and that they’ll rebuild, reconstruct and return to glory. It starts with taking down Roxanne Perez.

* McKenzie asks Bron Breakker about last week when Grayson Waller tricked Bron into spearing him with a Bret Hart trick. Bron says he’s going to the ring to call Grayson out, but McKenzie says Grayson isn’t here. Waller has a video where he mocks Bron and says he’s home in Australia where he’s prepping for their match at New Year’s Evil. He may be biased, but he says there’s no more beautiful view in the world. He toasts Bron and talks about the Sydney Opera House and how a real superstar has shown up. “Australia, you’re welcome.”

He’s next at the beach where he has a swim and says that people are wondering how he can beat Bron? This is how. He’s taking care of his mind and his body, and at New Year’s Evil he’s taking care of Bron. He says he sacrificed all of this to come to NXT and it will be worth it when he becomes NXT Champion. Waller says he’ll be there next week and they can sign the contract in person on the Grayson Waller Effect.

Bron destroys the TV, grabs his title and storms out.

Schism vs. Edris Enofe, Mailk Blade & Odyssey Jones

Gacy and Blade start out and lock up, Blade with a headlock. Gacy picks him up, Blade flips out and they jockey on the ground before breaking up. Off the ropes, Gacy with a wheelbarrow suplex countered into a roll-up, but Gacy escapes and sends Blade into hostile territory where Reid tags in. Blade takes him down and tags in Edris, tandem offense and Edris with a cover for one.

Red shoves Edris into the Schism corner, Fowler tags in and decks Edris down. Suplex and a cover for one, kneeling chinlock and when Edris gets to his feet he gets a shot to the back. Edris dodges a charge off the ropes and hits a dropkick on Fowler. Jones tags in, Fowler off the ropes and Jones runs him over.

Blade tagged in, Jones bodyslams Fowler, Blade with a splash off Jones’ shoulder All six men in the ring staring off as we go to break.

We’re back with Fowler having put Blade in a chinlock. Meanwhile, Ava Raine walks over to Booker and says that Schism is the definition of living your best life. Okay. Blade gets to his feet but gets knocked into the hostile corner — he fights his way out and goes for a tag, but Fowler blocks it and Reid enters for a cheap shot.

Blade manages to go over Reid and under Fowler to tag Jones in! Jose tags it to both DYad members and hits a double sidewalk slam! Enofe tags in, top rope elbow drop and a cover but Gacy breaks it up. just repeatedly dives through the ropes onto Jones until he goes down, Enofe hits a springboard knee to the jaw of Reid inside the ropes. He goes up for a superplex but Gacy tags in. He gets Enfore on his shoulder, Fowler gets Blade on his — double Doomsday Device! Gacy wipes out Enfore for the pin.

Winner: Schism (11:18)
Rating: ** 3/4
Thoughts: Sold match with some fun moments. It wasn’t an all-time great, but it entertained for its bell-to-bell time.

* Kiana James WALKS backstage, as does Fallon Henley.

* KcKenzie asks Melo and Trick about their matches next week. Trick says he has Axiom next week and Axiom can fly, flip and everything else, but he can’t beat Trick. Melo says that there’s one man standing in his way of a NXT Championship match and that’s Apollo Crews, who can move or get moved, and he’d rather move him.

Battle For the Bar
Fallon Henley vs. Kiana James

Some trash talking, Kiana gets some shots in to start. Wristlock to Henley and Kiana yanks the arm, but Henley reverses it. Henley off the ropes for a back elbow, they go into the ropes again and Henley runs Kiana over. She drops Kiana on her ass and kicks her in the back, Kaiana crawls to the ropes and Henley goes for the sliding uppercut which Kiana briefly blocks with the ring skirt before getting decked.

Back in the ring, James takes over in the corner and hits a short-arm clothesline for two. Whip into the corner, Kiana with a shot and several kicks. She backs up and charges right into an elbow, but Kiana back in control and hits a fireman’s carry slam for two.

Bodyscissors by Kana in the center of the ring to grind Henley down. Henley rolled to her shoulder for two, then back into the bodyscissors. Henly manages to back Kiana’s shoulders into the mat for two. Kiana talks some trash after the break and they start trading big shots, Henley takes over and hits a clothesline. Charging elbow in the corner and a facebuster off the ropes for two.

Henley off the ropes but Kiana with a shot to the ribs, she nails a gutbuster for two. Kiana grabs Henley by the hair, talks shit but Henley with a shot off the ropes. Big knee off the ropes for three.

Winner: Fallon Henley (5:12)
Rating: ** 1/4
Thoughts: This was an okay match, noting was wrong here per se. But it was also too short and anti-climactic for a match with supposedly big stakes.

* Roxy is with McKenzie and she still isn’t used to being champion, but she knows the honeymoon period won’t last and she knows she could lose the title quickly. She puts over the brand’s past champions, saying they’ll be HOFers and she’s nowhere close so she needs to live up to the title’s history. She doesn’t take that pressure lightly and will do what she can to represent the title.

* Isla Dawn says she and Alba are really having fun now. She knows Alba has evil inside her and she’s having fun dragging it out of her. Alba’s challenge for next week proves that.

* Drew Gulak is out for the Drew Gulak Invitational with Hank Walker there to observe with three competitors in the ring. Drew says that one of the first lessons in NXT is that you face competitors of all different experience levels. The first guy is Luka, and Drew asks him to turn around and relax. He demonstates a chicken wing and then cinches it in tightly for a second.

Luka is done and Drew points out that he released as soon as Luka tapped. Next up is Tavian who is an amateur wrestler, so they roll around and jockey for position. Drew says all it takes is the right opening as he takes control and locks in a leglock. Tavian taps.

Finally, Miles Borne is up. They shake hands and lockup, Miles with a waistlock which turns into some counterwrestling. Miles gets Drew on the mat but Drew turns it into a dragon sleeper and doesn’t let go until Hank tells him to break it up.

And here comes Charlie Dempsey! Dempsey comes to the ring with a mic. He says of Gulak wants to step up to a real wrestler, how about he give Gulak a run for his money? Gulak says he wasn’t invited, and Walker says it’s just an exhibition. Dempsey says he’s making an example out of Drew’s student next week. Gulak says Walker will be ready.

* Tony D and Stacks WALK backstage, as does Wes Lee.

Set For Next Week:
– Grayson Waller & Bron Breakker contract signing for New Year’s Evil
– Trick Williams vs. Axiom
– Carmelo Hayes vs. Apollo Crews
– Extreme Resolution Match: Alba Fyre vs. Isla Dawn

WWE NXT North American Championship Match
Wes Lee vs. Tony D’Angelo

Lockup to start, Tony shoves Wes down and talks trash. Lockup and another shove back, Tony says Wes is embarrassing himself. Lee with a couple shots, but Tony with a belly-to-belly release suplex and a German suplex for two. Tony stomps Wes in the corner, more trash talking. Waistlock by Tony but Wes grabs onto the ropes. Tony pulls him free, German suplex but Wes flips out of it and hits a dropkick. Whip into the ropes, they go back and forth, lee with a rana sending Tony into the corner where a charging Euro uppercut is followed by repeated body shots.

Tony rolls out of the ring and Stacks tells him to sweep the leg. Ha. Tony back in, Wes dodges a dive for the leg and grapples Tony with a front facelock. He wears Tony down to a knee, back up to their feet, Tony puts Wes in the corner and nails a right hand followed by bodyshots and shoulder thrusts. Whip to Lee across the ring, he hits the corner hard. Tony charges in for a kick but Lee dodges and then snaps the leg. Kick o the head, standing Shooting Star Press, he goes to cover but Tony rolls out of the ring. Lee dives over the top and wipes Tony out as we go to PIP break.

We’re back with Tony locked into a side headlock. He gets to his feet and backs Wes into the corner. Wes ducks a punch and Lee hits a few kicks, but Tony grabs the leg and suplexes Lee hard into the corner. Tony with stomps to Lee, he pulls him into a mount and lays in some punches until the ref backs him off.

Tony picks Wes up for a backbreaker and presses Wes down over his knee. He drops Wes and covers for two. Tony talks some shit and grabs Wes’ arm for a wristlock, short-arm clotheslines and an elbow drop for two.

Tony goes for the leg with some elbowdrops, and he stands up to snap the leg back. Tony grabs Wes up by his hair, Wes fights back but gets knocked back to the mat. Tony back to another elbowdrop to the leg, and he loegs the leg into a submission. More elbows to the leg and back into the kneebar, Lee punches his way out of it.

Tony picks Wes up and drops him down, Wes falls out of the ring. Tony follows and grabs Wes for held bodyshots, followed by a front suplex into the commentary desk. Wes rolled in, cover, two.

Tony’s getting frustrated now. He grabs Wes and goes for a fisherman’s suplex, but Wes counters out into a DDT. Both men slot to get to their feet, Lee with a dropkick to Tony’s knee and then a kick there. Strikes to Tony’s head and body, Euro uppercut off the ropes. Continued strikes in the corner, he climbs up for mounted punches but Tony grabs him and nails a powerbomb. Tony slowly gets over and sets up the knee, he goes to the middle rope and DIJAK IS HERE! He grabs Stacks and Tony is distracted. Lee with a handspring Pele kick for three.

Winner: Wes Lee (14:50)
Rating: *** 1/4
Thoughts: They had time to tell a story here and it paid off. Tony worked well against Lee here and looked very good, though the time was obviously not now for Tony. Good match, and one that didn’t hurt Tony at all.

And with that, we’re done for the night!