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Hello everyone, and welcome to our live WWE NXT coverage right here on 411! Jeremy Thomas here with you as ever, and tonight NXT is a week away from its big New Year Evil special. There’s plenty planned for next week, but tonight has some fun stuff for us as well as Dijak and Eddy Thorpe will do battle to settle their differences in NXT Underground. We’ll also see Cora Jade’s return to the ring as she faces off with Karmen Petrovic after Jade stole Karmen’s locker last week. And Josh Briggs will challenge for the NXT Heritage Cup as he takes on Meta-Four leader Noam Dar. It sounds like a fun show as we bide our time for next week.

Here at Thomas HQ, I had an extremely productive movie-watching week. I got caught up on a lot of late 2023 releases I needed to including The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes which I found myself liking way more than I expected, the well-acted but otherwise-disappointing Priscilla, and Rebel Moon – Part One: A Child of Fire which is Zack Snyder’s awful attempt to make a Star Wars version of Seven Samurai without capturing either of those classics’ quality. I had never seen Good Burger so I watched that before watching Good Burger 2; they’re not my thing at all, though I didn’t hate either of them by any stretch.

Saturday was a day at the movie theaters and I saw a trio of films in Poor Things and The Iron Claw, both of which are phenomenal in their own right, plus Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom which ended the DCEU with a bad CGI-laden whimper. I also saw the romcom Anyone But You which wasn’t great by any stretch but worked quite well as a 2000s-style throwback romantic comedy and gets by on the strength of its two leads. Finally I watched the OTHER wonderful wrestling drama Caasandro, the lackluster documentary The History of Metal and Horror (dragged down by its weird framing short film-esque story) and my annual holiday watch of Love Actually.

On TV, I’m staying caught up on Drag Race Canada season four, and caught an episode of the new season of Marvel’s What If…? which kept up the high quality of the first season.

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) live in the Capital Wrestling Center and ready for our first match, with Stacks and Tony D watching from the podium.

Chase U vs. Out The Mud

Chase starts with Price, lockup and Chase gets pushed to the ground. Lock back up, Chase gets shoved back to the mat again. Third time and Chase goes for a waistlock into a headlock, shot into the ropes and comes off into a bodyslam, but he floats over and hits a couple dropkicks. Duke tags in and they send Price back into the turnbuckle, then Duke takes over with a punch and goes for the bodyslam. Price blocks it and they start slugging, Duke takes over with shoulderblocks and tags in Chase for a double axehandle off the top. Duke tags back in for a shot to the arm and then a wristlock, Chase in and hits a drop toehold followed by an elbow from Andre for a two count.

Price manages to turn it around with a back kick and tags in Nima, who batters Chase with back elbows in the corner. He jumps on Chase’s back and covers for two. Big right from Bronco and then a boot choke on the middle rope for four. Nima gets Chase in the hostile corner and tags in Price, who trips Chase so Nima can hit a charging knee.

Price stomps on Chase’s hand, but Chase fights back until he’s driven into the corner. Price lies in wait on the mat and charges in for a BIG corner clothesline. Nima tags in and locks in a half chinlock, then sends Chase into the corner. Chase escapes and goes for the tag, he’s caught but manages to roll through for the hot tag to Duke! Duke on fire and big boots Price, he batters Nima with Chase U jabs and a Dusty Elbow. Price picked up for a DVD onto Nima, and SCRYPTS is on the apron but gets thrown out by Duke.

Chase tags himself in and goes up top but Price ducks and levels Chase with a boot. Big spinebuster, cover gets three.

Winner: Out The Mud (6:06)
Rating: ** 1/2
Thoughts: Solid if unremarkable match with a predictable outcome. OTM is developing well enough, the story here is Chase U losing yet again.

* The first NXT Year-End Award is for Tag Team of the Year, which is The Creed Brothers. Yep, that makes sense. Female Superstar of the Year is Tiffany Stratton which also makes sense. Male Superstar of the Year: Ilja Dragunov. Yep.

* Melo walks up to Trick and says it’s messed up what happened to Ilja Dragunov last week. Trick asks if Ilja will make it to next week, and he says nothing can keep Ilja down. Trick is thinking about pushing the match back so he can have Ilja at 100%, and Melo says he needs to take his shot. Trick asks if Melo doesn’t think he can beat Ilja at 100%, and Melo pivots to say people won’t remember down the line that what condition Ilja was in. He tells Trick to take his shot.

NXT Heritage Cup Match
Noam Dar vs. Josh Briggs

Round One

Briggs and Dar lock up, Dar gets shoved onto his ass. Back up and he gets thrown right back to the mat, he’s back up and calls for a test of strength but Briggs is too tall so Dar slaps him. Briggs lunges, Dar ducks and lays in some strikes but Briggs launches him.

Dar dodges into the corner, Briggs swings but Dar ducks. He still gets knocked down but he comes back and hits a throat thrust — but Briggs lays into Dar and covers for two. Briggs goes right into a single-leg crab, Dar tries to escape and eventually gets to the rope.

Briggs stomps on Dar and then picks him up for a clothesline, Dar floats over but Briggs off the ropes with a pounce for two. Dar in the corner, Briggs throws him across the ring, Briggs picks him up for a powerbomb but the time runs out and saves Dar.

Round Two (0 – 0)

Dar charges in but gets caught, Dar escapes and comes off the ropes into Boss Man slam for two. Powerbomb attempt but Dar counters into a dragon sleeper! Briggs powers out and puts Dar on the top of the corner, Dar with a shot to Briggs but gets picked up for a chokeslam — but Dar with a triangle choke! Briggs picks him up for a buckle bomb, BIG clothesline for a pinfall. And we’re off to PIP break.

Round Three (1 – 0 Briggs)

We’re back at the end of round three, Dar has been in control this round but it’s on the outside, Dar hits a Nova Roller on the outside off the guardrail to end the round.

Round Four (1 – 0 Briggs)

Dar charges in quickly with a big kick, then comes off the ropes of another. Dar up top for a diving shot to the back of the head and then off the ropes to take Briggs down for two. Dar lays in some shots but comes off the ropes and gets nailed by Briggs, big slam gets two.

Briggs charges into a boot and Dar goes up top for a knee to the elbow. Elbow from Dar and he knocks Briggs down for a modified ankle lock. Briggs pushes Dar’s shoulders to the mat for two bit Dar holds on until Briggs punches out of it. Dar is battering Briggs with elbows, he moves in but is hit with a knockout punch. Lash on the apron and nails Briggs in the back of the head with a bucket, Dar covers for two. Ora Mensah in with the bucket but Dar and Briggs battle for it, Briggs grabs it and nails Dar for a DQ.

Winner: Noam Dar
Rating: ** 3/4
Thoughts: They had something going there until the DQ finish. It’s a cheap way out and another example of the Meta-Four Heritage Cup formula, but this was at least slightly different than the norm and suggests Briggs’ battle with Dar may not be over. I’m down with that.

* Axiom and Nathan Frazer talk about Ilja winning Male Superstar of the year and are not pleased they didn’t win, but they’re happy for the year NXT had. Frazer talks about how at least Bron Breakker didn’t win and how he’s always angry but doesn’t have anything to be angry about. Of course, Bron is right behind him.

Bron tells Frazer to slow down and think. Frazer tells Bron that he’s happy to say it to his face, and that leads to a match. Bron leaves and Frazer tells Axiom he could have warned him; Axiom says he was winking.

Cora Jade vs. Karmen Petrovic

Cora talks trash to start and shoves Karmen, who tries to talk and gets shoved again. Lockup, Karmen with a back kick but gets shoved into the corner. Shoulders to the gut, Karmen goes up and over but gets send back into the corner where Cora charges into her. Karmen to the middle rope where Cora comes off the rope for a back elbow to the back of the neck.

Karmen sent across the ring into the turnbuckle and drops to the mat. Cora stomps on her, Karmen fights back but gets leveled. Karmen punching back but gets knocked down, Cora slams her head into the mat. Cora grabs Karmen and talks trash before coming off the ropes for a double stomp but Karmen moves and trips Cora. Cora charges into a big boot, Karmen with clotheslines and then a kick in the corner. Spinning roundhouse to a downed Cora for two.

Cora manages to trip Karmen into the ropes and hits a DDT for three.

Winner: Cora Jade (3:05)
Rating: ** 1/4
Thoughts: Perfectly decent squash match to give Cora a win.

Cora goes after Karmen after the match but Gigi runs down to make the save. Cora bails and laughs coming down the ramp.

* Earlier today: Dijak survived the NXT parking lot.

NXT Men’s Breakout Tournament Match
Lexis King vs. Riley Osborne

Circle and King in with an armlock, Riley counters out of it into a wristlock. Some counterwrestling between them as Trey Bearhill walks down the ramp. King with a headbutt to Riley against the ropes and he notices Trey, the distraction allows Riley to take over. Back elbow by Riley and he leaps into the corner but King kicks him, springboard legdrop and a single-leg crab by King. Osborne tries to fight through and the Chase U support allows him to counter through.

Monkey flip by Osborne, he takes King down and hits a standing moonsault for two. He pulls King up but gets slapped, Riley responds with a chop to the chest. King with a backbreaker and a straitjacket backstabber for two.

King lays in the mounted punches, he picks Riley up and puts him on the top. Big punch but Riley fires back, King takes over and climbs — Trey distracts him and King gets knocked to the mat. Shooting Star Press finishes it!

Winner: Riley Osborne (3:44)
Rating: ** 1/2
Thoughts: Decent match for three and a half minutes, the finish advances some storylines so I’m okay with it.

Trey in the ring now with King, who swings but gets blocked. Trey nails King and goes to town on him, he sends King into the ropes but King bails to the floor and up the ramp.

* NXT Match of the Year is revealed, which was Carmelo Hayes vs. Ilja Dragunov at NXT No Mercy. Moment of the Year is the Undertaker’s appearance back from October when he chokeslamed Bron Breakker.

* Eva is asked about Ilja Dragunov’s condition. She says no one has heard from him all week but he’s on his way here to decide if next week’s match will still happen.

Nathan Frazer vs. Bron Breakker

Frazer and Bron stare off and circle, lockup and Frazer backed into the corner. Bron pats Frazer’s head and gets shoved, Frazer ducks a lunch and applies a headlock but gets thrown to the mat. Back up, headlock by Frazer, shot into the ropes and another headlock. Back suplex, he lands on his feet and a headlock again. Bron shoots him into the ropes, Frazer runs the ropes from all angles but gets knocked down with a body block.

Baron Corbin is watching in the back as Frazer with a waistlock but gets thrown off. Headlock takedown by Frazer and another one, Bron back to his feet again and picks Frazer up to throw him hard into the corner. Bron grabs Frazer and whips him across the ring, Frazer flips onto the mat hard. Bron with a knee choke for four and then a whip across the ring, Frazer hits the corner and comes out only to get slammed back into it. Bron knocks Nathan down and sets up for a suplex, Frazer floats over and Bron into the ropes, Frazer into the ropes as well and hits a kick to Bron, sending him out of the ring as we go to break.

We’re back as Bron gets Frazer on his shoulders for a double knee gutbuster, cover gets two. Frazer picked up and put in the corner for some trash talking and a throw across the ring. Bron grabs Frazer and picks him up, Frazer fights back but is chucked with a release German, cover gets two-plus.

Bron grabs Frazer and bends him backward on the mat around his knee. Inverted front facelock but Frazer escapes and hits a jawbreaker. Bron right back on Nathan and walks into a couple kicks to the head, he yanks Frazer off the ropes but Frazer lands on his feet and kicks Bron in the chin. Frazer unleashes strikes, Bron charges in but Frazer sends him through the ropes. Nathan dives through the ropes onto Bron! He lies in wait and charges with a front dropkick sending Bron into the steps!

Frazer rolls Bron in and climbs up to the top! He leaps for a crosbody — Bron catches him with a powerslam! Cover gets a nearfall. Bron now lying in wait, Frazer up, Bron charges INTO A SUPERKICK! Cover gets a nearfall. Frazer up top, he leaps for the Phoenix Splash but Bron moves — SPEAR! That’s it.

Winner: Bron Breakker (11:42)
Rating: *** 1/2
Thoughts: Great work here, they used their style clash well and absolutely clicked in the ring. Curious to see where Frazer (and Bron for that matter) go from here.

* Drew Gulak says that he’s learned the hard way that you have to do things XXX in WWE, and says that Dragon Lee and the LWO are going to pay. They all deliver quick threats and Gulak says they’re challenging Lee, Wilde and Cruz to a six-man tag match at New Year’s Evil. He says NXT is about to become a no-fly zone.

* Jensen and Henley walk up to Briggs and said he almost had it, and maybe if they were out there it would have been different but that’s not what he wanted. He says Briggs helped him and he can see that Briggs wants to become a singles guy. He says Fallon should accept Tiffany’s challenge, and she says she’d like to see Tiffany become her servant. Briggs says he loves them, and Fallon says it’s over. Jensen says one last time, and they put their hand together. Jensen says they’re his family, and they split leaving Jensen by himself. Huh.

* Arianna thanks Ava for her time and tells her about the tragedy in the locker room last week where she was viciously attacked by Roxy. She still has a mark and fortunately has good bone structure, but that doesn’t excuse Roxy. She suggests Roxy be enlisted in anger management courses, and Ava says the next step for Roxanne is a match with Grace at New Year’s Evil. Grace asks how Roxy took the rejection, but the match has been made.

* We get a face-to-face with Blair Davenport and Lyra Valkyria for next week’s match, with Megan Morant moderating. Blair is asked why it took so long and Blair says Lyra blew her knee out in NXT UK. Lyra counters that Blair has been avoiding her and points out how she’s not like Blair, who had to attack people in the parking lot.

Davenport says that she did it because she had to make people pay attention, and Lyra points out that Nikkita Lyons came back and attacked her. Blair says she won the Iron Survivor challenge and Lyra wishes anyone else had won. Lyra counters that to the contrary, she welcomes the competition.

Megan asks both what will happen at New Year’s Evil. Lyra knows Davenport will do anything to win the title and wants the title to be named champion, but Lyra says she wants it because it proves she’s the best. Blair counters that she saw Lyra rise and she will be the reason for her fall.

NXT Men’s Breakout Tournament Match
Oba Femi vs. Tavion Heights

Lockup to start, Heighrs backed up but he transitions to a waistlock. Femi with a back elbow, Heights grabs Femi’s leg and Femi gets to the ropes before kicking Tavion free. Tavion off the ropes and yanks Femi to the mat, but Femi takes over and Heights some mounted punches, followed by a stomp and cover for two. Femi with a backbreaker, cover gets two.

Femi decks Tavionm in the corner and knocks him down with an elbow to the back of the head. He continues to batter Heights and then locks in a wristlock before laying in the punches and kicks. Heights sent into the corner, Heights hits a back elbow but Femi ducks a swing and picks Heights up to toss him. Femi takes aim and comes in for a charging Euro uppercut for two.

Femi locks in a sleeper, Tavion to his feet and elbows out but Femi takes over — Heights gets Femi on his shoulders! DVD! Heights with a German suplex and then a release belly to belly! Femi escapes to the outside, Tavion follows and rolls Femi in. He grabs Femi but Femi with a big clothesline counter. Femi sends Tavion into the ropes and picks him up to drop him. Pop up powerbomb finishes it.

Winner: Oba Femi (4:08)
Rating: ** 1/2
Thoughts: Big man match with some technical wrestling in there as well.

Femi stares at the contract and Riley comes out to say he needs it. Femi says he needs it too. Finals are next week.

* Ilja walks through the parking lot in a neck brace and says he’s looking out for Trick.

* We get a recap of last week’s tasteless angle with Ridge and Ilja. Ridge has apologized on social media and told Ilja to get well soon. He’ll speak next week.

Joe Gacy vs. Joe Coffey

The bell rings and they lock up, break and then lock back up. They trade shots, Coffey shot into the ropes and he collides with Gacy but he doesn’t go down. Gacy with a dropkick and a senton, but Coffey sends Gacy to the outside. Gacy tells Vic that he’s Joe Gacy and to remember it, Gallus distracts Gacy and Coffey dives onto him through the ropes. Stomps to Gacy and Coffey shouts at the announcers.

Back in the ring, Coffey hits a backbreaker on Gacy and then hits a Vader bomb on Gacy for two. He back stomps on Gacy in the corner, but Gacy gets back up and charges in for fists to the face. Whip into the ropes, Gacy runs Coffey over a couple times and hits a back suplex. Whip into the corner and a back bodydrop by Gacy. Coffey to the outside and Gacy dives over the ropes onto Coffey, then rolls him in.

Gacy with a uranage, cover gets two-plus. Gallus are up on the apron but Hank and Tank pulls them down and brawl. In the ring, Coffey with a Glasgow Sendoff, Gacy ducks a clothesline and hits the Upside Down for three.

Winner: Joe Gacy (3:44)
Rating: ** 1/2
Thoughts: Gacy has always been solid if not great in the ring, and that was not different here. If he had a character that made any sense, that would help him a lot but this was fine.

* Megan asks the LWO and Lee about the No Quarter Catch Crew’s challenge and they say yes. Wilde says that they can’t let NQCC diss their style. Elektra Lopez walks in and they commiserate. Cruz says they’re proud of her, and she introduces Lola Vice who is less than interested in the matter.

Set For Next Week:
– NXT Women’s Title Match: Lyra Valkyria vs. Blair Davenport
– Ranch Hand/Servant For a Day Match: Tiffany Stratton vs. Fallon Henley
– Dragon Lee & LWO vs. Three Members of No Quarter Catch Crew
– Roxanne Perez vs. Arianna Grace
– NXT Championship Match (maybe?): Ilja Dragunov vs. Trick Williams

NXT Underground
Dijak vs. Eddy Thorpe

Thorpe with a big knee and a German suplex followed by a submission attempt. Dijak blocks it and Eddie transitions to an armbar, but Dijak blocks it and gets to his feet, stomping on Thorpe. Dijak goes for fists but Eddy dodges and gets to his feet, kicks to Dijak and a German suplex.

Eddy goes for an elbow but it gets blocked, Dijak goes for a chokeslam but Eddie with a triangle choke. Dijak picks him up into a powerbomb to break it up. Dijak rains down fists to Thorpe, then gets him to his knees and talks some shit. Eddie with a headbutt to counter, but gets thrown into the ringpost and we’re on PIP break.

We’re back and Dijak charges across the ring and cannonball dives onto Eddy on the outside. He throws Eddy back onto the ring surface and grabs him, going for a shot but Eddy blocks it. Eddy with a big kick to the head and a German suplex. Kicks from THorpe, Dijak throws him off but Thorpe right back on him with a waistlock. Dijak swings, Eddy ducks and hits a brainbuster.

Eddy locks in a sleeperhold on Dijak, who gets to his feet with Eddy on his back. Dijak drops on his back to break the hold. Dijak mounts Thorpe’s back and batters him, then pulls him up into a sleeper. Eddy gets to his feet and snampares Dijak off, but Dijak with a spinning boot. Both men slow to get up, Dijak with another spinning kick. The ref checks Eddy but he waves him off, Dijak goes in but eats a kick to the head! Eddy grabs Dijak in a waistlock, Dijak is trying to elbow out — Eddy batters Dijak and hits a German out of the ring, but Dijak manages to land on his feet! GTS by Dijak!

The official says Eddy is up and Dijak loses it, attacking a number of the guys around the ring. He goes to charge at Eddy but Eddy with a back bodydrop onto the apron. The ref checks on both of them, Eddy is getting into the ring but Dijak has the strap around his hand. Dijak swings — Eddy blocks it! He hits Manifest Destiny!

Eddy is up and has the strap, he starts beating whipping Dijak with it! Repeated blows and then he locks in the sleeper! Dijak gets to his feet, he charges and slams Eddy into the ringpost. Dijak picks Eddy up and goes for Hard Justice, he gets Eddy up — Eddy turns it into a rana to send Dijak out of the ring! Eddy with the elbowdrop to the floor! Eddy with Manifest Destiny! The ref checks — Djiak yells “DON’T STOP IT!”

Dijak to his feet and Eddy jumps on his back. Djiak slams him back into the apron but Eddy holds on…into the post but Eddy still holds on! Into the guardrail, Eddy has it locked in and cranks it! Dijak slowly gets to his feet with Thorpe on his back, he goes up the ring steps next to the booth and goes to drop back onto the booth — Eddy tightens it up. Dijak is still in it so Eddy hits Manifest Destiny THROUGH the table! Eddy is moving, he’s up and the ref checks Dijak — he’s out!

Winner: Eddy Thorpe (15:48)
Rating: *** 1/4
Thoughts: I don’t like this gimmick and never have, but they used it well. It looked brutal and felt brutal. Eddy winning was the right call.

* Ilja and Trick are at a table together. Trick asks if Ilja can strap up the boots for next week, because he’s not holding back. Trick signs the contract, and says they can push the match if they need more time. Ilja says unfortunately, nothing and no one can stop him. He pulls the brace off and signs the contract. The match is on. They stand up, stare off and shake hands.

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