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Join 411’s Live WWE NXT New Year’s Evil Coverage

January 4, 2022 | Posted by Jeremy Thomas
WWE NXT New Year's Evil Tommaso Ciampa vs. Bron Breakker Image Credit: WWE

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Hello NXT fans and non-fans alike! We’re in a new year, and with 2022 comes New Year’s Evil for NXT. I’m Jeremy Thomas, here as always, and tonight we have the NXT’s latest special episode. We have a big show tonight (and one with limited commercial interruptions, natch!) as Bron Breakker goes after the Tommaso Ciampa and NXT Championship for a second time. In addition, Mandy Rose will defend the NXT Women’s Championship against Cora Jade and Raquel Gonzalez, while the Cruiserweight Championship and North American Championship will be unified with either Roderick Strong or Carmelo Hayes walking away with the title. Plus, you know…the return of WALTER as Imperium takes on Riddle and MSK in six-man tag action. And finally, AJ Styles will confront Grayson Waller again.

Whoo, that’s a lot of big matches right there. Whatever we think of NXT 2.0, the brand has always been able to deliver in a big way when it comes to their specials. This will be a big test for the new version of the brand, and we’ll have to see if they can keep that track record going.

Here at the Thomas household, I’ve been busy with end of year stuff like the Wrestling Year-End Awards. That means I didn’t have a huge amount of movie-watching, though there were a few. The best of the films I saw was Spencer, the Princess Diana pseudo-biopic starring Kristen Stewart. It’s a fascinating, depressing film that should put a nail in the coffin of the (incorrect) perception that Stewart isn’t a phenomenal actress and contains some really disturbing scenes that border on horror-esque. Less good was Blood Red Sky, the “vampire on a plane” movie on Netflix which has its fun moments and uses its setting very well but goes on way longer than it should have. And finally, I dove back to 1986 to appreciate the pure gay camp that is the Tawny Kitaen horror flick Witchboard. It’s not good, but it’s fun.

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 start off with a hype video turning “Auld Lang Syne” into an ominous thing and focusing on an evil red-eyed Mandy before it previews MSK & Riddle vs. Imperium, Hayes vs. Strong, Waller being confronted by AJ Styles, Raquel vs. Cora vs. Mandy, and OF COURSE Bron vs. Ciampa.

* We’re LIVE in the Capitol Wrestling Center, and kicking off with Carmelo heading to Gorilla. Looks like the title unification match is first, as Strong also makes his way to the entrance ramp.

NXT Cruiserweight & North American Championship
Unification Match
Carmelo Hayes vs. Roderick Strong

We’re off and running with an aggressive lockup by both men, who jockey for position. Strong against the ropes and the ref calls for the break. Some jawing before they lock up again, into a wristlock by Hayes which Strong reverses. Hayes kips up out of the lock and hits a dropkick on Strong.

They circle again and lock up, headlock by Hayes and a snapmare to the ground. He does it again but Strong with a couple armdrags, they trip and cover each other until Hayes with an enzuigiri from the ground. Chops to Strong in the corner, Strong swings out but Hayes ducks and locks in a side headlock in the center of the ring. Hayes shot into the ropes and is laid out with a BIG chop. Strong picked him up for more chops against the ropes, Hayes rolls out of the ring to chase but Roddy chases after! Hayes runs around the ring and gets a cheap shot as Roddy follows, but Strong takes control back in the ring. Back elbow to Hayes off the ropes but Hayes dodges a leap and Strong gets hung up in the ropes, kick to the back of Strong’s head and a slam to the ground. Some counter wrestling, Strong sent out onto the apron and Hayes leaps over into a DDT ON THE APRON!!

Hayes rolls Strong in and goes up top, Strong ducks a stomp and turns Hayes inside out. Cover for two, and we’re on PIP break.

Roddy has been in control throughout the break until Hayes was able to turn it around and hit a springboard clothesline on Strong, and we come back with him in control of the Cruiserweight champ with an elbowlock on the ground. Strong fighting back though and he downs Hayes with a clothesline, then hits a couple of backbreakers. A third follows, and as Bivens looks on in glee he picks Hayes up to his feet. Quick jab and he goes for a back suplex but Hayes counters out and slams Strong down for two, then quickly transitions into a crossface!

Strong gets out and goes for the Stronghold but Hayes blocks it and locks in a Boston crab in the center of the ring! Strong escapes and sends Hayes to the ground, then locks in the Stronghold! Hayes twists out of it and then kicks Strong in the head, but Strong with a uranage backbreaker for two.

Both men slow to get up, but they get to their knees and start trading slaps and elbows until Strong takes over. Forearm and more hard shots, he comes off the ropes with repeated shots and hits a high-angle slam for a nearfall. Roddy picks Hayes up and puts him in the corner, he tries to pick him up but Melo fights out of it. Roddy charges in but Hayes rolls through to counter and hits a modified cutter for a nearfall.

Hayes looking frustrated now, he picks Strong up but Strong with an inside cradle for two and then a BIG forearm. Suplex but Melo flips out and hits a superkick! Hayes goes up top but Strong with a superkick! He goes up top, going for the superplex, but Hayes COUNTERS with a front suplex! Hayes covers and nearly gets three. He goes up top now, leaps off for the Rocker Dropper and cover!

Winner: Carmelo Hayes (15:29)
Rating: *** 3/4
Thoughts: Damn good start for the show, with Hayes and Strong playing well off each other. The match never hit the high levels of suspense but they worked in the ring well and we have our new unified champion, who is honestly the right choice.

* Earlier today: Bron Breakker arrived.

* Ciampa is backstage with Goldie when AJ Styles shows up. They commiserate a bit and Styles says he’s going to take care of business with Waller. Apparently that’s up next.

* The Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic returns for both men and women, and will kick off in February for the ladies and in two weeks for the men.

* HERE COMES AJ! Styles is looking hypes and the crowd loves him. He gets a mic and lets the “AJ Styles” chants go in a bit before he says he never gets tired of hearing that. He says he’s done a lot in his career and that never gets old, and thanks the fans for that. He says he’s won a lot of championships too, but he’d be lying if he didn’t say he had some regrets. He didn’t start in NXT when he came to WWE, and he knows some will think he’s crazy because he debuted at the Royal Rumble, was at Raw and Smackdown, and WrestleMania. But there’s something special about this place, about NXT. It’s the passion that fans have for the stars and the passion the stars have for the fans. He doesn’t care if its 1.0 or 2.0, passion is what makes NXT go around.

He says he’ll be damned if he lets someone take that passion away from them. And he’s of course talking about Grayson Waller. There’s always gonna be one person who thinks they’re bigger and better than the place, and that’s Grayson —

And here’s Waller’s music. He stops down the ramp and says credit where credit’s due; he’s gotten people emotional and it’s beautiful. It’s an incredible deflection to throw shade on how he lost — no, got crushed — by Omos. He doesn’t buy AJ’s comments and he knows what Styles will say: Grayson’s green, he doesn’t belong here. But he’s a student of the game and he knows why AJ lost. He saw it the way the fans didn’t — he lost last night because he was thinking about Grayson Waller the whole time. Waller says he’s living in AJ’s head rent-free and he didn’t show up on Raw only because he didn’t want to give AJ an excuse for the loss.

Styles says he’s right; he’s beat up. But he tells Grayson to take advantage of this. He says all they need is a referee and they can have a match. Waller says they’re not on Phenomenal TIme; they’re on his time. Styles counters that he needs to get a sack. Waller takes his shirt off, gets in the ring — and says not this week. Next week, in the main event and he can get the biggest victory of his career. AJ says it’ll be the biggest embarassment of his career. Waller goes for a cheap shot but AJ takes him down. It spills out of the ring, but Waller hits a chap shot coming back in. He stands over AJ until Styles takes him down and nearly hits the Phenomenal Forearm, but Waller escapes the ring.

* We get a vignette with Pete Dunne where he asks Tony D’Angelo if breaking his hand is the best he can do? He says Tony poked the bear and this is just the beginning. He says he’s going to rip Tony’s arm out of his socket and stomp him down for good. He challenges D’Angelo to finish what he stared next week and says to bring the crowbar — he’ll need it.

* Amari Miller is backstage when Kacy and Kayden show up and talk about how they partied on New Year’s Evil. Kacy and Kayden say their New Year’s resolution would be to become NXT Women’s Tag Team Champions. Persia and Indi show up and say that they’re going to win the titles. Amaril, Kacy, and Kayden challenge them to a match and Persia is down, but Indi doesn’t want another handicap match. Amari, Kacy and Kayden suggest Tiffany Stratton but she says “Ew, no” and leaves. The babyfaces suggest someone else and leave, and it’s Wendy Chu, having just woken up.

Imperium vs. MSK & Riddle

Barthel stars against Nash Carter and takes him down, working the arm. Carter with a headlock but Barthel handstands out of it and goes right back into a rest hold. Nash with a snapmare to get out of it, but Marvel locks in a wristlock until Cartner flips out, comes off the ropes and hits a diving dropkick. Barthel pushed against the ropes and Aichner tags in, taking Carter down. He kicks him in the corner, Carter fights back and ducks and weaves until he hits a ran and tags in Wes Lee.

Lee comes in hot and takes Aichner down with a rana, he goes up for a moonsault. Aichner catches him and Lee gets out, but gets run OVER with a big clothesline off the ropes. Lee counters an Irish whip, he flips out of his foot getting caught and slides over to tag Riddle. Aichner tags in WALTER and LET’S FUCKING GO.

Riddle with some kicks to WALTER, but he just flattens Riddle and then tags Aichner back in who gets a two-count before locking in a headlock. Riddle escapes, flips out of a back suplex and tags in Lee, Carter tagged as well ans they batter Aichner with tandem offense, sending him out of the ring. But WALTER in now and he flattens both Carter and Lee, then sets Lee on the ropes for a stereo kick from in and out of the ring by AIchner and Barthel! Imperium poses as we go to PIP break.

Back and Imperium is still in co0ntrol, but Nash Carter knocks Aichner off the apron and dropkicks Barthel in the ring! He crawls for the tag, Barthel tags in WALTER who cuts the tag off. He starts stomping on Carter, who gets to his feet and starts chopping at WALTER. WALTER knocks him down but he somersaults under him and goes for the tag — but Imperium knock his partners off the apron! WALTER smacks Carter down for two.

WALTER goes for the powerbomb, but Carter flips out and makes the tag to Riddle! Riddle in with kicks to WALTER, he takes out Imperium and goes for a T-Bone suplex! Walter blocks it but Riddle hits him hard and hits it, then takes him down and goes for a double hangman’s DDT to Aichner and Barthel but WALTER cuts him off. Riddle saved by MSK who superkick Imperium off the apron, Riddle out onto the apron for a kick to WALTER, and MSK and Riddle dive onto all three men!

Riddle gets WALTER in the ring, suplex and a cover for two. Riddle up now, he gets the growd hot and preps for the RKO — but Imperium take out MSK, and that distracts Riddle enough for WALTER to hit a powerbomb! One, two, NO! Riddle kicked out!

WALTER is pissed now, he orders Barthel to tag in. He sets Riddle on the top, and carrie shim over into a suplex by Aichner, cover but MSK make the save! Barthel sends Carter out of the ring and WALTER orders a spike piledriver, but Riddle counters out! WALTER in, he gets caught with a German suplex! Carter tags in, Lee tags in, spinning blockbuster! Riddle with an RKO to Barthell for the pin!

Winner: Riddle & MSK (13:48)
Rating: ****
Thoughts: Now that was an absolute banger. The two styles fit in remarkably well, and the match had some real suspense as to what might happen with the result. The babyfaces getting the win makes the most sense because MSK get a tag title shot now presumably, and WALTER doesn’t lose anything here. Great, great stuff all around.

* McKenzie is backstage with Joe Gacy and Harland and asks about Harland nearly throwing Chase’s student off the building last week. Gacy talks for Harland and says he’s reckoning with his difficult past. He says Harland is making progress and that competing in the Dusty Tag Classic would give Harland peace. And they’re not looking for privilege by just being given a spot; they’re happy to earn that spot.

* A helicopter is arriving at NXT, carrying Mandy Rose. “This is how the champ arrives in style. New Year’s Evil, baby!” Wade says he’d love a ride with Mandy in that helicopter. Mandy steps out looking like a fallen angel and that match is next.

* McKenzie is backstage with Elektra Lopez and asks what’s going on with her and Xyon Quinn. She says they can keep wondering. She notes that family comes firts but sometimes someone comes along that attracts her attention, and she’s attracted to success. She says she makes no apologies to her, to her family, or anyone. There’s a match with Quinn and Santos next week, with the winner leaving with her.

NXT Women’s Championship Match
Mandy Rose vs. Cora Jade vs. Raquel Gonzalez

Jade kicked down right at the start, and Raquel goes hard after Rose. Rose whipped into the corner, then Jade takes a snake eyes from Raquel before Mandy cheap shots her and sends her out of the ring. Cora takes Mandy down and Mandy rolls out of the ring, Raquel catches Cora and goes to slam her down but Jade turns it into a rollup for one. Raquel sent to the outside and Jade is looking ready to dive, but Mandy trips her up and pulls her out of the ring. Rose batters Jade, Raquel takes out Mandy and then Jade wipes out Raquel, only to be slammed into the steps by Mandy.

Mandy rolls Cora in and covers, but Raquel pulls Jade out of the cover. Rose out and she knocks Gonzalez down, goes back in for the pin but Raquel saves it again. Madyd sends Raquel into the steps, goes in but Cora with a roll-up! Raquel with another save. She puts Jade on the top rope, gets Rose on her shoulders and then puts Cora there two before hitting a double Samoan drop! And we’re on PIP break.

Rose took over during the break, using a kendo stick on Jade’s throat, and she has Cora in a bodyscissors as we come back. Jade manages to turn it into a cover for two, and Raquel is in now. Jade with a sunset flip to Rose for two, and she picks Mandy up but gets leveled with a clothesline for two.

Raquel now takes over and whips Rose into Jade who gets the boot up, Jade with a rana on Raquel and goes into a springboard kick to Rose. Jade controls Raquel, but Raquel counters a snapmare by powering out. She gets Jade on her shoulders and just dumps her to the outside, aiming at Rose but Rose dodged. Raquel gestures for Rose to get in the ring — and Rose is running!

Raquel catches her and pulls her back to the ring, rolling her in. Rose is begging off, and Raquel grabs her feet to pull her into the center of the ring. Clothesline by Raquel and a big forearm to the chest, Rose quickly rolls out of the ring. Gonzalez follows and rolls her in, but Rose hit a lungblower as Raquel was stepping through the ropes, cover gets two!

Rose slams Raquel’s head into the mat and then talks trash to Raquel, but Raquel pulls the champ into the ropes. Rollup by Raquel but Rose rolls through, Gonzalez manhandles her and hits the Chingoda Bomb! One, two, JADE WITH THE ELBOW DROP to break it up! Raquel is living, Cora is viciously smiling.

Raquel grabs Cora and sets her on the top, but Cora slides under and shoves Gonzalez to the floor! Jade crawls over and tries to roll Rose up, but Rose drops on her and gets the pin!

Winner: Mandy Rose (12:32)
Rating: *** 1/4
Thoughts: Very good effort here, especially considering how green Jade has shown herself to be. Everyone delivered here and no it wasn’t an all-time classic, but it allowed everyone to show some real personality and Rose held up her end quite well to boot.

* Boa is splashing water on himself in a vignette and says he cannot control his powers. He asks his dark side to let him face Solo Sikoa himself. More face-splashing and when he comes up, evil Boa is next to him.

* Riddle commiserates with MSK and say that it’s not goodbye forever, it’s just goodbye for now. He goes and the Creed Brothers show up to say the tag division has become more competitive, and MSK will have to win the Dusty Cup again. But that won’t happen because they’re in it.

* Andre Chase is coming out to the ring with a mic. Yay. Chase says last week was indeed a teachable moment. He was in deep trouble, and one of his students risked life and limb to protect him. That’s the kind of bond they have between the student body. He’s grateful that Harland didn’t throw him off the roof of the building, because that would have been terrible for enrollment.

Anyway, Chase wants to recognize the student for his braveness, a man that he is so proud of. The Chase U section chants “YOU DESERVE IT!” Chase says he is the recipient of the first-ever Andre Chase University full scholarship. He tells the guy to come on down, but Von Wagner is coming out now with a mic.

Wagner says “Enough with the bulls**t, now let the real star of NXT say something.” Wagner gets in the ring and says he hears the boos and negative comments, but when he steps in the ring, all of a sudden he’s our new favorite and we all want to tune in to the Von Wagner Watch Party to see who he’s about to tune out next. He says he only needs to be liked by the people that matter, and none of them do. He says he’s everything the fans aren’t, and everything Chase isn’t. Chase tries to talk and gets run over, then Olympic Slammed down. Von manhandles Chase in the corner and throws him down. He leaves the ring and comes face to face with the Chase U scholarship down, throwing him to the mat, then throws a “fan” down to the ground too before officials pull him off and make him leave.

Thoughts: So Von is basically Supersized Grayson Waller with half the heat, while Chase is a babyface now? Cool story, bros.

* We get a vignette hyping the main event. Bron is WALKING backstage and so is Ciampa. The match is next.

* Wade and Vic apologize for Von Wagner’s attack on “fans,” and we go to Wagner being escorted out of the building. He stops and faces off with Ivy Nile in the infimary where Strong is being tended to, then leaves.

* Cameron Grimes celebrates his 2021 in a new vignette talking about cutting grass to kicking ass, learning how conduct himself like a champ and finding his own legacy. This year he’s going to stop chasing green and start chasing gold. 202-to the moon!

* Set for next week:
– AJ Styles vs. Grayson Waller
– Xyon Quinn vs. Santos Escobar
Crowbar on a Pole Match: Pete Dunne vs. Tony D’Angelo

NXT Championship Match
Tommaso Ciampa vs. Bron Breakker

Lockup to start and Bron powers Ciampa into the ropes. Clean break between them, and they go back into the lockup. Ciampa maneuvers Bron into the corner, clean break and then a chop from Ciampa to no effect. Bron whips Ciampa, who slides to stop and hits a clothesline, they go back and forth until Breakker hits a big suplex and kips right up. Ciampa escapes to the outside to catch his breath.

Ciampa goes to get in and Bron lunges at him, Ciampa drops down and goes for the leg to no avail. Bron gets him in the ring and slams him down, then sends him into the ropes and hits a shot to the kidney. He goes for it again and Ciampa with a back elbow. They trade shots, Ciampa takes over with a kick to the gut and works Bron against the ropes. He climbs up on Bron in the corner for an elevated ten count, but Bron grabs him after nine and slams him down with an inverted atomic drop and clothesline.

Ciampa sends Bron into the corner but he goes up and over, Bron off the ropes and eats a BIG dropkick! Stomp from Ciampa, he works on Bron and sends him into the ropes. Bron dodges some clotheslines and then goes for a big crossbody, but Ciampa moves! Bron outside and Ciampa hits big knee as Bron tries to get in… TWISTING PLANCHA!

Ciampa gets Bron back in and drops knees into the challenger, then goes to a chinlock. Bron eventually gets up and drops down with Ciampa on his back. Both men slow to get up, they start trading strikes. Kick from Ciampa but Brown with a clothesline and another, he sends Ciampa into the corner and hits a splash, another shot off the ropes and then he comes off the ropes with a BIG backbreaker!

Bron gets Ciampa up on the corner, he follows up top but Ciampa slides under and crotches Bron on the corner! He flips Bron into the Tree of Woe and lays in the punches, followed by a sliding dropkick to the face. Ciampa picks Bron up, goes for Fairy Tale Ending but Bron blocks it. Ciampa with shots to the head and he comes off the ropes — SPINEBUSTER BY BRON! And a standing moonsault by the challenger, cover for two.

Bron now goes up to the second rope, he’s having second thoughts and Ciampa chops him before shoving him over the ropes to the floor. Charging knee from Ciampa, he rolls Bron in. Charging knee to the head by the champ, he comes off the ropes RIGHT INTO A SPEAR! Both men down now, Ciampa looks to be busted open from the temple.

Both men up now and they start trading punches, Ciampa takes over with repeated shots to Bron and lies back in wait — he charges INTO A FRANKENSTEINER! Cover for two, and Ciampa is now red all around the eyes. Bron catches him, picks him up for a Gorilla’s Press but Ciampa escapes and gets Bron out onto the apron — WIDOW’S BELL! Cover for two, and Ciampa immediately goes into a single leg to work the injured knee. Bron gets the ropes, Ciampa slow to let go but eventually does.

Ciampa out onto the floor and he pulls the ringside mats back. He rolls out and back in, goes to DDT Bron onto the floor — Bron counters, Ciampa gets back on him but Bron grabs him! SPINEBUSTER through the announcer’s table! Bron rolls Ciampa in, grabs him by the throat — Gorilla Press Powerslam! Cover for 1, 2, Ciampa gets his hand on the ropes! Breakker is frustrated, he grabs Ciampa who is holding desperately onto the bottom rope. Ciampa is on the apron holding on, Bron goes to slip out of the ring and Bron pulls the ropes down into a low blow. Exposed knee to the jaw of Bron! Another! And a third! He grabs Bron — FAIRY TALE ENDING! Cover — NO! Bron kicks out! Ciampa is stunned and he gets Bron up into the corner, he sets Bron on the top and climbs up. But Bron is fighting back. He blocks the superplex and shoves Ciampa down, BULLDOG OFF THE TOP! THE STRAPS ARE DOWN! STEINER RECLINER! CIAMPA TAPS!

Winner: Bron Breakker (15:35)
Rating: ****
Thoughts: Okay, that was a fantastic piece of business and a real passing of the guard and torch. It wasn’t flippy, it wasn’t fast-paced high spot laden action (and there’s nothing wrong with that) but it was just great work by both men. Breakker getting the win here felt right and kudos to Ciampa for really doing his part to put the new champion over.

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