WWE NXT Live Coverage - December 27th, 2022
https://i.imgur.com/ryR5dN5.jpg
Wes Lee defends NXT North American Championship against Tony D'Angelo
Wes Lee defends the NXT North American Championship against Tony D'Angelo, Wendy Choo takes on Cora Jade, Schism battles with Odyssey Jones, Edris Enofe, and Malik Blade in a six-man tag team match, Fallon Henley clashes with Kiana James in a Battle For The Bar and much more!
:nxt4:
– Tonight’s WWE NXT opens up on the USA Network on a tape delay as The Creed Brothers are backstage. They’re full from Christmas dinner but they’re hoping Indus Sher is watching as Julius Creed takes on JD McDonagh. We see JD McDonagh backstage now. He’s glad the holidays are over so he can inflict more pain on The Creed Brothers.
– We’re now live on a tape delay from the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida as Vic Joseph welcomes us. He’s joined at ringside by WWE Hall of Famer Booker T. Fans chant “NXT!” as we go to the ring.
Julius Creed vs. JD McDonagh
We go right to the ring for the opener as JD McDonagh makes his way out while Alicia Taylor does the introductions. Out next are The Creed Brothers – Julius Creed with Brutus Creed.
They lock up and go at it. Julius gets the quick upperhand and JD complains to the referee about Creed pulling his hair. Creed gets the upperhand again and JD complains some more. They argue and JD slaps Julius. Julius slaps him harder and they trade more strikes.
Julius levels JD and they run the ropes now. Julius with a big hip toss, then a takedown into a 2 count. Julius grounds JD with the headlock now. JD ends up sending Julius to the floor as he side-steps. JD looks to fly but Julius catches him, then slams him on top of the announce table.
Julius scoops JD to his shoulders but JD slides free, then runs Julius face-first into the ring post. JD rocks Julius and yanks him into the ring post two more times, then a third time. JD stretches Julius and pulls him into the ring post, then holds him there. Julius falls to the floor as we go to a picture-in-picture commercial.
Back from the break and we see Julius hitting a big overhead suplex after JD dominated through the break. Julius with a backbreaker now as fans rally. Julius scoops JD for another slam but JD rolls him up. They tangle and Julius nails a big knee to the jaw. They both charge and collide in mid-air now, both going down.
Fans chant “NXT!” as Brutus cheers his brother on. JD slaps Julius while he’s down, then pounds on him with strikes. Julius fights back but JD nails an enziguri, then a Brainbuster. Julius kicks out just in time. Julius goes for a move up top but he’s sent back to the mat. JD misses a moonsault. Julius drops JD on his head, then nails the sliding clothesline for the pin to win.
Winner: Julius Creed
– After the match, Julius stands tall as the music hits and we go to replays. The Creed Brothers are in the ring now when Indus Sher appear on the apron. Veer Mahaan and Sanga say now that Julius has proved himself, they are now ready to face both brothers. Indus Sher will get their respect in two weeks at New Year’s Evil when they destroy both of The Creed Brothers. The two teams have words as The Diamond Mine music starts back up.
– McKenzie Mitchell is backstage with Channing “Stacks” Lorenzo and Tony D’Angelo now. She asks about tonight’s title match against NXT North American Champion Wes Lee and Tony D says he’s feeling great. He says on the last NXT of 2022 he will get his first title, other than the title of The Don. Tony has been waiting for this for a long time now. Lee took a few months off his career, and now he will hit Lee where it hurts. McKenzie brings up Donovan Dijak possibly being a threat. Tony dismisses the idea and says Stacks took care of that issue last week. Stacks says he laid down the law in their closed-door meeting, so let’s just say Dijak won’t be an issue tonight, and The Don will win the gold. Stacks excuses them because Tony D has a title to win.
Cora Jade vs. Wendy Choo
We go back to the ring and out comes Cora Jade. Back to commercial.
Back from the break and The Schism is somewhere backstage – Joe Gacy, Rip Fowler, Jagger Reid, Ava Raine. Gacy says they are aware that their lifestyle is intimidating other groups in NXT, and anyone who has crossed their paths in 2022 has felt their mercy, and they have not been treated favorably. Fowler addresses Edris Enofe, Malik Blade and Odyssey Jones and says The Schism can see their emotional damage they’ve instilled, they’ve felt their emotional state, and controlling their actions do not serve them, it just digs deeper the cavity of anguish that they try and repair, adds Reid. Raine says their attempts to fill voids with temporary solutions lead to longterm insecurities, while The Schism is the definition of living your best life. Fowler says the babyfaces wear masks of fake happiness but The Schism sees through the charades as real joey is supposed to be fruitful and multiplied, not consumed and disregarded for social clout. Gacy says they do have some redeeming qualities, like loyalty, but the babyfaces must continue to nurture that. Gacy says tonight The Schism will show them that above all else the togetherness is what binds them, and allows them to grow beyond their individual limits because they are 4 roots 1 tree. We go back to the ring and out comes Wendy Choo. She rushes the ring and begins fighting before her entrance wraps. Choo unloads and takes it to the floor. Choo rocks Jade and brings it back in but Jade rolls right back to the floor.
Jade pulls Choo out and laughs at her, then slams her face into the apron as the referee counts. Jade grabs her kendo stick but Choo ducks it, then turns it back around and rolls Jade back in. Fans rally for Choo as she rolls Jade up for 2. Jade turns it around and nails a double stomp for a 2 count.
Jade chokes Choo on the middle rope now as the referee warns her. Jade runs and drives an elbow in the back of the neck for a 2 count. Jade taunts Choo and talks some trash while grounding her in the middle of the ring. Choo fights out of a hold with back elbows and forearms. Choo mounts some offense but runs into a knee to the throat.
Choo kicks out again. Choo comes back with a sitdown powerbomb but Jade kicks out at 2. They fight up from the mat now, trading strikes. Choo with a clothesline. Choo with an overhead belly-to-belly throw. Choo with the cartwheel elbow into the corner. Choo comes off the second rope with the Sleepy Crossbody for a 2 count.
Fans do dueling chants now. Jade turns a Full Nelson around, then drives Choo into the mat for a close 2 count. Jade talks some trash now. More back and forth. Choo sends Jade into the turnbuckle, then slams her and hits the second rope Vader Bomb splash for the pin to win.
Winner: Wendy Choo
– After the match, Choo stands tall as the music hits. We go to replays. Choo talks some trash from the entrance-way while Jade recovers in the ring.
– Ikemen Jiro is walking backstage, without his jacket, and he’s fired up to face Scrypts. Jiro says his jacket is who he is, what makes him number one, and without the jacket he’s just Jiro, not Ikemen. He goes on and says tonight he will beat Scrypts and take back what is his, and tonight everyone will smile. We go to commercial.
– Back from the break and Josh Briggs is backstage hyping up Fallon Henley for The Battle for The Bar against Kiana James. Brooks Jensen is still obsessed with James and there’s some tension between the stablemates over who Jensen is actually supporting tonight.
Ikemen Jiro vs. Scrypts
We go back to the ring and Ikemen Jiro is waiting, ready to fight. We see what happened between Jiro and Scrypts two weeks ago. Out next comes Scrypts as Jiro looks on. Scrypts leaps into the ring from behind, and here we go. Jiro is distracted by his jacket with Scrypts.
The bell rings and they go at it. Scrypts strikes early on but they go to the floor and Jiro takes control. Jiro brings it back in but Scrypts takes him down, then delivers a low dropkick. Scrypts mounts Jiro with strikes as fans boo. Scrypts with kicks to keep Jiro down.
Scrypts sweeps Jiro and nails another low dropkick. Scrypts covers for 2. Scrypts applied a head-scissors submission now, man-handling Jiro on the mat. Scrypts transitions into another hold as fans rally for Jiro. Jiro fights up and out, then back-drops Scrypts.
Fans chant for Jiro now. Jiro with strikes to the jaw to beat Scrypts to one knee. Jiro with a high knee to drop Scrypts for a 2 count. Scrypts fights back but he misses a standing Shooting Star Press. Jiro takes it to the corner and nails an enziguri. Jiro places Scrypts up top and rocks him with a punch, then a jumping kick.
Jiro climbs up for a superplex but Scrypts fights back. Jiro flips to the mat and rolls through but Scrypts immediately follows up and cuts him off in mid-air with a big seated plancha for the pin to win.
Winner: Scrypts
– After the match, Scrypts stands tall as the music hits and we go to replays. Scrypts places Jiro’s jacket over him and exits the ring to boos.
– We get a new night club vignette for Oro Mensah. He says he’s in the middle of the action, the social phenomenon, because the night life maximizes all senses. When the music is hitting right, it’s not about the work week or your problems, or stress, it’s about that moment, that interactive moment that can only be replicated in the ring. Mensah is bringing that vibe to NXT.
– Still to come, Lyra Valkyria will be back in action tonight. Back to commercial.
– Back from the break and we get a new promo from Alba Fyre, who has a warning for Isla Dawn. Fyre says Dawn’s mystical darkness has pushed her to her breaking point. Dawn tried to ruin her vision and break her hand, but she’s awakened an unfamiliar fire, which has saved Fyre’s soul. Fyre says her ancestors are more powerful than the darkness of Dawn’s spirits. She says we will see who is laughing last because next week it will be Anything Goes. Fyre poses with her bat and says this will be an extreme resolution, not just to end the year, but to end Isla Dawn as well.
– We see Wes Lee backstage focusing on tonight’s main event.
Lash Legend vs. Lyra Valkyria
We go back to the ring as Lash Legend wraps her entrance. Lyra Valkyria is out next.
The bell rings and they go at it. Legend quickly dominates and man-handles Lyra, tossing her around with ease. Legend with a big leaping right hand into the corner to put Valkyria back down.
Legend drops an elbow on the back to put Valkyria flat on the mat for a 2 count. Legend argues with the referee now. Valkyria gets up with kicks an a headlock but Legend lifts her and tosses her. Valkyria lands on her feet and nails a shoulder. Valkyria ducks a pump kick and they tangle. Valkyria with a toss, sending Legend to the floor.
Valkyria kicks Legend through the ropes. Valkyria fights from the apron but Legend yanks her off, sending her face-first into the edge of the apron. Legend talks trash while working Lyra over at ringside, chopping her as the referee counts. Legend brings it back in for a 2 count. Fans rally for Lyra now. Lyra fights back with kicks and a crossbody but Legend catches her in mid-air for a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker.
Legend misses a big attempt and Lyra fights back now, mounting offense. Lyra blocks a side-slam with a sloppy DDT. Lyra with a big roundhouse kick to put Legend flat on her back. Lyra goes to the top and hits the splash for the pin to win.
Winner: Lyra Valkyria
– After the match, Valkyria stands tall as the music hits. We go to replays. Valkyria poses in the corner as fans cheer her on.
– We get a new promo from Gigi Dolin and Jacy Jayne. They say 2022 was the year of Toxic Attraction, they built an empire, the greatest women’s group in NXT and WWE history. They say name another faction that despite their ultimate success, didn’t experience a heartbreaking loss as we see Roxanne Perez winning the NXT Women’s Title but no mention of Mandy Rose. They say even at their lowest the eyes of the world have never shifted from the attraction of NXT. People are wondering what’s next, but they promise to rebuild, reconstruct, and return to glory, but it will start with taking down the woman that took down down their empire. The vignette included shots of Perez, but none of Rose.
The Schism vs. Edris Enofe, Malik Blade, Odyssey Jones
We go back to the ring and out first comes The Schism – Joe Gacy, Rip Fowler and Jagger Reid with Ava Raine. They hit the ring with their masks on, and lean on the ropes as we go back to commercial.
Back from the break and McKenzie Mitchell is backstage with NXT Champion Bron Breakker. She asks about Grayson Waller’s steel plate trap last week. Breakker admits he fell for Waller’s trap, but he’s all recovered now and he’s not in the mood for games, so he’s going to the ring to call Waller out for a fight tonight. McKenzie hates to be the one to say this but Waller is not here tonight. She says Waller left a video for Breakker. We see Waller back at home in Sydney, Australia, and he’s all smiles. Waller says he bets Bron is still pissed for being embarrassed last week. He can’t believe Bron fell for that. Waller praises Bron as being the most dangerous man in NXT… he’s big, fast, strong, and hits harder than the others, but as good as Bron is, Waller is smarter. Waller says as much as he’d love to be there to face-off with Bron, fortunately for Bron he had to come home. What better place to prepare for becoming champion than the most beautiful place on Earth – Sydney, Australia? We see some of the sights of Sydney, and Waller out & about. He toasts a drink to Bron and Bron isn’t enjoying the video. Waller says Australia has the best athletes in the world, and he went back home to take care of his mind and body, then he will take care of Bron at New Year’s Evil to bring the title home to Australia. Waller goes on about how he gave up everything in Australia, to sacrifice and let the world know who he is, the Superstar that he is, and it will all be worth it when he becomes NXT Champion at New Year’s Evil. Waller says don’t worry because he will be at NXT next week for a contract signing on a very special edition of The Grayson Waller Effect. Waller laughs to end his video message. Bron grabs the TV and slams it into the locker. He grabs the NXT Title belt and storms out. We go back to the ring and The Schism waits as the music hits and out next comes Edris Enofe, Malik Blade, and Odyssey Jones. The bell rings and Gacy goes at it with Blade to start. They trade offense and break as Blade talks some trash. They tangle some more and Blade rolls Gacy up for 2.
Gacy takes it to the corner to turn it around. Reid goes to work on Blade but Blade rocks him. Enofe tags in for the double team offense on Reid. Enofe with a quick pin attempt. Reid backs Enofe into the corner and in comes Fowler for the double team. Fowler with a stiff clothesline. Fowler beats Enofe around with forearms now.
Fowler with a suplex for a 2 count, and another quick pin attempt. Fowler grounds Enofe now. Enofe turns it around and in comes Jones to level Fowler. Jones rocks Fowler and slams him as Blade tags in. Blade goes to the top and Jones launches him onto Fowler for a big slam from up high. The two teams now face off in the middle of the ring as we go to commercial with a stalemate.
Back from the break and we see how Gacy turned the match around during the break. Fowler has Blade grounded now. Raine goes over to the announcers and tells them The Schism is the number one example of living your best life. Booker is spooked. Blade fights back in the ring now but Fowler beats him into the corner.
Blade fights off all three opponents from the corner but Fowler stops the tag and in comes Reid with an assist. Fowler with a cheap shot to Enofe. Jones finally comes in and runs wild on all three opponents. Jones catches Reid and Fowler with a big double side-walk slam. Enofe with a flying elbow drop from the top to Rid but Gacy breaks it up just in time as Jones stops Fowler from helping.
Gacy and Fowler pull Jones to the floor, then Reid nails a suicide dive but Jones is still up on his feet. Gacy, Reid and Fowler keep hitting suicide dives over and over but Jones is still standing. Jones finally goes down and The Schism stands him at ringside. Blade leaps out to take Fowler down. Enofe and Reid brawl now, going back into the ring.
Enofe with a springboard knee to the jaw of Reid. Enofe goes for a superplex but Gacy tags himself in. Gacy gets Enofe on his shoulders now, while Fowler has Blade on his shoulders. Reid leaps off the to with a double Doomsday clothesline for a pop. Reid and Fowler follow-up to drop Enofe with the double Codebreaker, and Gacy catches him on the rebound with the handstand lariat for the pin to win.
Winners: The Schism
– After the match, The Schism stands tall as the music hits. Jones gets up and he’s frustrated at ringside. We go to replays. The Schism regroups on the entrance-way as the babyfaces recover in the ring.
– We see Kiana James walking backstage. Fallon Henley is also shown walking with Josh Briggs and Brooks Jensen. Back to commercial.
– Back from the break and McKenzie is backstage with Trick Williams and Carmelo Hayes. Trick has to face Axiom next week and while he can fly and wrestle, he can’t beat Trick and Trick will send him to Comic Con with his size 15. Hayes says 2023 is the year he becomes NXT Champion and just one person stands in his way – Apollo Crews. He says Crews can move or be moved.
The Fight for The Bar: Fallon Henley vs. Kiana James
We go back to the ring for The Fight for The Bar, with the winner taking ownership of the financially-troubled bar owned by Fallon Henley’s family. The music hits and out first comes Henley with Josh Briggs and Brooks Jensen. Out next comes Kiana James with what looks like a bag of money.
The bell rings and they talk trash. Henley charges but James rocks her. James with stiff strikes, then she goes to work on Henley’s arm. Henley takes control and drops James, then dropkicks her in the back.
Henley slides under the bottom rope and goes for a right hand but James puts the apron cover in between them. She puts it down and Henley rocks her. Henley brings it back in for a 2 count. Henley gets caught in the corner and James slams her from mid-air. James with big shoulder thrusts in the corner now. James spikes Henley for a 2 count.
Fans rally but James keeps Henley in another corner, kicking away. James runs into a back elbow but she keeps fighting. James works on the ribs and slams Henley from her shoulder, face-first into the mat. James grounds Henley with a body scissors now. They trade pin attempts. James slaps Henley around and talks some trash while keeping her down. Henley gets back to her feet now with big right hands.
Henley begins to mount some offense now. Henley drops James for another close 2 count. Fans do dueling chants now. James with a big Gutbuster for a close 2 count. Henley trips James and nails a running kick to the face for the pin to win after what appeared to be some sort of distraction at ringside.
Winner: Fallon Henley
– After the match, Henley stands tall as the music hits. Briggs enters the ring to hug Henley and Jensen follows. We go to replays. Jensen and Briggs are having a few words over Jensen’s concern for James, while Henley celebrates in the corner. James looks on from ringside and she’s not happy.
– McKenzie interviews new NXT Women’s Champion Roxanne Perez backstage. She knows the honeymoon phase of her title win will wear off soon and she knows she has to be on her game every night or she can lose the title just as quick as she won it. She says the previous NXT Women’s Champions are all future WWE Hall of Famers, and she’s nowhere close to them, so she has to live up to the history of the title. This is pressure she doesn’t take lightly, and she will do everything she can to keep the title.
– Still to come, The Drew Gulak Invitational. Back to commercial.
– Back from the break and we get a vignette from Isla Dawn. She says she’s really having fun with Alba Fyre and she knows there’s evil deep inside of Fyre, and she’s reaching in and pulling it to the surface. Dawn says Fyre’s challenge is nothing but a part of the process and next week this Extreme Resolution match will happen but it won’t be for Dawn, it will be for Fyre. Dawn laughs to end the segment.
– We go back to the ring and Drew Gulak is with Hank Walker. Gulak welcomes us to the 2022 Drew Gulak Invitational. Gulak shows us three up & coming wrestlers behind him. Hen says he’s asked Walker to be here as an observer only. Gulak tells Walker he will see each wrestler perform moves with him. He brings up Luca first, then demonstrates a Chickenwing. Luca is done and he exits the ring now. Gulak says it’s important to see how he let go of the hold as soon as Luca taps out.
Gulak brings up Tavion Heights now, who is dressed in his amateur wrestling gear. Gulak takes him down and applies a submission, then lets go as soon as he taps. Gulak talks some instruction to Walker and says again it’s important to let go as soon as the opponent taps. Gulak introduces Myles Borne next and says he’s been stepping up in recent months. Fans chant for Borne. They tangle and Borne gets a move in. Gulak says that was pretty good, then he takes Borne down in a Dragon Sleeper. Borne taps but Gulak tightens the hold. Walker has to remind Gulak to let go. Gulak say sometimes you have to really drive it home, and he hops Walker was taking notes. The music interrupts and out comes Charlie Dempsey.
Dempsey enters the ring and asks Gulak if he wants to step up to a real wrestler. Dempsey says he will give Gulak a run for his money. Gulak says he wasn’t invited to the Invitational. Walker gets in between them to prevent a fight. Dempsey says next week he will make an example of Gulak’s students. Gulak says that sounds good and they will be ready. The music hits as Dempsey stares Gulak and Walker down.
– We see Tony D’Angelo and Channing “Stacks” Lorenzo walking backstage. Back to commercial.
:nxtnorth:
NXT North American Title Match: Tony D’Angelo vs. Wes Lee
We go back to the ring for tonight’s main event and out first comes Tony D’Angelo with Channing “Stacks” Lorenzo. NXT North American Champion Wes Lee is out next. We get formal ring introductions from Alicia Taylor.
The bell rings and they go at it. Tony D takes control early on and says Lee is just embarrassing himself. Tony D with a big throw, then a German suplex with a bridge for a 2 count. Tony man-handles Lee some in the corner now, yelling some trash talk in his face.
Lee lands on his feet from another German attempt, then nails a dropkick. Lee ducks clotheslines and right hands, then sends Tony face-first into the ropes. Lee takes Tony to the corner and unloads with body shots. Tony goes to the floor to regroup with Stacks now. Stacks hypes Tony up and tells him to go for Lee’s legs as the referee counts. Tony goes back in and tries for Lee’s legs twice, but Lee locks up and keeps him away. Lee grounds Tony now.
Lee takes Tony back to the corner but Tony turns it around, whipping him into the turnbuckles. Tony misses a running knee into the corner as Lee moves. Lee with a kick and a knee. Lee with a roundhouse kick to the face, then a Standing Shooting Star Press. Lee can’t get the pin as Tony retreats to the floor to regroup. Lee runs the ropes and nails a big dive to the floor. Lee stands tall over Tony D and warns Stacks as we go to a picture-in-picture commercial.
Back from the break and Lee has D’Angelo grounded in the middle of the ring as fans rally. Lee with kicks to the knees in the corner now. Tony catches Lee and launches him into the turnbuckles with a big Exploder suplex. Tony D stomps on Lee now, then mounts him with strikes as fans boo.
Tony with a backbreaker over his knee now. He holds Lee over the knee, then covers for 2. Tony shows a bit of frustration now. Fans begin to rally for Lee as D’Angelo talks some trash. Tony with a short-arm clothesline, then an elbow drop. Lee kicks out at 2 and Tony is frustrated. Tony drops elbows to the hurt knee, and continues to focus on Lee’s leg. Lee takes his time in keeping Lee down, then drops another elbow to the hurt knee. Stacks cheers D’Angelo on as he keeps Lee grounded by his leg.
Tony D breaks the hold and drops more elbows to the hurt knee, keeping Lee grounded by the leg. Lee fights free but Tony drives the hurt knee into his knee, and again to send Lee to the floor to regroup. Tony yells some trash talk to Lee while Lee clutches his leg down on the outside. Tony follows with big strikes to the body. Tony slams Lee on top of the announce table now as fans boo.
Tony brings it back in but Lee kicks out at 2. Tony and Stacks can’t believe it. Fans continue to rally for Lee. Tony calls for the end now. He grabs Lee for the Fisherman’s Buster but Lee turns it into a DDT in the middle of the ring. Fans chant “let’s go Wes!” now. Lee kicks Tony’s knee, then keeps fighting up from the mat. Lee unloads with punches now. Lee keeps the strikes coming but Tony D is still standing in the corner. Stacks yells at Tony as Lee works him over in the corner, despite the referee’s warning. Lee mounts Tony in the corner but Tony powerbombs him to the mat. Tony D also goes down and is slow to make the cover.
Instead, Tony positions the leg and goes to the middle rope. Donovan Dijak runs down and grabs Stacks from behind in a choke hold, dragging him to the back as a shocked Tony D looks on. Lee takes advantage of the distraction and nails a big enziguri to knock D’Angelo off the middle rope. Lee follows up with the flips into the overhead kick for the pin to win and retain.
Winner: Wes Lee
– After the match, Lee stands tall as the music hits. We go to replays. Fans chant “Wes!” as Lee raises the NXT North American Title belt in the air. NXT goes off the air.
