WWE NXT Live Coverage - December 26th, 2023

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Eddy Thorpe and Dijak to battle in an NXT Underground Match

NXT Underground is officially back as Eddy Thorpe and Dijak will throw down in a payback-filled matchup. Thorpe and Dijak have been warring for months, and it escalated during the Iron Survivor Qualifying Match and the Iron Survivor Challenge at NXT Deadline. However, after one more vicious beatdown levied by Dijak, Thorpe channeled his ancestry and challenged The bringer of Hard Justice to an NXT Underground Match to finish this once and for all!

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– The show begins with Chase U already in the ring. Out The Mud enters next.

All Or Nothing Match: OTM vs. CHASE U

– The D'Angelo Family is watching the match from above as Chase starts the match in control of Price. Hudson comes in briefly but then Nima takes control of Chase and stomps on him in the ropes. Chase continues to get double teamed until Hudson comes in off the hot tag. He elbows Nima and then drops Price onto his own tag team partner. Scrypts gets on the apron to yell at Chase but Hudson throws him out.

Chase then tags himself in and rolls through only to get caught with a kick. Nima tags in and OTM hits an assisted spinebuster. Nima pins Chase for the win and now Chase U is controlled by OTM.

Winners: OTM

– After the match, It's revealed that The Creed Brothers were voted Tag Team of the Year, Tiffany Stratton is Female Star of the Year, and Ilja Dragunov is Male Star of the Year.

– Carmelo Hayes and Trick Williams have a conversation backstage. We then see Eddy Thorpe walking into the venue.

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NXT Heritage Cup: Noam Dar (c) vs. Josh Briggs

Dar cowers in the corner while Briggs spends a minute waiting for him to get it together. Briggs finally gets his hands on the champ and launches him into the mat. Dar finally slips through Briggs' legs and chops the throat. Briggs is still able to slam Dar for a two count. The first round ends as Briggs holding Dar up in the air.

Round 2 starts with Dar running at Briggs but he ends up getting slammed again. Briggs stacks on top of Dar and pins him for the first decision. Briggs up 1-0 going into commercial. We come back to the third round ending at a draw. Briggs notably doesn't have his crew with him at his request.

Fourth round opens with Dar in control with knee strikes and pinfall attempts. Lash uses a bucket against Briggs but the ref didn't see it. Dar gets a nearfall. Briggs ends up stealing the bucket and striking Dar for the automatic disqualification. Dar retains.

Winner: Noam Dar

– Bron Breakker has a confrontation backstage with Nathan Frazer while Frazer was speaking to Axiom.

Cora Jade vs. Karmen Petrovic

Jade is able to take control by whipping Karmen into the turnbuckle. Petrovic tries throwing punches to get Jade off of her but Jade grabs her hair and slams her. Karmen finds her momentum and lands a big spinning kick to the back of the head for a nearfall. Jade ends up dropping Petrovic with her finisher and pins her to win.

Winner: Cora Jade

– After the match, Jade picks Petrovic up again but Gigi Dolin runs down to make the save. Jade runs off.

Men's Breakout Tournament Semifinal: Lexis King vs. Riley Osborne

Riley works the left arm early on while King tries to escape. King backs Osborne to the ropes as Trey Bearhill walks down the ramp and sits in a chair. King manages to stomp on Riley in the corner, cover. King applies a single leg crab as Thea and Jacy are cheering on Riley in the student section. Riley manages a standing moonsault, cover. They trade massive chops before King hits a backstabber, nearfall. King takes Osborne up top but Bearhill stands up with the chair in hand. Osborne then lands Shooting Star Press on King to advance.

Winner: Riley Osborne

– Bearhill steps in the ring and scrapes King's back. He whips King across the ring but King slips out.

– Ava is asked about Ilja's status but she says no one has heard from him all week. His New Year's Evil status remains up in the air.

Bron Breakker vs. Nathan Frazer

Breakker takes it to Frazer early on and lands a huge shoulder tackle to stop Frazer in his tracks. Breakker flings Frazer into the turnbuckle at full speed. After the break, Breakker hits a spinebuster and then launches Frazer across the ring yet again. Frazer finally lands a kick to the head and throws punches to build momentum. Breakker charges and Frazer sidesteps, sending Bron out. Frazer flies through the ropes to tackle Breakker. Frazer then dropkicks Bron into the steps.

Back inside, Breakker counters Frazer's crossbody and powerslams him, but Frazer still kicks out. Nathan counters a spear with a superkick, but still a nearfall. Breakker avoids the Phoenix Splash and then cuts Frazer in half with a spear. Baron Corbin was watching backstage.

Winner: Bron Breakker

– No Quarter Club challenges Dragon Lee and LWO to a six-man tag at New Year's Evil.

– Brooks and Fallon speak to Briggs backstage. They try to be encouraging despite the loss. Brooks notes that Briggs wants to be a singles competitor and that Fallon wants to spread her wings. Briggs tells them he loves them, Fallon asks if it's over. Brooks puts his fist out and so do the others. Fallon walks off first, then Briggs. Brooks is left alone.

– Arianna Grace tells Ava that Roxanne Perez needs anger management, but Ava then books Grace vs. Perez for New Year's Evil.

– Sarah Schreiber sits down with Blair Davenport and Lyra Valkyria to discuss their upcoming title match. Blair reminds us that Lyra injured her knee during their time in NXT UK. Blair also brings up not being pinned in the Iron Survivor Challenge. Lyra welcomes the competition, but she is confident in retaining.

Men's Breakout Semifinal: Oba Femi vs. Tavion Heights

Lock up to start before Heights hits a slingblade. Femi eventually gets his feet under him and keeps Heights down. Heights manages to throw Femi around with a German suplex followed by a belly to belly throw. Femi delivers a suplex of his own and then sends Heights splashing onto the mat. Femi nails a pop up powerbomb for the win.

Winner: Oba Femi

– Ilja is in the parking lot but he's looking for Trick Williams.

Joe Coffey vs. Joe Gacy

Lock up at the start before Gacy lands a dropkick. Mark holds Wolfgang back at ringside as Coffey flies through the ropes onto Gacy. Back inside, Coffey drops Gacy on his knee and then hits an elbow drop. Gacy fires up in the corner before landing chops and a backdrop. Hank and Tank run down to take Gallus out. Coffey launches himself at Gacy but then Gacy lands a springboard clothesline for the win.

Winner: Joe Gacy

– LWO reunites with Elektra backstage as Lola Vice gives them the cold shoulder.

NXT Underground Match: Eddy Thorpe vs. Dijak

The only way to win this main event is by knockout or submission as this match has no ropes.

Thorpe goes right for a sleeper and then a triangle for the early win. Dijak catches Thorpe with a choke and goes for the slam but Thorpe traps him in an arm hold. Dijak slams him to break free. Dijak sends Thorpe into the ring post heading into the commercial.

Dijak gets to his feet with Thorpe on his back. He finds enough strength to jump back to get Thorpe to release. Thorpe rolls Dijak off of him but Dijak hits two spinning boots to the face. Thorpe finally pulls out a kick of his own and tries throwing Dijak out with a German but Dijak lands on his feet. Dijak pulls Thorpe out and hits Feast Your Eyes. Dijak strikes a few of the bystanders and strikes Thorpe again.

Thorpe stops Dijak from using a belt and then lands the Manifest Destiny DDT. Thorpe then whips Dijak across the back many times. Thorpe goes for the sleeper but drives Thorpe into the ring post to break it. Thorpe sends Dijak out of the ring on his back and then Thorpe flies out with an elbow drop. Another DDT on the floor connects. Thorpe goes for the sleeper again and Dijak keeps ramming him into the post and barricade but Thorpe won't let go.

Thorpe hits Manifest Destiny DDT through the announce desk to a huge pop. Dijak does not get to his feet so Thorpe is declared the winner by knockout.

Winner: Eddy Thorpe

– We cut to a contract signing backstage. Trick signs it first but is willing to push the match back if Ilja's not ready. Ilja says nothing and no one can stop him. He takes off his neck brace and signs. "The match is on." They stand up and shake hands to end the show.