WWE NXT: New Year's Evil Live Coverage - January 6th, 2026

[Kemo]

Oba Femi defends the NXT Championship against TNA's Leon Slater

The NXT Championship will be on the line when Oba Femi defends the gold against TNA's Leon Slater. The TNA X-Division Champion won a Fatal 4-Way Match against Dion Lennox, Joe Hendry and Myles Borne to become the No. 1 Contender, setting the stage for a title fight between two of the best young Superstars in the world.

— We are live! The show kicks off with a video showcasing some of the highlights from 2025 in "NXT", as well as some of the events leading up to tonight's show.

— Vic Joseph and Booker T greet audiences at home as Thea Hail makes her way to the ring. Blake Monroe blindsides Hail on the entrance ramp and attacks her from behind. She hits Hail with a chair in her midsection and cracks it across her spine, then sends her crashing into the barricade.

Ricky Saints instead makes his way to the ring

Saints says while the Women's North American Championship might be put on pause right now, he thought he would give everyone a gift. He says he knows the fans feel some type of way about him, but he really needed NXT last year. He says the tables have turned and NXT needs him now, then says Je'Von Evans and Trick Williams chose to be free agents and sign with Raw and SmackDown respectively. He says people can't compete where they can't compare, then says there's only room for one star: him.

Saints says the sad truth of everyone in the back is that he's not going anywhere, then says if anyone comes at him, he'll send them back where they came from. He says no one else is "Absolute" like him as he's said from day one, then says he's exactly who he's said he is and says he'll handle Leon Slater in due time if he wins the NXT Championship. He then addresses Oba Femi and says it doesn't sit right with him that they each hold a win over one another. He says regardless of who wins the NXT Championship tonight, NXT is still in his hands as is the NXT Championship which is "Absolute".

— Back from the break, Ava finds Blake Monroe backstage and asks her what she was thinking attacking Thea Hail. Monroe demands that Ava just give her the Women's North American Championship, but Ava responds by telling Monroe she's going nowhere near the title and is banned from the Performance Center.

— Tatum Paxley then makes their way to the ring. The Culling follows.

Izzi Dame (w/ The Culling) vs. Tatum Paxley

The bell rings and Dame gets Paxley up on her shoulders. She sends Paxley crashing into the top turnbuckle face first and fires off forearms on her, but Paxley responds with several of her own. Dame whips Paxley into the corner, but Paxley uses the ropes to wrench back on Dame's leg with a Half Boston Crab.

Paxley continues wearing down Paxley's leg with a submission and sends it bouncing off the mat, then delivers a flipping kick to Dame from the ring apron as Dame is draped through the middle rope. Dame rocks Paxley with a forearm that sends her crashing onto the floor, then sends her crashing into the announce desk and ring apron spine first during the break.

Dame dumps Paxley back in the ring and goes for a pin. Paxley kicks out, but Dame fires off stomps on her and uses the ring post to wrench back on her spine. Paxley lands a chop block to Dame, but Dame wears down Paxley with a submission hold.

Back from the break, Dame pins Paxley but Paxley kicks out. Dame cinches in a Boston Crab on Paxley, but Paxley crawls over to the bottom rope to break the hold and connects with a Spanish Fly off the top rope on Dame. Dame and Paxley then exchange strikes with one another, but Paxley levels Dame and delivers a kick to her. She follows it up with a German suplex, but Dame catches Paxley with a sit-out powerbomb and pins her.

Paxley kicks out and sets up for the Psycho Trap on Dame, but Dame avoids it and sends Paxley crashing into the ring steps spine first. She delivers a 450 Splash to Dame and follows it up with the Psycho Trap for the win.

Winner: Tatum Paxley

— We get a video promo for The French Luchador, Flio LeFleur.

— Kendal Grey and Wren Sinclair walk backstage, and we also see Fatal Influence (Jacy Jayne, Fallon Henley & Lainey Reid) strutting backstage.

— Back from the break, Ava approaches Thea Hail and Jordynne Grace in the medical office as an injured Hail is being checked on to discuss Hail pushing back her Women's North American Championship match. Hail insists on defending the title tonight, and while Ava tells her that she banned Monroe from the building, she can still put her title up for grabs in an Open Challenge.

— Back at ringside, Kendal Grey and Wren Sinclair make their way to the ring. Fatal Influence follows.

NXT Women's Championship Match: Jacy Jayne (c) (w/Fatal Influence) vs. Kendal Grey (w/Wren Sinclair)

The bell rings and Grey dropkicks Jayne out of the ring. She flies off the apron with a crossbody to level Jayne, Fallon Henley, and Lainey Reid on the outside before dumping Jayne in the ring. Jayne responds by dragging Grey back out of the ring and sending her crashing into the barricade spine first.

Jayne gets Grey back in the ring and delivers a senton to Grey. She goes for a pin, but Grey kicks out and Jayne levels her with a thrust kick. She follows it up with a back elbow, then fires off a couple of Hammer and Anvil elbows on Grey and wears her down with a variation of a crossface.

Grey and Jayne level one another with crossbodies, but Grey lands a pair of boots on Jayne's midsection and spikes her with a DDT. Jayne responds with a neckbreaker to Grey, but Grey delivers a trio of German suplexes to Jayne. Jayne then lands a knee strike on Grey,

Jayne ascends to the top rope, but Grey joins her up there and lands a superplex on Jayne. She cinches in a Fujiwara Armbar on Jayne, but Henley slides into the ring to distract the referee. Reid pulls Grey out of the ring to break the hold as Sinclair takes out Henley. Jayne then sends Sinclair crashing off the ring apron with a Rolling Encore, but Grey locks in a Fujiwara Armbar on Jayne. Jayne transitions into a pinfall, but Grey kicks out and looks to land a springboard flatliner on Jayne. Henley holds onto Jayne to prevent Grey from landing the move, opening the door for Jayne to connect with the Rolling Encore for the win.

Winner and STILL NXT Women's Champion: Jacy Jayne

— Oba Femi is seen warming up backstage for his match later tonight.

— Ava is in her office talking to Ethan Page. Page talks about defeating Moose which makes him a 12 title match victory record setter. Ava says other stars have that same accolade and Page says he'll finish his thoughts in the ring. Ava asks what the catch is, as there is no drama following him. Page introduces The Vanity Project. Brad Balor, Ricky Smokes & Jackson Drake come in and they want to talk to Ava about 2026.

— Thea Hail then makes her way to the ring. While several women in the back look to answer the call for the Open Challenge, Tatum Paxley runs in front of all of them with a chainsaw in hand to keep them away. Izzi Dame sneaks into the ring from the other side and runs over Hail with a big boot, being the one to answer the call and take away the Open Challenge from Paxley as Shawn Spears and Niko Vance join Dame at ringside.

NXT Women's North American Championship Open Challenge: Thea Hail (c) vs. Izzi Dame (w/The Culling)

The bell rings and Dame fires off stomps on Hail in the corner. She fires off shoulders on her midsection, then follows it up with a Fallaway Slam and goes for a pin. Hail kicks out, but Dame whips her into the corner during the commercial break and follows it up with a codebreaker to her off the middle rope.

Dame pins Hail, but Hail kicks out despite Spears being ready to celebrate with Dame and thinking the match was over. Dame cinches in a submission on Hail, then runs over her with a big boot back from the break and pins her.

Hail kicks out, then lands a suplex on Dame and looks to land a tope suicida on her through the middle rope. Dame intercepts Hail and sends her crashing into the announce desk spine first, then slides into the ring as the referee begins a ten count. Spears reminds Dame she can't win the Women's North American Championship, prompting Dame to get Paxley back in the ring and connect with a sit-out powerbomb on her for the win.

Winner and NEW NXT North American Champion: Izzi Dame

— After the match, Niko Vance and Shawn Spears put the belt on Dame and they all pose and celebrate.

— Lola Vice watches all this backstage and is shocked. The Vanity Project come in and hit on Vice. Hank & Tank come in and tell them to screw off. They leave and Vice says she was ready to knock them out and Vice tells them she has to take care of Kelani Jordan and then she can go for gold. Jordan runs in and throws her shoes at Vice and the two start fighting.

— Joe Hendry talks to Ava backstage and Hendry says he's here to fight and he wants to fight Dion Lennox next week in a No DQ Match. Ava tells him it'll turn into a handicap match. Hendry ask about having back up, Ava says if he can find back-up she will greenlight the match.

— Back from the break, Ethan Page is waiting in the ring.

Page says he's a big game hunter because he bagged himself a Moose last week when he retained the North American Championship against him last week to prove that he's the greatest North American alive. He says Oba Femi and Leon Slater are not the main event because he is, then says the North American Championship is the most prestigious title in all of WWE while the NXT Championship is only defended in one part of North America. He says he's defended the North American Championship against many challengers from many countries in many promotions, making him "an international icon".

Jasper Troy's music hits, and he makes his way out. He questions why Page is pretending to be the only champion in NXT who matters, then says Page isn't the only one who had a great 2025. He says he's out to prove he's the best big man in NXT in 2026, then says while the WWE Speed Championship is what he holds right now, it's not the only title he plans on holding in this coming year.

Josh Briggs' music hits and he makes his way out. He says Troy isn't on his level and Page is delusional. Channing "Stacks" Lorenzo and Arianna Grace then appear, and Stacks says he's the only person from NXT carrying a TNA Championship. He says he's as international as it gets as TNA International Champion.

Shiloh Hill makes his way out, and says Santino Marella had a conversation with Ava. He informs Stacks that he's challenging him for the TNA International Championship next week, but Tavion Heights follows and promises to dethrone Troy as the new WWE Speed Championship next week.

A brawl between everyone in the ring then breaks out between everyone, with Hill left standing tall in the ring with Grace.

— We see Leon Slater prepping for his match.

— Joe Hendry tries to recruit Lucien Price and Bronco Nima from OTM. OTM says it's no their business. Hendry tells them if he sides with them he'll have a direct line to the tag champs. We cut over to Fallon Henley, Lainey Reid and Jacy Jayne from Fatal Influence and they walk by Sol Ruca and Zaria. Ruca says she'll come for Jayne's title and ZaRuca is asked if they're a tag team or not.

— Ethan Page walks backstage and comes by Myles Borne and who is with Tate Wilder from Evolve. Page gets in Borne's face.

— Oba Femi then makes his way to the ring. Leon Slater is already waiting in the ring.

NXT Championship Match: Oba Femi (c) vs. Leon Slater

The bell rings and the two lock up. Femi lands a backbreaker on Slater, then sends him crashing out of the ring over the top rope and sends him crashing into the ring apron spine first. He whips Slater into the corner spine first, then lands another backbreaker on him during the commercial break and uses his knee to wrench back on Slater's spine.

Slater lands a codebreaker on Femi back from the break, but Femi levels Slater with a right hand on the ring apron and fires off alternating knee strikes on his midsection. Slater sends Femi's knee crashing into the ring post, then delivers a pair of kicks to the back of Femi's knee. He sends Femi crashing into the ring steps, then dumps him back in the ring and ascends to the top rope. He connects with a crossbody on Femi and pins him, but Femi kicks out.

Slater ascends to the top rope and sets up for the 450 Splash-Swanton combination, but Femi gets his knees up and pins Slater. Slater kicks out and pins Femi, but Femi kicks out and lands a sit-out powerbomb to Slater for the win.

Winner and STILL NXT Champion: Oba Femi

— Femi poses in the ring after the match and we cut backstage. Ava talks to the LFG and Evolve talent and tells them since Lash Legend, Trick Williams, Je'Von Evans and now Jordynne Grace have all moved to the main roster there is space in NXT for new people. Robert Stone comes in and asks Ava if she saw what Femi just did in the ring and she says no. We cut to the ring, and Femi has left the championship belt in the center of the ring and he's left. Tony D'Angelo is standing in the crowd staring at the belt and the show goes off the air.

[Kemo]