WWE NXT results: December 27 winners, ratings, reactions and highlights

WWE NXT results: December 27 winners, ratings, reactions and highlights

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Tony D’Angelo will challenge Wes Lee for the NXT North American Championship while hoping Dijak doesn’t get involved.Credit: WWE.com

With only a few days left in 2022, WWE NXT planned to go out dancing. In the main event of this show on December 27, Wes Lee would defend the NXT North American Championship against Tony D’Angelo.

Wendy Choo sought revenge on Cora Jade, who has been after her for months. Julius Creed was looking to prove himself against JD McDonagh in a rematch.

Fallon Henley needed to go all out to win The Battle for the Bar against Kiana James. Edris Enofé, Malik Blade and Odyssey Jones hoped to shut out Joe Gacy and The Schism in a six-man tag.

This was an opportunity to build the future with many stars looking to make a splash that would bring more opportunities in 2023.

JD McDonagh vs. Julius Creed (with Brutus Creed)

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Julius Creed exorcised one of his past demons by beating JD McDonagh, finishing with a rolling shoulder strike and a very low clothesline. Indus Sher agreed to a match at NXT New Year’s Evil.

This was a solid start to the show. The Necessary Evil guided Julius to one of his strongest singles performances to date, ending in a definitive victory for the future.

It was a bit of a surprise to see someone who is still a tag team guy take down one of NXT’s top rudos for the first time with limited fanfare, but NXT is clearly behind The Creed Brothers, especially Julius as a future leader.

Supposedly, Indus Sher will either defeat The Creed Brothers to send the brothers back to the main roster or push Julius and Brutus to work more as individual stars. Sanga and Veer Mahaan have a chance to prove their worth not only in NXT, but also for a quick jump onto the main roster.

Outcome

July def. McDonagh by pinfall.

Qualification

B.

notable moments

• Julius caught McDonagh with a knee but then collided with a standing Spanish Fly.
• McDonagh nearly got the win with a brainbuster and then attempted a moonsault, but missed.

Cora Jade vs. Wendy Choo

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Cora Jade talked too much trash and let Wendy Choo get a big win with a full nelson slam and Vader Bomb.

This was the second surprise result of the night. Jade has been a priority in NXT for a while, especially since her heel turn, so Choo beating her means a lot.

The action was solid, but the match lacked drama. The two were too focused on getting to their spots to sell the moment Choo got the win from him. This is an area where both can still improve with training.

Outcome

Choo definitely. I gasped for pinfall.

Qualification

B-

notable moments

• Choo ran into this angry fight, attacking Jade before the announcer could even say her name during her entrance.
• Choo nearly gets the win with a seated powerbomb and cross dive.
• Josh Briggs questioned if Brooks Jensen was focused on supporting Fallon Henley.

Scrypts vs. Ikemen Jiro

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Ikemen Jiro fought with motivated aggression to get back at Scrypts for taking his jacket, but Scrypts caught him with a seated sit up with a diving somersault to win.

The Scrypts trick is an ill-conceived puzzle, but still a talent to watch. He’s a much more well-rounded actor than he was when he came to WWE. That was shown in this attractive sprint.

NXT bets on this character, and perhaps over time it will work better. However, right now, he seems like a waste of a talented flyer who’s a character in his own right thanks to his impressive athleticism.

Outcome

Figures definitely. Jiro by pinfall.

Qualification

B-

notable moments

• On the way to the ring, Jiro explained what his jacket meant to him.
• Scrypts appeared behind Jiro jumping over the ropes into the ring.
• NXT showed another cartoon about Oro Mensah’s love of nightlife.

Lyra Valkyria vs. Lash Legend

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While Lash Legend’s size gave her an early lead, Lyra Valkyria pinned Legend with a roundhouse kick into a frog splash for the win.

In their second NXT match, Valkyria had some trouble working with Legend. This has been a constant problem for Legend, who makes it difficult for most women to find chemistry with her.

However, Valkyria is still struggling to prove herself as a mainstay. Her offense hasn’t looked impressive enough, especially her finishing, and she looks too small on TV to compete with the biggest names in wrestling. She needs to find her presence in the ring.

Outcome

Valkyria def. Legend by pinfall.

Qualification

D-

notable moments

• The rain effect was moved to the end of Valkyria’s entry and is still bad CGI.
• Valkyria sent Legend to the floor with an arm drag and then caught her with a baseball slide, but Legend carried her out of the ring and sliced ​​her on the apron.
• Vic Joseph and Booker T were shocked that Legend dominated despite having more NXT screen time in this match and a huge size advantage.

The schism against Edris Enofé, Malik Blade and Odyssey Jones

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After eliminating Odyssey Jones, Joe Gacy and Rip Fowler defeated Edris Enofé and Malik Blade by double Doomsday Device. They followed up by placing Enofé with the Ticket to Mayhem on The Upside Down to win.

I haven’t fully believed in The Schism as a stable until this match. The tag team synergy on display made them seem not only cohesive but also dangerous. The final stretch was especially great with the triple-team offense rarely seen in WWE.

This was largely one-sided, so the contest lacked some drama, but it made up for it by fully establishing the way these “roots of the same tree” work in sync. If The Schism keeps going like this, the stable could really win over the audience.

Outcome

schism def. Enofé, Blade and Jones by pinfall.

Qualification

B+

notable moments

• Before the match, The Schism warned their opponents that they were looking for temporary and fleeting pleasures.
• Blade hit a splash from Jones’s shoulders onto Fowler.
• During the match, Ava Raine told Booker T what Schism is all about.
• Jones planted both members of The Dyad with punches to the sidewalk, setting up Enofé for a diving elbow strike on Reid.
• Schism beat Jones with repeated suicide dives until he collapsed.

Battle for the Bar: Kiana James vs. Fallon Henley (with Josh Briggs and Brooks Jensen)

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Fallon Henley tripped Kiana James causing her to sprain her ankle. Henley took the opportunity to connect a Shining Wizard for the victory. Josh Briggs supported her while Brooks Jensen seemed conflicted.

This was a good match, the best Henley and James have had, but it was a clear example that James is still far from ready. He couldn’t match Henley on emotion or technique at all times.

The ending felt rushed, but at least it was the right call. NXT hasn’t used the Henley bar enough to pass it on to someone else, and it can be a good trick for her, Briggs and Jensen on the main roster.

Outcome

Henley def. James to defend the rights of his family’s bar.

Qualification

D+

notable moments

• Backstage, Briggs questioned Jensen’s engagement to his friend Henley.
• Henley planted James with a running bulldog down a near fall. James responded with a gutbuster for a nearfall.
• Jensen seemed to be rooting for James near the end and was disappointed when Henley took the win.
• Trick Williams and Carmelo Hayes confidently declared that they would defeat Axiom and Apollo Crews next week in separate matches.

Charlie Dempsey interrupts Drew Gulak during his invitation

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Drew Gulak hosted a ringside invite where he made each man submit. He held his submission too long on Myles Borne, and Hank Walker had to tell him to calm down. Charlie Dempsey crashed the wild card and challenged Walker to a match the next week.

This was a simple segment, building up to Gulak’s role in NXT. He’s starting out as the friendly teacher, but even at his invitation, his anger started to show. It is unlikely that he will remain a long-term face in NXT.

While Gulak helping build Walker up is an interesting angle, it makes more sense for Gulak to team up with Dempsey to create a wrestling school that doesn’t take kindly to any student. NXT will just have to be careful not to get too close to do a Blackpool Combat Club imitation.

Qualification

c+

notable moments

• Grayson Waller left Bron Breakker a video message from Australia. Breakker responded by smashing the television that was displaying the message.
• Toxic Attraction promised to make 2023 all about NXT’s most dominant women’s stable (minus Mandy Rose) and focused on defeating Roxanne Perez.
• In a backstage interview, Perez discussed the legacy she needed to live up to as NXT Women’s Champion.
• Alba Fyre challenged Isla Dawn to an Extreme Rules match the next week. Dawn then confidently accepted.

NXT North American Championship: Wes Lee (c) vs. Tony D’Angelo (with Stacks)

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Tony D’Angelo focused too much in this match on hurting Wes Lee. This allowed for a timely distraction from Dijak attacking Channing “Stacks” Lorenzo, setting up the champion to hit his cartwheel kick for the win.

This was a solid if unspectacular main event. D’Angelo pushed Lee with a focused offense, telling a whole story of The Don focusing too much on hurting his opponent.

However, it would have been nice to see more drama down the stretch, as the ending felt abrupt, similar to much of the action on this week’s NXT.

The right man won, setting up a potential triple threat title fight sooner rather than later with Dijak included. Lee still has a lot more to prove as a champion before he loses the NXT North American Championship.

Outcome

Definitely read D’Angelo by pinfall to retain the NXT North American Championship.

Qualification

B.

notable moments

• D’Angelo explained in an interview why he was not afraid of Lee or Dijak.
• Lee kicked at The Don’s leg. He caught it with a standing shooting star press, and as D’Angelo rolled outside, Lee followed with a suicide plunge.
• The Don launched a knee-first suplex to Lee on the announce table.