NXT Review – 12.09.25

Time to catch up? Let’s do that. Evolve | Impact | Smackdown | Deadline | RAW

A note of thanks to our good friend Phred for covering Deadline as I had some things going on this weekend.

NXT comes to the airwaves on the CW and Netflix from the Performance Center in Orlando, Florida. The announce team for tonight’s show are Vic Joseph and Booker T on match calls and analysis, Mike Rome on ring announcements, and Kelly Kincaid on backstage interviews and breaking news segments. Let’s watch some wrestling!

Then, Now, Forever….TOGETHER

Here’s newly crowned NXT Men’s Champion Oba Femi to kick things off by heading to the ring. Femi says true power doesn’t bend or break, and points to himself as having true power. Femi says that NXT wasn’t the same without the Ruler on top, and he’s proud to have reclaimed his title. Femi says he’s done with Ricky Saints and he will stand across the ring at SNME as Cody Rhodes sees the now, the inevitable, the Ruler, the Destroyer, the Bringer of War, Oba Femi.

Here’s Ricky Saints to interrupt. Saints wants to be the first to congratulate Femi on fulfilling his prophecy. Saints says he’s man enough to admit that Femi was the better man at Deadline. Saints says he’s remembering who he is and he will not bow down and fade to the back. Saints says he’s still coming for what is his and the count is Saints 1, Femi 1, and he wants his rematch. Here’s Je’von Evans to interrupt and mention that he survived the Iron Survivor Challenge and he earned his shot at New Year’s Evil. Evans says he’s been wondering why he should wait until January to have that match and says he’s ready right now. Evans wants his title match tonight. Saints asks Evans what the rush is because he wants his rematch and then it can be him and Evans for the title. Evans says people keep pushing him away telling him he’s the future, but he wants to make the stars align for himself. Femi starts to beef but Evans tells him that Femi knows he has his number. Femi says he’s never been scared of Evans and it won’t be any different tonight, so game on.

THE NXT SPOTLIGHT PRESENTED BY PROGRESSIVE is on Kelani Jordan and her ongoing issues with the NXT women’s locker room, as well as how things built up between her and Jordynne Grace. They will do battle tonight after the events of Iron Survivor. We go to commercials.

Here’s Tatum Paxley backstage to tell Izzi Dame that she’s got nothing left to lose, but Dame does. She’s holding dolls that look like Niko Vance and Shawn Spears, and promises that they’ll be eliminated so that Paxley and Dame can be alone together.

Kelani Jordan vs Jordynne Grace

They immediately start fighting in the aisle before going into the ring. Grace hits a Thesz Press as the bell sounds, and then hits a couple of scoop slams. Grace hits a Michinoku Driver and covers for two. A slap battle starts and Jordan manages to hit a big boot. Grace sends Jordan into a turnbuckle and delivers a back elbow, but she misses a springboard splash. Jordan hits a low dropkick and goes to work on Grace’s hamstrings. Grace kicks Jordan away, so Jordan goes to the apron with Grace and they start chopping each other. Grace hoists Jordan, but Jordan slips off and smashes Grace’s knees into the apron. We go to commercials.

Jordan escapes a hold and flips Grace into a suplex as the show returns. Grace chases Jordan out to the floor but Jordan clips her knee and grabs a chair from under the ring. Jordan misses a chair shot and they go back in. Grace plants Jordan with a spinebuster and covers for two. Grace works some sort of leg submission but Jordan escapes it and nips up. Grace hits a backslide roll through and then smashes Jordan with a couple of clotheslines. Grace hits a roll-through back suplex and covers Jordan for two. They go to the floor and Grace finally manages to smash Jordan into the steps before blasting her with a splash. Grace picks up the chair but the ref takes it from her, and as Grace is distracted Jordan kicks her though the barricade. Jordan rolls Grace back in and Jordan hits a 450 splash before covering and getting three.

The crowd ate this up from start to finish and called it “awesome”, but I was a little less enthusiastic about it. Kelani Jordan is what I would call “competent” at this point, and Grace is apparently going to be a jobber-to-the-kids in NXT, which would not have been my choice for her as a booker. But here we are. Mechanically, they got most of it right, but it was clunky at times. I sincerely do not get the booking of Jordynne Grace because jobbing her out a bunch in NXT, and I mean a BUNCH, isn’t doing her any favors at all considering the state of TNA’s women’s division right now. Anyway, I’m gonna cop out with this rating. 2.5*

Winner – Kelani Jordan (450 splash)

Here’s NXT Women’s North American Champion Blake Monroe in the makeup chair as her Open Challenge defense is next. We go to commercials.

Jordynne Grace is in the locker room yelling about her loss and Thea Hail approaches to pump her up and tell her to not doubt herself. Grace asks why she should take advice from a 16 year old, and Hail points out she’s 22 and has been there for four years now. The locker room empties as Blake Monroe is out and entering the ring. Monroe says she knows how much the locker room idolizes her and look up to her as a role model. Monroe is in a giving mood since it’s the holidays. The women’s locker room comes out but are held back by the referee team, but Thea Hail jumps in the ring from the other side and slaps on a Kimura. Monroe immediately taps but there hadn’t been a bell, so I guess there isn’t going to be a match? That seems like a long way to go to set up an angle.

Here’s Kelly Kincaid with Shiloh Hill who is very excited and nervous for his first match tonight. Hill says no one should sleep on him and he’s going to smash Lexis King. Hill puts in his false teeth and grins as we go to commercials.

Shiloh Hill vs Lexis King

King tries to jump Hill so Hill sends him to the floor and smashes him with a right before running King’s head into the announce desk. The bell sounds and Hill sends King into a corner and then smashes him with a low clothesline. King fires up and hits a shotgun dropkick on Hill in a corner before covering Hill for two. King starts throwing chops and then hits a big knee lift. King hits another shotgun dropkick and covers Hill for two. King puts his boot under Hill’s jaw and then slaps him in the face. They hit each other with simultaneous clotheslines and we reset. Hill removes his mouthguard and fires up with a shoulder block and a clothesline. Hill hits a twisting cutter and covers King for two. King fires up with some kicks, but Hill shakes it off and wallops King with a back body drop and the Whisper to the Beast cutter. Hill covers King and gets three.

A quick and easy debut for Hill against a guy that could carry the water if things went weird. Obviously Lexis King can eat pins and be a gatekeeper in matches like this without his, er, reputation suffering. Hill looked fine for his first television match and the crowd was weirdly into him, so we’ll see where this leads. Nothing you have to seek out unless you’re planning on being a Shiloh Hill completist, and if you are, perhaps you might want to reconsider. 1.5*

Winner – Shiloh Hill (Whisper to the Beast cutter)

Here’s Kelly Kincaid backstage with Oba Femi. Femi says when you’re a champion you learn to expect the unexpected. Femi hopes Cody Rhodes is watching tonight because Rhodes knows about Je’von Evans but he does not know about Femi. Femi promises to break the Iron Survivor and then break the American Nightmare on Saturday.

Here’s NXT Men’s North American Champion Ethan Page for an in-ring chat. Page says it doesn’t matter who he defends the North American championship against. Page says he was the only guy who came to NXT to ask the questions that nobody else had the balls to ask. Page says the opponents he’s had seem to care more about their Tik Toks because they want the finger point moment with their childhood hero than doing the work to beat him. Page puts over John Cena’s last match, but then mentions that when Cena is gone he’ll be forgotten immediately and there will be a void to fill. Page mentions that he could fill that void because he’s turned the North American title into the hottest prize in the company. Page puts over winning the AAA Mixed Tag titles making him the most unique guy in the company. Page says he’s the biggest superstar that WWE has to offer and the lights go out. Here’s Tony D’Angelo looming behind Page. D’Angelo plants Page with a chokeslam and gives the thousand yard stare. We go to commericals.

Here’s Dion Lennox to join Myles Borne, Leon Slater and Joe Hendry in NXT GM Ava‘s office. Ava says since they were all tied at 1 during Iron Survivor they will have a traditional Fatal Four-way to determine who will face the champion at New Year’s Evil. Ethan Page charges in yelling about Tony D’Angelo and asks if Ava is on “goofball pills”. Borne teases Page by saying there’s someone behind him, so Page leaves in a huff.

Wren Sinclair vs Sol Ruca

Evolve Women’s Champion Kendal Grey is seconding Sinclair. Ruca is out alone and is not wearing her knee brace. Sinclair works Ruca’s knee but Ruca reverses and slaps on a headlock. Sinclair grabs a quick roll up for two. Ruca hits a sit-out facebuster and covers Sinclair for two. Zaria has emerged and is watching the match from the crowd as Sinclair grabs another roll-up for two. Ruca gets a roll-up for two. Sinclair hits a couple of kicks and then snaps off a neck-snapper for two. Sinclair works a catch hold on Ruca’s knee. Ruca escapes and hits a roundhouse and a back elbow. Ruca ascends and hits a second rope dropkick. Sinclair fires up with some slaps before planting Ruca with a double underhook suplex. Ruca fires up with a backstabber before walloping her with a Sol Snatcher. Ruca covers and gets three.

I would have thought this might have gone through a commercial break, but nope. I know where both of these folks stand in the NXT women’s food chain but this seemed very squashy to me. I’ll wait to hear what you all think in the comments since Sinclair is pretty popular with basically all of us. Too short to really get much heat from the crowd. 2*

Winner – Sol Ruca (Sol Snatcher)

Post-match sees Zaria leave in a snit as Ruca glances back at her. Ruca heads through the crowd after her.

Here’s Fatal Influence out from the back lead by NXT Women’s Champion Jacy Jayne. We go to commercials.

Jayne addresses Kendal Grey and says she’s gone from being unknown to winning Iron Survivor. Jayne says this feeling she has right now is as good as it’s going to get. Grey is living the dream according to Jayne, given the love and support she’s getting from the crowd right now. The reality is going to smack her in the face at New Year’s Evil because she will lose and the crowd will move on to the next new “flavor of the month” says Jayne. Jayne says she’ll tell Grey the truth and potential doesn’t win championships. Jayne says winning the NXT title is a whole different level than being Evolve champion. Jayne says 2025 was her year, and she’s a history maker. Jayne runs down her accomplishments and says she’s the glue that holds NXT together. Jayne calls Grey “Kurt Angle with a ponytail” and says she has no chance to win. Grey says Jayne had momentum, but Grey has it now. Grey admits she has a lot to learn but no one expected her to win Iron Survivor but she did. Grey points out that no one expected Jayne to beat Stephanie Vaquer but she did. Grey says if Jayne wants to treat the New Year’s Evil as a joke it’s fine with her because no one expects the underdog to bite back. Sinclair pipes up and mentions she would be interested in Fallon Henley’s Speed title. A brawl breaks out and Sinclair manages to hold her own for a minute before eating a Henley superkick. Fatal eventually overwhelms Sinclair and Grey and stand tall over them.

Here’s Hank and Tank with a quick travel vlog of their adventures in Japan. Tank is now Tank Leisure on this blog from now on, for the record. They are with Kelly Kincaid who mentions that everyone is glad they’re back and here’s OTM to point out that they’re glad Hank and Tank didn’t forget what happened before they left for Japan. A challenge is put out for next week’s show as we go to commercials.

Here’s Blake Monroe with Ava as Monroe blames Ava for the failure of the Open Challenge. Monroe calls Thea Hail a “tiny blonde banshee” and says she won’t do anymore Open Challenges as Ava struggles to not point out that the whole thing was Monroe’s idea in the first place. Ava says Monroe will defend the title next week against Hail as Monroe grumpily leaves.

Sol Ruca and Zaria have a chat, and Ruca asks Zaria to be in with her on Saturday when she faces Bayley. They hug it out and proclaim they’ve never had a friend like each other.

Je’von Evans makes his way to the ring as we go to commercials prior to the main event.

NXT Men’s Championship: Oba Femi (C) vs Je’von Evans

Mike Rome does the in-ring introductions. Femi bullies Evans around but releases clean, so Evans waffles him with a superkick. Evans hits a big knee lift and gets a LONG two count. Evans uses his speed to confuse Femi a bit so Femi just bows up and smashes Evans with a forearm. Evans hits a spinning roundhouse kick and covers Femi for two. Femi hits a Euro uppercut and smashes Evans with a right. Femi plants Evans with a backbreaker and then stands on top of him using the ropes for leverage. Femi works a rear chinlock as Joseph puts over how big a match this is on a weekly show. Evans pulls Femi head-first into a turnbuckle and then dropkicks Femi to the floor. Evans heads out and Femi catches him trying to pull a springboard move by pulling Evans to the floor. Femi catches Evans again, but Evans reverses and fires Femi into the apron. Evans gets hoisted to the apron and Femi smashes him in the chest with a right as we go to commercials.

Femi smashes Evans with another backbreaker and covers Evans for two as the show returns. Evans fires up with a right but Femi shakes it off with a double sledge blow to Evans back. They tumble outside and Evans snaps off a rana. The crowd is very into this as Femi misses a charge that sends Booker sprawling to the floor. He’s probably getting to old for this shit, but anyway. Femi beats the count at eight and Evans hits him with two splashes before covering and getting another LONG two. Evans hits a roundhouse kick and then hits a huge tope as Femi had tumbled out once again. Evans tries a springboard and runs into Femi’s right hand. Femi trucks Evans in the corner so Evans responds with a German. Evans snaps off a cutter and covers Femi for two. Femi smashes Evans with a forearm and Evans kicks out at two. Femi tosses Evans but Evans hits two cutters and Ricky Saints pulls the ref out as his count reaches two. Evans flies out and smashes Saints before rolling back in to hit Femi with a spinning kick. Femi smashes Evans with a lariat and a Euro uppercut. Femi hits the Fall From Grace and covers Evans for three.

Damn. That match saved this whole show. Femi and Evans have fallen into that same type of chemistry that Trick and Melo established where I think they could go out and put on 3.5* at a minimum in a Piggly Wiggly parking lot. When you can get the PC crowd to stand on their feet throughout the entire second act of a match, you are doing things correctly. It’s good to have Femi on top again and I’m excited to see him with Cody on Saturday night, and Evans will be okay after this with a program with Saints because he should be elevated even more as Saints probably has one more feud in him before joining the main. A terrific main event, interference notwithstanding, and again, I could legit watch these two any week they want to throw it out there. 4.25*

Winner – Oba Femi (Fall From Grace)

Post-match sees Femi glare at Saints before leaving as Saints then turns his mean mug on the fallen Evans in the ring. The credits roll and we’re out.

I mentioned that the main event saved this show and it did. They always have to rush everything in NXT due to every circumstance you can think of, but promising an Open Challenge and then delivering an angle to set up a match for next week was carny bullshit at it’s finest. You could have just said “Thea Hail is the number one contender and she’ll get Monroe on next week’s show”. There were two basic squashes (Hill-King and Ruca-Sinclair) and Jordynne Grace once again looking up at the lights, none of which especially appealed to me. The main, however, kicked every kind of ass. We’ll call the whole thing thumbs in the middle and move on to next week which looks to be a better show on paper.

Thanks for reading and commenting, and again, big shoutout to Phred for his coverage of Deadline. Be good to each other and hug your people. Have a good week, I’ll be back for Smackdown on Saturday morning.