NXT Review – 12.16.25

There’s been a lot happening lately, so let’s catch up: Evolve | Impact | Smackdown | SNME | Raw

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

A highlights package from SNME opens the show, and the NXT folks involved really killed and did very well. Also, other things happened on that show. There’s a transition to highlights from last week‘s show and the big NXT title match that occurred between Je’von Evans and Oba Femi, and the subsequent heel turn from Ricky Saints. Here’s Je’von Evans in the NXT Parking Lot being confronted by NXT GM Ava, who begs him to come inside to talk things over. Evans wants none of that and vows to stay outside to greet Ricky Saints personally.

NXT Women’s North American Championship: Blake Monroe (C) vs Thea Hail

Mike Rome does the in-ring announcements and off we go. Hail takes control and starts working Monroe’s arm. Hail drops a knee on Monroe’s elbow and gets a quick cover for two. Monroe responds with a shotgun dropkick and puts the boots to Hail in a corner. Monroe whips Hail into a corner twice and then hits a spinning sidewalk slam before covering her for two. Hail fires up with a snapmare/kick to the chest combo before hitting a standing moonsault and covering Monroe for two. Hail grabs an elbow lock, but Monroe escapes only to run into a Hail armdrag and dropkick. Hail hits a tope suicida and then runs Monroe back in. Hail hits an Exploder but Monroe responds by running Hail into a corner turnbuckle. Monroe pulls Hail over the top rope by her arm and only breaks at four as we go to commercials.

Hail gets walloped by a short arm clothesline when the show returns, and Monroe then slaps on a rear chinlock. Hail slips out and smashes Monroe with a headbutt and a double sledge. Hail hits a bodyslam and a rolling tackle. Hail hits a springboard back splash before pulling Monroe over into a cover and the ref counts…three? Everyone is confused and Monroe’s music plays briefly but then Hail is announced as the winner and her music plays as Rome makes the AND NEW announcement.

Well, that clearly was NOT meant to be the finish, but since the refs are taught to treat every cover as if it’s a shoot, Thea Hail has won her first title in NXT. The replay showed that Monroe did not get her arm up until after three, so I’m wondering if she didn’t feel the first count because the next two were more emphatic. The first part of this match prior to the break was really well done and you could see what they were going for in that Hail was getting a lot of underdog offense. Where this goes from here will be VERY interesting indeed. Plans change, brother. 2.5*

Winner AND NEW NXT Women’s North American Champion – Thea Hail (roll-up)

THE NXT SPOTLIGHT PRESENTED BY PROGRESSIVE shows The Culling finding Tatum Paxley’s Vance and Spears dolls. Izzi Dame says they’ve corrected the mistake and wants to move on. NXT Men’s North American Champion Ethan Page is headed to the ring as we go to commercials.

Ethan Page is in the ring and has a microphone. Page is appalled that the wrestling world is more interested in crying champions who watched their buddy lose and retire than him. Page says his back was almost broken and no one seems to care. Page says he is a “foundation” in NXT and has left every other NA title reign in the dust. Page calls out Tony D’Angelo but gets Stacks and Arianna Grace instead. Stacks says he doesn’t know the new D’Angelo and mentions that Arianna has expensive tastes and wants more gold. Page says Stacks is interrupting, and Stacks says he and Grace want to take on Page and Chelsea Green for the AAA Mixed Tag Titles. Here’s Moose to interrupt while eyeing up Stacks. Moose says the boys in TNA are pissed about an NXT guy holding the International Title and he’ll deal with him, but today he’s laser-focused on Ethan Page. Stacks and Arianna bail as Moose tells Page he’s going to take the NA title back to TNA and Ava and Santino have signed off on it. Page will defend the title at the NXT Awards Show on December 30th. A quick brawl happens and Moose ends up holding the NA title aloft.

Leon Slater wants Je’von Evans to be at ringside with him for the Number One Contenders match. Slater wants to know if Evans has his back and Evans reluctantly leaves the parking lot.

Hank and Tank make their entrance as we go to commercials.

OTM (Lucien Price and Bronco Nima) vs Hank and Tank

Tank starts with Nima who wallops Tank with a back elbow and a forearm. Tank runs Nima to his corner and Hank tags in to work a side headlock. Tank tags in and gets trucked by Nima. Price tags in and he hits a big knee on Tank before covering and getting two. Price trucks Tank in a corner and then slams him down. Tank fires up with a high boot and Hank tags in. They hit a double team move and Hank covers Price for two. Tank tags in and drops a shoulder on Price. Hank tags in and drops Price’s arm over the top rope. Tank tags in and there’s another tag to Hank as they continue to work Price’s arm. Price fires up with a big slap to Hank and Nima tags in. Price and Nima fire back elbows into Hank and Nima covers for two. Hank gets the advantage and tags in Tank. They hit a back elbow and duck a Price charge. Hank and Tank dump Price over, and then they mount the second ropes in opposite corner to drop bombs. OTM fire up with simultaneous powerbombs as we go to commercials.

Tank hits a tope suicida on Nima as Price waffles Hank with a forearm in a corner. Price hits a second rope back suplex on Hank and both guys are down. Nima and Tank tag in and there’s a mid-ring slugfest. Tank hits a big knee that does not faze Nima so Tank hits a cartwheel and trucks Nima over. Tank puts on a submission so Price charges in to slam Hank on top of the pile. Price and Nima hit a double team backbreaker and Hank breaks up the cover at two. Nima tags in and he and Price drop Tank down from their shoulders before Nima covers for two. They go out to the floor and Tank fights both of them off before hitting a rolling tackle from the apron. Tank dumps Price back in and ascends. Tank hits a senton and tags in Hank. They hit HONK HONK on Price but Nima charges in to smash Tank with a clothesline. Nima officially tags in and grabs Hank. Tank charges over and hits a springboard shoulder on Price that sends him into Nima and Hank. Hank grabs a quick roll-up as a result and gets the three count.

This wasn’t half bad but the banana peel finish kind of came out of nowhere. As always, everything went at a pace that’s too fast for my liking, but your mileage can and will likely vary. The vast wasteland that is the NXT men’s tag division looks like we’re setting up for another H&T / Darkstate collision at some point. Hopefully that will be good, but boy they need to start putting some teams together and soon. 2.25*

Winners – Hank and Tank (Hank roll-up on Nima)

Ricky Saints emerges from a black SUV in the parking lot as Joseph says he has a LOT to explain. We go to commercials.

WWE Men’s Speed Champion Jasper Troy is with Ava, who announces another Men’s Speed tournament starting next week. Troy says the tournament is good news, but it’s bad news for whomever wins it because they will face destruction.

Here’s Ricky Saints heading to the ring for the Top Of The Second Hour Yap segment. A grinning Saints has the ring surrounded by security and he gets a mic. Saints says he isn’t here to apologize and he told everyone he was bringing the Absolute Era. Saints says he is the guy who can carry any brand and he took a big bet on himself because he had no more options. Saints says everyone was searching for the person to beat Oba Femi, and he did that. Saints says the crowd enjoyed it for a minute but they really wanted someone else. Saints says that Je’von Evans jumped the line to get his shot and thought he was the man. Saints says he’s been stepped over but now he’s getting what he wants when he wants it and he tried to be a big brother to Evans by telling him to wait for his turn. Saints says there’s no way Evans is better than him and points out Evans has never won a title in NXT while he has. Saints says Evans is in a class way below him and he’s done with popularity contests. Saints says there’s no one who will do what it takes to get to the top or go to the lengths that he will go to. Here’s Je’von Evans to sneak into the ring and a brawl ensues. Saints clocks Evans as he’s being held by Security. Saints runs Evans into the ring steps and then clears the announce desk. Saints hits a Roshambo and drives Evans through the table as Booker’s candy supply flies everywhere.

Evolve Women’s Champion Kendal Grey and Wren Sinclair are making their way to the ring, as are Fatal Influence. We go to commercials.

Ethan Page is berating Ava in her office as she’s trying to chat with Sol Ruca and Zaria. Here’s Alba Fyre to clear the room as WWE Women’s US Champion Chelsea Green comes in to complain as well. Ava takes Green’s hand and says all of the bad things that happened to her are not Ava’s fault. Ava says that Green will defend the US title on next week’s show against Ruca, as Page is frustrated by not getting satisfaction over the Moose situation.

Fatal Influence (WWE Women’s Speed Champion Fallon Henley and Lainey Reid) vs Evolve Women’s Champion Kendal Grey and Wren Sinclair

NXT Women’s Champion Jacy Jayne joins the announce desk and says she’d much rather sit next to Booker because of Joseph’s “crusty ass”. TMI, Jacy. Henley and Reid charge at the bell and dump Sinclair to the floor. They hit a double team face breaker on Grey and Henley covers Grey for one. Reid tags in and she waffles Grey with a running Euro uppercut. Grey gets a quick roll-up for two and then hits an elbow on Reid. Grey trips up Reid as Sinclair tags in. A double team move results in a Sinclair roll-up that gets two. There’s more double team work and Grey hits a back suplex and bridges into a cover that gets two. Grey works a front facelock as Sinclair tags in. Sinclair hits a snap neckbreaker and covers Reid for two. Sinclair eats a boot as Henley tags in, but she recovers and smashes Henley in the face. Jayne distracts Sinclair on the floor as Henley smashes Sinclair with her weird swing-around-the-ring-post double boot to the chest. Jayne barks at Sinclair as we go to commercials.

Henley is working Sinclair over when the show returns. Reid tags in and hits a springboard stunner before covering Sinclair for two. Reid misses an elbow drop and Henley tags in. Sinclair fights her way to her corner and Grey tags in to run amok on Henley and Reid. Grey hits a springboard double stomp on Reid and then smashes Henley with a superkick. Grey gets dropped on a turnbuckle as she charges Reid. Henley tags in and she hits a running sling blade before covering Grey for two. Grey tries to fight her way out of the Fatal corner but Henley knees her in the back to cut that off. Grey hits a rolling powerslam on Henley but Reid breaks the cover up at two. Sinclair charges in and dumps Reid with a Saito suplex as Grey slaps on an armbar. Jayne charges over and berates the referee so Sinclair comes flying in to take out both Jayne and Reid. Grey puts the armbar back on Henley and she taps out.

That’s a good way to build some heat for the title match at New Year’s Evil. The match itself was kind of a mess because nothing was allowed to breathe in the slightest. This is how things are in NXT, though, so you have to look past it and think about the other things. Grey is really starting to feel like she absolutely belongs at this level and so you wonder, assuming that she gets the “great showing but doesn’t win” slot at NYE, how much longer she’ll be in Evolve. Sinclair looked better tonight, and Henley and Reid played their parts well. This was fine, but it annoyed me. That’s my deal though, so we’ll be fair with the rating. 2.75*

Winners – Kendal Grey and Wren Sinclair (Grey armbar submission on Henley)

Kelly Kincaid is backstage with Thea Hail who says she’s been crying for the last twenty minutes over winning the title. Here’s Jordynne Grace to congratulate Hail, but Blake Monroe comes in to complain to Kincaid. Grace tells Monroe to leave Hail alone as she’s just won the title, and Monroe says she wants her rematch. Monroe tearfully leaves as Hail hugs Grace tightly. We go to commercials.

Izzi Dame is in the Women’s locker room and gets a phone call that Niko Vance is missing. Lola Vice mocks Dame who rebukes her and leaves. Kelani Jordan is hanging her gear up and reminds Vice that she was the one who spearheaded the movement to kick Jordan out in the first place. They bicker and Vice reminds Jordan that gymnastics are nothing compared to MMA.

Shiloh Hill and Skylar Raye are chatting backstage and are interrupted by Stacks and Arianna Grace. Hill points out that moose don’t usually come so far south to visit a place like Florida. Everyone bickers and Stacks throws out a mixed tag challenge for next week.

Here’s Darkstate to pump up Dion Lennox ahead of the big number one contender’s match. Joseph and Booker run down next week’s card and it looks to be a good one. Myles Borne makes his way to the ring and he’s followed by Leon Slater. Joe Hendry is out next and Booker botches the second part of Hendry’s entrance theme but still sings along enthusiastically. We go to commercials.

The voting is now open in the NXT Year End Awards. You know what else you can vote in? THE DOOMIES!

NXT Men’s Championship Number One Contenders Match: Joe Hendry vs Dion Lennox vs Leon Slater vs Myles Borne

Lennox gets a side-slam on Slater and covers for two as Joseph mentions this is one fall to a finish. I was pretty sure Ava announced it as a Fatal Fourway elimination match last week, but I’m old and may be mis-remembering. Anyway, Borne and Lennox slug it out and Hendry charges in to get dropped by Borne. Borne hits a powerslam on Lennox and his cover is broken up at two by Slater. Slater hits Borne with a running boot and Hendry fires up to smash Slater and Borne with lariats. Hendry hits a headbutt and a Euro uppercut and then trucks Slater before hip-tossing him. Hendry hits a DDT and covers Slater for two. Hendry grabs a roll-up on a charging Lennox for two. Hendry eats a big back elbow from Slater who then smashes Hendry with a rolling tackle from the apron. Slater ascends and hits a high cross-body on Lennox before covering for two. Slater gets popped by Lennox but Slater fights it off and chops Lennox in a corner. Slater mounts Lennox and starts dropping right hands. Slater hits a cross-body and covers Lennox for two. Lennox rolls to the floor and Slater appears to tweak his knee as he misses a top rope cross body. Slater and Borne slide back in and Borne drops Lennox with a drop kick. Hendry flies back in and Slater uses him as a springboard. Lennox and Borne end up hitting a Doomsday Device on Slater. Hendry hits a pump kick on Borne, who responds with a backstabber, and all four guys are down as we go to commercials.

Hendry, Borne, and Lennox are in the ring when the show returns. Slater hits a leg lariat on Borne and then ascends. Lennox crotches Slater and then wallops him with a right. Lennox hoists Slater but Borne breaks it up with a right to Lennox. Borne and Hendry team up as Slater flies over top of the pile and everyone tumbles to the mat in a powerbomb spot. Slater covers Hendry for two, then covers Borne for two, and then covers Lennox for two. Slater smashes all three opponents repeatedly and Borne finally breaks it up with a Saito suplex on Lennox. Lennox hits a spinebuster on Borne, and Hendry grabs Lennox for a belly-to-back suplex. Hendry gets hit with Utopia by Slater, but Lennox breaks up whatever Slater had planned. Slater pops Lennox and then runs him back in. Slater ascends and Lennox rolls away, so Slater dives halfway across the ring with a Swanton that mashes Lennox. Slater ascends again but Borne drops him to the floor with a dropkick. Hendry hits a gut-wrench suplex on Borne and they start slugging it out. Hendry hits a couple of clotheslines and a fall-away slam on Borne, and then hits the fall-away on a charging Lennox. Hendry dumps Lennox to the floor and then chokeslams Borne. Hendry catches a Slater dive and dumps him over the top rope onto Lennox. Hendry hits a backdrop suplex and covers Borne for two as Lennox breaks it up. Lennox and Hendry fight up the aisle and Slater takes advantage to hit a 450 on Borne. Slater covers and gets three. Leon Slater is your new number one contender and will face Oba Femi at New Year’s Evil.

This was a chaotic mess, but I like the choice of Slater as the winner. He’ll put on a really good show at New Year’s Evil and I’m sure Oba will bump for him since he bumped so much for Je’von Evans last week. We’ll see if their chemistry is as good. I thought they might run with Joe Hendry here but I guess his time will come sometime in 2026. The match, as I mentioned, was kind of a mess with everyone trying to get their stuff in, but the crowd ate it up so we can forgive the too-fast pace and lack of selling. Match of the night, but it wasn’t a high bar to climb. 3.25*

Winner – Leon Slater (450 Splash on Borne)

Post-match sees NXT Men’s Champion Oba Femi emerge to stare down Slater. The credits roll and we’re out.

Everyone will be talking about the Hail-Monroe finish and rightly so, as that was CLEARLY not the planned finish and the referee counted as instructed to do so in that type of situation. The rest of the card was fine, with the Fatal tag match establishing Kendal Grey’s armbar as something to be dealt with. New Year’s Evil is taking shape but I’m guessing creative will have to be re-jiggered around the Hail fluke win. I guess we’ll see how that plays out. They are going to tape the next two weeks shows soon, so there will be spoilers out there and I urge you to not post anything in the comments section if you see them prior to next week’s show. I’ll go thumbs in the middle for tonight, but there’s a LOT to talk about coming out of this.

Thanks for reading and commenting as always. I love how deeply some of us care for this particular show and it’s never-ending circus of characters and personalities. Have a good Wednesday, and hug your people tightly.