NXT Review – 12.23.25

WWE has been cranking out content lately, so let’s catch up: Evolve | Impact | Smackdown | Raw

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

Then, Now, Forever….TOGETHER

Who’s showing up to work? Newly-crowned NXT Women’s North American Champion Thea Hail is here, as is Ricky Saints. Also arriving are Je’von Evans, and a couple of duos, NXT Men’s North American Champion Ethan Page and WWE Women’s US Champion Chelsea Green, followed by Sol Ruca and Zaria.

Lola Vice vs Izzi Dame

Dame is seconded by Shawn Spears as we still don’t know what happened to the currently-missing Niko Vance. Dame rams Vice into a corner and then hoists her up. Vice rolls it over into a sunset flip that gets two. Vice goes to work with knees and some rights and lefts. Dame responds with a clothesline, but Vice locks in a triangle choke when Dame wades back in. Dame rolls into a cover that gets two. Vice hits an armdrag and a reverse superkick sends Dame to the floor. Vice charges down the apron and smashes Dame down with a half-rana. Vice hits some kicks after both go back in, but Dame fires up with a bodyslam before covering and getting two. Dame hits some strikes and an uppercut but misses a charge. Vice hits a couple of kicks but Dame fires off an elbow to cuth that off. Vice grabs a rear naked choke so Dame drops her back-first to the mat to escape. Dame hits a release German after some trash-talk as we go to commercials.

Dame is working a half-assed crab as the show returns. Vice rolls through to send Dame face-first into a turnbuckle. Vice gets a roll-up for two. Vice hits a crucifix for two. Vice hits her low kicks and then Dame charges out into a Vice German suplex. Vice hits a hip attack and Dame blocks a side suplex attempt. Vice hits a back elbow but Spears interferes so Dame can wallop Vice with a superkick. Tatum Paxley emerges from the NXT Roost with a chainsaw (!) to send a terrified Spears to the back. Vice uses that distraction to smash Dame with a backfist before covering and getting three.

I guess the story is going to be that Paxley eliminates the male Culling folks so that Dame is isolated for New Year’s Evil with no help available at ringside. The match itself was mechanically fine but didn’t have a lot of heat. It felt like they were biding their time until Paxley emerged to chase Spears away. Lola gets a decent win but I don’t know how much it’s going to do for her as she’s not really in any kind of title picture at the moment. 2.5*

Winner – Lola Vice (Backfist)

Post-match sees Kelani Jordan charge in to attack Vice. Jordan whales on Vice in a corner and then puts the boots to her. Jordan puts the stink-eye on a downed Vice as the ref holds her off.

Backstage, Jordynne Grace mentions that Thea Hail clearly won last week, and Hail says it’s been a controversial week so she’s going to address the Universe. Hail thanks Grace for standing up for her last week before leaving. We go to commercials.

In the men’s locker room, Ethan Page wants a word with a sulking Myles Borne. Page points out that TNA X-Division Champion Leon Slater got the match that Borne wanted because he made a change. Page says if you can survive NXT, Mondays and Fridays would be a “cakewalk”. Page tells Borne that next week he’ll get a chance to watch a real champion handle business.

Thea Hail is introduced and makes her way to the ring. Hail gets a good pop and grabs a mic. Hail says she knows it was controversial that she won the title, but nothing prepared her for holding a belt over her shoulder. Hail says it’s the greatest thing that’s ever happened to her, and she’s been given so many opportunities since she joined WWE as an 18 year old senior. Hail says she believed in herself and when you believe in yourself you make history. Hail says her journey has been messy and difficult but she finally feels like a grown-ass woman. Here’s Blake Monroe to interrupt looking slightly disheveled. Monroe tells Hail that her win was a fluke and a mistake. Monroe kicks her slippers off and enters the ring. Monroe wants her title back and wants Hail to hand it over. Hail refuses to do that so Monroe mentions that the referee had no idea what he’s doing and wants her rematch. Hail says she can have the rematch at New Year’s Evil so Monroe slugs her. The ref squad pours out to break it up.

THE NXT SHOWCASE PRESENTED BY PROGRESSIVE is on Eli Knight from Evolve. He says he can fly like no other. Tavion Heights is showcased next as it looks like they’ll face off in the Men’s Speed tournament. We go to commercials.

Sarah Schreiber is backstage with Sol Ruca and Zaria. Ruca says that it would feel incredible to become the Women’s North American Champion, and talks about losing her titles through not actually losing them herself in the ring. Zaria says Ruca deserves to be a champion again and she’ll be by her side tonight.

WWE Men’s Speed Tournament: Eli Knight vs Tavion Heights

Knight is apparently a protege of Booker T’s from Reality of Wrestling, and Book says he has a bright future. As a reminder, Speed matches have a three-minute time limit. Knight hits a couple of dropkicks to start as Heights ends up on the floor. Knight hits a reverse moonsault and then a giant frog splash. Knight’s cover gets two. Heights yanks Knight up but he slips off and then wallops Heights with a leg lariat. Knight hits a standing moonsault and gets two. Knight hits a pump kick and Sliced Bread. Knight ascends but misses a moonsault. Heights hits a belly-to-belly suplex and covers Knight for three.

Knight got like 90% of the offense and got finished off by Heights first really hard-hitting offensive move. Okay, sure. 1.5*

Winner – Tavion Heights (Belly-to-Belly)

Post-match sees Heights show sportsmanship to Knight. We go to commercials after seeing Leon Slater joining Kelly Kincaid as NXT Men’s Champion Oba Femi joins the scene.

Blake Monroe is wandering around backstage and she runs into Evolve Men’s Champion Jackson Drake who asks her to follow him. They wander over where Swipe Right are hanging out. They want to give Monroe some Christmas presents as they talk crap about the referee from last week while calling the whole thing “The Orlando Screwjob”. Monroe eventually tires of them but she does accept one present from Ricky Smokes.

Kelly Kincaid asks Oba Femi about his year and runs down the list of his accomplishments. Femi says 2025 has been a year of success and he was able to back up every claim he made. Femi mentions that at SNME there was a shift in the universe when he took on Cody Rhodes, and Slater will feel that shift in two weeks at New Year’s Evil. Slater knows that he’s walking into a lions den at New Year’s Evil, but he’s been wrestling for a long time after his cousin introduced him to action figures and video games at nine years of age. Slater says he has no intention of slowing down, and in two weeks, another big moment awaits him. Femi says the story is inspiring, but it doesn’t matter because he’s the Ruler. Slater and Femi shake hands while eyeing each other up. This was good, and Slater came off like a challenger should come off.

Je’von Evans is making his way to the ring while taping up. We go to commercials.

NXT GM Ava is in the ring with a bunch of Security when the show returns. Ava calls out Je’von Evans first and he stalks to the ring with none of his usual verve. Ava calls out Ricky Saints next. Evans wants Saints music turned off, and Saints says Evans is too impulsive. Saints says he’s the model and Evans should be modeling himself after him. Evans says it didn’t have to be the way it is now, but he knows Saints is jealous because Saints isn’t the man he says he is. Saints says he could go to Good Morning America and kiss babies and hand out awards, while Evans can’t string two sentences together. Evans mentions visiting with Nick Aldis at Smackdown and he checked enough boxes to be on John Cena’s last show while Saints wasn’t a thought for that show. Evans says if Saints keeps talking to him like a little kid he’s going to beat Saints ass like a real man. Ava has had enough so she makes a match for next week’s show saying it has to end between the two of them. (Meanwhile we’re at like six months of Priest-Black on Smackdown, but what the hell do I know?)

Backstage here’s Fatal Influence yapping with Evolve Women’s Champion Kendal Grey and Wren Sinclair. They bicker and Jacy Jayne mentions she doesn’t have time for this, and Grey will learn at New Year’s Evil that she isn’t on Jayne’s level. Jayne suggests Sinclair should fight her next week so she can give a preview of what’s coming to her friend Grey, and they agree to that.

TNA International Champion Stacks Lorenzo and Arianna Grace are warming up for a Christmas Chaos mixed-tag match. Skylar Raye and Shiloh Hill make their way to the ring as we go to commercials.

Christmas Chaos Mixed-Tag Team Match: Skylar Raye and Shiloh Hill vs Stacks Lorenzo and Arianna Grace

A fight breaks out in the aisle and Grace and Raye end up in the ring as the bell rings. Raye works over Grace in the ring and Stacks comes in to help. Hill smashes Stacks with an Atomic Drop. Hill sends Stacks to the floor as Raye smashes Grace with a Christmas present. Hill snatches up Raye and tosses her onto Stacks and Grace. Hill smashes Stacks with a keyboard as Grace and Raye are fighting over a festive kendo stick. Grace gets hold of it and they fight over it and then both are hoisted for a chicken fight. Raye and Hill mount Stacks and Grace in corners in the Tree of Woe and go to work with the kendo sticks. We go to commercials.

Stacks and Grace finally have the advantage when the show returns. Grace discovers a bowling ball but of course manages to smash Stacks in the gentlemen’s region with it as she was winding up to send it at Hill. Hill hands Grace his dental bridge which horrifies her. Raye comes off the top rope to hit a dropkick on Grace and Stacks, and then Hill trucks Stacks down. Hill hits an inverted standing moonsault that gets two. Hill runs Stacks to the floor and then covers him with a wreath. Raye sends a charging Grace into a Christmas tree as Hill smashes Stacks with a legdrop. Hill and Raye toss cookies to the crowd before Grace smashes them with the Christmas tree. Grace uses a cookie sheet on Hill and Raye and then she and Stacks make out for a bit. Hill finds a bag of pine cones that he spreads on a table at ringside. Hill powerbombs Stacks through the table as Raye hits a frog splash on a downed Grace. Raye covers Grace and gets three.

You’re going to have one of two opinions on this. You’re either going to think it was goofy harmless fun or a complete waste of time. I know how I felt, but I’m not going to tell you you’re wrong either way. 1.5*

Winners – Shiloh Hill and Skylar Raye (Raye frog-splash on Grace)

Here’s Darkstate with Ava, and Dion Lennox wants Joe Hendry…who immediately appears from behind a bookcase in Ava’s office. Ava: “Have you been here the whole time?!” Hendry will have a concert next week after Lennox tells him to keep his head on a swivel. We go to commercials.

Kelly Kincaid is with OTM who say that 2026 will be their year. The Vanity Project roll in and give Kincaid some gifts which really rankles OTM. OTM say that Swipe Right will pay in pain, and they leave in a huff.

WWE Men’s Speed Tournament: Andre Chase vs Lexis King

Chase is wearing a “I have a broken nose” mask and I’ll be honest, it doesn’t look as good on him as it does on Rhea Ripley. Joseph says he had nasal reconstruction surgery after a “training incident” with his students. King gains the early advantage but Chase fires up with some clotheslines and a swinging neckbreaker. Chase covers and gets two. Chase hits an enziguri and then smashes King with a clothesline on the floor. Chase ascends but misses his move while eating a King superkick. King covers and gets two. King stomps away and then smashes Chase from behind with a forearm before covering and getting two. Chase hits a sit-out armbreaker and goes to work with a chop. Chase hits a side Russian leg sweep and pulls King into an armbar. King fires an elbow to escape and then smashes King with a big right. King smashes Chase in the nose with a double stomp and then hits the Coronation. King covers and gets three.

King is going to get destroyed by Tavion Heights presumably, but this was actually a half-way decent sprint for a Speed match where no one actually sells anything. 1.5*

Winner – Lexis King (Coronation)

Kelani Jordan emerges from the Women’s locker room and yells at Tavion Heights and Myles Borne who are in a cafeteria area chatting. Here’s Hank and Tank to interrupt. Heights quickly tires of them while Borne looks like he’s got a lot on his mind (They are clearly foreshadowing a Borne heel turn here, so we’ll see how that goes if it happens.)

Joseph says it’s main event time as we go to commercials. When the show returns, Joseph runs down next week’s card which looks pretty stacked, all things considered.

WWE Women’s US Championship: Chelsea Green (C) vs Sol Ruca

Ruca is seconded as promised by Zaria. Green is seconded by Alba Fyre and Ethan Page. Mike Rome does in-ring intros and we’re off. Ruca trips up Green and goes for an immediate surfboard. Green won’t allow it so Ruca works a front face-lock. Green escapes and we reset. Ruca hoists up Green and dumps her face first to the mat. Ruca finally gets the surfboard before kicking Green away. Green begs Fyre for help, so Zaria comes over to eliminate that. Green uses the distraction to dump Ruca down and slap her in the face. Green hits a forearm but Ruca follows with one of her own. They continue the exchange of forearms before Ruca dumps Green to the floor with a clothesline. Ruca ascends and waffles the entire heel crew with a moonsault. We go to commercials.

Green is in control when we return. Green smashes Ruca in the back of the head and Ruca fires up with some elbows and some rights to break out of the hold. Ruca hits some elbows and Green fires up with a monkey flip on Ruca. Ruca lands on her feet and wallops Green with a German. Ruca ascends and hits a shotgun dropkick from the second rope. Ruca nips up and waffles Green with a running knee that gets two. Ruca goes to the apron but misses her springboard move as Green then smashes Ruca with a leg lariat. Green’s cover gets two. Ruca grabs a roll-up and gets two. Green yanks Ruca off the second rope with a German as Ruca was ascending. Green misses a springboard move and Ruca goes to the top. Ruca hits a cartwheel DDT and Page puts Green’s boot on the bottom rope as the ref counted two. Zaria charges over to scream at Page and here’s Moose charging in to wallop Page with some rights to take him out of the equation. Ruca wants the Sol Snatcher but Fyre prevents it while Green yanks Ruca to the canvas. Green hits the Unpretty-her and covers Ruca for three.

With everyone at ringside, I didn’t expect a clean finish and we certainly didn’t get one. These two have decent chemistry with each other and I wouldn’t mind seeing them hook it up with no one else at ringside. As it was, this was decent but never great. Still, winning match of the night wasn’t a high bar to climb on this show. 3*

Winner AND STILL WWE Women’s US Champion – Chelsea Green (Unpretty-her)

Post-match sees Zaria spear Alba Fyre as Ruca ascends. Ruca hits a double Sol Snatcher on Green and Fyre to send the crowd home happy. Joseph once again runs down next week’s card as Ruca and Zaria get the wave going in the crowd. The credits roll and we’re out.

It’s a wrestling show in late December during the holiday period, so you can’t expect a whole lot. That being said, they moved some pieces into place for next week’s show and New Year’s Evil and if that was the goal, mission accomplished. The two women’s matches that book-ended the show were the best two matches of the night, and the Femi-Slater sit-down was the promo highlight for me. You could miss most of the rest of it and work from this review to understand that the Speed matches and the mixed-tag were eminently skippable. Thumbs in the middle leaning down, but the next two weeks look to be better shows.

Thanks for reading and commenting. This is my first Christmas alone in over thirty years, so please be thankful and happy around your people and tell them how you feel. Be safe, take care of each other, and have a happy holiday.