NXT New Year’s Evil Review – 01.06.26

Okay, let’s do some catching up, shall we? Impact | Smackdown | Raw

NXT New Year’s Evil is ON THE AIR live and in living color on the CW from the Performance Center in Orlando, FL. The television presenters this evening are Vic Joseph and Booker T on match calls and analysis, Mike Rome on ring announcements, and Sarah Schreiber on backstage interviews and breaking news segments. Let’s watch some wrestling!

Then, Now, Forever….TOGETHER

There’s a video package to introduce the card, and then Vic and Booker appear on top of the NXT Roost. Booker gets the crowd hyped and Joseph runs down the card as we see Fatal Influence, Kendal Grey, Oba Femi, and Leon Slater arrive. Joseph says it’s time for the first match, so here we go.

NXT Women’s North American Champion Thea Hail is attacked by Blake Monroe in the aisle and then Monroe runs her shoulder-first into the ring steps. Monroe grabs a chair from under the ring and smashes Hail with it, then she yanks Hail up and runs her through the barricade while screaming at her. The ref crew pours out from the back to break it up as Joseph questions whether or not the match is actually going to happen.

Here’s Ricky Saints to make his entrance as Hail is being tended to along the barricade. Saints does his posing as Hail gets helped to the back. Saints says the Women’s North American championship match will be put on “pause” so he’ll kick things off. Saints says he needed NXT in 2025, but now NXT needs him. Saints name-drops Trick Williams and Je’von Evans and says he doesn’t blame them for choosing free agency. Saints says he’s not going anywhere and if anyone in the back comes for him he’ll send them back where they came from. Saints says he is exactly who he says he is, a natural-born star going against stars that management are trying to create. Saints mentions the main event and calls out Oba Femi specifically since their record against each other is 1-1. Saints says no matter who wins, he’s coming for them and that is absolute. (Ricky Saints is not a good promo, gang. He just isn’t.)

Here’s NXT GM Ava wandering around backstage in a daze before she runs into Robert Stone. Ava orders Stone to go find Blake Monroe and bring her to Ava, and Stone scurries away. Ava grabs a headset from a production person and says that Tatum Paxley and Izzi Dame will now be on first.

There’s a PROGRESSIVE HIGHLIGHTS PACKAGE that shows the build between Dame and Paxley. We go to commercials.

Ava finally runs into Blake Monroe, who gives a very fake apology while saying that Ava wanted The Glamour and she got it. Ava bans Monroe from the building in a snit, and Monroe leaves in a huff.

Tatum Paxley vs Izzi Dame

Dame is out alone as Joseph says she only has herself to blame for the current situation. Dame starts by pounding away on Paxley in a corner, but Paxley reverses and starts firing forearms at Dame. Dame slips out and hits a kick followed by a hip toss. Dame runs Paxley into a corner but misses a charge. Paxley leaps off the second rope and compresses Dame’s knee before dragging her back to the middle and slapping her. Paxley slaps on an inverted ankle lock and then wallops Dame with an enziguri after Dame slips free. Paxley hits a rolling legdrop on Dame who was draped over the second rope. Paxley charges back to the apron and Dame grabs her leg to snap it over the second rope. Dame then wallops Paxley with a massive forearm that drops Paxley to the floor. We go to commercials.

They’re slugging it out mid-ring and Dame snatches Paxley up for a backbreaker as the show returns. Dame grabs Paxley’s legs and fires her throat-first into the ropes before covering and getting two. Dame puts on a crab and Paxley makes the ropes to get a break. Paxley fires off a kick and slips a charge, and then she waffles Dame with an enziguri after Dame ends up sitting on a top turnbuckle. Paxley fires off some rights and a superkick before ascending herself. Paxley hits an overhead bulldog throw that leaves both competitors down. They go nose-to-nose and a slap battle breaks out. Paxley hits a facebreaker and then she trucks Dame a couple of times before hitting a German. Paxley charges and runs into a Dame big boot, and then Dame starts choking Paxley along the ropes. Dame hits a gut-wrench sit-out powerbomb and covers Paxley for two. Dame smashes Paxley with a clothesline and then yanks Paxley for an up-and-over facebreaker before covering and getting two. Dame charges and spears Paxley through the ropes to the floor. Dame runs Paxley back in and Paxley hits a rolling Pele kick. Paxley ascends and hits a 450 splash before hitting the Cemetery Drive. Paxley covers and gets three.

I thought this might be more heated than it was, but it was time for Paxley to get a win in this feud and so I’ll take what I can get. There’s been a weird energy about match finishes lately and this one was no different in that Dame had control until Paxley hit the Pele kick and they went immediately home. I never really felt like this was a blood feud finishing match, assuming that it was, but they both worked hard and the crowd was into it. 2.5*

Winner – Tatum Paxley (Cemetery Drive)

Here’s a video package introducing Elio Lefleur who is a masked French lucha-type. Lefleur claims he helped put French wrestling on the map and says The White Eagle is coming to NXT.

Here’s Evolve Women’s Champion Kendal Grey making her way to the ring accompanied by Wren Sinclair, while NXT Women’s Champion Jacy Jayne and her Fatal crew are also heading out. We go to commercials.

Thea Hail is in the trainer’s room along with Jordynne Grace. Hail still wants a match tonight but Ava mentions that she’s already kicked Monroe out of the building. Hail mentions doing an Open Challenge because of course, and Ava tells her it’s a bad idea. Hail insists on it, so Ava leaves.

NXT Women’s Championship: Jacy Jayne (C) vs Evolve Women’s Champion Kendal Grey

Grey is accompanied by Wren Sinclair, and Jayne is seconded by Lainey Grey and WWE Women’s Speed Champion Fallon Henley. Grey dumps Jayne to start and we reset. Grey goes behind and wants an armbar but Jayne rolls into the ropes to break it. Jayne starts clubbering away but runs into a Grey elbow. They run the ropes and Grey snaps off a shotgun dropkick that sends Jayne to the floor. Grey ascends and hits a moonsault on the entire Fatal crew. Grey runs Jayne in but Jayne escapes. Grey slaps on another armbar but Jayne yanks her up and runs Grey into the barricade. Jayne hits a rolling tackle on Grey as we go to commercials.

Jayne hits a neckbreaker as the show returns. Jayne’s cover gets two as we look at a short superkick she delivered during the commercial break. Jayne runs into a Grey boot and then Grey hits a springboard reverse cross-body that gets two. They smash together after running the ropes and then start slugging it out when they regain their feet. Jayne hits some kicks and an enziguri. Jayne puts the badmouth on Grey who fires off a headbutt and some double sledges. Grey hits a German and then yanks the straps down. Grey trips up Jayne and then hits a springboard double stomp. Grey hits a DDT and covers Jayne for two. Grey hits a roundhouse from the apron and then ascends, but Jayne cuts it off by running into the ropes. Jayne hits a twisting neckbreaker and covers Grey for two. Jayne goes to ground and pound but misses a cannonball attempt. Grey snaps off a couple of Germans but Jayne fires up with a huge knee lift before covering Grey and getting two. Jayne ascends and Grey meets her immediately to fire off a back suplex. Grey gets a roll-up for two, and then slaps on an armbar. Henley charges into the ring to distract the ref so Lainey Grey can yank Kendal Grey off of Jayne. Lainey misses a punch on the floor as Kendal snaps off a back suplex. Sinclair smashes Henley off the apron and Grey slaps on another armbar. Jayne escapes and Henley holds her tights so that Grey can’t hit her next move. Jayne fires off the ropes with the Rolling Encore. Jayne covers and gets three.

I know heels cheat to win, it’s part and parcel of wrestling. At least this was clever, but what a wet fart of an ending. Grey more than held her own in this and I’d think she’d be ripe for a full-time call up to NXT in the very near future. Jayne has run through this division at this point and with Jordynne Grace apparently going to Smackdown, I legit have no idea what’s next for Jayne because the rest of the folks still down on the farm at a high level are heels and Lola Vice. I guess we’ll see. This got better as it went along and really picked up in the second act. 3.25*

Winner AND STILL NXT Women’s Champion – Jacy Jayne (Rolling Encore)

Oba Femi is warming up after a commercial break. NXT Men’s North American Champion Ethan Page is in Ava’s office and he runs down his 2025 for a bored and grumpy Ava. Page says he recognizes Ava is having a bad day, so he says he’ll finish his thoughts in the ring. Here’s the Vanity Project to take his place and Evolve Men’s Champion Jackson Drake wants to talk about 2026 with Ava.

NXT Women’s North American Championship Open Challenge: Thea Hail (C) vs Izzi Dame

Hail limps to the ring and grabs a mic. Hail says she’s devastated that Monroe attacked her and got sent home. Hail says she promised the fans a title match tonight, and so whomever gets to the ring first will get the shot. A ton of people come flying out, and Tatum Paxley has her chainsaw. Izzi Dame comes flying in from the opposite side and drops Hail with a big boot as Paxley turns to see what has unfolded. The Culling get a ref and the bell rings.

Dame puts the boots to Hail, and Dame yanks her up and runs her shoulder into Hail a bunch in a corner. Dame hits a facebreaker and covers Hail for two. Dame runs into a Hail elbow, but Dame clubbers her down. Hail wants a sunset flip and then gets a roll-through cover for two. Dame yanks Hail up and runs her into a turnbuckle. Dame hits a British Bulldog-style powerslam and covers for two as we go to commercials.

Hail is fighting her way out of a rear chinlock, but Dame cuts it off and stomps away. Dame tries for a bodyslam but Hail reverses it into a DDT. Hail fires off some kicks but Dame smashes her with a forearm in response. Hail fires up with some double sledges and then gets a roll-up for two. Dame goes back to the forearms and then gets the bodyslam she’s been trying for. Hail slips an elbow drop and hits a rolling senton. Hail tries for a springboard coffin drop and runs into Dame’s knees. Dame hits a big boot and covers Hail for two. Hail wants the Kimura but Dame shakes it off and runs Hail into a corner. Hail hits an Exploder and Dame bails to the floor. Hail’s tope attempt gets caught by Dame who then smashes Hail into the announce desk. Dame finally wakes up and runs Hail back in after realizing she can’t win the title on a countout. They end up in a corner with Dame mounted on the top, and Dame grabs Hail and fires off a second rope sit-out powerbomb before covering Hail and getting three.

Boy, do I have problems with this. One, if you’re going to take the title off Hail, perhaps you should be elevating someone since it’s an Open Challenge. Two, Dame JUST WRESTLED like twenty minutes ago and didn’t come out winded or selling anything. Three, Dame cut off every bit of Hail offense as soon as she got anything going and didn’t sell a lick. I try to give Shawn a lot of leeway and most of the time he finds clever ways to correct things that happen that don’t fit the overall plan, but this was NOT it tonight. Just a wretched way to get to Dame as NA champ after the bait-and-switch with Monroe. Also, none of this was Hail’s fault, she won the title when the ref counted the pin as a shoot in the Monroe match, and she got her ass handed to her in her first defense. If you have a better opinion of this than I do, I’d love to hear why in comments. This sucked and I hated it. 1*

Winner AND NEW NXT Women’s North American Champion – Izzi Dame (Second rope sit-out powerbomb)

Lola Vice is backstage watching the aftermath when The Vanity Project happen by to harass her. Hank and Tank wander over and chase off the Project, and they all discuss the aftermath of the NA title match. Vice says she’s beaten Dame a few weeks ago, but she’s got to deal with Kelani Jordan first. Jordan flies into the scene and a brawl breaks out.

Joe Hendry wants a fight with Darkstate and confronts Ava over it. Hendry wants Dion Lennox in a No DQ match next week, and Ava points out that it will turn into a handicap match if that stipulation is held up. Hendry says he’ll find a “couple of badasses” to be in his corner to prevent that. Ava says bet, if you can make that happen she’ll sign off on it. (Since when is Dion Lennox the leader of Darkstate? Just because he was in Iron Survivor? Okay then.) We go to commercials.

Ethan Page is in the ring with a mic, and he wants to be celebrated as the most dominant superstar of 2025. Page calls himself a big game hunter since he was able to put down Moose last week. Page mentions Oba Femi’s defense and says that isn’t the main event, he is. Page says it’s funny that Femi only defends his title in one part of North America while Page has defended his title all over the place, making him an international icon. Here’s WWE Men’s Speed Champion Jasper Troy to join things and mention how he dominated in 2025 as well (Hmmmm.) Troy enters the ring and says the Speed title won’t be the last title he holds this year. Here’s Josh Briggs to say that Troy isn’t on his level because he’s the best big man in NXT. Briggs also tells Page to stop wasting his time with losers like Myles Borne. Here’s Stacks and Arianna Grace to interrupt this “cannoli measuring contest” and says he’s got unfinished business with Page. Stacks says he’s the actual international icon since he holds the TNA International Title. Here’s Shiloh Hill to join things to chat with Stacks about ruining Christmas and says that he’s secured an International title match for next week. Here’s Tavion Heights to say it’s a new year with new champs and while he loves what Hill was saying, he’s got Troy next week for the Speed championship. Page finally gets to chat again, and says Heights dropped the ball the last time he had a title shot. A brawl breaks out and Shiloh Hill somehow ends up as the only male left in the ring along with Arianna Grace. They dance for a minute and then Hill’s dental bridge falls out on to Grace’s chest. Stacks charges in and gets dumped as a horrified Grace makes her escape. (This segment was a boring trainwreck and made everyone look dumb. I’m quickly turning on this whole show, in case you couldn’t tell.) We go to commercials.

Joe Hendry is chatting with OTM about backing him up next week, but they don’t seem enthused. Hendry says that if they help him, they will have a direct line to the NXT tag titles. They seem to be on board. Meanwhile, Fatal Influence run into ZaRuca and some verbals break out. Ruca says she’s coming for Jayne’s title and Jayne says she thought that Ruca and Zaria were a tag team. Ethan Page is wandering around and runs into Myles Borne who’s chatting with Tate Wilder. Page tells Wilder to keep his mouth shut, and then chastises Borne for not taking his advice. Page says Borne didn’t come out during the giant idiot-fest that just happened because it was for champions and challengers and then asks if Borne can hear him now. Page leaves and Borne grimaces sharply before leaving the scene.

Joseph runs down next week’s card and it’s time for the main event. Leon Slater makes his entrance as we see TNA President Carlos Silva has joined the crowd. We go to commercials.

NXT Men’s Championship: Oba Femi (C) vs TNA X-Division Champion Leon Slater

Mike Rome does the in-ring intros and we’re off. Femi bullies Slater to a corner and then tosses him over his hip casually. Slater springs up and goes behind so Femi shrugs that off and goes to a wristlock. Femi drops Slater during a nip-up attempt and goes back to the wristlock. Femi drops an elbow and then smashes Slater with a right. Femi slaps Slater full in the chest as the crowd reacts accordingly to the resounding thunderclap. Femi goes to a rear chinlock, and then Slater fires up with an enziguri. Femi catches Slater coming off the ropes and hits a backbreaker. Femi fires Slater over the top of a corner and Slater tumbles all the way to the floor. We go to commercials.

Slater snaps off a Codebreaker when the show returns. Femi gets sent to the floor and Slater runs into another huge chest slap from a recovered Femi. Femi lifts some knees but Slater slips one and Femi runs his left knee into a ring post. Slater starts kicking at the knee and then runs Femi knee-first into the ring steps. Slater runs Femi back in and ascends. Slater hits a huge cross-body and covers Femi for two. Slater goes back to working the knee but runs into a huge Femi clothesline and a chokeslam. Femi’s cover gets two. Femi charges and hits some Euro uppercuts. Slater charges out and hits Femi with a leg lariat as Femi stumbled on the bad knee. Slater yanks up Femi for a body slam and covers Femi for two. Femi kicks Slater off and bails to the apron. Slater hits an enziguri that drops Femi to the floor. Slater hits a springboard twisting senton and then runs Femi back in. Slater ascends but runs into Femi’s knees when he tries the 450. Femi covers and gets two, and then Slater pulls Femi into a crucifix that gets a LONG two. Slater hits a superkick but runs into the Femi Fall From Grace powerbomb. Femi’s cover is academic and gets three.

This got better in the second act as Slater finally got some coherent offense in after Femi just tossed him all over the place before the commercial break. I had a thought that they might move the title to Slater here due to what feels like Femi’s impending arrival on Smackdown, but it was not to be. Kind of a paint-by-numbers defense for Femi even with the knee being the focal point in the second portion of the match. I was expecting more, I guess. Still, match of the night for me. 3.75*

Winner AND STILL NXT Men’s Champion – Oba Femi (Fall From Grace powerbomb)

Femi hits his pose as we go backstage. Ava is addressing the locker room and points out all the folks who have ascended to the main roster. Robert Stone charges in and asks if Ava saw what Oba Femi just did. We go back to the ring where the Men’s title is sitting on the mat with a spotlight on it. The credits roll and we’re out.

This show was only saved from a major thumbs down by the main event, and even that left me feeling that it could have been better. If that was truly Femi’s exit from the brand, why not have him drop the title? It’s not like Shawn didn’t move the Women’s NA title around as needed tonight. This show was a mess, plain and simple. When you start out with a bait and switch, and then run an Open Challenge with someone who’s already lost earlier in the show AND didn’t sell a thing from that match or anything during the subsequent title match, you’re getting my gas face. If you’re going to seek out anything from this show, find the Femi-Slater title match. Other than that, leave this one be and move on to next week. Thumbs down.

Thanks for reading and commenting. I’d love to hear opinions on this effort, because as you may have guessed, I was not a fan. Don’t forget to vote in the Doomies if you haven’t, you have until noon Eastern on Friday to get it done. Have a good day, and make sure to patronize every one of our fine writing staff’s efforts when you get a chance to.