WWE NXT Review – December 19, 2023
Fallon Henley vs. Tiffany Stratton
Match starts off with a shoving match before Fallon Henley reverses a double stomp into a roll up for a two count before Tiffany Stratton sidesteps a dropkick for a bit of a reset.
Both women traded short arm strikes before Henley hit Stratton with House Call then Stratton traps Henley in the apron but Henley quickly got out and works on Stratton with hands. Stratton used a shove to cause Henley to tumble to the floor.
Stratton whips Henley into the corners and punishes her a bit with strikes and stretches before both women traded forearms.
Henley sidesteps Stratton in the corner and works on her with the 10 punches in the corner. Stratton went for a powerbomb but Henley reversed it with a hurricanrana.
Stratton planted Henley with a spinebuster for a near fall then Stratton got a two count off a jackknife pin before Henley flips Stratton with the kickout into a pin for the win.
Winner: Fallon Henley
After the match Stratton tossed Henley several times into the announce table and drags Henley to the backstage area. Stratton whips down Henley with a wet mop then tossed garbage on her. The referees sent Stratton away as she kept yelling loser at Henley.
Trick Williams & Carmelo Hayes shared a dap and Williams congratulated Hayes on his Smackdown debut. Hayes apologized for hitting Williams with the NXT Title. Williams asked Hayes if he was sure he saw NXT Champion Ilja Dragunov attack him. Hayes said he didn’t see it but Dragunov was the only person that hits that hard. Outta nowhere Hayes asked Williams if he can make the New Years Evil match a Triple Threat? Williams wondered why? Melo said they don’t have to fight each other and team up against Dragunov for jumping them.
Williams reminded Hayes that he doesn’t know who jumped him. Williams said he won the Iron Survivor so he can get a 1 on 1 match. Hayes said it doesn’t matter if he or Williams wins the NXT Title right? Williams said Hayes won his title matches 1 on 1 and he wants to do the same. Hayes told Williams to whoop dat trick. Williams asked Hayes if he could help him train and stay by his side. Hayes high 5s Williams and agrees.
NXT Champion Ilja Dragunov was shown walking in the parking lot as we go to a break.
After the break Ilja Dragunov said he doesn’t know how he got caught up in the Trick Melo saga. He said he feels like the 3rd wheel in a bad bromance movie. He said he never saw that on his 2023 Bingo Card. He said what he did check off on his bingo card was showing the world who Ilja Dragunov is. He talked about how he uses his body as a weapon and gives every ounce of his being because the championship deserves such effort. He said he’s going to start 2024 by beating NXT’s fastest rising star.
Randomly Ridge Holland enters the ring & said it’s been a rough couple of weeks where he’s struggling in his mind. He said he has to rewrite his story so he’s back in NXT. Dragunov claps and asked Holland what he wants in NXT? Ridge said he know how it is to be seen a certain way and to have a stigma on him. Holland said his career has been a series of unfortunate events. He talked about being surrounded by injuries and accidents every single moment.
Holland said he’s here to redeem himself. He said Dragunov can help him earn that redemption. Holland said he wants to prove he’s a main eventer and the NXT Title is what makes Dragunov a measuring stick for such success. Dragunov asked Holland if he wants a title shot? Holland said he has too much respect to NXT and the title to beg for a title shot. Holland said he’s willing to run through the locker room to have that moment with Ilja. Ridge said this is the 1st chapter in the redemption of Ridge Holland. Dragunov said he’s tired of people getting in his face and even blaming him out of nowhere. Dragunov said Holland doesn’t have to wait to find out where he stands because he’ll find out tonight. Holland & Dragunov shared an intense handshake.
Lexis King was backstage gloating in front of the camera as he was heading to the ring as we go to a break.
After the break Trick Williams asked Ilja Dragunov backstage why Dragunov is giving Ridge Holland a match before their match. Dragunov said he just wanted to see where Holland stands. Dragunov said he’s also the champion and Williams is the challenger. Dragunov said the champion dictates what the challenger does. Williams said Dragunov is only the champion until New Years Evil.
Quarter Final Match Of The 2023 Breakout Tournament
Lexis King vs. Dion Lennox
Lexis King asked for a handshake and Dion Lennox slaps it away before King chokes Lennox with a rope leverage boot. King hits Lennox with a running knee and a northern clothesline.
Lennox started to no sell kicks and hulk up as he rallied with right hands and reversed a knee into a schoolboy for a two count. Lennox hits King with a few pounces and a dropkick.
Lennox hits King with a body slam then follows it up with a northern lights suplex for a two count. King tried to walk away with the Breakout Tournament contract.
Lennox tossed King back in the ring before King makes a comeback and hits The Coronation for the win.
Winner: Lexis King (2:59) (He will face Riley Osborne in the Semi Finals)
Rate: 3
After the match Trey Bearhill made his entrance with a chair in hand as King rolls to ringside and yells that Bearhill hasn’t earned a shot at him yet. Bearhill helps Lennox to his feet and raised his arm.
Eddy Thorpe cuts a promo recapping his feud with Dijak. Thorpe noted that Dijak injured him and he returned the favor by costing Dijak the Iron Survivor match then challenges Dijak to an NXT Underground match.
Tag Team Match
Chase U (Jacy Jayne & Thea Hail) vs. Kiana James & Izzi Dame
Thea Hail puts Izzi Dame in a headlock and hits Dame with a armdrag before she distracted herself by waving at Riley Osborne in the Chase U section. Dame attacks Hail from behind.
Jacy Jayne managed to tag in and work on Dame with chops. Jayne hits Dame with a corner senton and knocks Kiana James off the ropes. Jayne told James to suck it.
Jayne rolls up Dame a few times for 1 counts before Dame turns things around with a lariat then James tags in and talks trash to Chase U.
James gave Jayne a few knees to the gut and hits Jayne with a paintbrush boot for a two count. Izzi tags in and whips James into the gut of Jayne.
Dame hits Jayne with a reverse TKO for a two count before Jayne & Dame took each other out with clotheslines.
James tags in 1st but Jayne managed to leap for the hot tag to Hail. Hail slams James in the corner and hits James with a t bone suplex.
Hail hits James with a Koppu Kick and springboard senton before James hits Hail in the throat & Dame tags in.
Hail locks James in the Hoverboard Lock as James taps out but was not the legal woman so Dame hits Hail with a Big Boot for the win.
Winners: Kiana James & Izzi Dame
Ariana Grace was in the women’s locker room talking about how Izzi Dame & Kiana James looks good out there. Roxanne Perez walks in looking mad. Grace told Perez that it’s not about wins & losses but how you play the game. Perez said it is about wins & losses then slaps Grace & she cried.
After the break Duke Hudson & Andre Chase were playing hood craps with OTM & Scrypts Andre Chase was on a roll with a few successful rolls, lookin’ like he’s Ashy Larry winning the World Series of Dice. Hudson told Chase to quit while he’s ahead. Bronco Nima & Lucien Price tried to provoke Chase into continuing to play. Chase proposed an alternate bet.
Chase challenged OTM to a Tag Team match next week where if Chase & Hudson win they win double the current pot but if OTM wins then they get a NXT Tag Team Title shot. Scrypts agreed as long as Chase can get the title shot guaranteed. The random Italian lady shows up. The lady calls Tony D’Angelo & D’Angelo agreed to give OTM a title shot in they win the Double Or Nothing Tag Team match next week. Everyone else other than Hudson & Chase left. Chase wanted a practice heat check dice roll. Chase shows he would have crapped out with a 7. Hudson shook his head in shame.
North American Title Triple Threat Match
Dragon Lee (c) vs. Charlie Dempsey vs. Joe Coffey
Dragon Lee dumps Joe Coffey to ringside then Lee hits Charlie Dempsey with a hurricanrana before Coffey hits Lee & Dempsey with backbreakers.
Lee tried to make a comeback but Mark Coffey & Wolfgang trips up Lee but they got caught & they were ejected then all 3 men took each other out heading into a break.
After the break Coffey hits Dempsey & Lee with a tower of doom then Coffey & Dempsey got on the same page but Lee leapfrogs Coffey and gave Dempsey a seated senton.
Lee hits Coffey with a slingshot wrecking ball boot then he hits Dempsey & Coffey with hesitation dropkicks then he got a 2 count on Dempsey & Coffey.
Lee caught Dempsey & Coffey with strikes before Dempsey & Coffey reversed a blockbuster with a double team suplex before Dempsey caught Coffey midair with a right hand.
Lee went for a double sunset flip but Dempsey managed to reverse it and hits Dempsey & Coffey with a German suplex then Lee hits Dempsey with a tornado DDT.
Coffey hits Lee with a pop up European uppercut then hits Lee with a flying knife edge strike for a near fall.
Coffey drags Lee to the top rope before Lee puts Coffey in the tree of woe and hits him with a double stomp. Lee hits Dempsey with a suicide dive.
Lee hits Coffey with a running knee for a near fall then Dempsey reversed a plancha with an uppercut before Coffey hits Dempsey & Lee with a suicide dive.
Joe Gacy crawls from under the ring to peek at the action and went back in as Dempsey & Lee got back in the ring.
Dempsey hits Lee with a innovative fallaway slam with a bridge for a near fall before Lee recovers and hits Dempsey with Operation Dragon to score the win.
Winner & Still North American Champion: Dragon Lee (STILL CHAMPION!!!!)
After the match No Catch Quarter Crew puts the boots to Dragon Lee before LWO’s Joaquin Wilde & Cruz Del Toro ran out to chase away No Catch Quarter Crew.
Backstage Trick Williams was ranting with Carmelo Hayes about NXT Champion Ilja Dragunov giving Ridge Holland a match later in the show. Williams said they might even make the New Years Evil match a Triple Threat. Williams said he wants to be that one guy who takes the NXT Title off the unstoppable Dragunov. Hayes raised an eyebrow like he was offended but then went back to supporting Williams when Williams turns towards Hayes as we go to a break.
After the break Cora Jade showboated in the women’s locker room & she brags about pinning the Women’s Champion. She said she was here to reclaim her locker. She pulls off Karmen Petrovic’s nameplate and replaced it on the locker with hers & after Cora Jade left Petrovic’s shows up and wondered who trashed her locker? Gigi Dolin notes it was Jade and there was one way to fix this.
Quarter Final Match Of The 2023 Breakout Tournament
Tavion Heights vs. Luca Crusifino
Luca Crusifino used a wide base to block a suplex before Tavion Heights hits Crusifino with a twisting suplex for a two count. Crusifino got a one count after a neckbreaker.
Crusifino hits Heights with a modified neckbreaker for a two count. Heights hits Crusifino with a Judo toss.
Heights rallied back with right hands and hits Crusifino with a overhead toss and German suplex.
Heights hits Crusifino with a fisherman powerslam before Heights hits Crucifino with a twisting belly 2 belly suplex for the victory.
Winner: Tavion Heights (3:25) (He will face Oba Femi in the Semi Finals)
Rate: 3
We get a hype package for the Women’s Title match at New Years Evil & the package talks about how Women’s Champion Lyra Valkyria came from Ireland while Blair Davenport has wrestled in the UK, Japan and her hometown New Zealand. The narrator talks about how how Valkyria won the Women’s Title while on the other side Davenport was the woman attacking people in the NXT parking lot. The narrator ends the segment with some final hype.
Backstage Lyra Valkyria & Nikkita Lyons were talking about how creepy Tatum Paxley is. Lyons said she came back to take care of Blair Davenport but she also wants to come after the Women’s Title.
After the break Kelly Kincaid interviewed Meta 4 & they were all dancing and singing Christmas songs. Heritage Cup Champion Noam Dar wished Kincaid a happy holidays. Kincaid wondered if Dar will accept Josh Briggs challenge. Dar said its the time of year to give to the less fortunate. Dar said he Noam Claus will defend the Heritage Cup Title against the little drummer boy Josh Briggs.
Nikkita Lyons vs. Tatum Paxley
Nikkita Lyons cuts Tatum Paxley off at the pass with the splits then Paxley tossed Lyons’ hand into the steel steps then Paxley hits Lyons with a basement uppercut.
Lyons rolls up Paxley for a two count then Paxley hits Lyons with a splits elbow drop for a two count then rolls up Lyons for a two count.
Nikkita made a comeback with a overhead kick then she works on Paxley with some Tae Kwon Do strikes.
Lyons hits Paxley with a slingshot booty strikes then she hits Paxley with a Tae Kwon Do switch roundhouse then hits a twisting splits leg drop for the win.
Winner: Nikkita Lyons
Tatum Paxley crawls over to the corner & continued to play around with Lyra Valkyria’s bird feather…
Backstage Hank Walker & Tank Ledger were hyping each other up for their match against Gallus as we go to a break.
After the break Josh Briggs & Brooks Jensen were consoling Fallon Henley. Henley then threw a fit and said she’s not done with Tiffany Stratton & after Henley left Jensen congratulated Briggs on getting that Heritage Cup Title shot. Jensen said he & Henley will have Josh’s back and be in his corner to cancel out Meta 4. Briggs said he can’t explain it but he needs to do it alone. Jensen agreed.
Tag Team Match
Gallus (Mark Coffey & Wolfgang) vs. Hank Walker & Tank Ledger
Hank Walker hits Wolfgang with a few pounces and a senton for a one count then Tank Ledger tags in and works on Mark Coffey with short arm shoulder tackles.
Ledger hits Coffey with a Flying Jalapeño before Walker & Ledger took down Gallus with clotheslines.
They dumped Wolfgang to ringside before Wolfgang trips up Walker then tossed him into the ring post. Gallus used tags and methodical offense to cut the ring on Walker.
Walker got a window of opportunity after hitting Coffey with a Pounce then Ledger got the hot tag but the ref calls the tag off due to Ledger not holding the tag rope so Coffey hit Walker with Rough Ryder for the win.
Winners: Gallus
Dijak was in his interrogation room & cuts a promo about injuring Eddy Thrope’s ribs again with the turnbuckle before he accepts Thrope’s challenged to NXT Underground Match.
Tiffany Stratton was cutting a promo talking about being rich while Fallon Henley is low class. Stratton said Henley will always be trash then challenged Henley to a match at New Years Evil where if Stratton wins Henley will be her servant.
Non Title Match
NXT Champion Ilja Dragunov vs. Ridge Holland
Ilja Dragunov & Ridge Holland traded shoulder tackles then Holland hits Dragunov with a lariat then Dragunov works on Holland with overhead forearms. Dragunov then hits Holland with Constantine Special then hits Holland with Machine Gun Chops.
Holland then headbutts Dragunov before Dragunov returns the favor with his own headbutt. Holland adjusted his weight to block a powerbomb.
Holland hits Dragunov with an Alabama Slam then Dragunov hits Holland with a big boot and chained German suplexes as we go to a break.
After the break Holland hits Dragunov with a high kick and lariat before Holland hits Dragunov with a corner splash before Dragunov blocks a half Nelson with elbows.
Holland blocks Constantine Special with a big boot then went for 10 Beats Of The Bodhran, but hesitated like he was giving up on the move.
Dragunov hits Holland 10 Beats Of The Bodhran to the back of the neck before he reversed a body slam with a DDT. Dragunov hits Holland with an H Bomb then both men traded pump kicks.
Dragunov hits Holland headbutts and made him crumple with elbows to the neck. Holland then drops Dragunov on his head.
The referee paused the match then calls out the referees to check on Dragunov’s shoulder as Holland hung his head in the corner hoping he didn’t hurt another person.
Winner: No One (No Contest)
After the match medics ran out and puts Dragunov on a stretcher with a neck brace & Dragunov is being stretchered out and the crowd cheering on Dragunov to close out this week’s NXT.
Semi Finals (Dec 26th)
Riley Osborne vs. Lexis King
Oba Femi vs. Tavion Heights
Next Week’s NXT (Spoilers)
All Or Nothing Tag Team Match
OTM (Lucien Price & Bronco Nima) vs. Chase U (Andre Chase & Duke Hudson)
Heritage Cup Title Match
Noam Dar (c) vs. Josh Briggs
Cora Jade vs. Karmen Petrovic
Bron Breakker vs. Nathan Frazer
Joe Gacy vs. Joe Coffey
Semi Final Match Of The 2023 Breakout Tournament
Riley Osborne vs. Lexis King
Semi Final Match Of The 2023 Breakout Tournament
Oba Femi vs. Tavion Heights
NXT Underground Match
Eddy Thorpe vs. Dijak
Updated New Years Evil Card (Jan 2nd)
Women’s Title Match
Lyra Valkyria (c) vs. Blair Davenport
NXT Title Match
Ilja Dragunov (c) vs. Trick Williams
Tiffany Stratton vs. Fallon Henley (If Henley loses she must become Stratton’s servant)
