WWE NXT New Year's Evil 1/6/2021

 WWE NXT New Year's Evil 1/6/2021

 Pics and gifs to come later.

 Last week's show is here: https://prowresblog.blogspot.com/2020/12/wwe-nxt-12302020.html

 

Dexter Lumis turned on all of the lights in the arena to start the show. 

Damian Priest vs Karrion Kross

Kross got his usual big entrance. They said this would be commercial free which is a good call. They tie up and roll to the outside into the barricades. They block and evade each others strikes until Priest lands one, then a bunch of punches. Kross does a standing powerbomb type of move and pounds on Priest.

Priest then exploder suplexes him for 1 and they go back outside, where Kross gets put into the steps. Kross threw some more punches at Priest and Priest hit a straight jab to his face. Priest hits the flatliner. Priest hit a strike combo and a clothesline then a broken arrow.

Kross charged into the buckles and took more Priest kicks and a single arm ddt. They trade more shots and then trade face kicks. Priest springboards into a flip on Kross then Kross comes back with a lariat. Priest gets put into the tree of woe then Kross running knees him. Kross gets on the 2nd rope and Priest hits him with the razor's edge. Priest attempts a chokeslam on the apron but can't get it then Priest does a springboard tope con giro/flip dive onto Kross. Priest then hits a top rope spinning heel kick and a sitout side chokeslam (South of Heaven). Priest goes for the recknoning but Kross turns it into a northern lights suplex then does a nasty jackknife powerbomb onto him. Priest tries to hit some spin kicks outside and is run into the pillar then slammed somewhat hard on the flat piece of the ring steps.

They stare down and Kross does a high kick and a Saito suplex, then a forearm to the back of the head for the win. The crowd was not too into this. I don't love Priest's offense as he's big and a lot of it looks awkward. This wasn't as good as it could have been and the big wild brawl tease from last week left me wanting something similar, but that never happened here. 

UE did a promo as they will face Breezango in the first round of the Dusty Classic next week. They said every week is a big week for them and said they would fulfill the golden prophecy. Strong said they are vets who get the job done but Cole said UE is on another level.

WWE Cruiserweight Championship - Santos Escobar vs Gran Metalik

Metalik gets a nice takedown early then hurricanrana's Escobar to the floor. Metalik did a double springboard into a headscissors then did a springboard moonsault to the outside on Escobar as Escobar slid under. He then flipped on Escobar inside the ring.

Metalik went for a moonsault from the top but Escobar moved. Escobar was on the apron and Metalik walked the rope into a hurricanrana that Escobar blocked. Escobar collapsed but swung him into the barricade. They did picture-in-picture during the break and Escobar tied up Metalik's leg.

Back from the break and both men are up top. Escobar drops him on the top turnbuckle body first. Escobar surfboards Metalik and gets a 2 count of it. Metalik hit a reverse sling blade ad did his run the middle rope dropkick. Metalik then did a springboard tope con gir/flip dive which Priest just did. Metalik then did a springboard splash for 2. Metalik tried another springboard but got hit with a jumping knee. Escobar then did a tope onto him into the barricade.

They fought up top and Metalik's mask almost fell off, then Escobar pushed him off the top. Metalik did a hurricanrana from one rope to Escobar on the buckles while Dorado dove on LdF outside. Escobar hit a cradle shock and won it. As usual, they did too much and didn't sell it and it was your typical flyers match.

We went back to the dojo with Xia Li and Boa. Li was playing with a sword and it said she was up next.

Mercedes Martinez wasn't happy about Io getting best woman/best performer of the year and said she is waiting for her.

Xia Li vs Katrina Cortez

Xia Li came out with Boa and some dude on a throne. She then did kung fu poses with spikes.

Her entrance was pretty cool with the monitors all having flaming torches around the arena. Cortez is wearing a mask and a horrible pink outfit. And if you are using your real name, why would you wear sa mask since everyone knows who you are? Cortez ducks a kick but takes a spin kick to the face. Xia bowered to the guy on the throne. Xia hit some knees and kicks. Xia hit a jumping knee and a tornado kick in an easy squash.

Regal announced that Timothy Thatcher is out tonight and said the Thatcher match happens when he returns.

Bronson Reed said he had a bunch of aggression inside of him and said it would be a colossal year. He said Rhea Ripley will win tonight.

Last Man Standing - Rhea Ripley vs Raquel Gonzalez

Rhea starts out with a dropkick and pounds on RG in the corner. She then hits a Thesz press on her and they both roll and pound on each other. RG hits a clothesline and 3 fallaway slams.  RG trashtalks and gets slapped. Rhea then sweeps her leg and dropkicks her out.

Rhea gets a kendo stick and nails RG with it. Rhea runs up the steps with a dropkick and RG tried to hit her with the chair but mostly missed. Rhea is then thrown into the barricades and hit with the kendo stick more. RG gets handcuffs(Guess she was watching that Reigns/KO cage match too). Rhea cuffs RG to the barricades. RG yanks the handcuffs off the fence and takes some of the fence with her. Then she uses it as a weapon in a neat spot.

Rhea grabs the hammer for the ring bell but RG bashes her off the bell. RG backdrops Rhea onto the table and she has an an ugly landing.RG then buries Rhea under the table pieces and chairs. We go to picture in picture which is the wrong time for this. Rhea got lariated to the outside during the break and got thrown on the stairs.

RG then grabs the stairs and bashes Rhea with them twice. She then face kicks Rhea down the stage stairs. They rolled backstage and Rhea got bashed off a counter. Rhea speared RG through a glass door! Rhea put RG on a table and then jumped up on a locker and flipped onto her, breaking it. Dakota Kai then came in and started nailing Rhea with a kendo stick.

Rhea fought back though and hit the locker doors off of Kai's head. Rhea locked her into a locker then put something in front of it so she couldn't get out. They fought on the stage and Rhea did a gorilla clutch onto her. She then wrapped a chair around her head for extra pressure. Rhea got kicked into the stage sign. Rhea death valley driver'd RG into the LED monitor and dropped her on her head. Rhea climbed up the step but RG sent her face first on it. RG then chokeslammed Rhea through the stage and won. They did a little too much and didn't sell enough but it was still a pretty good match with some big spots. 

The Way had a fake police escort for their arrival. Johnny talked about how he reversed the curse with his win over Ruff last week. The Way got Johnny a plaque to mark him beating "The Curse". The Way unveiled a superhero drawing with all of the members on it.  Johnny then said him and Austin Theory were entering the Dusty Classic.

Shotzi Blackheart then came out. Theory went up to Shotzi's tank and got shot in the nuts. Shotzi went after LaRae. Kushida then ran in to help and Dexter Lumis rung the bell and pointed towards a drawing of a match of....

Kushida and Shotzi Blackheart vs Candice LaRae and Johnny Gargano

How Lumis was able to draw this in time or could predict it ahead of time is a great question.

Shotzi senton'd Candice as she was on the ropes. We then went to picture in picture. We came back from break and Kushida and Shotzi got control soon after. Shotzi did a crazy dive through the ropes and did a header. This was Black Warrior style tope. Kushia was up top and Theory pushed him off. Kushida ended up tripping Johnny into Theory's crotch and won with a cool pinning trap.

They announced a Takeover on 2/14 which is Valentine's Day.

Regal announced a women's Dusty Rhodes Classic, which Lumis had a drawing for.

NXT Championship - Finn Balor vs Kyle O'Reilly

The finish

Supposed NXT running 10 minutes late today to give this extra time. As it stands, we are 18 minutes before the usual end of the show(10PM) and we haven't even had an entrance. No commercial breaks for this.

Kyle locks a headscissors early, Finn pops out and gets high kicked and Kyle puts the headscissors back on. Balor goes for an abdominal stretch but is flipped over and put into a keylock. Balor then goes back to the abdominal stretch. O'Reilly gets out of it by biting the rope then Finn kicks the ropes which was nasty. A medical tech checks on Kyle and he says he is okay, then he gets put in a headlock.

Kyle is selling his jaw here and stays on the arm on Balor, then he knees it. Kyle then drops Balor's arm on the ropes and Balor does a crossface through the ropes. Balor then puts the crossface on again. Kyle continues to sell the jaw and fights back with knees. He puts Balor's arm behind his back and leg sweeps him so he lands on it. Balor hits knees to Kyle's jaw. Kyle does a great roll into a heel hook and Balor kicks him in the jaw again. Kyle then takes an ugly fall out of the ring.

Kyle hits a triangle choke and then tries to get a heel hook but gets punched in the jaw. Finn does an elevated reverse ddt then crossfaces Kyle again to work the jaw. Balor hits a slingblade and a double stomp on the chest then a John Woo dropkick into the buckles. Balor goes up top but gets superplexed, then Kyle suplexes him again once he is down. Kyle then grabs an armbar but Balor gets the rope. Balor's head starts bleeding.

Kyle gets kicked in the ribs then Finn abdominal stretches him. Finn then hooks his arm around Kyle's jaw and Kyle taps out. This was a unique match. Kyle's injured jaw was worked on all match while Balor's arm was worked on all match. They stuck with it throughout the whole match, coming up with new ways to work both body parts and this was pretty well done.

UE was with Kyle after the match as Balor watched.

Overall thoughts: A pretty good show with a couple of good matches. Can't ask for too much more.