WWE NXT 1/3/2023

WWE NXT 1/3/2023

Last week's show is here: https://prowresblog.blogspot.com/2022/12/wwe-nxt-12272022.html

They had a recap video of 2022 and then asked who will take NXT to the next level in 2023.

Carmelo Hayes vs Apollo Crews

They do some counters early and Crews hits a dropkick. Crews is hung up in the ropes then takes an enzugiri and a blind springboard legdrop as he hangs. Crews hits a delayed vertical suplex and slingshot sentons in. Crews backbreakers him then hits germans and a belly to belly. Crews lariats him over the top to the floor then moonsaults off the apron onto him.

We go to PiP break and return with Melo having a guillotine choke on. Crews gets kicked in the knee and rolls to the floor from the apron. Melo kicks the knee more and dropkicks Crews in the knee, sending him head first into the buckle. Melo hits a big powerbomb for 2 and puts him in a single leg crab. Crews hits a step up enzugiri and hits some shots before a lariat. Melo rolls over his back the ntakes a backcracker. Crews hits a jumping clothesline then superplexes him. Crews takes an armdrag then pump kicks him and gets cuttered. Crews blockbustes him off the 2nd rope for 2.

Trick Williams gets on the apron and helps Melo then gets hit. Crews hits a jumping knee, a german then a gorilla press. He misses a standing moonsault double knee then Melo did a top rope legdrop over his neck to win it.

I wasn't a big fan of this one. They just did too much here and gave up the knee work.

Axiom came out and crossbodied Trick and Melo after then moonsaulted on them when they were outside.

Trick Williams vs Axiom

The match started during the break. Trick chickenwinged him and popped him up but took a dropkick out of it. Ax hit a nice dropkick then top rope crossbodied him. Trick hit a Mcgillicutter for 2 and then got forearmed on his trick kick attempt. Ax then superkicked him and won it.

This was very short. It was okay for what it was but nothing too special.

Trick held Ax after and Melo nailed him from behind.

Pretty Deadly were with The New Day then Schism walked in. Schism said they were the biggest threat to them and TND made jokes. They eventually agreed to a match.

We go to a clip of Stacks being handcuffed and then interrogated by Dijak. Stacks says he does what Tony tells him to do and Dijak says loyalty has consequences. Dijak said he is the face of fear in NXT then punched him in the gut. Stacks tells him to uncuff him and let them settle it in the ring. Dijak says he plans on it and this is just the beginning. Dijak then leaves the handcuff key for him.

We go to Chase U with Drew Gulak showing off. Chase comes in and asks what is going on. Chase says his students can't be put in the ring without his permission. Duke stands up for Chase and Duke Hudson defends Chase. Chase then ends up shutting the session down and everyone leaves.

Channing "Stacks" Lorenzo vs Dijak

Stacks hits a bunch of punches early then hits knees to the face. Dijak knees him in the gut and stomps on him. Dijak picks him up for a slam and spins him around and throws him. Stacks runs into a big facekick then rolls him up on another spinning slam throw. Dijak dangerously puts him on his shoulders by using the ropes then hits a GTH to win it.

It was kind of an odd match with Dijak and Stacks having issues manuevering each other plus the isuses of Stacks having to get some things in.

Dijak goes to attack Stacks further after then Tony D knocks Dijak out of the ring. Tony says Dijak doesn't have half the heart that Stacks does. Tony says he can find out about street justice the Tony D way next week.

Oro Mensah is interviewed. He says he is starting 2023 with a win tonight. Javier Bernal walks in and says 2023 will be his year. He then shows a Big Body Christmas Album. McKenzie mentions that christmas is over. Javi says anyone can release a track during Christmas, but he's Big Body Javi. He says there's 15 tracks including, "12 Days of Javi", "We wish you a Big Body Christmas" and "Feliz Javidad". Oro says it is cringe and says he won't have a singing voice when he gets done with them. Funny stuff as usual from Javi.

Toxic Attraction comes out. They say they are the most dominant faction and says they will leave 2022 in the past. Jacy says they will call all the shots in 2023 and they don't do resolutions, they do revenge. They said they only care about Roxanne Perez. they said htye will use Perez's broken body to restart their empire.

Indi Hartwell comes out and says it's time for new blood in the division. Cora Jade then interrupts and says no one cares about her. She said she deserves to be women's champ then Nikkita Lyons interrupts. She said Cora deserves a kick to the face and it's time for new blood. Zoey Stark then interrupts then Wendy Choo interrupts. Thea Hail then interrupts and everyone starts brawling in and around the ring. Isla Dawn then hits Alba Fyre from behind and even more girls come out to fight.

Isla and Alba fight outside of the arena then Perez gets on the high riser. She said they don't need to fight each other as there will be a 20 woman battle royale next week with the winner getting a title shot. Everyone then keeps fighting. Isla/Alba put each other into the side of a dumpster out back. Isla goes into a garage door.

We go to break and return with Alba and Isla fighting in the warehouse. Alba gets thrown into an old NXT 2.0 "X" logo and it falls on her. Alba is then slammed on it. The refs yell at them and they ignore them. Isla throws something at her and Alba misses a pipe shot. Alba has a trash can thrown at her. They fight on top of something then Isla is knocked off of it and we see her laying on sticks, chairs and pipes. Alba gets hit with a trash can lid then is put in a wheelbarrow and pushed to ringside.

Extreme Resolutions Match - Alba Fyre vs Isla Dawn

They fight over a chair and Alba is suplexed into the buckles. Alba kicked away a chair shot then hit a chombo combo. Alba superkicked her and hit a gori bomb for 2. Alba goes up top and is hit with a chair and we go to PiP break.

Isla used a wrench on Alba's fingers over the break and as we returned. They trade punches and Isla takes a gordbuster and a chest kick. Alba topes her and gets a table out. Alba is pushed into the steps and has her fingers slammed in a tool box. Alba pushes the tool box on Isla. Isla is swanton'd on from the top. They attempt to do it through the table but don't break it then Alba gori bombs her through it. Alba then wins it.

The table spot hurt the match but it wasn't bad at all for a hardcore brawl. As usual, it would have been better with blood.

Grayson Waller is interviewed. He said he becomes the NXT champ next week. McKenzie doesn't understand hwy he wants to get in the ring with Bron and says Bron is most vulnerable because he's mad. He said Bron has the dog in him, but it doesn't make him immune from the Grayson Waller Effect.

Indus Sher says they are treated like celebrities in India. They say nobody cares about them here though. They talked about their lack of respect and we see some of their history. The Creed's then reply and say it's BS that this about respect. They said nobody will make their name off of them and Indus Sher said they should have listened to Ivy Nile about not being ready. Indus Sher said they wanted to excuses and The Creed's said respect is earned, not given, and they won't give a single inch.

Oro Mensah vs Javier Bernal

JB jumps Oro during his entrance then pounds on him. JB backdrops him then bulldogs him off the ropes. JB back elbows him and JB misses a crossbody. JB hits a ddt and Oro hits lariats and forearms. Oro hits an asai moonsault then flipping koppo kicks him. Oro pulls on his neck and body through the ropes over the apron then exploders him.  Oro running spinning heel kicks him and wins it.

This was basically the same exact match as they had on Level Up last week and it wasn't too special.

Briggs, Jensen and Henley are talking in the back. Jensen says this will be their year and they say Fallon can win the women's battle royale and win the women's title. Kiana James comes in and congratulates her on her big win. Kiana says good luck and she will see her in the battle royale next week. She then tells Jensen to text her later.

An anonymous person is shown filming Chance and Carter with the medical team. She asks what their secrets are.

Andre Chase vs Drew Gulak

We see Charlie Dempsey's arm in a sling in an inset. They clean break early. Drew catches him with a chicken wing and Chase ropebreaks. Chase kips out of a wristlock and headlocks him. Chase hits an armdrag and tells him that is a teachable moment. Dempsey throws off his sling in the back and heads ot the ring.

Gulak hits a nice suplex on Chase and Chase dropkicks his knee. Chase hits his russian leg sweep then does the C-H-A-S-E-U stomps. Chase figure fours him and Drew hits the ropes. Drew hits a bunch of strikes and lariats him. Drew slams him into the ropes and taps him out with a grounded dragon sleeper. Drew refuses to let go after.

It was okay but really nothing too special. It was on the shorter side and the Charlie Dempsey stuff amounted to nothing here.

Wes Lee is interviewed. He talked about Dijak and Tony D. He said it seems like they want to fight each other and he's waiting to see them do it. He says he wants a front row seat to it and said the winner can face him for the N-A Title.

Joe Gacy vs Kofi Kingston

Gacy shoulders him over and takes a flying back elbow.  Kofi walks up the buckles with a twisting crossbody. Ava Raine crotches Kofi on the top then Kof is superplexed. Kofi dropkicks him off the 2nd rope then Gacy runs at him and pushes him back into a backbreaker. Gacy hits another backbreaker and Kofi superkicks him. Kofi hits chops and a dropkick then 2nd rope splashes Gacy's bent over back. Kofi jumping legdrops him and hits a lightning spiral for 2. Kofi goes up on the ropes and gets distracted hten Xavier Woods leaves the commentary booth and goes up to Schism. Kofi flip dives them and hits a trouble in paradise kick to win it.

They had a couple of sloppy moments here and it really wasn't anything too special.

Drew Gulak is exciting about beating Andre Chase in the back. Charlie Dempsey comes in and says it's on next week. Drew says Hank will be ready next week and will rip his arm out of his socket.

Pretty Deadly are in the back then The New Day walk in. They said they did the things on The New Day's list except one thing. TND says it's not good enough and Elton gets mad. Kip says they will run the gauntlet next week to prove they deserve a title shot. TND says they can get a shot if they can do it.

We get a promo with a girl talking while there's a new years countdown clock for next week.

The Grayson Waller Effect with Bron Breaker

GW says this will be Bron's final segment as champ. He says he will save NXT next week. Bron comes out and seems to be in a good mood. GW says he thinks Bron wants to rip his head off. GW mocks him with the spear spot, bringing up how that happened with Goldberg. Bron admits he outsmarted him and GW brags about it. Bron's not getting mad and GW asks him why. Bron talks about GW's big viral moments. Bron says all those were distractions and says he will leave New Years Evil as NXT champ. He says that is the Grayson Waller Effect. Waller talks trash to him after, saying he stole his dad's gimmick. He goes to say something else then Bron hits him and hits a gorilla press into a powerslam. Bron then takes GW's phone and flip dives Waller while holding it. Bron then poses over him with the title.

They tried for something different here with Bron trying to be peaceful and I really didn't think it worked too well.

Overall thoughts: Really wasn't too special of a show and with New Years Evil having all of the blowoff matches, it probably wasn't going to be that great.