WWE NXT 12/19/2023

WWE NXT 12/19/2023

Last week's show is here: https://prowresblog.blogspot.com/2023/12/wwe-nxt-12122023.html

Fallon Henley vs Tiffany Stratton

Fallon goes after her before this starts. They push each other and Tiff rolls her up off a double stomp attempt. Fallon misses a dropkick and they stand off. Tiff kicks her in the gut. Fallon snapmares her then back kicks her in the side of the face. Fallon goes to slide out and is put in the ring skirt. Fallon then punches her and throws her back in.

Fallon gets on the 2nd rope and is pushed hard down to the floor. Tiff corner lariats her and throws her into the buckles. Tiff hip attacks her against the ropes. They trade forearms Fallon hits corner punches then hurricanrana's her off the powerbomb attempt. Tiff spinebusters her for 2. They try pins on each other and Fallon wins it.

Tiff nails her after and throws her out. Fallon's head is banged off the table then she is thrown into the rails. Tiff drags her by the hair takes her backstage. She rubs a mop on her head then dumps trash on her. Tiff calls her a piece of trash and a loser as the refs try to help her out. Fallon is a mess.

The match was fine and I liked Fallon getting the upset win. I don't like Tiff losing again though. She seems to do nothing but lose lately and I don't get why. The angle after was pretty good and it's hard not to feel sympathetic for Fallon after that.

Trick Williams and Melo talk in the locker room. Trick said Melo  looked good in his win on SD. Melo apologizes for accidentally hitting Trick with the belt. Trick said they are good and asks if he knew who attacked him. Melo said he didn't see who attacked him but said the only person who ever hit him that hard was Ilja. Melo said they should make the NXT Title match at New Years Evil a triple threat. Melo said it would be him and Trick against Ilja. Trick's not buying it and said he won the Iron Survivor Challenge so he could get a title shot. Melo said it doesn't matter who has the title as long as they have it. Trick said it does matter and said Melo won his title 1v1. Melo said he wants Ilja to pay for what he did. Trick said he wants Melo to help train him and be by his side. Melo's definitely up to something here.

We see Ilja Dragunov arrive in the parking lot. 

Ilja Dragunov comes out to talk. He said he doesn't know how he got caught up in the Trick and Melo saga. He said who showed the world who he is in 2023 - a man who uses his body as a weapon and puts all of himself out there in battle. Ridge Holland comes out. Ridge said he needs to figure out who he is and where he's going, so he's back here in NXT. Ridge says Ilja is the measuring stick. He said he isn't asking for a title shot, but here's he to prove himself. He said he will run through everyone in the back until he runs into Ilja. He said it will be his honor and says this is the first chapter of the redemption of Ridge Holland. Ilja says Ridge will find out where he stands tonight. Ridge offers to shake hands and Ilja pulls him into him. They then stare down.

Lexis King says he's already the breakout star of the year and will have the contract to prove it when he wins the breakout tournament.

Trick talks to Ilja in the back. He asks what that was about and says it's supposed to be him vs Trick at New Years Evil. Ilja said he is the champ and Trick is the challenger and says the champ dictates the challenger. Trick says he's champ until New Years Evil and Ilja says we'll see.

NXT Breakout Tournament First Round - Dion Lennox vs Lexis King

King boots him in the gut and rakes his face on the ropes. King corner clotheslines him then foot chokes him in the corner. King knees him in the gut then kicks him in the back. King then does a running lariat to the back of his head while he is kneeling.

King hits kicks while he's on his knee then Dion fires up. Dion hits punches then rolls him up. Dion shoulders him over and dropkicks him. Dion hits a nice slam and corner splashes him. Dion does a nice exploder with a bridge. King rolls out and grabs the contract. Dion bangs his head off the apron and throws him back in.

Dion's shoulder is sent into the post then King hits a spinning neckbreaker to win it.

It was short and okay for what it was with King ending Dion's comeback. Dion showed some good fire here.

Trey Bearhill then comes out with a chair after King took him out last week. King then exits the ring and said he hadn't earned a shot at him yet. Trey helps Dion up and raises his arm.

Eddye Thorpe does a promo. He said it's been trial by fire this year and says each battle has been grueling on him. He said he will keep fighting through the pain. He said the universe has brought him and Dijak back to settle this. He said it seems the ropes can't even contain them and said he wants a match with no ropes. He challenges him to an NXT Underground match.

Jacy Jayne and Thea Hail vs Kiana James and Izzi Dame

They messed up the intro graphics here. They said Jacy and Kiana were "with" their partners instead of writing "and", so it looked like this was a singles match.

Thea and Izzi start us off. Thea side headlocks her then headlock takeovers her. Izzi drops her with a forearm and they say Riley Osborne is cheering Thea in the student section. Thea climbs her back and is thrown over and bangs he rhead off the mat. Jacy superkicks Izzi in the face for 2 and taunts KJ. Jacy chops Izzi and back splashes her in the corner. Jacy knocks Kiana off the apron and tells her to suck it.

Jacy armdrags Izzi into a pin attempt then rolls her up for 2. Izzi hits a nice lariat. KJ gets in and running boots Jacy in the side of the head. KJ stomps her in the corner, back flips and Izzi whips her into a spear on Jacy. Izzi flapjacks Jacy down for 2. Jacy rolls up Izzi then they lariat eac hother down at the same time.

Thea gets in and hits double axe handle shots on KJ. Thea exploders KJ then rolling sentons her. Thea then springboard back splashes her. KJ throat thrusts Thea. Thea kimura's KJ but Izzi is the legal girl. Izzi face kicks Thea and wins it.

It was okay with a clever ending. KJ looked good here and Thea had a lot of energy as usual. 

 Girls talk in the locker room about Izzi and Kiana. Arianna Grace says they make an impressive team. Roxanne Perez comes in and says she isn't done with them. Grace says it's about good sportsmanship and not wins and losses. Roxanne says it is about wins and losses then slaps her in a non-face move.

Out The Mud and Chase U are playing dominoes. Chase is doing well and Duke tells Chase to get out while he's ahead. Nima says Chase is a grown man and can make his own decisions. Scrypts tells Chase to think about leaving while he's up. Chase says him and Duke should take on Nima and Price. Chase says he will double his money if he wins or walk out with what he came out with. Scrypts says Price and Nima should get a tag title match if he loses. Tony D's female friend comes in. She said he's making wise decisions again. She then calls Tony and tells him about it then says Tony has got himself a deal. Chase then says they pay their debt in full next week to Duke. Chase then rolls the dominoes and gets a bad roll and Duke shakes his head. 

Gulak's crew is now the No Quarter Catch Crew. That name isn't going to stick around and does not roll off the tongue.

Gulak's crew got to pick a wrestler for their next match. Charlie Dempsey is selected. Joe Coffeey then comes out and tells Dragon Lee he has to pick between them. Lee says he will pick both.

NXT North American Title - Desafio Universal - Dragon Lee (c) vs Charlie Dempsey vs Joe Coffey

Lee slingshot hurricanrana's CD into the buckles. Joe nails Lee from behind. Joe then backbreakers Lee and uranage backbreakers CD. Lee misses an elbow drop in the corner. Joe headbutts CD in the back then Gallus trip up Lee. Gallus are kicked out of the ringside area. Lee rebound germans Joe and superkicks him. CD gutwrench suplexes Lee.

We go to PiP break and return. CD superplexes Lee but Joe powerbombs CD as he does it. Lee takes a bad landing on his neck. Lee is popped up into a hurricanrana on Joe. Lee hits combinacion cabron on Joe then corner dropkicks CD and Joe. 

Lee comes off the 2nd rope, jumps on both opponents then is caught and double suplexed. Joe back elbows CD and springboard corkscrews on him but is caught with a euro. Lee tries to sunset flip CD but is blocked. CD germans Joe as Joe belly to belly suplexes Lee. CD and Joe trade euros. Lee tornado ddt's CD then takes a pop-up euro. Joe flying battering rams Lee into CD for 2.

Joe hangs from the top rope and Lee top rope double stomps him. Lee then topes CD outside. Lee pumping knees Joe for 2. Lee tries to plancha CD but takes a euro. Joe then topes both. Joe Gacy pops up under the ring then hides under it again. Gacy pulls Joe Coffey under the ring. Lee superkicks CD then runs into a fallaway slam with a bridge. Lee hits destino on CD and wins it.

This didn't look like something that would work on paper and it didn't. Dempsey is just not cut out for this kind of match and there were multiple dangerous moments here. The Gacy stuff was also odd.

Gacy comes out from the under the ring after and the No Quarter Catch Crew jump Lee after. Wilde and Del Toro of the LWO then make the save for him.

Trick and Melo talk in the back. Trick is mad about Ridge getting the first shot and says if Ridge wins, his match might become a triple threat. Trick says he's supposed to be the one to take out Ilja and said he was supposed to do something else nobody could do. Melo said he understands, but I ain't buying it.

Cora Jade comes in the locker room. She said the savior of the women's division and all of NXT is back. She reclaims her locker and takes off Carmen's Petrovic's nameplate on it. She said she's sorry, not sorry then throws her gear down. Carmen comes in and asks if she just took her locker. Gigi Golin tells her there's only one way to deal with Cora.

NXT Men's Breakout Tournament 1st Round - Luca Crusifino vs Tavion Heights

Luca's not wrestling in his dress shirt for some reason, which sucks. Tavion has new purple and black gear.

Tav takes down Luca and does a hammerlock type of move on him. Luca rolls out of it and back elbows him. Tav hits a nice punch and Luca knees him. Tav picks him up like a side slam but flips him down. Luca kicks him in the leg and clubs his back. Luca hits shots to the gut then hits a jumping neckbreaker.

Luca does his hiptoss into a neckbreaker. Luca bangs Tav's head off the buckles then Tav throws him off a hiptoss attempt. Tav overhead belly to belly suplexes Luca then release germans him. Tav does a nice capture suplex then spins into a belly to belly suplex to win it.

It wasn't that good and Tav got what I thought was the upset win here. Luca hit a lot of low awkward shots here and their movements just weren't super clean. 

We get a package on Blair Davenport vs Lyra Valkyria. They said thye never crossed paths before but were close to doing so in NXT UK. They say they are the polar opposites of each other.

Nikkita Lyons talks to Lyra Valkyria in the back. She said she didn't have a problem with Tatum Paxley until she put her hands on her. She said she will take care of Tatum tonight. Lyons said she came back for Blair and the NXT Women's Title

Meta-Four are interviewed. Dar says Happy Holidays and said he's a man of charity. He said Josh Briggs has a christmas miracle coming his way. He says he will defend his Heritage Cup against him.

Nikkita Lyons vs Tatum Paxley

Tatum and Lyons both get down on the mat and Nikkita kicks her. They go outside and Nikkita misses a chop on her, banging her hand on the steps. Tatum bangs Nikkita's hand off the steps then steps on it on the 2nd rope. Tatum hits a running forearm and gets a pin attempt in. Lyons cradles her for 2.

Tatum stomps Nikkita's hand then does a jumping elbow drop for 2. Nikkita rolls her up for 2 then upkicks her. Nikkita trips her and kicks her in the gut and head. Nikkita hits punches to the body then one to the head. Nikkita butt drops her in the corner off the bottom rope. Nikkita then does a bad german on Tatum. Nikkita spin kicks her then does a spinning split drop on her to win it.

This wasn't good and these two didn't click at all, which I'm sad to report. Neither one really hit anything that looked too good and the crowd didn't care.

Hank and Tank talk in the back. Tank said all they wanted was a chance to prove themselves and said they are ready to flip the script on Gallus.

Briggs, Jensen and Fallon Henley talk in the back. Jensen asks if she's okay. Fallon said she's embarrassed, humiliated and p!ssed off. She said Tiff doesn't know what hard work means or what it is like to get her hands dirty. She says she is not done with her. Jensen said Briggs is getting a Heritage Cup match. Briggs says he's ready and says he's ending 2023 as the Heritage Cup champ. Hensen said him and Fallon will be out there wiht him. Briggs says he needs to do this on his own. He said he doesn't think he can explain it and said he needs to ride solo.

Gallus vs Hank Walker and Tank Ledger

Hank running shoulders Mark Coffey to start. Wolfgang headlocks Hank then Hanks hits a nice shoulder on him. Hank sentons him then Tank armdrags Mark. Tank jumping back elbows Mark then corner splashes him. Mark takes a double shoulder and Wolf takes a double back elbow. Wolf is double clotheslined over the top. Hank is tripped then sent into the post outside.

Hank is 2v1'd in the corner. Mark hits a big forearm on him then Tank pushes him back with his shoulder. Tank tags himself in but lets go of the tag rope and is called on it. Mark gamengiri's Hank and wins it.

I didn't like Tank looking like a dummy here due to the tag rope and it was a much shorter match that it could have been. The ycould have had a good one with more time.

Joe Gacy is sitting with Chase U.

Dijak asks Eddy Thorpe what he's thinking. He said he put him in the hospital after their strap match. Dijak said he cut him last week but then snapped the ring ropes and put the buckle into his ribs. Dijak asks what he will do when nothing can save him and says it will be his last match ever.

Tiffany Stratton does a promo. She said it feels good to put Fallon in her place as a servant in society. She said she's used to serving people like her and said she would never step in her bar. She said Fallon will never be here and will always be trash. She says she's familiar with trash and says they will fight at New Year's Evil and said Fallon will become her servant when she loses.

Ilja Dragunov vs Ridge Holland

They lock up and Ilja side headlocks him. They shoulder battle and Ridge knocks him over. Ridge misses his lariat then swings the other way and hits it. Ilja tiger feints on the ropes and lariats him off of it. Ilja hits machine gun chops then headbutts him.

Ridge hits a bad looking alabama slam then Ilja jumping front kicks him. Ilja germans him twice and we go to PiP break. We return and Ilja hits chops. Ridge bangs Ilja's head off the buckle then lariats him while he holds onto the top rope. Ridge corner splashes him and exploders him.

Ilja goes for another tiger feint and is knee'd. Ridge goes for the chest clubs but stops himself. Drag then hits elbows to the back of his head. Ridge forearms him then Ilja ddt's him off of his suplex attempt. Ilja hits an h-bomb forearm after a pin attempt. Ridge back body drops him then Ilja enzugiri's him.

Ridge pump kicks him. Ilja hits headbutts from the bearhug position then is ddt'd. Ilja freezes in place and has to be stretched out, ending the match.

Obviously it's a work but it was somewhat believable. Ridge didn't have a good night here and hit some sloppy moves on Ilja that probably weren't all works. It was okay prior to the finish.

Overall thoughts: The Fallon/Tiffany stuff was good and the rest of the show wasn't. Nikkita didn't impress in her return and it was a sloppy night with bad finishes.