NXT just set the table for New Year’s Evil in chaotic fashion Monday night, with Je’Von Evans jumping the line for an immediate NXT Championship shot against Oba Femi. What started as a championship celebration turned into a triple-threat confrontation that saw the Iron Survivor Challenge winner abandon his scheduled title match to test Femi tonight instead.
The gamble didn’t pay off, but the fallout — including Ricky Saints’ interference — has created new feuds and raised serious questions about who’s getting called up to the main roster next.
(via WWE)
The December 9 WWE NXT episode delivered rock-solid wrestling and advancing storylines across the board, from Kelani Jordan’s continued dominance over Jordynne Grace to the uneasy alliance between Sol Ruca and Zaria ahead of Saturday Night’s Main Event. Blake Monroe’s open challenge descended into beautiful chaos, Fatal Influence reminded everyone why they’re the most annoying heel faction in wrestling, and a fatal four-way for New Year’s Evil got set for next week. There’s a lot to unpack here, so let’s get to it.
Oba Femi Celebration Opens the Show
Not much of a celebration here, but one killer promo opened the show. Oba Femi should get booed every time we see him, but his speaking ability, physique, in-ring work, and charisma blur the lines between heel and face. He’s more of an anti-hero, and that was on full display tonight.
While Femi was feeling good about his win, Ricky Saints interrupted and demanded a rematch. If that wasn’t enough, Je’Von Evans came out and said he didn’t want to wait until New Year’s Evil. He wanted his shot now.
Initially, I thought there was no way NXT would have the Iron Survivor Challenge winner move his title shot up so quickly after winning at a premium live event. To the surprise of many, that’s exactly what they did. The three guys got this segment over, and the fans loudly voiced their approval.
Kelani Jordan Defeats Jordynne Grace
This feud has been going on for a while, and this win by Kelani Jordan doesn’t feel like it’s over yet. The match wasn’t terribly long, but Jordan and Grace put on a solid performance.
I didn’t expect the match to end the way it did, but Jordan going over felt like the right choice. That 450 splash Jordan hit was a thing of beauty. Not sure when they’ll face off again, but Kelani Jordan has bragging rights after this one.
Blake Monroe’s Open Challenge Creates Chaos
She’s been featured heavily on NXT programming lately and has taken advantage of every opportunity. It’s not often an entire locker room comes down to challenge the champion during an open challenge, but that chaotic scene was the perfect opportunity for Thea Hail to attack Monroe from behind.
Hail trapped Monroe in a kimura lock. If this were an actual match, we’d have a new women’s North American champion. This sets up a match next Tuesday. I don’t expect a title change, but this will be entertaining to watch.
Shiloh Hill vs. Lexis King Falls Short
This match was OK — a little lackluster for my taste. King (Brian Pillman Jr.) worked well with Hill. Hill is a little green, and it’s obvious, but he’s not terrible. Not every match can keep you on your feet, and his tooth gimmick is a little gross, but I see a way it can get over if creative commits to it.
Hill does have a nice-looking suplex slam. We should keep an eye on how he develops.
Number One Contender’s Match Set for Next Week
With Evans moving his title shot up, that creates a spot for New Year’s Evil. Joe Hendry, Myles Borne, Dion Lennox, and Leon Slater will battle it out in a fatal four-way next week. The winner gets Oba Femi. Good thing they’ll have a couple of weeks before their match — they’ll need it.
Sol Ruca and Zaria’s Uneasy Alliance
Short match, and it was all about advancing the dramatic storyline between Sol Ruca and Zaria. Ruca got a quick win, and we saw her incredible finisher.
Zaria was in the stands watching the match, and the tension was thick when she walked off without speaking to Ruca. Eventually, the two did hug and make up — for now. It wouldn’t surprise me one bit if Zaria becomes involved in Ruca’s match on Saturday.
Fatal Influence Attacks Kendal Grey
Fatal Influence came out, and Jacy Jayne led off with a snarky promo on Kendal Grey. Jayne is an irritating heel that fans love to see get her comeuppance. The early parts of her promo didn’t feel natural — they felt rehearsed — but she hit her stride and did what she needed to do.
Grey’s response had her sounding unsure of herself with some stuttering, but she was effective at portraying herself as the underdog. These promos could have been better, but WWE has a persistent problem with overscripting. Give the wrestlers some bullet points to hit, but enough of this memorization crap. If I wanted scripted performances, I’d watch a movie.
By the end of this segment, Fatal Influence beat down Grey and Sinclair. Rough night for Sinclair — taking two butt-kickings on one show. Someone give her some Epsom salt.
Je’Von Evans vs. Oba Femi Delivers Main Event Excellence
This was a clinic. Evans hasn’t been successful against Oba Femi in the past, and when he asked for his match to be moved up to tonight, you knew he wasn’t going to change that.
The match worked because of the contrast — Evans’ high-flying offense against Femi’s power moves, with both guys working fast enough to keep the crowd invested. The near-falls had people believing Evans might actually pull it off.
Saints coming down and interfering creates a new feud for Evans since he’s now out of the title picture. I’m not sure if Saints’ actions will lead to a full-blown heel turn, but for those of us who’ve seen Saints in other places, he’s good as both a face and a cocky heel.
Why NXT Deserves Your Attention
This was a strong card from start to finish. Shiloh Hill’s match wasn’t on the level of the others, but let’s give him some time. He wasn’t bad — he’s just new, and it would be unreasonable to expect veteran-level work at this point.
Wrestling is about storytelling and good matches. We were fortunate to receive both tonight. Blake Monroe’s promos and move-selling were one of the many bright points of the evening.
The main story is about Evans and Femi. With Evans losing the match and a potential Saints heel turn, you figure someone is getting called up soon. It wouldn’t surprise me if Ricky Saints interferes in Femi’s match at Saturday Night’s Main Event.
Evans and Slater (the current TNA X-Division Champion) are dynamic enough to win the tag titles against Dragon Lee and AJ Styles, but don’t get your hopes up. It’s one thing to put someone from TNA on NXT, but putting a TNA champion on WWE main roster programming to win a title is another thing entirely.
NXT has been consistent of late, and that shouldn’t surprise us. There was a time, a few years ago, when many believed the third brand was arguably the best show in WWE’s programming. Having some NXT stars appear on the same card as Cena’s retirement match is a statement.
Right now, NXT has an embarrassment of riches — about four or five guys you can call up and easily six to eight women who would make great additions to the main roster. It’s a shame more people don’t watch NXT. For all the flaws WWE is criticized for, we don’t see a lot of things in NXT that annoy us. If you’re a wrestling fan, you need to tune in on Tuesdays.