Finn Bálor is still the NXT Champion after an all-out dog fight with Kyle O’Reilly. Elsewhere, Karrion Kross added to his unblemished resume with a hard-hitting victory over Damian Priest, Raquel González was the last woman standing against Rhea Ripley, and more.
Photos | Highlights
NXT New Year's Evil results
Karrion Kross def. Damian Priest
These two powerhouses locked horns with uncontrollable fury from the opening bell. Damian Priest put Karrion Kross on his heels like we haven't seen, attacking the arm and shoulder of "The Doomsday Deviant."
Meanwhile, Kross targeted Priest's ribs with ruthless precision, but Priest dug deep to hit a Razor's Edge and wowed the Capitol Wrestling Center when he hit a tope con hilo and top-rope spinning heel kick. But even that series of maneuvers and South of Heaven were not enough to put Kross away.
Kross countered Priest's attempt at the Reckoning with an overhead toss and huge powerbomb before flattening him with a powerslam on the steel steps. Priest defiantly continued to egg on Kross, and Kross obliged, hitting the Doomsday Saito and a huge forearm strike to remain undefeated in impressive fashion.
NXT Cruiserweight Champion Santos Escobar def. Gran Metalik
Another challenger, another conquest for Santos Escobar. Though Gran Metalik had Escobar shell-shocked early with spectacular offense, Escobar blocked a hurricanrana attempt and slammed him into the barricade to take control.
Metalik rallied back behind more high-octane maneuvers, but he couldn't overcome Escobar's mastery of the squared circle. While Lince Dorado neutralized the rest of Legado del Fantasma at ringside, Escobar hung up Metalik on the ropes before planting him with the Phantom Driver to retain.
Xia Li def. Katrina Cortez
Xia Li looked like an absolute warrior in her return to NXT, arriving with Boa as well as the mysterious figure we saw presiding over their training in recent weeks. Katrina Cortez felt Li's wrath as Li demonstrated a new look and new attitude, putting Cortez away after a huge step-up spinning kick.
Raquel González def. Rhea Ripley in a Last Woman Standing Match
With a rivalry boiling for weeks, Raquel González and Rhea Ripley may have put their issue to bed in brutal fashion. Ripley didn't wait long to ratchet up the intensity, leveling "Big Mami Cool" with a Kendo stick early and handcuffing her to the barricade fencing at ringside.
But González showcased her unbridled power, ripping her hand free before slamming Ripley through the announce table and burying her in the wreckage, though it didn't keep Ripley down. The nemeses battled to the backstage area, destroying their surroundings as The Nightmare smashed Raquel through a glass door. Ripley risked it all by ascending lockers for a senton to her foe through a table before Dakota Kai attacked Ripley with a Kendo stick. Ripley stuffed Kai in a locker and refocused her attention on González.
However, González stood tall, emerging from the ruins after smashing Ripley through the stage with a one-armed powerbomb, rendering her unable to answer the 10-count.
Kushida & Shotzi Blackheart def. Johnny Gargano & Candice LeRae
Johnny Gargano's Curse Breaking Celebration didn't exactly go according to plan. With no love lost for Candice LeRae, Shotzi Blackheart rolled her tank right into the ceremony, storming the ring to get her hands on The Poison Pixie. She also didn't come alone, as Kushida provided backup, leading to an impromptu Mixed Tag Team Match as ordered by Dexter Lumis.
NXT's resident Time Splitter scored a major pinfall on Gargano, catching the NXT North American Champion for the three-count on a roll-through.
NXT Champion Finn Bálor def. Kyle O'Reilly
After having his jaw broken in their previous meeting at NXT TakeOver 31, Finn Bálor sought to give Kyle O'Reilly a dose of his own medicine, having vowed to do even more damage this time. But just as The Prince almost immediately targeted O'Reilly's jaw, The Undisputed ERA's martial-arts master focused his attack on Bálor's left arm as another unfathomably physical battle ensued.
The battle lines were reset after O'Reilly laid in a massive kick that not only downed Bálor, but also sent O'Reilly spilling out of the ring. Bálor continued to go after his opponent's jaw and fought off a guillotine until O'Reilly transitioned expertly into a triangle. The Prince answered, applying a crossface that O'Reilly barely escaped.
With one last burst, O'Reilly hit a huge superplex and a brainbuster for a near-fall before going back to the mat with an armbar. With Bálor eventually breaking free, O'Reilly measured him in the corner for a potentially decisive blow, but the champion caught him in the midsection with a devastating strike. The Prince locked in an abdominal stretch-crossface combination, leaving O'Reilly with no recourse but to tap out.
Karrion Kross and Damian Priest to kick off NXT New Year's Evil
The hourglass has run out on the long-awaited return of Karrion Kross. Will time soon be up for Damian Priest as well?
The two powerhouses will kick off NXT New Year’s Evil, featuring non-stop, commercial free action!
Nonplussed by the re-emergence of sinister siren Scarlett as he and others made their case for an NXT Title opportunity, Priest invited Kross to meet him face to face.
The doomsday deviant responded by later assaulting Priest, putting The Archer of Infamy on the NXT Injury Report with a devastating powerbomb on the stage.
Kross, who demolished the likes of Tommaso Ciampa and Keith Lee en route to becoming NXT Champion this past summer before suffering a shoulder injury, looked every bit as destructive in his return to the ring against Desmond Troy.
With the tone already set for what figures to be a savage encounter, will Priest become Kross’ latest victim, or will he take another step toward infamy by dealing Kross his first defeat?
Don’t miss NXT New Year’s Evil, Wednesday, Jan. 6 at 8/7 C on USA Network!
Xia Li and Boa set to return this Wednesday night
After undergoing arduous punishment and training, Xia Li and Boa are set to return at NXT New Year’s Evil.
Li and Boa were taken away by a mysterious man, apparently failing to meet an ultimatum delivered in cryptic letters after Li came up short in several matches. For weeks, both have been shrouded in secrecy, with the NXT Universe seeing only glimpses of their brutal training regimen led by that same man — and another unknown figure looking on.
Enigma aside, one thing that’s clear is that neither Superstar is likely to be the same. What can we expect to see when Xia Li and Boa are back on the black-and-gold brand this Wednesday night? And might we learn more about the mysterious figures they’ve been intertwined with?
