SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
NXT TV REPORT
JANUARY 3, 2023
WINTER PARK, FLA. AT THE CAPITOL WRESTLING CENTER
AIRED LIVE ON USA NETWORK
REPORT BY KELLY WELLS (@spookymilk), PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR
NXT Commentators: Vic Joseph, Booker T
Ring Announcer: Alicia Taylor
Backstage Correspondent(s): McKenzie Mitchell
Tonight after the show, join Nate Lindberg, Bruce Hazelwood & me to break down the show with calls and emails.
•STREAM LIVE HERE ABOUT 15 MINUTES AFTER THE SHOW CONCLUDES
•CALL: (515) 605-9345
•EMAIL COMMENTS/QUESTIONS: pwtorchnxt@gmail.com
•IF YOU DON’T LISTEN LIVE, DOWNLOAD OR STREAM THE FULL SHOW POST-RECORDING
[HOUR ONE]
-There has been very heavy snowfall in the Twin Cities area and my internet has occasionally been affected. Hopefully it plays along for the whole show tonight.
-Hype for tonight’s show included a recap of 2022 including title changes, big debuts and feuds, and questions about who would break through this year. Mandy Rose naturally wasn’t featured, but again they didn’t crop her out of a few shots in which she appeared.
(1) APOLLO CREWS vs. CARMELO HAYES (w/Trick Williams)
Rope run and a block by Crews, then another. Rope runs led to evasions and finally a Crews dropkick. Melo hit a springboard cross-body, then tied up Crews in the ropes for an enzuigiri and the Fadeaway. Hayes threw chops in the corner, then a big palm strike and more chops. Crews came back with chops and shots, and reversed a suplex attempt into a delayed vertical suplex with a high release of his own. Corner splash by Crews followed by a spinning backbreaker for two. Crews took Melo to a corner and Hayes fought his way out. German suplex by Crews. He held on for a second, and Melo escaped just for Crews to hit a belly-to-belly. Crews clotheslined Hayes from the ring and hit a plancha, then headed back inside as the match went to split-screen. [c]
Crews took Hayes to a corner, and Crews got put on the apron where Williams tried to interfere. Crews thwarted the attempt but got dumped to the floor by Hayes. Hayes shoved Crews knee-first into the ring steps and rolled Crews inside for a one count. Hayes worked Crews’ knee over a rope in the corner, then stomped a mudhole there. Hayes took Crews down and worked a single-leg crab on the worked knee and Williams fired up outside, asking Hayes to lean in further. The very pro-Hayes audience chanted “tap.” Crews managed a quick enzuigiri to create separation. Both sold on the mat.
Crews hit a lariat that took Hayes down, then a big boot and another lariat. Hayes missed a shot and Crews hit a backstabber and flying lariat. Crews hit a step-up enzuigiri in the corner and went high, where Melo met him, and Crews hit a superplex for two. “This is awesome” chant was correct. Crews hit a big boot and Hayes responded with a modified cutter. Hayes missed from the top and ate a boot in the corner. Blockbuster DDT(?) in the corner by Crews got two. Crews went at Hayes in the corner. Williams tried to interfere again and again was thwarted. Both guys hit quick impact moves in the center of the ring too quickly to report. Hayes hit his finisher for the three count.
Axiom hit both Trick and Melo with a cross-body out of nowhere after the match, and rolled Williams inside afterward. The announcers wondered if we’d go straight to this match after break. [c]
WINNER: Carmelo Hayes at 14:30.
(Wells’s Analysis: Incredible opener and a great way to start 2023 for NXT. These two meshed perfectly and both came off looking like a million bucks. I thought Hayes might lose this one and sort of disappear until the Rumble and debut there, but I always assume everyone is debuting at the Rumble, so take that with a grain of salt)
(2) AXIOM vs. TRICK WILLIAMS
The match started during the break, which is my least favorite thing ever as a guy who needs to know match lengths for some reason. Williams was in full control in the corner and he hushed the crowd for a chop, but Axiom ducked it and charged Williams in another corner. Williams exploded out of a corner with a flying lariat, then tried something on a rope run but Axiom hit a dropkick. Both guys sold on the mat briefly.
Axiom took it to Trick with some shots and a dropkick. Axiom flew from the top with a cross-body for two, then transitioned right into an arm scissors. Williams reached the rope with a leg to break. Williams hit a quick side slam and covered for two. Axiom hit a discus right and hit his Golden Ratio (I think that’s what was said) to finish.
After the match, Williams held Axiom for a sucker punch from Axiom. Apollo Crews made the save and chased off the heels with a full quarter of the show dedicated to these four men to open.
WINNER: Axiom in 3:07 aired, plus a few minutes unaired
(Wells’s Analysis: What little we saw was pretty good. Trick was a decent no-frills prospect early in his NXT career but he’s really gotten good in the ring during his stay)
-New Day and Pretty Deadly briefly bantered and Schism showed up. PD left and Joe Gacy tried to sew seeds of dissent by saying Xavier Woods and Big E were just leaning on Kofi Kingston. Kofi said he leans on them as well, and he and X demonstrated by leaning on one another. Kofi suggested a match tonight.
-We went to a video of Channing “Stacks” Lorenzo handcuffed, apparently having been kidnapped by Dijak. Good thing this was all caught on video. Dijak threw shots at Lorenzo who said it should be settled in the ring. Dijak smiled and said he plans on it. He set the key on the table and walked out.
-Dijak entered ahead of the match. [c]
-Earlier today, Drew Gulak showed Hank Walker and Chase U how to wrestle. Andre Chase showed up and took issue with Gulak taking liberties. Gulak said he just wanted to know what Charlie Dempsey said when he said the group was soft. Chase hurled profanities and tried to get at Gulak, but Duke Hudson got between them.
(3) CHANNING “STACKS” LORENZO (w/Tony D’Angelo) vs. DIJAK
If Dijak isn’t meant to be a face, this is a weird early match for him. I suppose they could be trying Tony D and Stacks as faces, though I think they’re perfectly cast as heel gatekeepers. Dijak dominated with big knees and strikes and made a couple of early covers for two. He clubbed Stacks a few times to the blind side and covered for two. Stacks tried to kick his way free and Dijak kicked him as he laid prone. Dijak lifted Stacks for a big knee and then slung him aside and covered for two. Stacks hit a few running elbows but ran into a big boot that flipped him inside out for a long two. Another knee by Dijak, but when he tried to sling Stacks this time, Stacks got a quick rollup for two. Dijak put Stacks up in a fireman’s carry and hit his knee strike finisher.
Dijak tried to attack further after the match and Tony D stormed into the ring and made the save to boos. He gave what was clearly meant to be a babyface promo about how Stacks was all heart, and so was he.
WINNER: Dijak at 3:43.
(Wells’s Analysis: A refreshing NXT squash where the loser didn’t get a ton of offense against a much more dominant opponent. It does seem like Tony D and Stacks are either turning face or playing face for the sake of this feud, which is falling flat because of Dijak’s cool factor)
-McKenzie Mitchell tried to interview Oro Mensah about his coming year, but Javier Bernal stormed in. He said he’d recorded a Christmas Album and brought in a copy of Frank Sinatra’s Christmas album with his face over Sinatra’s and the title changed to “Feliz Javidad.” Mensah took issue with Bernal storming in, setting something up for later.
-Toxic Attraction is up next. [c]
-Gigi Dolin put over Toxic Attraction as the premier women’s faction in NXT. She said all eyes were on the two of them and they’re going to cut through the brand with reckless abandon. Jacy Jayne said they’re the ones calling the shots, and they don’t do New Year’s Resolutions, they do revenge. They only care about one person: Roxanne Perez. She said they’re going to rebuild Toxic Attraction before Roxy can take it down. Indi Hartwell’s music played and she said she didn’t mind finishing what Roxanne Perez started. Cora Jade interrupted with her own mic and said no one cares about Indi and she deserves to be women’s champion. Nikkita Lyons said some weak lines about how Cora needed a kick to the face. Zoey Stark showed up and said Nikkita must be here because she smells bad TikTok dances and future regrets. Wendy Choo showed up and said Zoey is always so angry and she knows Zoey and Nikkita don’t like each other, but they don’t have to insult each other. Thea Hail yelled “OMG! So many girls! Girl fight!” A brawl got going in the ring and Alba Fyre tried to get involved, but Isla Dawn caught up to her and the two brawled to the outside while all the other women battled in the ring.
Roxanne Perez, from the perch, said that the women don’t have to fight, because there will be a 20-woman battle royal next week, and the winner will face her at Vengeance Day. The group went back to brawling in the ring.
(Wells’s Analysis: Battle royals, six-ways and the like tend to be overused as a way to find top contenders, but this was a decent rundown of the top women on the brand and actually organically set up a battle royal, which is very rare)
-Outside, Alba Fyre and Isla Dawn continued to battle near a dumpster. Vic said the Extreme Resolution match is tonight, but perhaps it’s already started. [c]
[HOUR TWO]
(4) ALBA FYRE vs. ISLA DAWN – Extreme Resolution match
A referee tried to get the women into the ring and they ignored him as they brawled in the back. Dawn threw Fyre into a big “X” from the NXT set, and it was the one Bron Breakker cut in half with a chainsaw some months ago. Fyre tossed Dawn into some lockers as now a pair of officials attempted to get them to take it to the ring. Fyre missed a bat shot to Dawn and Dawn hit Fyre with a trash can. Dawn taunted Fyre with a lead pipe, so Fyre yanked it away and used it on her. Fyre tried to throw a ladder on Dawn, but she moved. The two fought to the top of a pile with some chairs and other set pieces. Dawn got dropped onto a pile, but we didn’t see her actually land – we just heard the sound. An overhead shot showed Dawn laying in some chairs and 2x4s. Fyre set up Dawn in a rolling chair and beat her in it. She used the trash can lid on Dawn’s back, then rolled her into a wheelbarrow and wheeled her to ringside and dumped her. She put Dawn into the apron and the announce table. She rolled Dawn into the ring and beat her with a chair and the bell finally rang to officially start the match (If there are no rules in the match, why didn’t they just call for the bell when they were brawling in the back?). A few people chanted “We want tables” as if we haven’t seen some much more brutal spots than table-related spots to this point.
Dawn tried to use the chair but Fyre kicked it away. Dawn smiled through a few Fyre shots. Rope run and a big chop by Fyre, who was selling a hand issue enough that it might be a real stinger. Fyre hit a Gory Bomb for a very long two. Fyre brought a chair into the ring and used it on Dawn, then set it atop her and went to the top turnbuckle. Dawn threw the chair at Fyre and connected in a big way, and the camera angle caught some pretty good reaction shots from the crowd. The match went to split-screen. [c]
Dawn went at Fyre’s fingers with a wrench, then missed a couple of running shots with it. The two exchanged forearms and Fyre caught and planted Dawn, then threw a huge kick to the chest. A second attempt missed and Dawn rolled Fyre up for two. Dawn bailed and Fyre hit a tope. Both sold on the floor and an “NXT” chant rang out after a match that’s seen a fairly quiet audience since the all-woman brawl broke up. Fyre got a table out to cheers and had a bit of trouble setting it up, but she got there. She wanted a Gory Bomb on it, but Dawn wriggled free and shoved Fyre into the steps, then slammed her worked hand into a tool box. She tried to swing a hammer on it, but but Fyre yanked her hand away and shoved the tool box into Dawn’s midsection. After some jockeying, Fyre set Dawn up on the table, which was perpendicular to the ring, and went to the top turnbuckle. She hit her senton on it, but went slightly far and hit the senton but didn’t break the table. Thinking on her feet, she used the Gory Bomb through the table instead. Fyre rolled Dawn inside and covered for the win.
WINNER: Alba Fyre at 9:36, plus a long brawl on the outside
(Wells’s Analysis: Perfectly decent Street Fight. The senton didn’t quite work, which is pretty common of sentons since they make so little contact most of the time, but Fyre made the best of the situation. Dawn already seems to be defined as she was on NXT UK, as a high-level opponent who loses her feuds in the end)
-McKenzie Mitchell interviewed Grayson Waller, who spit some heel lines at Bron Breakker ahead of the Grayson Waller Effect tonight.
-Up next, a special look at the Creed Brothers vs. Indus Sher’s upcoming match. [c]
-Indus Sher said they had the backing of an entire nation. They ran through a quick biography of their accomplishments and said in America, nobody cares. The Creeds gave a fiery promo in response as video played of the high points of their year. The disagreements with Ivy Nile were featured enough that I think they’ll figure into the match coming at New Year’s Evil. Editing cut between the two groups and it was stressed that respect would be earned next week.
(5) ORO MENSAH vs. JAVIER BERNAL
Bernal jumped Mensah ahead of the match. “Javy sucks” chant greeted the man doing some of the best undercard heel work in the company. After an early flurry from Mensah, Bernal hit a running lariat for two. Bernal threw some rights and ran Oro against the ropes and hit a back elbow. He covered again for two. Mensah hit some chops and an uppercut. Bernal yanked Mensah’s long hair to hit another lariat. DDT by Bernal and a cover for two. Mensah hit a backdrop and started firing up. He hit a big forearm on a charging Bernal, then hit a couple more. Springboard moonsault by Mensah, followed by a bicycle kick. Mensah hit an exploder suplex, then ran station to station and hit a spinning heel kick in the corner to finish.
WINNER: Oro Mensah at 3:49.
(Wells’s Analysis: Decent match as Oro moves up the card. I’m not sure Bernal will be moving up the card himself any farther, but in this role and with some budding comic timing he can be a great asset to the roster long-term)
-Briggs, Jensen and Henley fired up about the battle royal next week. Kiana James showed up and said she wasn’t there to cause trouble. She congratulated Henley on keeping the bar and said she’d see her in the battle royal. She told Jensen to call him later. He said she knew he would.
-Andre Chase entered ahead of his match. [c]
-The @NXT-anonymous twitter account, which got going this week as a kind of GTV thing for those who remember it on Raw, caught Kayden Carter and Katana Chance talking with trainers. Chance tweeted “#creeper”
(6) ANDRE CHASE (w/Duke Hudson & Thea Hail) vs. DREW GULAK (w/Hank Walker)
Collar-and-elbow led to a double wristlock by Chase. To the ropes and a clean break. The two shook hands briefly. Takedown by Gulak, but Chase spun free and got to his feet. Gulak put on a crossface but Chase got to the ropes for a break. Again, they shook hands briefly. Gulak put Chase into a corner, but Chase arm dragged Gulak out of the corner. Reset. Side suplex by Gulak. Backstage, Charlie Dempsey watched a screen, then took off the sling on his injured arm and threw it to the floor.
Northern lights suplex by Gulak got two. Rope run and Chase hit a bsaement dropkick. Russian leg sweep by Chase. He did his CHASEU stomps to a good reaction, then tried a figure four. He cinched it in and Gulak worked his way to a rope to break. Chase extended a hand, and this time Gulak slapped him in the face. Gulak blocked Chase to the mat and body slammed him. Gu-Lock finished.
WINNER: Drew Gulak at 4:28.
(Wells’s Analysis: I’m not sure if I think Gulak has been wasted in this company exactly, but he sure is a joy in the ring as a technician when we get to see him do his thing.)
-Mitchell interviewed Wes Lee, who said the two guys who want the NXT North American Championship seem to want to fight each other even more than they want to fight him. He said after the match, whoever “gets the dub” will get a championship match next. I’m still assuming triple threat here somehow.
-New Day entered ahead of Kofi Kingston’s match. [c]
(7) KOFI KINGSTON (w/Xavier Woods) vs. JOE GACY (w/Rip Fowler, Jagger Reid & Ava Raine)
Woods was on commentary. Gacy blocked Kofi to the mat, then ran the ropes into a back elbow by Kofi. Kicks by Gacy, who whipped Kingston, but Kingston ran up the buckles and hit a quick moonsault. Kofi went up another corner but Ava Raine crotched him on the top. Gacy slammed Kingston into the mat and covered for two. Gacy threw elbows and kicks. Gacy put Kofi into a corner and Kofi jumped off the second buckle with a dropkick. Gacy hit a backbreaker, and then another from a high angle. Gacy clubbed Kingston on the mat, then worked a chinlock. Kingston shoved him off and hit a superkick so he could sell on the mat for a bit.
Kingston hit some back elbows. Kingston planted Gacy from the second turnbuckle and covered for two. Double legdrop by Kingston. Gacy evaded Trouble in Paradise and hit a DDT for two. Kingston slammed Gacy for two. Kingston had to fight off Schism as they distracted him, and Woods got up and got in their faces. Kingston hit a plancha on Reid. Gacy tried his spinning uranage finisher and Kingston slipped through and hit Trouble in Paradise to finish.
WINNER: Kofi Kingston at 5:22.
(Wells’s Analysis: It could be argued that Gacy should get the win here as we work toward a New Day-Schism match, but I’m in favor of main roster former World Champion Kingston winning here. Gacy, as always, looked fine if unspectacular, but I continue to appreciate the change to wrestling gear to make him look more…real)
-Drew Gulak and Hank Walker talked in the back. Charlie Dempsey showed up and said next week, it’s on. Gulak said Walker would be ready.
-Bron Breakker and Grayson Waller walked through the back ahead of the final segment. [c]
-Pretty Deadly read over a list of things they had to do to get a rematch. New Day showed up and the two bantered. Pretty Deadly said they were going to run the gauntlet next week. Xavier said if they could run the gauntlet with three other teams next week, they would get their match.
-Another “Countdown to the New Year” spot promoting a new or returning women’s wrestler.
-The announcers ran through next week’s matches for New Year’s Evil.
-The Grayson Waller Effect. Waller said this was everyone’s last chance to see NXT Champion Bron Breakker. He said next week, he’ll claim the richest prize on the brand. He tried to introduce Breakker in a demeaning way, but Breakker’s music played and cut him off.
[OVERRUN]
Waller told Breakker not to break the TV this time. Waller said he knew Breakker wanted to rip his head off. Waller threw to a tweet from @GraysonWallerWWE – it asked how he felt about trying to spear his opponents just like Goldberg. Breakker said Waller scored the point. Waller said if they look at the points ahead of New Year’s Evil, it’s two million for Waller and zero for Breakker. This is dying on the vine. Breakker started putting Waller’s talents over and Waller said they’d go long if they had to. Waller told the audience to shut up (they were already pretty well silent). Breakker said the best compliment he could give is that he outsmarts everyone, and he can go viral. Breakker talked about Waller’s viral moments – the cage spot at WarGames, the chair to Johnny Gargano, and blinding Apollo Crews. Breakker said to him, those were distractions. He said some people would leave New Year’s Evil talking about Grayson Waller, but he’d still be champion. Breakker said that, in a nutshell, is the Grayson Waller Effect. He tried to leave and Waller said that was a lot coming from a guy who’s only done one thing here, and it’s steal his dad’s gimmick. Breakker got in his face but was going to show mercy. Waller yelled at him again and Breakker threw a big right, then dumped Waller and hit him with a rolling senton. Breakker held his belt high above Waller as the show ended.
(Wells’s Analysis: Very strange to see the babyface champion stand tall above the heel challenger on the go-home show, so it’ll be interesting to see if this was a switch from the norm as Waller’s time comes next week, or if it’s just a red herring. This segment was pretty clunky and felt unrehearsed, but the final minute or so worked on the level it was intended. Next week’s show is pretty loaded and Bruce will have a hell of a time recapping a battle royal and a gauntlet match on the same show)
FINAL THOUGHTS: The year got off to a great start with Apollo Crews vs. Carmelo Hayes, but the show was full of build that felt rushed or tacked on throughout. It was refreshing to see a battle royal get set up with a segment, but that isn’t to say the segment was particularly good or well-written. We’ll have nice things to say about a couple of matches in between our confusion at some of the creative choices on PWT Talks NXT, so join us in ten minutes or stream tomorrow. Cheers.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.