SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
NXT NEW YEAR’S EVIL
JANUARY 6, 2026
ORLANDO, FLA. AT THE WWE PERFORMANCE CENTER
AIRED LIVE ON THE CW
REPORT BY DAVID MILLER, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Booker T
Ring Announcer: Mike Rome
[HOUR ONE]
-A video package aired of select highlights from last year leading into the first NXT event of 2026.
-Vic Joseph introduced the show from the balcony, followed by Booker T shucky ducky quacking. Fatal Influence was shown arriving at the building. Kendal Grey was shown sparring with Lyra Valkyria. Oba Femi was shown walking through the bowels of the Performance Center, and Leon Slater was shown walking through the parking lot wearing his TNA X-Division belt like a giant necklace.
-As Thea Hail walked down the ramp and to the ring for her North American title defense, Blake Monroe jumped her from behind. She threw Hail into the ring steps hard, smacked her with a chair, and threw her through the barricade before officials came out to pull her off.
-As the announcers wondered aloud if there was going to be a title match, Ricky Saints made his ring entrance as Hail was being tended to. He claimed Je’Von Evans and Trick Williams went to the main roster to get away from him. He went full heel on the roster and the crowd as he bragged. He rambled about being absolute, then stared at his hand. Saints is so much better as a heel.
-Backstage, Ava asked Robert Stone how they could be ten seconds into the new year and the show could be such a mess. She told him to go find Blake, then grabbed a headset from a production guy who was standing nearby. She put the headset on and told somebody named Tim to cue up the package for Tatum and Izzi because they were up first.
-As ordered, Tim played the Progressive NXT Focus on the friendship turned feud between Tatum Paxley and Izzi Dame. [c]
-After the commercial break, Ava found Blake Monroe and chewed her out. Monroe told Ava she asked for glamour, and she got it. Ava told her she wasn’t going anywhere near the North American title and banned her from the building. Monroe left in a huff.
(1) TATUM PAXLEY vs. IZZI DAME
The announcers noted that Dame was by herself. At the bell, she lifted Paxley onto her shoulders and dropped her with a snake eyes across the top turnbuckle. She drilled her with forearms before Paxley returned them in kind. She went to work on the left knee and elbow, then slapped the taste out of Dame’s mouth while she was begging off. Dame knocked Paxley to the floor before they (surprise) cut to a commercial break. [c]
Back from the break, Izzi took control after a couple of backbreaker variations. Paxley got to the bottom rope while Dame had her in a crab. Paxley put the boots to Dame’s face as she was perched on the second turnbuckle, then hit her with a Spanish Fly. They slapped each other mid-ring, then exchanged a few high-impact moves. Dame hit a sit-out powerbomb for a two count. She then speared Paxley out of the ring and to the floor before pitching her back in. Paxley recovered to perform a 450 splash off the top, which she overshot. She pulled Dame up and hit a cemetery driver on her for the victory.
WINNER: Tatum Paxley at 11:39.
(Miller’s Take: This was good, but I don’t feel like it lived up to expectations. Last week, Paxley was chasing her with a chainsaw, and this week she beat her in a straight-up wrestling match with no shenanigans. If this was it, it feels like one of those movies that just abruptly ends, leaving you to wonder what happened next.)
-A video package aired on NXT newcomer Elio LeFleur, a French luchador.
-Evolve Women’s Champion Kendal Grey, followed by Wren Sinclair, were preparing for the upcoming title match against NXT Women’s Champion Jacy Jayne, who was shown in another part of the building with her Fatal Influence cohorts before they cut to a commercial break. [c]
-In the back, Thea Hail was nursing her wounds as Jordynne Grace stood by. Ava walked up and congratulated Grace on stepping up to Jade Cargill her first night on Smackdown, then told Hail she was pushing back the North American title defense until she was 100%. A frantic Hail protested, but Ava said she kicked Monroe out of the building. Hail then demanded an open challenge. Ava tried to talk her out of it, but Grace said Hail had made up her mind and she should just let her do it. Ava didn’t like the idea, but she agreed to it.
(2) JACY JAYNE (c) (w/Fallon Henley & Lainey Reid) vs. KENDAL GREY (w/Wren Sinclair) – NXT Women’s Championship Match
Grey outwrestled Jayne with a series of takedowns into an armbar, which Jayne quickly broke by grabbing the ropes. She took over the Evolve champ with some kicks, but Grey dazzled her with lightning-quick offense. Of course, they took it to the floor, where Jayne got the best of Grey. Of course, this floorplay led to a commercial break. [c]
When the action returned, Jayne was still beating on Grey. She got a two-count after a vicious knee to the ribs, but Grey fought back with a kick and flying press for two. They both tried a body press at the same time and took each other out. Jayne rocked Grey with a series of kicks, but Grey retaliated with a hard headbutt, then took the straps down and thumped Jayne hard. As Grey climbed the ropes, Jayne caught her and delivered a neckbreaker for another near fall.
A frustrated Jayne missed a cannonball in the corner, then fell victim to some German suplexes before nailing Grey with a brutal knee. Miraculously, Grey kicked out. She missed another knee, and Grey locked in her armbar. Fallon Henley jumped in the ring and started flapping her arms like a bird to distract the referee. Meanwhile, Reid yanked Grey out of the ring, but took a German suplex on the floor for her trouble. Sinclair took out Fallon, then Jayne knocked Sinclair to the floor. Grey locked in another armbar, but Jayne escaped it. As Grey attempted to yank Jayne off the ropes, Henley grabbed Jayne’s tights and held on, so Grey went crashing to the mat. A Rolling Encore cinched the deal.
WINNER: Jacy Jayne at 12:35 to retain the NXT Women’s Championship.
(Miller’s Take: I really don’t like that the referee stood there like a doofus and watched Henley stick her nose all up in the match. He clearly saw her hang onto Jayne, but did nothing but count the pin that followed. Although I’m not surprised at the outcome or the ridiculously excessive interference from Fatal Influence, I must say that I believed for a moment that Grey might pull it off. Jayne is looking so much better in the ring these days, and Kendal Grey is a shooting star. This was an exciting title defense, and I wouldn’t mind seeing Part 2.) [c]
ARTICLE CONTINUED BELOW…
Check out the latest episode of “PWT Talks NXT” with Kelly Wells and Nate Lindberg, part of the PWTorch Dailycast line-up: CLICK HERE to stream (or search “pwtorch” on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or any other iOS or Android app to subscribe free)
[HOUR TWO]
-Oba Femi was shown warming up for his match.
-North American Champion Ethan Page was harassing Ava in her office. An extremely irritated Ava told Page she hated him after he brought The Vanity Project into the room. Page left as Evolve Champion Jackson Drake told her he wanted to talk about 2026.
-Thea Hail hobbled out to the ring, barely able to stand. She said nobody wanted the match against Blake as much as she did. She said she would give everyone a title match tonight because she needed to prove to herself that she was worthy, then declared an open challenge. She said the first woman in the ring would get the shot.
-Referees held back a mob of women who were trying to make their way to the ring. Why, though? How is Hail supposed to have a match if they won’t let anyone get to the ring? Tatum Paxley ran out with her chainsaw as the other women parted like the Red Sea. As Paxley stopped to fiddle with the saw, Izzi Dame climbed in the ring behind Hail, making her the first one in the ring. Shawn Spears urged a referee to get in the ring to start the match. He went over and ran the bell himself to start the match.
(3) THEA HAIL (c) vs. IZZI DAME (w/The Culling) – Women’s North American Championship Open Challenge
As expected, Dame immediately took advantage of an injured Hail, throwing her all over the ring. She got a couple of two-counts before they cut to a split-screen commercial break. [c]
We were treated to several incredibly uninteresting commercials on the right, as Dame continued to own Hail on the left. After the usual plugs for food, body fragrances, and game shows, they returned to full-screen to show Dame wrenching on Hail’s neck. She stomped on her repeatedly, then dug her fingers into Hail’s side. Hail had a gritty, determined look on her face as she got up and started knocking Dame around.
Dame slammed her but missed an elbow. Hail rolled over her and then tried the same move she crushed Blake Monroe with, but Dame got her knees up. A flurry by Dame gained her a close near fall. Hail sank in a Kimura lock, but Dame slipped out of it. She hit an exploder, then tried diving onto Dame, but got caught and chokeslammed onto the announce desk. After Spears urged Dame to get Hail back in the ring, she climbed the turnbuckle but got caught by Hail. The champion tried another Kimura lock, but Dame turned it into a sit-out powerbomb off the second rope to bring gold back to The Culling.
WINNER: Izzi Dame at 10:00 to capture the Women’s North American Championship.
(Miller’s Take: Well, that was an interesting twist that I never saw coming. It was a great way for Dame to save face after losing to Tatum Paxley earlier, which was reminiscent of Becky Lynch losing to Asuka in the opening match at the Royal Rumble, then taking Lana’s place in the Rumble match and going on to win it. While I hate to see Hail lose the belt so early, I believe we all knew she was a transitional champion. Thea did put up a good fight and looked very good in defeat.)
-In the back, The Vanity Project walked up to Lola Vice and started hitting on her but were essentially chased away by Hank & Tank. Vice bemoaned Dame winning the North American belt, but said she had to take care of Kelani first. Kelani Jordan burst through the door and fired a shoe in Vice’s direction. The two began brawling before other wrestlers pulled them apart.
-Joe Hendry came into Ava’s office. He said he was looking for a fight with DarkState, and wanted Dion Lennox in a no-disqualification match. Ava reminded him that a no DQ match would favor DarkState. He told her he’d find a couple of badasses to counter the other DarkState members, which Ava agreed to. [c]
-Ethan Page stood mid-ring as he put himself over as only he can. He rationalized himself being an international icon. Speed Champion Jasper Troy came out and reminded Page that he wasn’t the only champion in NXT. Josh Briggs came out and claimed he was the best big man in NXT. Next to interrupt was Stacks, who said he was the only NXT wrestler carrying TNA gold. Shiloh Hill made his presence known. He told Stacks that Ava and Santino set up a TNA International Championship between the two of them for next week. Tavion Heights was the next contestant. He told Jasper Troy that he was challenging him for the Speed title next week.
-Page said he had enough and decided to stir the pot by telling Troy he didn’t know why his big ass was going to let Heights talk to him that way. All hell broke loose as everyone took a swing at Page, who continued to duck and let others take the blow. When Hill was the last man in the ring, Arianna Grace took a swing at him, but he caught her and showed her a couple of slick dance moves. As he dipped her, he spat the partial out of his mouth, letting it fall into her mouth. As she recoiled in horror, Stacks ran up on Hill, who sidestepped him and pitched him out of the ring. [c]
-Joe Hendry was asking OTM to be his backup. They refused, saying it was none of their business. Hendry pointed out that they would likely get a title shot if they were able to neutralize DarkState. They seemed agreeable to this notion. The camera panned left to find Fatal Influence. They were walking by and gloating when they ran into Zaruca. They traded insults before parting ways.
-Evan Page sounded off on Evan Bourne, then turned his verbal wrath on Tate Wilder before leaving.
-Leon Slater made his ring entrance before they cut to a commercial break. [c]
(4) OBA FEMI vs. LEON SLATER – NXT Championship Match
Femi dominated early with his superior strength. Evans tried fighting back, but Femi barely registered it. Femi chopped Evans so hard that his ancestors felt it. Evans got a little fancy and paid for it after Femi launched him out of the ring and sent him tumbling hard to the floor before they cut to another split-screen commercial break. [c]
The right side of the screen showed the insurance ostrich and some other stuff while the match continued on the left. When they returned to full-screen, Slater was able to stun Femi momentarily, but got the soul chopped out of his body again. After Femi tweaked his knee, Evans smelled blood and drove Femi knee-first into the ring steps. He got him back in the ring and managed a two-count, but Femi took his head off with a clothesline, then chokeslammed him.
Slater showed incredible strength by scooping up the large champion for a bodyslam. With Femi on the outside, Slater performed his incredible dive over the ring post and got all of it. He went for a swanton 450, but Femi got his knees up. Femi went for a pin, but Slater reversed the pin and rolled him up for what I would consider a questionable near fall. It was extremely close. Femi came back with a Fall From Grace for the win.
WINNER: Oba Femi at 11:13 to retain the NXT Championship.
(Miller’s Take: This was a really good main event. Slater showed why he’s the TNA X-Division Champion with some great offense but took one heck of a beating in the process. Great showing from both champs. That last near fall got a response out of the crowd, as it looked like it could have been a three-count. The match was everything it should have been.)
-In the back, Ava addressed the Evolve roster. She told them that Je’Von Evans, Trick Williams, Lash Legend, and Jordynne Grace had all moved up to the main roster, which leaves some openings in NXT. Robert Stone interrupted Ava and asked her if she saw what Oba just did. She said she didn’t. The camera then cut to the NXT Championship belt, which was lying in the center of the ring with a spotlight shining on it. As the camera panned out, Tony D’Angelo was standing in the crowd staring at the title belt.
FINAL THOUGHTS: Now that was a hell of a cliffhanger. Ava did tell the Evolve roster there were likely to be more main roster call-ups, and Femi may very well be next. We did see a vignette of him on Raw recently, but what a way to go if this is it! I thought the first show of 2026 was a rousing success. Paxley got her payback on Dame, but Dame came out of the show smelling like a rose after beating Hail for the North American strap. The segment with Shiloh Hill was highly entertaining and made me laugh out loud. Kendal Grey showed everyone that she is a force to be reckoned with and, in my opinion, ready to move up to NXT. The end of the show was brilliant—great booking overall, and a can’t-miss show.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.