SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
WELLS’S NXT DEADL1NE REPORT
DECEMBER 10, 2022
ORLANDO, FLA. AT WWE PERFORMANCE CENTER
AIRED LIVE ON PEACOCK
Commentators: Vic Joseph & Wade Barrett
Ring Announcer: Alicia Taylor
Torch subscribers can check out a VIP roundtable later as Bruce Hazelwood, Nate Lindberg and I break down our thoughts.
-Instead of bumping up against the hour, the preshow ended by announcing “Deadline is now!” but then threw to a series of commercials with three minutes to go.
-The show opened with a voiceover guy providing hype for the Iron Survivor Challenge matches with Shawn Michaels briefly voicing the rules. Breakker-Crews got some hype next, followed by Fyre-Dawn and finally New Day-Pretty Deadly after the shocking appearance on Tuesday. Between the production, logo work and branding, it really had the feel of a main roster event.
-Alicia Taylor ran down the rules before the Women’s Iron Survivor Challenge. 25 minute time limit. Two start and others enter every 5 minutes. Falls can be won anytime to earn a point, and falls lost will result in a 90-second trip to the penalty box.
(1) WOMEN’S IRON SURVIVOR CHALLENGE FOR #1 CONTENDERSHIP: ROXANNE PEREZ vs. ZOEY STARK vs. CORA JADE vs. KIANA JAMES vs. INDI HARTWELL
Perez and Stark opened the match. They had a staredown as the clock started. Zoey put on a headlock. Rope run and a block by Stark for a one count. Stark worked Perez’s left arm with some wrenches. Perez managed a bridging pin for two. Reset. Lockup and Stark took Perez to a corner. Stark wrenched her arm some more and Perez reversed into a headlock. Stark tried a rope run but Perez put on the brakes. Rope run and a block by Perez didn’t accomplish much. Reset and taunts led to Perez attempting a backslide. She used her lack of height to her advantage but Stark fought it off. Rope run and a rollup by Perez got two, as did another. La majistral for two. Armbar by Perez, but Stark reversed into an amateur takedown and a rollup for two. Stark whipped Perez into a corner three times, then caught her on the rebound with a slam for two. Stark put on a headlock and called her spot in full view during a closeup. Whoops. Perez hit an armdrag for two, then snapped on an armbar, which Booker T took issue with because you need falls to win this. Time expired and Kiana James entered.
James went after Perez and cleared her from the action to pair off with Stark. Stark caught James with a suplex but James reversed and got some shots in. James covered for two but Perez broke it up. James and Perez paired off and Stark took a breather. Rope run and James put up Perez in a fireman’s carry, but Stark threw a superkick and both went sprawling. James landed on Perez incidentally and got two but Stark pulled her off. Perez and Stark paired off again and Stark put Perez on the apron and threw a thrust kick to clear her from the ring. Stark went out and stomped Perez into the ring steps. She rolled Perez into the ring and tried to reenter, but James put Stark into the post and covered Perez, but only got two. James worked an abdominal stretch on Perez, who kicked her way free. Stark reentered and all three jockeyed for position. Perez fired up and took over on offense until Stark superkicked her. Stark hit her finisher for the first point of the match. STARK GAINS A POINT AND PEREZ GOES TO THE PENALTY BOX. The heels clotheslined each other and went flying as Cora Jade entered fourth.
Jade tried covering both other women and got two in each case. Jade hit her offense on both as we strangely had 90 seconds of all-heel action. Jade threw kicks and stomps on both. Perez exited the penalty box and went after Jade with purpose, and Booker said she had to let go of emotions. Perez was all over Stark and James as Jade hung outside the ring. Perez put James into the corner and hit Stark with a Russian leg sweep, with the near-fall broken up by James. Perez wanted Pop Rox on James, but Jade charged in, tossed Perez aside and ended up scoring a fall on James herself. JADE GAINS A POINT AND JAMEs GOES TO THE PENALTY BOX. Stark worked a mat submission on Perez, and Jade put Stark into a leglock. Perez kept the chain going as she put a head scissors on Jade. James exited the box and tried a couple of covers for near-falls. She dumped Perez, then worked on Stark in the corner. Time expired and Indi Hartwell completed the field.
Hartwell dominated with lariats and forearms. All were dumped other than Hartwell and Perez, and Hartwell managed a big boot on Perez. INDI GAINS A POINT AND PEREZ GOES TO THE PENALTY BOX. Stark flew in and splashed Hartwell for two. Stark had a forearm exchange with Jade as Hartwell sold on the mat. Stark got dumped and she brawled with James on the outside. James managed a quick moonsault from the barricade. Perez reentered and tossed James into the steps. Perez hit a high cross-body on Hartwell and Jade broke it up. Jade missed a shot and Perez dumped her, but Stark reentered and threw a big right to take Perez down. Perez reversed and rolled up Stark for three. PEREZ GAINS A POINT AND STARK GOES TO THE BOX. Quick rollups all over the ring, broken up by the other women. Hartwell and Jade spilled to the outside, as did Perez and James on the other side of the ring. The babyfaces got the better of the brawls and entered the ring, but Stark’s time expired and she rejoined the fray.
With just over four minutes left, Stark dominated Jade and James with cannonballs and suplexes. Perez stopped Stark’s momentum. Perez wanted a tope suicida on Stark, but she moved and Hartwell got hit. Action went outside with planchas on the field by James, then Stark. Stark rolled James inside and everyone took turns trying to hit signature moves. Perez hit Pop Rox on Jade. PEREZ GAINS A POINT AND JADE GOES TO THE BOX. 2-1-1-1-0. Rollups were fast and furious. Jade will have about 30 seconds in the ring when she returns. More quick attempts at falls as we got to the point of under 60 seconds left. James and Stark fought to the top of the turnbuckle. Spanish Fly by James. Jade shot into the ring to try to steal the pin, but Stark kicked out. Jade hit a DDT on Perez and scrambled after her, but Perez rolled out of the ring and time expired.
WINNER: Roxanne Perez (2-1-1-1-0, with only James scoring no falls) at 25:00.
(Wells’s Analysis: I think the concept works, more or less, though the five minute intervals aren’t overly necessary. I suppose they did kind of add drama in a way, so I can live with that rule too. 25 minutes still isn’t a whole lot of time for a lot of falls, and I think they went with as many as could believably be expected. Having a babyface winner scramble away and escape to win isn’t the ideal visual, either. All those things aside, I really enjoyed the work done in the match and it rarely devolved into a spotfest. Spots led to something and psychology was consistent. Perez seemed the obvious winner here, but that didn’t detract from the match)
-McKenzie Mitchell, wearing a frilly white princess dress or some such, interviewed Ivy Nile and Tatum Paxley about the fact that the Creeds and Indus Sher not able to wrestle tonight. Kayden Carter and Katana Chance entered and showed respect to Ivy Nile. Nile thanked them but said not to mistake her kindness for weakness. She’s still wooden beyond belief on the mic.
-Recap of the Alba Fyre-Isla Dawn feud.
(2) ALBA FYRE vs. ISLA DAWN
Dawn entered first, getting all witchy with the camera. Fyre pointed her bat at Dawn.
Fyre threw forearms and chops to open. She charged Dawn and they spilled to the announce table side. Fyre threw Dawn into the table, then entered the ring. She charged but Dawn threw up a kick. Action went back inside. Superkick and a flatliner by Fyre for two. Fyre transitioned to a submission and Dawn rolled her up to break. Fyre tried a float-over and Dawn backed her into a buckle. Dawn hit a backbreaker for two. One more backbreaker by Dawn, who then exposed the second turnbuckle. Fyre managed an O’Connor roll for two. Dawn rolled up Fyre for a two of her own.
Dawn choked and taunted Fyre in a corner. She sat Fyre up and threw a stiff kick to her back. Armbar by Dawn. Dawn fought off a reversal and tied up Fyre in the ropes, then took her to the mat. Double knees from the top by Dawn got two. Action went outside and Fyre hit a rolling senton from the top turnbuckle to the outside. “NXT” chant. The count reached nine and both women got back to the ring.
Forearm exchange. Fyre won the exchange and face planted Dawn. Fyre threw some Yes kicks, then hit a tornado DDT for two. Dawn hit a thrust kick after Fyre went for the Gory Bomb. Suplex by Dawn got two. Dawn went to the outside and Fyre hit a tope. Fyre hit a Gory Bomb on the outside. That’s not a good sign for her. She rolled Dawn inside and covered for two. Fyre planted Dawn, then went up and hit the Swanton Bomb. She covered, but the referee was bleeding black gook from the mouth. Another official came to the ring to count two. Dawn shoved Fyre into the exposed buckle, then hit her finisher to win.
WINNER: Isla Dawn at 9:56.
(Wells’s Analysis: After watching PLEs, my brother and I usually pick an old episode of Superstars at random for some laughs. I suppose it’s fitting that we keep running into Papa Shango lately. They’re going pretty high concept with this and it’ll be interesting to see what they think they can get away with. Good work from both, of course, with another foregone conclusion as Dawn continues to move up the card and Fyre can absorb a loss in the wake of losing her title shot. Fyre really doesn’t need to hang around NXT at this point and is a candidate for debuting in the Royal Rumble)
-Mitchell interviewed New Day. Xavier Woods said it was surreal, but they’re always looking for new challenges. Kofi Kingston said you can’t underestimate Pretty Deadly because of what they wear, and he put them over while staying confident. X hit the New Day gesticulating catchphrase about becoming champions and insisted that Mitchell join them.
(3) NEW DAY (Xavier Woods & Kofi Kingston) vs. PRETTY DEADLY (Kit Wilson & Elton Prince) (c) – NXT Tag Team Championship match
New Day entered to a good reaction. Pretty Deadly were in red gear with fuzzy white sections on the wrists and ankles to evoke Santa Claus. “New Day rocks” chant.
Woods and Wilson opened the match. Wilson regrouped with Prince as he started to lose his nerve against New Day. Woods ran Wilson to the rope and he begged off. “We want side plates” chant. Wilson blocked Woods to the mat. Rope run and quick reversals led to a sweep and a senton by Woods for two. It was a smooth, effortless sequence that really stood out on a developmental show. Kofi tagged in and Prince caused shenanigans so Wilson could get in a cheap shot. Prince tagged in and the heels hit sentons on Kingston. Prince covered for two. Prince whipped Kingston to a neutral corner. Monkey flip by Prince. Kofi landed on his feet and twerked to a big pop. Prince twerked. Huge “twerk off” chant. Kofi took it all the way down to the mat and Prince sold horror and defeat with Wilson. Woods tagged in and New Day double-teamed. Kingston hit a back splash and Woods covered for two. Wilson tagged in and jumped directly into a Woods dropkick. Woods took Wilson to the babyface corner, made the tag, and New Day took turns with corner splashes. Kingston covered for two.
Kingston dumped Wilson to the outside. Prince got shoved to the same spot and Kingston hit both with a rolling senton over the top rope. An “NXT” chant greeted the main roster star. Pretty Deadly caught Kingston on the outside to take control to boos. Prince leaned on Kingston with a boot in the heel corner. Wilson tagged in and threw some kicks to a grounded Kingston. Snap mare, but an elbow drop missed. Wilson cut off the hot tag as Kingston kept reaching. Wilson took Kingston to the heel corner, but Kingston reversed into a DDT in the center of the ring. Both guys crawled to their corners and tagged.
Woods dominated Prince with kicks and knife-edge chops. Wilson came in to feed Woods also. Woods dumped Wilson with a dropkick, then set up Prince over the second rope. He floated over Prince to dropkick Wilson. He slammed Prince in the ring and covered for two. Both guys missed shots. Prince hit a throat punch then a lariat for two. “Wake up, Kofi, wake up” chant. Shot exchange in the ring. Prince kicked the back of Woods’ knee and hit a lariat to his back side. Prince tagged Wilson and assisted him with a jawbreaker for two. Kingston tried to call out shenanigans. All four guys tossed a belt to each other, pretending to be hit, and all four ended up on the mat with the belt in the middle of them. “This is awesome” chant. Wilson ended up nailing Woods with the belt and he got a convincing near-fall. PD went for Spilled Milk but Kofi hung up Wilson and hit Trouble in Paradise on the outside. Prince got stuck against both and New Day hit a tag finisher and Woods covered. The announcers sold shock and the place exploded. Johnny Fairplay was caught on camera in the audience.
WINNERS: New Day at 14:05.
(Wells’s Analysis: I’m not sure where the reign goes from here – it’s probably a short one to put over Indus Sher, I suppose – but what an insane moment for the fans. Vic pointed out that with this win, Kofi has 15 tag team title reigns, surpassing the record held by…Booker T. It’s hard to imagine a match that packs in more crowd-pleasing fun than this. Pretty Deadly, like Alba Fyre, may as well head to the main roster.)
-Kayden Carter and Katana Chance ran into Toxic Attraction, who said they only want to defend against teams they know they can beat. Ivy Nile and Tatum Paxley stormed into frame and attacked the heels. Everyone brawled as Edris Enofe, Malik Blade and Odyssey Jones tried to break it up.
(4) MEN’S IRON SURVIVOR CHALLENGE FOR #1 CONTENDERSHIP: JD MCDONAGH vs. AXIOM vs. CARMELO HAYES vs. GRAYSON WALLER vs. JOE GACY
JD McDonagh and Axiom were your probably predictable openers. McDonagh tried to charge Axiom during his entrance but Axiom flipped out of trouble. Axiom cleared McDonagh from the ring, then charged into an uppercut. McDonagh tried to yank Axiom’s junk into the corner, but Axiom yanked McDonagh into the post instead. Tope by Axiom, who took McDonagh to the ramp and tossed him into the side of the penalty box. Back to the ring, Axiom went high and McDonagh dropkicked him out of the air. Axiom rolled up McDonagh for two, then threw a hard kick and a superkick. The two threw palm strikes and Axiom followed with some kicks. Quick mat reversals led to a dropkick to the back from Axiom. Axiom dropkicked McDonagh in a corner, then again, and put on a waistlock. McDonagh hit a big lariat and a powerbomb for two.
Carmelo Hayes entered next to keep the speed up. Springboard neckbreaker hit McDonagh and Axiom broke up the pin. Fade Away for Axiom. Rapid three-man spots defied easy description, at least in a live report. Axiom took control and dumped both guys. He wanted a corner plancha, but McDonagh shoved him from the top. Hayes wanted a neckbreaker on both, but they dropkicked him. Hayes managed a fall in a wild sequence. HAYES GAINS A POINT AND AXIOM GOES TO THE BOX. Hayes and McDonagh traded forearms. Melo took JD to a corner for a chop, then worked the arm. McDonagh reversed a suplex attempt into his own suplex, then hit a backbreaker. Axiom reentered and hit a high cross-body on both guys. Axiom threw kicks to the chests of both guys until Melo caught an attempt. All three traded kicks, forearms and headbutts and ended up in a heap as time expired.
Grayson Waller charged into the ring and hit his rolling stunner on both Axiom and McDonagh. He covered Axiom, then McDonagh, and scored pins on both. WALLER GAINS TWO POINTS AND AXIOM & MCDONAGH ENTER THE BOX. Waller and Melo traded shots. Quick reversals ended up with both on the outside, and then the apron, where Waller hit a stunner. Axiom was able to reenter, and McDonagh tried to stop him. Axiom got all personal about it and the two started brawling in the penalty box. Axiom destroyed McDonagh against the wall of the box, then tried to exit, where Waller was waiting to toss Axiom back into it. After things settled, Axiom and Hayes paired off. Waller flew in and took them out, then taunted Booker T, who said “Tell me…he did not just say that.” Waller walked into Axiom’s finisher, and Axiom followed up with a roll-through pin on McDonagh. AXIOM GAINS TWO POINTS AND WALLER AND MCDONAGH GO TO THE BOX. 2-2-1-0-0.
Joe Gacy rounded out the cast. He hit some offense on Axiom and worked his submission for a point. GACY GAINS A POINT AND AXIOM HEADS TO THE BOX. Waller and McDonagh attacked Axiom as he entered the box, then hit the ring, where they were cleared out. Gacy hit a lariat on Melo to tie it up. GACY GAINS A POINT AND HAYES GOES TO THE BOX. Gacy hit a rolling senton on McDonagh and Waller. McDonagh tried to keep Axiom from exiting the box after time expired, but Axiom climbed up to the top of the box and hit a moonsault on everyone but Hayes, who watched the clock. He charged in with a boot to Gacy as his time expired. Melo took Waller into the ring and hit a slam for two into a crossface for the tap. HAYES GAINS A POINUT AND WALLER GOES TO THE BOX. Gacy destroyed Waller and tossed him into the box. Gacy paired off with Axiom in the ring and Gacy tried impact offense as Axiom fought him off. Hayes flew in with an axe kick on Gacy and Axiom got dumped to the apron. McDonagh entered and suplexed the hell out of everyone. Waller reentered and tried his stunner on McDonagh, who fought it off. McDonagh rolled up Waller and everyone broke it up.
With three minutes left, it was 2-2-2-2-0 with McDonagh behind. He kicked all four guys in their corners, and eventually they got back up and superkicked him in stereo. Gacy and Waller spilled outside, where Gacy slammed Waller on the steps. Gacy went back inside and worked his submission on Hayes. McDonagh broke it up. Gacy rolled JD into the same submission (the Rings of Saturn) and Axiom broke it up. Vic said we’d go to sudden death if it’s a tie. Gacy worked the submission on Axiom but it was broken up. McDonagh was desperate but Axiom hit a DDT. Melo hit Axiom from the top and covered Axiom for the fall. Waller flew in, cleared Melo, and stole the fall on Axiom. WALLER GAINS A POINT AND AXIOM HEADS TO THE BOX. Waller started running everywhere and he avoided contact until time expired.
WINNER: Grayson Waller (3-2-2-2-0) at 25:00.
(Wells’s Analysis: A wild, frenetic show continues as Waller steals victory in an absolutely relentless display of action. Waller vaults himself all the way up back into relevance and stands as #1 contender for whichever babyface wins the main event. I think it’s safe to say this match type will stick around after tonight’s offerings.)
Waller stood up on the announce table and drank wine (maybe?) from a boot as the other four all seethed in the ring behind him. A well-directed shot.
-Mitchell interviewed Drew Gulak, who was watching on Tuesday. Damon Kemp showed up and told Gulak to enjoy as he returns this Tuesday and “schools” Duke Hudson. Gulak promised to check it out.
-Lyra Valkyria, a big name downgrade from Aoife Valkyrie, debuts next week.
-Recap of the Breakker-Crews saga (not sure whether to use the word “feud” here). Diners and boats were heavily featured.
(5) BRON BREAKKER (c) vs. APOLLO CREWS – NXT Championship match
A video showed shots of the major challenges Breakker has faces for his belt, and shots of Breakker pinning each challenger. The crowd was still into it to some degree, but after the last two matches, they’re likely a bit gassed.
The two stared across the ring after the bell rang. A collar-and-elbow didn’t favor either man. They showed evenness in their next couple tests of strength. Rope run ended up in an arm drag by both, rolled through by both. Reset. Almost three minutes in, they’re settling in for a possible long match for Breakker. Headlock takeover by Crews, then one by Breakker. Another by Crews. Another by Breakker. They’re really driving home the match between equals thing here.
A series of standing switches ended up with both against the ropes. Another reset. Rope run and hip toss attempts went nowhere. They rotated back into the ropes again. They’re really testing the attention span of fans that just watched a 25-minute thrill ride. Crews got a two count and Breakker bailed. Crews hit a moonsault from the apron and fired up. He rolled Breakker into the ring and floated over, then covered for two. Crews worked a headlock. Breakker rolled Crews up into a delayed suplex and nailed it, then kipped up. Standing moonsault by Breakker went so far back he practically missed all of Crews. Crews bailed and Breakker hit a rolling senton over the top. That’s plenty of those tonight. Back inside, Breakker flew off the second buckle and Crews threw up a big knee that looked like it may have connected hard from the camera angle we saw. The camera settled in on Crews’s face as he got all serious. It was sold as a character change by Vic. Crews hugely picked up the pace and hit a side suplex and some German suplexes. Booker said he doesn’t know this Apollo Crews.
Breakker tried a rollup but Crews hit three powerbombs, while holding on, and got two. Frog splash by Crews got a long two. Crews splashed Breakker in a corner, then missed in the opposite one. Breakker hit some shoulder blocks and a spinebuster. Breakker went up and hit a bulldog from the top for two. Breakker pulled up Crews into his finisher but Crews reversed to a DDT for two. Breakker hit a quick chokeslam for two. Breakker sold frustration. Breakker fired up, but Crews reversed and hit Breakker’s signature powerslam for two. The crowd, perhaps a tad generous, gave it a “this is awesome” chant.
Forearm exchange. Crews ran into a Breakker spear out of relative nowhere (the best way for a spear to happen) and that was that.
WINNER: Bron Breakker at 14:35.
The decoy show ending happened during Breakker’s celebration, and Grayson Waller flew in and hit his stunner. He posed with the belt and the show ended after two hours, twenty-seven minutes.
(Wells’s Analysis: Either Iron Survivor Challenge could’ve been in the main event slot. The tag team championship could’ve been in the main event slot. These two had a perfectly good power match but they had two impossible acts to follow. On the other hand, you can’t do the moment with Waller if he hasn’t already won his challenge. This is probably as long as Breakker’s matches will ever go, and reasonably is as long as they ever SHOULD go. While it wasn’t the match I’ll remember this show for, it was a strong part of NXT’s best show in a while)
FINAL THOUGHTS: It’s been a long time since NXT put together a PLE this strong top to bottom. The two singles matches weren’t world beaters, but they were perfectly good and moved their stories forward as the two ISC matches and the tag match carried the show to what will probably be celebrity status. Roxanne Perez has emerged as the fairly obvious frontrunner for Mandy Rose’s championship and Grayson Waller has found himself back on top after goofing it up in the midcard for some time as a surprise top contender. Both Perez and Waller head into championship matches with two juggernauts that have collectively held the top singles titles on the brand for a long time. Perhaps even more of a hook to weekly TV is New Day winning the NXT Tag Team Championships, becoming the third triple crown winners in the company after The Revival and The Street Profits. It’s hard to imagine New Day hanging out for more than a cup of coffee, so I’ll expect them to lose their first defense (or even vacate the championships, though that doesn’t make them look strong; I’m currently betting on Indus Sher winning the straps from New Day before long). I’ll try not to get too maudlin as I gush about a near-perfect NXT show – the first on this level for a very long time – as I record a VIP podcast with Bruce Hazelwood and Nate Lindberg. See you Tuesday.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.