NXT HITS & MISSES 1/3: Waller Effect with Breakker, Kingston vs. Gacy, Crews vs. Hayes, Dijak vs. Stacks, Fyre vs. Dawn, Mensah vs. Bernal, more

CARMELO HAYES vs. APOLLO CREWS

This match is exactly how you want to kick off the first NXT of 2023. There is no doubt that both Crews and Hayes are incredibly gifted in the ring, put them together in a match and you’re going to get something unique and fast-paced. Hayes is one of the most polished athletes on the NXT roster and the veteran Crews helped make to make him shine just that much brighter tonight.

While Carmelo will do great on his own, the addition of Trick Williams to the act is the icing on the cake. From riffing off of one another to Trick ensuring Melo gets a win by any means necessary, the pairing is a license to print money if utilized effectively.

Trick inserted himself into the match at the end, allowing Melo to pick up the win over Crews. After the bell Axiom attacked Melo and Trick, not wanting to wait any longer to get his hands on Trick. After the commercial, they went right into that match. I appreciated that transition from match to match. It was an interesting way to show Axiom’s sense of urgency and gave a natural segue into his match.

VERDICT: Hit!

TRICK WILLIAMS vs. AXIOM

Keep that energy coming!

The match was already underway when the commercial break ended. Williams and Axiom had a fantastic albeit short matchup to follow up the opener. Axiom picked up the win, “winning one for the good guys” as Booker T said, though I’m paraphrasing.

Axiom was attacked by both Melo and Williams after the match, when Crews came out to make the save. I think these four men will wind up feuding while Bron Breakker and the NXT title is tied up with Greyson Waller.

VERDICT: Hit!

DIJAK vs. STACKS

Before this match, we saw a vignette where Dijak had Stacks tied up and beaten like an old 80s villain. He interviewed Stacks about the Don before Stacks told Dijak to be a man, un-cuff him, and face him in the ring. Which is exactly what he did.

With the Don of NXT, Tony D’Angelo, by his side, Stacks confidently made his way to the ring to face the larger Dijak. Dijak spent most of the match brutalizing Stacks, though Stacks did not quit. On a few occasions, he even took Dijak off of his feet. He kicked out of a few power moves, but ultimately fell to Dijak’s reverse fireman’s carry to knee finisher.

Dijak went to continue his torment on Stacks after the match, but the Don stopped him. The Don cut a promo on Dijak and challenged him to the predictable match at New Year’s Evil.

VERDICT: Hit!

ISLA DAWN vs. ALBA FYRE – Extreme Resolutions Match (No DQ)

This match started during another segment where 20 women made their way to the ring laying claim to the NXT Women’s title, essentially promoting a 20-women battle royal for next week’s New Year’s Evil.

These two began fighting and kept fighting into the backstage area. After that segment, they came back to the fight. The match hadn’t officially begun since they were backstage, but nobody bothered to stop them. The officials just kept verbally telling them to stop, which was honestly annoying to listen to since there was no crowd noise.

You can only do so much in a crowded warehouse, which is essentially what the backstage area at the PC is. But this already terrible segment was made worse when Fyre went to throw Dawn off of a platform backstage. Someone in the editing truck screwed up, and all of a sudden Dawn was just on the floor. They missed the entire bump.

The two eventually made it to the ring, but at this point the crowd was dead. I paused one frame for kicks. I counted 42 audience members in the shot. Not a single one looked excited to be there.

This segment and the awful 20-women segment before this took the wind out of the sails of what started as a great show. Such a shame, I was pretty invested in this feud too.

VERDICT: Miss!

ORO MENSAH vs. JAVIER BERNAL

Earlier in the night, Big Body Javy interrupted Oro Mensah while he was being interviewed. Then, he attacked Mensah during his entrance to the match made from that interaction. Both Mensah and Bernal have been lightly feuding for weeks, this match was a long time coming.

While this wasn’t a bad match, I personally think it suffered from a dead crowd from the women’s match and their segment. I think if this followed something that had the crowd a bit more hyped up, they may have gotten into this a bit more.

Oro Mensah picked up the win after an incredible spinning heel kick. Big Body Javi can eat as many losses that NXT can throw at him, it’s just part his gimmick. Mensah is getting a bit of a face push, let him rack up the wins.

VERDICT: Hit!

ANDRE CHASE (w/ Chase U) vs. DREW GULAK (w/ Hank Walker)

Who is the better teacher? That’s what we’re settling here tonight. Chase has taken offense to the fact that Gulak has come back to NXT from the main roster and has offered to train his peers. It must have been cutting into the Chase U profits. Both men were accompanied by their students, rooting their teachers on.

This match may not have been for everyone. I feel like most people who watch NXT want to watch something like our opener tonight, Melo vs. Crews. High flying and action packed. This match was not that, but it was great in its own right – two great technical wrestlers doing what they do best.

While Chase got his stuff in, Gulak was in control for most of the match, and won with the Gu-Lock. Fitting for both men, as Chase U has been known to lose most of their matches.

VERDICT: Hit!

KOFI KINGSTON (w/ Xavier Woods) vs. JOE GACY (w/Schism)

The New Day were giving an interview backstage earlier in the night, when Schism stuck their noses where they didn’t belong. A match was made between Kofi and Gacy for later in the night.

With Schism containing Ava Raine, the daughter of The Rock, putting the group in high profile spots makes a lot of sense. Right now, there aren’t any bigger stars in all of NXT than New Day.

As a former WWE Champion, Kofi got the win as he should have. However rubbing elbows with New Day should help propel Schism along, if they book a story where they spin the loss into a positive.

VERDICT: Hit!

THE GREYSON WALLER EFFECT FEATURING BRON BREAKKER

Finally! Some positive character development for Bron Breakker. The entire talk show segment, Breakker played it cool and calm while Waller tried egging him on. It wasn’t until Waller disrespected Breakker’s dad, Rick Steiner, at the end of the segment when Breakker snapped and attacked Waller.

Now, Bron Breakker went off air holding the NXT title high over his head. Generally, whoever gets the win or “visual win” at the end of a go-home show means there’s a good possibility that they’ll lose the title at the PLE. Could we see Waller as NXT champion in a few days?

VERDICT: Hit!