WWE NXT New Year's Evil 2023 Results: Winners, Grades, Reaction and Highlights

WWE NXT presented the 2023 edition of NXT New Year's Evil on Tuesday night. This year would feature big matches, including a long-awaited NXT Championship encounter.

Bron Breakker was set to defend against Grayson Waller, hoping to overcome all of the tricks he was likely to face in the chase for the top title.

No. 1 contenderships were on the line. Dijak went up against Tony D'Angelo to settle a dispute and set the next challenger for NXT North American champion Wes Lee.

The women of NXT would fight in a Battle Royal to crown the first No. 1 contender to new NXT women's champion Roxanne Perez, including old rivals Cora Jade and Indi Hartwell as well as some dangerous adversaries such as Nikkita Lyons and Zoey Stark.

And Pretty Deadly would run the gauntlet to earn the next NXT Tag Team Championships shot at The New Day.

This show also featured the long-hyped battle of The Creed Brothers and Indus Sher, while Charlie Dempsey looked to make an example out of Hank Walker in front of Drew Gulak.

NXT rarely misses in delivering these big events, and this had a chance to be one of the brand's best in recent memory.

No. 1 Contender for NXT North American Title: Dijak vs. Tony D'Angelo (w/ Stacks)

Tony D'Angelo fought hard for himself and Channing "Stacks" Lorenzo, but he was too focused on protecting his family. It set him up to walk right into a big boot from Dijak, who picked up the win.

This was a fine match but got a little too ridiculous with its telegraphed story. D'Angelo was far too distracted by Stacks, leading to one of the silliest finishes possible for the contest.

The right man won, and he looked good throughout. Dijak is a special talent and deserves the biggest spotlight WWE can provide him after wasting his talents for two years. He and Wes Lee should have a good encounter soon.

Result

Dijak def. D'Angelo by pinfall to earn an NXT North American Championship match.

Grade

B-

Notable Moments

• Lee watched this match closely on commentary, welcoming either challenger for his next title match.
• Dijak attacked Stacks at ringside but got laid out for it by The Don. Dijak then handcuffed Lorenzo to keep him out of the action.
• While still handcuffed, Stacks told D'Angelo that he would take the shot for D'Angelo, but The Don told him he had to stay healthy for his family and threw him down.
• Gigi Dolin and Jacy Jayne explained that no matter who won Tuesday night, Toxic Attraction wins.
  

Jinder Mahal Joins Indus Sher in Attack On The Creed Brothers

The Creed Brothers were ready to fight, but Sanga came out without Veer. Instead, Jinder Mahal attacked Julius and Brutus Creed from behind and made clear he did not care about showing respect.

While it was disappointing not to see the Creeds vs. Indus Sher, this was a big moment for the show. The Modern Day Maharaja has been struggling on the main roster for a while, but he will stand out in NXT where his promo skills can shine.

Mahal has always been better with a group behind him, and Sanga and Veer have shown more talent so far than Shanky.

This is a stable that can build momentum and then transition well into a main roster spot when the time is right.

Grade

B+

Notable Moments

• Valentina Feroz questioned Sanga afterward, but he was standing behind his family. Elektra Lopez told Feroz that she needed to look out for herself.
• Julius stormed out of the trainer's room, demanding a match with Mahal, while Ivy Nile failed to talk him down.
  

No. 1 Contender Gauntlet: Pretty Deadly vs. 3 Mystery Opponents

Elton Prince and Kit Wilson defeated jobber team The Rockers with Spilt Milk. The New Day demanded they face real challengers, and Pretty Deadly stole a win over Edris Enofé and Malik Blade.

Josh Briggs and Brooks Jensen were laid out backstage before they could compete. Gallus stormed out and defeated Pretty Deadly with ease after hitting their finisher.

This was another smartly booked match. Pretty Deadly tried to escape the gauntlet, but they were completely outmatched by Gallus after a tough fight with Enofé and Blade.

Gallus had been gone just long enough that it was easy to forget about them. That made their return all the better.

Mark Coffey and Wolfgang will put on a great show with Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods, even if they won't win.

Result

Gallus def. Pretty Deadly, after Pretty Deadly defeated The Rockers and Enofé and Blade, to become the new No. 1 contenders to the NXT Tag Team Championships.

Grade

B+

Notable Moments

• Pretty Deadly were still preparing for the gauntlet match when The New Day told them The Creed Brothers vs. Indus Sher did not happen and they were up next.
  
• Blade nearly got the win off a frog splash onto Prince, who had just taken a superplex from Enofé.
• Gallus and The New Day stared each other down after the match.
• Jensen and Briggs recovered in the trainer's room. Fallon Henley promised to make Gallus pay, while Kiana James comforted Jensen.
  

NXT Championship: Bron Breakker (c) vs. Grayson Waller

Grayson Waller had a game plan for Bron Breakker and knew when to strike. He matched him move for move.

However, the second rope broke as Waller stood on it, causing him to fall to the floor and get counted out while Breakker was down in the ring.

Breakker and Waller have chemistry to spare, and they have a rematch to prove it after this weird and lame finish. Clearly, WWE wanted to keep this rivalry going beyond a first clash, but the way this was handled did not suit the story of the rivalry.

What matters most to explain the rematch to come is that these two have much more in them. Luckily, a steel cage bout should guarantee the ropes stay secure.

Result

Breakker def. Waller by count-out to retain the NXT Championship.

Grade

C+

Notable Moments

• Waller slapped Breakker in the face and faced the wrath of the champion for his effort.
• Waller sent Breakker hard into the middle turnbuckle, ripping it clean off. Officials had to come in to fix it quickly.
• Both men traded forearms in the center of the ring, and the heel won with a clothesline to the back of the neck.
• Breakker hit a bulldog to set up his finish, but Waller ducked outside, ran in and turned his cutter into a running knee for a big near-fall.
• At the end of the show, it was announced there would be a steel cage rematch at NXT Vengeance Day on February 4.
  
• Tiffany Stratton completed the Countdown to the New Year by making her return. She told everyone she was back to be the best.

Charlie Dempsey vs. Hank Walker (w/ Drew Gulak)

Charlie Dempsey found himself challenged by Hank Walker more than ever before, but he still could not compete with the technical prowess of Dempsey.

He stretched out Walker with an STF with extra bend to force a submission.

With each match, Walker has come more into his own with this character and also his in-ring style. He has added more technical offense to his repertoire. This was also a good showcase for Dempsey, who showed some incredible flexibility.

Gulak looked impressed with Dempsey afterward, which could be a bad sign for Walker. Either way, this story is helping some young stars grow quickly.

Result

Dempsey def. Walker by submission.

Grade

B

Notable Moments

• Walker trapped Dempsey in a cross armbreaker and locked it in, but Dempsey escaped and turned it into his own submission.
  
• Carmelo Hayes mocked Apollo Crews by cutting a promo in a diner. Later, Crews and Axiom agreed to team up to defeat Melo and Trick Williams.
• Roxanne Perez said she was happy to see anyone win the Battle Royal except Cora Jade.
• Alba Fyre confronted Sol Ruca and told her she would give her the match they could not have before, pushing it on her rival with more aggression than was necessary.

Jinder Mahal (w/ Sanga) vs. Julius Creed

Julius Creed looked unstoppable in this match, but Sanga found the perfect moment to distract him.

Julius missed a shooting star press and walked into a big boot followed by the Khallas, which gave Mahal the three-count.

The Creed brother looked great in this match, pushing Mahal to work from behind. It was the best match from The Modern Day Maharaja in the past year, but a lot of that is down to just how much Creed worked this as a top star.

While he lost, it was another showcase of why Julius is a future main event star in WWE. He and Brutus Creed may lose this feud with Indus Sher, but they will likely earn a spot on the main roster with it.

Result

Mahal def. Julius by pinfall.

Grade

B+

Notable Moments

• Julius ran into the ring to start this fight and kept the heat on Mahal. He ran up the ropes to superplex The Modern Day Maharaja.
• Julius' mouth began bleeding during the bout, and Mahal leaned in before hitting a series of elbows to the cheek.
  
• Tyler Bate announced his return to NXT, promising to stay this time.
• NXT Anonymous showed a private video of Oro Mensah in the locker room.
• Stevie Turner set up a stream for her NXT UK highlights, promising to make new ones in NXT.
  

No. 1 Contender 20-Woman Battle Royal

The final four was Alba Fyre, Lyra Valkyria, Gigi Dolin and Jacy Jayne.

The Toxic Attraction pairing got some help from a returning Cora Jade to stand as the final two. They fell at the same time, leading to an announcement that both had won.

There were some surprisingly well-booked moments in this Battle Royal that set the stage for fresh rivalries. Valkyria and Sol Ruca got an impressive spotlight that could mean their immediate future is bright.

The finish was a mess, though. Of all the ways Toxic Attraction could have earned the simultaneous win, it made no sense for them to turn on each other so easily.

Despite this, a Triple Threat match between Perez, Dolin and Jayne is a smart call for Vengeance Day. The three are proven talents who will make the most of the moment.

Result

Dolin and Jayne win the Battle Royal to earn a Triple Threat NXT Women's Championship match at NXT Vengeance Day.

Grade

B

Notable Moments

• Valkyria quickly eliminated Jade in a shocking result. She tried to cheap shot Valkyria later but again went over the top rope.
  
• Ruca nearly got eliminated but walked on her hands back into the ring.
• Lyons eliminated Elektra Lopez, and when Wendy Choo saved herself from elimination with a pillow, Lopez pulled it away to finish the elimination.
• Perez came out afterward to stare down both of her opponents.