WWE NXT Results: Winners, Live Grades, Reaction and Highlights After Deadline

WWE NXT ended the company's premium live event year with Deadline, a show including big matches and important victories.

Ilja Dragunov retained the NXT Championship, only to meet new No. 1 contender Trick Williams to end the night. Trick pulled off a dramatic finish in the Iron Survivor Challenge, earning four points in less than two minutes to take the victory.

Blair Davenport pulled off a final-minute third decision in the women's Iron Survivor Challenge to become the new No. 1 contender to Lyra Valkyria. But it was Cora Jade who stole the spotlight with her flashy return at Deadline.

The champions and their top contenders met on the December 12 edition of NXT ahead of their matches at New Year's Evil.

The December 12 show also featured a rematch between Dijak and Eddy Thorpe after the latter cost the former the Iron Survivor Challenge.

Meta-Four lined up against the motivated trio of Josh Briggs, Brooks Jensen and Fallon Henley, two of whom lost at Deadline.

Nikkita Lyons also promised to appear, notably to address the woman who put her on the shelf, Davenport.

This show had big shoes to fill in keeping the momentum going from Deadline.

Lyra Valkyria and Nikkita Lyons Get Revenge on Cora Jade and Blair Davenport

Cora Jade taunted the women's locker room until Lyra Valkyria arrived, and Blair Davenport took offense to Jade taking her spotlight. Nikkita Lyons stormed out and started a brawl with Davenport. Valkyria and Lyons sent the heels reeling.

This was quite bad. Everyone's timing was off on the mic, and they all had the same grating cadence to their promo style. Valkyria seemed to lose her words when she addressed both heels.

Lyons' arrival was a welcome respite as she swapped the words for action quickly. Her growing feud with Davenport is more interesting than either Valkyria vs. Jade or Davenport right now.

This was a predictable and formulaic way to set up a tag team match for later. Hopefully, the action will tell a better story than this segment.

Grade

F

Notable Moments

• Trick Williams was distracted by interviewers in the parking lot. Carmelo Hayes headed in alone and was ambushed by a mystery assailant.
• Jade did not clarify what she did in her time off, just stating she was back for the sake of the fans.

Meta-Four vs. Josh Briggs, Brooks Jensen and Fallon Henley

Meta-Four came into this match confident but ended up losing again as a trio.

Fallon Henley took out Lash Legend, and Josh Briggs pulled off a huge victory over Noam Dar with a running clothesline.

This was a fun tag match that highlighted the country trio that have always overachieved under the spotlight.

While Briggs and Henley lost at Deadline, they may have finally broken out. The former is looking great with the spotlight on him, while the latter is working at a top level with every other woman.

If NXT is moving on from Alpha Academy vs. Meta-Four, Briggs could be the perfect next challenger for Dar. Fans have not gotten a chance to see what Briggs can do in a longer singles match.

Result

Meta-Four def. Briggs, Jensen and Henley by pinfall.

Grade

B

Notable Moments

• Tiffany Stratton tried to cheap-shot Henley, but Henley saw red and brawled with her to the back.
• Dar caught Jensen with the Nova Roller, but Jensen managed to fall back into a tag for Briggs to set up the finish.
• Stratton told Kelly Kincaid that she was sick of Henley in NXT.
• Later, Briggs called his shot backstage for a future Heritage Cup match.
  

Men's Breakout Tournament: Myles Borne vs. Oba Femi

Myles Borne tried to wear down Oba Femi, but he was completely outmatched. The big man squashed him, finishing with a heightened powerbomb.

Typically, the NXT Breakout Tournaments are predictable due to always highlighting talent already on TV. However, the only guy regularly on screen was eliminated in the first round.

Borne is a talented performer who should have gone farther, but he already has a built-in spot in NXT with Drew Gulak, Charlie Dempsey and Damon Kemp. Femi just got a massive win and an immediate push.

He will be one to watch. His size, speed and power make him a formidable threat and suddenly the favorite to win the tournament.

Result

Femi def. Borne by pinfall to advance in the Men's Breakout Tournament.

Grade

C+

Notable Moments

• NXT showcased the eight men in the Men's Breakout Tournament, but Lexis King attacked Trey Bearhill with a steel chair.
• Later, Ava announced that King would take Bearhill's place in the tournament.
  

North American Championship: Dragon Lee (c) vs. Tyler Bate

Tyler Bate answered Dragon Lee's open challenge for the North American Championship.

The Big Strong Boi pushed the luchador but could not keep him down. Dragon finished it off with the Operation Dragon.

This was a fun battle of veterans. Dragon and Bate are so good that this could never be anything less than very good. They could not sell the drama of the title defense, but the action was more than good enough for an impromptu TV bout.

The Big Strong Boi has run out of stories to tell in NXT. It's time to get him on Raw or SmackDown where he can compete with fresh rivals and build a new legacy.

With The Brawling Brutes fall apart on the blue brand, this is the perfect time to bring Butch and Bate together on the main roster. Leave the young stars of NXT to tell their own stories.

More Dragon open challenge title defenses are a must. He is a great in-ring worker who will get over more with each contest.

Result

Dragon def. Bate by pinfall to retain the North American Championship.

Grade

B+

Notable Moments

• Dragon called Wes Lee an inspiration for his title reign and told Kelly Kincaid that he would start open challenges Tuesday.
• Bate caught the luchador running and planted him after an airplane spin for a near-fall.
• Dragon planted Bate with a German suplex, but The Big Strong Boi rolled through and landed the rebound clothesline for another near-fall.
• The two competitors shook hands in respect afterward.
  

Dijak vs. Eddy Thorpe

Dijak attacked Eddy Thorpe on his way to the ring. The bell finally rang after two minutes of brawling, but it did not last long.

Hard Justice broke the turnbuckle with Thorpe's back and then used it as a weapon, causing a disqualification.

The attack of Dijak continued after the bell with Feast Your Eyes until several NXT officials broke it up.

Dijak and Thorpe have already fought in a strap match, yet NXT made the erroneous decision to book them in a normal bout after Thorpe cost Hard Justice a world title opportunity.

Logical leap aside, this was a solid way to reignite this rivalry, likely setting up an NXT Underground match between these two soon enough.

While both men have committed to this rivalry, they have not had the great match they are capable of together. This next contest will decide how fans will view this entire rivalry.

Result

Thorpe def. Dijak by DQ.

Grade

C+

Notable Moments

• Dijak cut his ear on the turnbuckle spot.
  

Men's Breakout Tournament: Riley Osborne vs. Keanu Carver

Riley Osborne took a beating from Keanu Carver but refused to quit. He caught Carver with an enzuigiri and Shooting Star Press to win.

Carver showed out in this match, only to lose in rushed fashion at the end. If the plan was to highlight Osborne, this match failed. He can hit a solid Shooting Star, but otherwise he was generic next to an exciting bruiser.

Especially with Oba Femi advancing, this match set up and then immediately dashed the exciting possibility of two big athletes throwing each other around in the finals.

Osborne's connection to Chase U gives him a leg up as a character in the long term. He fits into one of NXT's most over acts, but he has to prove he belongs.

Result

Osborne def. Carver by pinfall to advance in the Men's Breakout Tournament.

Grade

C-

Notable Moments

• Scrypts offered an unexplained proposition to Andre Chase for his money woes. Thea Hail couldn't stop thinking about Osborne.
  
• Hail and Jacy Jayne joined the student section to watch Osborne in action.
• Booker T was very excited after Carver hit a perfect Pounce. Unfortunately, the two immediately went to the finish after this move.
• Backstage, Hail tried to flirt with Osborne, but he needed to run to take a shower. Kiana James and Izzi Dame made fun of her.
  

Lyra Valkyria and Nikkita Lyons vs. Cora Jade and Blair Davenport

Blair Davenport knocked out Lyra Valkyria with a knee strike. Nikkita Lyons pulled Davenport out of the ring, but Cora Jade was legal and stole the pin.

This was a well-booked tag team match, highlighting the two threat Davenport and Jade pose to Valkyria. It was not all that involved in the ring but kept the key stories moving.

NXT has a dangerous balancing act to play with these four women as NXT does not want to take away from Davenport's Iron Survivor win but also wants to sell The Generation of Jade as the next challenger.

It's likely Lyons will cost Davenport her shot, and the story will transition fully to a rematch of Valkyria vs. Jade. But the next few weeks will be important in keeping the momentum of the women's division.

Result

Jade and Davenport def. Valkyria and Lyons by pinfall.

Grade

B

Notable Moments

• In the locker room, Lyons and Valkyria tried to focus on their upcoming match, but they found Tatum Paxley had put her face over The Valkyrie's Becky Lynch picture.
• Jade tried to ingratiate herself with Davenport ahead of their match.
• Paxley appeared on the barricade with a raven's feather, which caused a distraction that almost cost Valkyria the match.
• Afterward, Paxley threw out Lyons and embraced Valkyria.
  

Carmelo Hayes Overshadows Ilja Dragunov and Trick Williams Confrontation

Trick Williams and Ilja Dragunov both spoke confidently about their future NXT Championship match.

Carmelo Hayes arrived and blamed The Mad Dragon for attacking him and Trick.

Melo tried to take the NXT title away from The Mad Dragon and accidentally hit his friend with it.

The drama in the NXT Championship scene has gotten silly, but it continues to build Trick each step of the way. Melo looks guiltier than ever before, and Dragunov's inclusion leaves Trick conflicted.

He is caught between siding with his best friend or newest pal and has to find a way to refocus before New Year's Evil on Jan. 2. The crowd is completely invested in where this is leading.

Even at its corniest, this story is working, and the rest of the storytelling in NXT needs to step up to match it.

Grade

B

Notable Moments

• Officials cleared Melo to compete on Friday's SmackDown, and he promised to call out the man who attacked him later in the show.
• Dragunov questioned whether Melo was actually attacked or faked it.
• The night ended with dueling chants of "Melo's guilty" and "No, he's not".
  

Overall Show

NXT's storytelling eclipsed its in-ring action this week. Building right off of Deadline into New Year's Evil, the pieces are coming together to deliver some of NXT's biggest stories to date.

So much work has been done to elevate new stars over the last year, and it's paying off. A story like Carmelo Hayes, Trick Williams and Ilja Dragunov are telling right now would not have worked without all three getting over in the second half of 2023.

NXT's main event scene is in good shape, but the rest of the card is uneven. Dragon Lee vs. Tyler Bate was the in-ring highlight of the night but did not reach its highest potential.

Lyra Valkyria is the star of the women's division, but the stories of Blair Davenport and Cora Jade as challengers have not fully landed.

Dijak and Eddy Thorpe brutalized each other, but the constant force of every Hard Justice feud may be wearing thin if the final match between the two does not land.

The Men's Breakout Tournament is not quite starting on the right foot but has potential to elevate some intriguing new names.

Josh Briggs, Brooks Jensen and Fallon Henley look to be on the rise, but NXT has not committed to them enough in the past to feel comfortable.

Each of these stories and more have potential, but until they are on track, the quality of the in-ring work will define the major effect of the show from week to week.

Overall Grade: C+