WWE NXT Results: Winners, Live Grades, Reaction and Highlights from Dec. 26

WWE NXT would end its year on December 26 with a brutal NXT Underground match as well as one last Heritage Cup match.

Dijak and Eddy Thorpe have brutalized each other time and again. In order to settle their rivalry, they would collide in the second-ever NXT Underground match.

Noam Dar would put his Heritage Cup on the line against a motivated but inexperienced Josh Briggs, who would need to learn this Rounds format against a master.

Andre Chase and Duke Hudson hoped to make the money back that they owe to The Family in a battle with Out the Mud. If Bronco Nima and Lucien Price picked up the win, they would earn an NXT Tag Team Championships opportunity.

Cora Jade would return to singles action against newcomer Karmen Petrovic.

The show would also give us an update on Ilja Dragunov's condition after his collision with Ridge Holland.

The show would set the final stage for New Year's Evil and an exciting 2024 to come for the gold brand.

All or Nothing: Chase U vs. O.T.M.

Duke Hudson was rolling until Andre Chase took a blind tag and walked into the finisher of Bronco Nima and Lucien Price.

This was an okay match, but Chase U did not hit the usual high of their typical tag matches. This was part of the story though as The Professor ruined The MVP's momentum by tagging in.

The angle was more important than the action and sets up Nima and Price for the biggest match of their NXT careers. They will not beat The Family but can prove they belong.

Hopefully, this new Chase U angle does not last too much longer because the group is at its best with underdog fire. Right now, they are lost in this increasingly more messy angle.

Result

O.T.M. def. Chase U to earn a future NXT Tag Team Championships match and cost Chase all the money he had won last week.

Grade

C+

Notable Moments

• Tony D'Angelo and Channing "Stacks" Lorenzo watched from the stage.
  
• Chase finally got the hot tag to Hudson, who blasted O.T.M. with boots and punches. Scrypts distracted Hudson to slow his momentum.
• Afterward, NXT announced Year End Awards as voted by fans. Creed Brothers were tag team of the year. Tiffany Stratton was female Superstar of the year. Ilja Dragunov was male Superstar of the year.
  

Heritage Cup: Noam Dar (c) vs. Josh Briggs

Josh Briggs picked up the first fall decisively with a running clothesline in the second round. In round four, Lash Legend had to save Noam Dar with a bucket that Briggs stole away. He bashed The Scottish Supernova with it, causing a disqualification.

Too much of this match played out in Picture-in-Picture to reach its full potential, but Briggs looked great throughout. Dar put him over as a monster, and it was only Briggs' emotions that cost him the win.

If JBL is ready to work some dates, Briggs could use a direct appearance from The Wrestling God to push his story forward. Maybe he could become Briggs' manager following a heel turn.

He was never going to win the Heritage Cup as the championship is not his style. Dar could use a new real rival in 2024 that could actually dethrone him.

Result

Dar def. Briggs by disqualification to retain the Heritage Cup.

Grade

C+

Notable Moments

• Vic Joseph repeatedly highlighted Briggs working alone between rounds while Dar was surrounded by Meta-Four's support.
• Dar nearly took a fall with a kneebar that he refused to let go even when he almost got pinned.
  
• Trick Williams told Carmelo Hayes that he plans to delay his match with Ilja Dragunov until The Mad Dragon is healthy. Melo told him not to delay.
• In a seemingly unnecessary move, Briggs, Brooks Jensen and Fallon Henley agreed to go their separate ways later in the night.
  

Cora Jade vs. Karmen Petrovic

Karmen Petrovic tried to overwhelm Cora Jade with her strike-heavy offense, but The Generation of Jade put her opponent away with an impact DDT.

Jade continued to taunt Petrovic after the bell, but Gigi Dolin arrived to make the save.

This was nothing to right home about. Jade won a classic NXT squash where the losing wrestler got most of the offense. The action was fairly basic.

The result was never in question, though it is odd that The Generation of Jade is suddenly feuding with Dolin after taking out the NXT women's champion recently.

Result

Jade def. Petrovic by pinfall.

Grade

C-

Notable Moments

• Petrovic caught Jade with a spinning roundhouse kick that Booker T sold as a surprise near-fall.
  

Men's Breakout Tournament: Lexis King vs. Riley Osbourne

Lexis King was rolling until Trey Bearhill stood up from a steel chair on the ramp. It distracted him on the top rope, allowing Riley Osbourne to knock him down and hit a shooting star press to win.

This was a shocking result given that Osbourne remains an unknown property while NXT has immediately committed to King. However, this is best for the tournament as it sets up two fresh names in the Men's Breakout Tournament final.

The match itself was rushed, barely over the three-minute mark, so it is still hard to tell what kind of ceiling Osbourne may have. However, as a member of Chase U, he has a clear story on TV going forward.

King has lost a bit of his mystique since arriving in NXT with two notable losses to end 2023. If he does not start picking up decisive wins, he might lose his credibility all together.

Result

Osbourne def. King by pinfall to advance to the final of the Men's Breakout Tournament.

Grade

D+

Notable Moments

• Afterward, Bearhill sent King running out of the ring.
• Ilja Dragunov vs. Carmelo Hayes at No Mercy won NXT Match of the Year while The Undertaker's appearance on October 10 was Moment of the Year.
  

Bron Breakker vs. Nathan Frazer

Bron Breakker found a worthy fight in Nathan Frazer, but he refused to lose. Frazer missed the Phoenix Splash and walked right into a Spear to seal his loss.

Frazer was a great foil for Breakker, pushing his pace in a match was never dramatic but always exciting. It is always fun to see Breakker challenged in a way he cannot directly meet.

The result may have been a foregone conclusion but did not stop the two working at top gear in the homestretch.

It is hard to get a sense of what Frazer is doing. He talks bad about everyone, making him unlikable but NXT has not committed to a heel turn. Right now, he's just a good wrestler without a clear character.

Once again, the former NXT champion picks up a big win but remains lost. Hopefully, there is some idea for his direction in the new year because he continues to get jumped by others headed to the main roster.

Result

Breakker def. Frazer by pinfall.

Grade

B

Notable Moments

• Backstage, Dar made fun of Breakker until he arrived to challenge Frazer.
• Baron Corbin watched this match closely backstage.
• No Quarter Catch Club challenged Dragon Lee, Joaquin Wilde and Cruz Del Toro to a six-man tag match at New Year's Evil.
  

• Later, Dragon and LWO agreed to the match. Elektra Lopez wanted to speak with Wilde and Del Toro while Lola Vice was not interested. Perhaps due to siding with Santos Escobar in the LWO war based on her recent X tweet.
  

Men's Breakout Tournament: Oba Femi vs. Tavion Heights

Tavion Heights showed that he could match the power of Oba Femi. However, he still fell when Femi blasted him with an elevated powerbomb.

Femi and Heights are two men worth paying attention to. They are powerhouses that can move. Of the two though, the bigger man is the one that is especially intriguing.

While it took too long for NXT to commit to him after his initial debut, it seems NXT is finally ready to push Femi as a destroyer, and he feels like the natural replacement for Bron Breakker as the unstoppable force on the gold brand.

Heights himself is no slouch though and looks poised to follow in the footsteps of The Creed Brothers as an impressive amateur wrestler that can challenge anyone.

Femi vs. Osbourne is an intriguing combination because NXT has not given away who is the favorite. Of the two, the big man has impressed more so far.

Result

Femi def. Heights by pinfall to advance to the finals of the Men's Breakout Tournament.

Grade

B-

Notable Moments

• Heights nearly rolled over Femi with his own version of Suplex City, throwing around the bigger man.
• Riley Osbourne met Femi at the Breakout contract, both stating that they "need this".
• Arianna Grace tried to convince Ava to put Roxanne Perez in anger management. Instead, Ava booked her against The Prodigy next week.
  
• Interviewed together by Sarah Schreiber, Lyra Valkyria and Blair Davenport gave their final words before New Year's Evil.
  

Joe Coffey (w/ Gallus) vs. Joe Gacy

Gallus tried to get involved in this match until Hank Walker and Tank Ledger brawled with them to the back. Joe Gacy took advantage, ducking All the Best for the Bells and hitting The Upside Down to win.

Given the weeks of build, it was odd to rush this out on a show that could have used the time for other contests. Gacy and Coffey do not have much chemistry, but they were both talented enough to deliver a fine contest.

Gacy's evolution has been interesting, though the "crazy" characters have rarely lasted in WWE. His talent feels wasted on strange character writing that does not highlight his full strengths on the mic or in the ring.

Coffey is a good brawler but is not interesting anymore. He loses every major match and hardly has much character left beyond angry Scotsman.

Result

Gacy def. Coffey by pinfall.

Grade

C+

Notable Moments

• The crowd mainly enjoyed making up various chants for "Joe" given the shared name between the competitors.
  

NXT Underground: Dijak vs. Eddy Thorpe

Eddy Thorpe refused to quit no matter what Dijak did to him. When Thorpe came back, Hard Justice showed his own wherewithal, but Dijak finally could not answer the referee after a third Manifest Destiny through the announce table.

The show ended with Trick Williams and Ilja Dragunov signing the contract for their match at New Year's Evil. The Mad Dragon was wearing a neck brace but removed it before signing.

Once again, Dijak picks a fight that he ultimately loses, but it always leads to a great match at the end. This was by far Thorpe's best match so far in NXT.

Thorpe has made the Underground match type his own and showed why WWE may want to use it more, even after he heads to Raw or SmackDown. The grimy dark atmosphere makes the fights feel distinctively personal.

While this has been true for months, it is time to send Hard Justice back to Raw or SmackDown and keep this character with the in-ring aggression. He cannot just build other stars forever.

Result

Thorpe def. Dijak by knockout.

Grade

A

Notable Moments

• The Performance Center crew around the ring kept the energy high throughout, clearly supporting Thorpe.
• Thorpe tried to suplex Dijak to the floor, but Hard Justice landed on his feet, pulled his rival to the floor and hit Feast Your Eyes.
• Hard Justice began beating up Performance Center crew out of frustration when Thorpe got back up.
• Thorpe reversed a powerbomb into a headscissors takedown to the floor followed by an elbow drop off the apron and Manifest Destiny. DIjak refused to quit.
  
• Dijak wiped out Thorpe with an impressive running somersault out of the ring.
  

Overall Show

NXT mostly took this week off. The matches were forgettable beyond setting the stage for bigger contests at New Year's Evil.

The obvious exception was the excellent main event. Dijak and Eddy Thorpe brought it all out and rounded out an up-and-down rivalry with a phenomenal climax.

Bron Breakker vs. Nathan Frazer was the only other match to watch, though it would have been better with a clearer build that sold any other result but the expected.

The Men's Breakout Tournament has played out just as it did in previous years, allowing no one the time they need to truly show out. However, the right men in Oba Femi and Riley Osbourne made the final.

Chase U remains in the mud (pun intended) besides Osbourne's recent success. Josh Briggs has begun to stand out but at the expense of breaking him, Brooks Jensen and Fallon Henley up too fast.

Overall, it was not a promising show for the future, but the card for New Year's Evil should help NXT immediately rebound.

Overall Grade: C-