5 things WWE NXT got right at New Year’s Evil - Announced match called off; Superstar suffers jaw injury

#1 Finn Balor takes his revenge at WWE NXT New Year’s Evil

Safe to say, we've never seen anything like 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 before. #NXTNYE #NXTChampionship @FinnBalor @KORcombat pic.twitter.com/sXy0O49cbB

— WWE NXT (@WWENXT) January 7, 2021

The biggest match of WWE NXT New Year’s Evil headlined the night as Finn Balor defended his NXT Championship against Kyle O’Reilly. O’Reilly had broken Balor’s jaw during their previous contest, but Balor could not break O’Reilly’s will.

The Prince was out for revenge during the contest, while O’Reilly was looking to win his first singles championship in WWE. Both WWE NXT Superstars kicked off the match with some holds before O’Reilly made the mistake of using his teeth on the ropes to break the action. The move proved to be extremely costly as Balor smashed KOR’s jaw into the ropes, possibly causing it to break.

The entire contest revolved around O’Reilly’s jaw, as Balor tried to take advantage of the injury throughout. KOR, on the other hand, kept the NXT Champion at bay with some great offense and showed the heart of a lion.

"You want to be a champion here at #WWENXT? THIS is what you have to put yourself through!" - @StuBennett @FinnBalor vs. @KORCombat for the #NXTChampionship is as INCREDIBLE and HARD-HITTING as ever!#NXTNYE pic.twitter.com/KeuHy6gmCa

— WWE (@WWE) January 7, 2021

The Prince of NXT used the crossface pretty consistently and went for the submission rather than a pin after hitting the 1916 DDT. KOR countered a Coup de Grace attempt and hit The Prince with a superplex followed by a brainbuster.

Balor used O’Reilly’s injuries to his advantage and locked in an abdominal stretch where he targeted KOR’s jaw simultaneously. This caused the challenger to tap out and fail to win the title again.

You damn right. https://t.co/lP0L6ulboB

— Adam Cole (@AdamColePro) January 7, 2021

O'Reilly once again proved that he is among the best wrestlers in WWE today. The injury may have taken a toll on him, especially after all the physical contests he’s had over the past two months. Balor got his revenge and will continue to extend his NXT Championship reign.