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New Year's Evil may just have been the greatest episode of NXT since its rebranding in September. There was very little wrong with it as things continued to move in the right direction.
Tonight was the official dawn of a new era, while the landscape of NXT 2.0 was further established with a title unification. WWE main roster stars continue to grace the brand, as we saw Riddle in action. AJ Styles also appeared. He will take on Grayson Waller in next week's main event.
While New Year's Evil did have a couple of issues, they can easily be rectified in the coming weeks and months. Hopefully, NXT's momentum continues after a bright start to 2022.
Here are the positives and negatives of NXT New Year's Evil 2022. What did you think of the show? Give us your thoughts down in the comments.
#3 Best: Riddle and WALTER meet in the ring at NXT New Year's Evil
One of the biggest matches at New Year's Evil pitted two in-ring masters on opposite sides of a six-man tag team match. Riddle teamed up with MSK against Imperium, with WALTER wrestling his first match on NXT 2.0. The action was incredible from start to finish, as all six men impressed massively.
Riddle's interactions with WALTER were particularly exciting. We saw a combination of stiff kicks, chops, and a few German suplexes from The King of Bros on the former NXT UK Champion.
The end saw Riddle hit the Floating Bro on Fabian Aichner before landing an RKO on Marcel Barthel to win the match. It was a nice tribute to his co-RAW Tag Team Champion, Randy Orton. As a result, MSK's "shaman" angle has concluded as a success.
While it was originally planned to be Jeff Hardy before his WWE release, Riddle did a great job in the role. After all, he and MSK are quite similar. He left New Year's Evil, leaving Nash Carter and Wes Lee wiser in their pursuit to regain the NXT Tag Team Championship.
#2 Best: Carmelo Hayes wins a classic at NXT New Year's Evil
New Year's Evil kicked off with a unification Match for the NXT North American and Cruiserweight Championships, as Carmelo Hayes bested Roderick Strong. The two wrestled a classic filled with impactful moves like a Super X-Plex.
There was hardly any wasted motion in sight. Strong did a brilliant job in shining a spotlight on Hayes, who grasped the opportunity with both hands. He eventually got the win following a Top rope leg drop.
It was well deserved - a true indication of how bright NXT's future is, with stars like Carmelo Hayes at the forefront. New Year's Evil may have been his best night so far.
#2 Worst: Von Wagner should be a silent monster
Von Wagner's NXT career hasn't been the greatest among all the new prospects, but he still has potential. However, as things stand, it may not be realized if NXT doesn't play to his strengths. Wagner is solid in the ring and should let his actions do his talking.
His heel promo at New Year's Evil was an improvement from recent times but still left a lot to be desired. With other heels like Grayson Waller cutting way better promos, Von Wagner should stick to decimating his opponents. He did destroy a few audience members after the promo.
This new edge to Wagner's character is a step in the right direction, but there is still a way to go for him to be a complete success on NXT.
#1 Best: Bron Breakker ascends to the top at NXT New Year's Evil
New Year's Evil was the culmination of NXT 2.0's biggest storyline. Following nearly four months of pursuit, Bron Breakker has dethroned Tommaso Ciampa to become the new NXT Champion. He did so following a match for the ages, which saw him go toe-to-toe with the veteran.
Breakker showed off his impressive moveset as he overpowered Ciampa throughout the commercial-free bout. He also took everything The Blackheart gave him, kicking out of the Fairytale Ending.
Channeling his father, Bron Breakker hit a top rope Bulldog and locked in the Steiner Recliner for the submission win. And just like that, NXT's transition is complete at New Year's Evil. The puppy has turned into a Dog-Faced Gremlin - the undisputed face of the brand.
Say what you will about the direction of NXT 2.0, but there is no doubting Bron Breakker's immense talent. He will be huge in WWE.
#1 Worst: This should have been Cora Jade's night
Mandy Rose looked like an absolute star at New Year's Evil. She arrived on a helicopter before successfully defending her NXT Women's Championship against Raquel Gonzalez and Cora Jade.
However, one must feel that this should have been Jade's time. She may be incredibly young but on a night where we saw a true changing of the guard for NXT, a trick may have been missed in not crowning the 20-year-old prospect at New Year's Evil.
The one positive is that Cora Jade's eventual title win over Rose will be much sweeter, whenever that comes. She has a big future waiting for her in WWE.
