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NXT kicked off with the Tag Team Championship streetfight between the teams of Oney Lorcan & Danny Burch and Drake Maverick & Killian Dain. Maverick and Dain attacked the champs during their entrance before the streetfight began.
Oney Lorcan & Danny Burch (c) vs. Drake Maverick & Killian Dain - Streetfight for the NXT Tag Team Titles
Dain and Maverick went for some tables as the match began but the champs managed to avoid being put through them before taking out Maverick and working on Dain in the ring. Dain used Maverick as a weapon before Drake was sent into a chair thanks to Lorcan.
We returned from commercials to see Lorcan whipping Drake with a belt before Dain came to the rescue and the champs tried to send him through stacked tables but Dain only went through one of them. Drake was cornered in the ring but he managed to hit some low blows to even the odds. Burch came in with a cricket bat and they hit the tandem DDT on Maverick for the win.
Result: Oney Lorcan & Danny Burch def. Drake Maverick & Killian Dain to retain the NXT Tag Team Titles
Match rating: A
Gargano, LeRae, Theory, and Indi were celebrating 'A Very Gargano Christmas' and opening presents before we moved on with NXT.
Tyler Rust and Malcolm Bivens were backstage and were confident about Rust's match tonight.
Isiah "Swerve" Scott vs. Jake Atlas on NXT
Scott was dominating early in the match before Atlas managed to hit a Dragonscrew. Scott was hit with a springboard move before heading outside to catch a breather before we headed for a break.
Scott hit a tilt-a-whirl DDT and a suplex for a near fall before sending Atlas into the corner, setting him up on the turnbuckles but Atlas reversed it into a hurricanrana.
Isiah "Swerve" Scott vs. Jake Atlas on NXT (contd...)
Scott somehow landed on his feet before hitting some big kicks on Atlas for a near fall. After a little back and forth, Scott hit the Confidence Boost for the win on NXT.
Result: Isiah "Swerve" Scott def. Jake Atlas
Match rating: B-
Adam Cole and Roderick Strong were in a backstage interview when Velveteen Dream got in their face but Cole slapped him before they stormed off.
Timothy Thatcher was in a short promo where he challenged Ciampa to a match.
Rhea Ripley vs. Dakota Kai on NXT
Dakota was back for the first time since TakeOver: WarGames and started off with some kicks before Ripley picked her up and tossed her away. Ripley dropped Kai on the apron before Kai stomped on her arm and sent her into the ring post.
We returned from commercials to see Ripley in an armbar but she powered through and took Kai out with a slam. Ripley's left arm was injured as the former NXT Women's champ took a boot to the face but managed to hit the Alabama Slam.
Rhea Ripley vs. Dakota Kai on NXT (contd...)
Ripley locked in a Reverse cloverleaf while Raquel Gonzalez showed up on the stage. Dakota found the ropes before Rhea went for the Riptide but Kai reversed it into a Guillotine. Ripley threw her off and hit the Riptide before getting the three-count on NXT.
Result: Rhea Ripley def. Dakota Kai
Gonzalez was heading towards the ring when a host of officials tried to stop her. She still managed to get in and stared Ripley down in the ring before the inevitable brawl broke out.
The officials and staff could barely separate the two before we headed back to the Gargano household.
Match rating: B
Indi received a PS5 for Christmas but there was nothing in the box. Her real gift was she could now use the family nickname, she's now Indi Wrestling.
Toni Storm was backstage and wanted to challenge Shirai for the NXT Women's title.
Bronson Reed vs. Ashante 'Thee' Adonis on NXT
Reed returned and was sporting a new hairstyle and a dance Kaiju inspired jacket. Adonis was in a tough spot as the match began and Reed had the upper hand all along. Reed managed to hit a huge Tsunami for the quick win.
Result: Bronson Reed def. Ashante 'Thee' Adonis
Match rating: C
Io Shirai was out next and she got a chair and a mic top the ring, where she sat and waited for Toni Storm. Mercedes Martinez attacked her from behind and sent her into the barricades and ring post outside on NXT.
Martinez sent Shirai into the front of the announce table before we headed for commercials.
Back to the Gargano household, LeRae opened her present and it was a wheel from Shotzi's tank. They took a family picture to end the festivities before we were back to the ring.
Timothy Thatcher vs. Leon Ruff on NXT
Thatcher was dominating from the start and hit suplexes and strikes to take Ruff down. He locked in a hold while yelling for Ciampa to show up. Thatcher got a chair and set it up at ringside for Ciampa.
Back to the ring, Ruff managed to get the upper hand with an inside cradle but Thatcher came back with another suplex and a series of kicks to take him down. Ruff went for the inside cradle again and picked up the win.
Result: Leon Ruff def. Timothy Thatcher
Thatcher was beating down on Ruff after the match but Ciampa cut him off and nailed him with Willow's Bell on NXT. He accepted Thatcher's offer for a match and it was revealed to be a Fight Pit match.
Match rating: B
Dexter Lumis, the host of the upcoming New Year's Evil was drawing a Last Woman Standing match between Rhea Ripley and Raquel Gonzalez, announcing it for the NXT New Year's special.
Tyler Rust vs. Ariya Daivari on NXT
Rust had the upper hand early on and managed to keep the pressure on Daivari. Rust spun Aria on his back before he was dropkicked to the outside. Back in the ring, Rust locked in a triangle lock but Daivari found the ropes with his legs.
Rust went for a series of kicks before going for another submission. Daivari tapped out after a few seconds, handing Rust the win on NXT.
Result: Tyler Rust def. Ariya Daivari
Match rating: B-
Ruff was backstage and said that he got a rematch for the NXT North American Championship next week.
Adam Cole vs. Velveteen Dream on NXT
Cole took Dream to the mat as the match started and was in control as he took Dream into the corner and hit some big kicks. Pete Dunne attacked Strong at ringside and hit the Bitter End.
Adam Cole vs. Velveteen Dream on NXT (contd...)
Back after a break, Dream and Cole were still going at it and Cole hit a big boot and a suplex for a near fall. Outside, Cole managed to hit a superkick while Dream was diving to the outside on NXT.
Dream was hit with another Superkick in the ring before Cole locked in the Figure-Four. Cole broke the hold but almost hit the referee with a superkick. Dream used the opportunity to try for a pin before going for the purple rainmaker for a near fall.
Dream got caught in another superkick off a dive before Adam Cole picked up the win with the Last Shot on NXT.
Result: Adam Cole def. Velveteen Dream
Match rating: A
Episode rating: A
We got a great Christmas episode with snippets of the Gargano family unwrapping their gifts and a great opening match. The main event was great while the Last Woman Standing was set up for New Year's Evil. We got two great returns from Bronson and Kai while Shirai took a big beating from Martinez.
