5 things WWE NXT got right at New Year’s Evil: Bron Breakker wins after legendary move; AJ Styles confirms match
WWE NXT hosted the annual New Year's Evil special in the first week of January. The creative team booked all the champions of the brand in matches for the event.
In a title unification match, NXT Cruiserweight Champion Roderick Strong competed against North American Champion Carmelo Hayes. The NXT Tag Team Champions Imperium teamed up with WALTER to take on Riddle and MSK.
Mandy Rose defended her NXT Women's Championships against Cora Jade and Raquel Gonzalez. Meanwhile, Cameron Grimes made his intentions to win gold very clear.
The biggest match of the night saw Bron Breakker take on NXT Champion Tommaso Ciampa for the title. AJ Styles also arrived on the brand to confront a rising superstar at New Year's Evil.
The creative team delivered as most of the matches were solid on Tuesday night. Take a look at the five things WWE got right at NXT New Year's Evil.
#5. Carmelo Hayes defeated Roderick Strong at WWE NXT New Year's Evil
.@roderickstrong turns @Carmelo_WWE inside out!
#NXTNYE #WWENXT https://t.co/SxaU0Zw8lD
Carmelo Hayes seemed overconfident as he came out for the title unification match at WWE NXT New Year's Evil. The North American Champion wore a t-shirt that mocked Roderick Strong and stepped over it on his way to the ring.
Strong came out looking focused and was ready to teach the younger superstar a lesson. The two men traded some strikes before Hayes showcased his agility.
The NXT Cruiserweight fought back and pulled out the Stronghold to wear Melo down. The A Champion made it to the ropes, but Strong hit him with a series of running forearms followed by an Olympic Slam that nearly sealed the win.
The two men battled to the top rope, where Carmelo hit an X-Plex for another nearfall. He finished the Cruiserweight Champion with a leg drop to become the unified champion.
It was expected that NXT would choose the newcomer over the veteran in the clash. However, Hayes proved himself and worked hard for the win. It was a good match that helped put Melo on the map.
A show-stopping way to START #NXTNYE! Congratulations to the NEW Unified North American Champion! #UnificationMatch #WWENXT twitter.com/wwe/status/147…
WWE needs to give Carmelo Hayes some good matches in 2022 before moving him to the main roster. Meanwhile, Strong will likely move into another rivalry quickly to stay relevant to the brand.