WWE NXT before New Year's Evil - Best & Worst - AJ Styles to confront top heel, Championship to be retired?
With only one week until New Year's Evil, NXT did a fine job in building to the brand's first big show of 2022. A few hiccups and absentees were well masked, with some Superstars appearing via video.
Tommaso Ciampa and Bron Breakker were not on the show, with NXT instead showcasing their feud in a video package. Meanwhile, other singles title matches received further builds. We will also get a huge multi-man match at New Year's Evil, featuring a main roster Champion.
Things are looking up for NXT. Several new faces are in the spotlight. A lot of them are good, while some of them could do with better creative direction. Either way, the potential keeps on flowing as we head towards New Year's Evil.
Here are the main positives and negatives from the last episode of NXT in 2021. What did you think of this week's show? Let us know down in the comments.
#3 Best/Worst: A tired concept with a new twist on NXT
wait a minute, wait a minute, wait a minute...
Now tonight's main event will be @RaquelWWE & @CoraJadeWWE vs. @shirai_io & @Kay_Lee_Ray, and the winning team will battle @WWE_MandyRose for her title at #NewYearsEvil?!? https://t.co/DpZZo5iID8
The story of two Superstars trying to co-exist with each other in a tag team has been extremely played out in WWE, with a few instances coming in NXT itself. But this week saw a new layer to this tired trope.
Instead of the originally scheduled match against Toxic Attraction, Cora Jade and Raquel Gonzalez defended their place in the NXT Women's Championship match at New Year's Evil. They took on Io Shirai and Kay Lee Ray, both of whom were eager to enter the title picture on the spot.
The tag team match between WarGames partners was solid, with Gonzalez helping Jade reverse a pinfall attempt to win and keep their places. The two of them will indeed challenge Mandy Rose for the NXT Women's Title at New Year's Evil.
It will be @CoraJadeWWE & @RaquelWWE moving on to #NewYearsEvil to battle @WWE_MandyRose in a Triple Threat Match... and it's already getting HEATED! https://t.co/NUBr1tO6mR
Rose was not at the show. Instead, she was sending in spontaneous videos next to a swimming pool in real-time. The timing of her interruptions on the screen was comically perfect as if she was right there next to Cora Jade and Raquel Gonzalez.
The NXT Women's Champion wouldn't look very smart if she doesn't have some sort of plan for her triple threat Title defense next week.