NXT New Year's Evil Results: New Champions crowned; Riddle brings out the RKO
NXT New Year's Evil kicked off with a recap of last year's biggest feuds. We saw Carmelo Hayes and Trick Williams walk out to the ring followed by Diamond Mine and Roderick Strong, for the Championship unification match.
Who leaves #NXTNYE as NXT North American Champion?
@Carmelo_WWE and @roderickstrong are set for battle in a #UnificationMatch! #WWENXT https://t.co/GM1H5fJoZq
Carmelo Hayes vs. Roderick Strong - Champion vs. Champion match on NXT New Year's Evil
.@Carmelo_WWE and @roderickstrong are putting it all on the line in this #UnificationMatch!!
Who will walk out of #NXTNYE as #WWENXT North American Champion? https://t.co/ccFn3u353b
The match started off slow with Melo going for a submission move early on but Roddy managed to counter it before taking the North American Champ down to the mat.
.@roderickstrong turns @Carmelo_WWE inside out!
#NXTNYE #WWENXT https://t.co/SxaU0Zw8lD
Roderick transitioned to a Boston Crab hold before getting a near fall on Melo off an Olympic Slam. On the apron, Carmelo hit a big DDT before heading back to the ring. Melo got a kick to the face but Roderick took him to the top rope for an X-Plex.
馃く馃槺馃く馃槺馃く
#NXTNYE #WWENXT @Carmelo_WWE @roderickstrong https://t.co/1uWvEMGqi7
Melo nearly got the pin off the risky move from Roddy but the Cruiserweight champ kicked out. Melo got a top rope leg drop before picking up the win at New Year's Evil!
Result: Carmelo Hayes def. Roderick Strong
.@Carmelo_WWE has done it!
#NXTNYE #WWENXT #UnificationMatch https://t.co/fPqqTbbZQj
Grade: B+
Ciampa and AJ Styles were catching up backstage as NXT New Year's Evil continued.
"Isn't this phenomenal"
#NXTNYE #WWENXT @NXTCiampa @AJStylesOrg https://t.co/Sdie8NrIFz
AJ Styles was out next on NXT New Year's Evil and got on the mic and thanked the fans for supporting him for so long. He said that he had some regrets and one of them was the fact that he never joined NXT before going to the main roster.
"There's something special about this place. There's something special about #WWENXT."
#NXTNYE @AJStylesOrg https://t.co/K2cfbkfAr4
Styles said that he admired the passion that the NXT fans had for the brand and that he wasn't going to let guys like Grayson Waller take that away.
Waller walked out and mocked AJ for losing last night on RAW and took credit for the loss, saying that AJ was too busy worrying about Waller to win last night.
Oh it's like that @GraysonWWE?
Well @AJStylesOrg is more than ready for a fight. #NXTNYE https://t.co/ajG1jYsVgu
AJ challenged Waller to a match right then and there but Grayson said that he was going to do this on his time. Waller wanted it to be the main event next week and AJ agreed, vowing to embarrass the newcomer.