The last WWE NXT event of 2025 erupted inside Orlando’s Performance Center, delivering a chaotic climax as Ricky Saints emerged victorious in a controversial grudge match against Je’Von Evans. Fans witnessed a slate of dynamic championship clashes, year-end accolades, and heated rivalries that set the tone for the upcoming New Year’s Evil event, with the Ricky Saints grudge match NXT showdown taking center stage.
Championship Stakes Amp Up the Action
Excitement soared early as Ethan Page put his NXT North American Championship on the line against Moose, a former TNA World and X-Division Champion. Page wasted no time initiating the fight, ambushing Moose during introductions and quickly leading the brawl outside the ring. Both competitors endured punishing exchanges, with Moose absorbing a shoulder blow from the metal steps before returning the favor and posting Page’s shoulder. The contest paused for a commercial, both selling arm injuries, but upon return Moose ignited a ferocious rally while visibly struggling with his arm.
The momentum swayed as the two traded heavy strikes and near falls, with Moose landing a devastating avalanche tree slam and powerbomb for two. A highlight saw Moose spear Page through the barricade, then attempt another spear in the ring, only for Page to save himself with a rope break. Moose took a brutal fall onto the steps, and Page responded with a flying press and ultimately his Twisted Grin finisher, pinning Moose cleanly to retain his title.
Elsewhere on the card, Tavion Heights shocked the arena with an exceptionally swift victory in the WWE Speed Tournament finals against Lexis King. Caught off guard as the match began, King was suplexed and pinned in just seconds, marking one of the fastest finishes in NXT history and earning Heights a shot at Jasper Troy’s WWE Speed Championship.
Spotlight Shines on NXT’s Top Performers
The live broadcast saw year-end honors handed out to NXT’s best. Je’Von Evans received the Male Superstar of the Year trophy, outpacing nominees like Ricky Saints, Trick Williams, Ethan Page, and Oba Femi. Later, Sol Ruca secured the Female Superstar of the Year award, earning her second major nod of the night after winning NXT Tag Team of the Year alongside Zaria. Notable nominees for Tag Team of the Year included Hank & Tank, The Culling, Fatal Influence, and Darkstate, but it was Ruca and Zaria who held up the gold.
The standout match of the year went to the three-way contest between Oba Femi, Je’Von Evans, and Trick Williams for the NXT Championship at Stand & Deliver in Las Vegas. This bout edged out other high-profile matches such as Sol Ruca vs. Kelani Jordan for the NXT Women’s North American title at Battleground in Tampa, and Ethan Page vs. Ricky Saints in a falls count anywhere showdown at the Great American Bash in Orlando.
Women’s Division Heats Up with High Stakes and Hostile Attacks
With New Year’s Evil on the horizon, NXT Women’s Champion Jacy Jayne took on Wren Sinclair in a high-energy, non-title bout. Sinclair controlled the opening, focusing on Jayne’s arm and resiliently fending off interference from NXT Women’s North American Champion Fallon Henley and the duo Fatal Influence. Jayne fought through with a pinpoint superkick, but Sinclair mounted a comeback with high-impact moves, including suplexes and a cattle mutilation submission. Both athletes exchanged intense holds and near falls until Jayne escaped an inside cradle and landed her Rolling Encore for the pin.
After the match, Fatal Influence attacked Sinclair, prompting Kendal Grey to storm the ring. Showing no lasting effects from being ambushed earlier in the evening, Grey turned the tide, trapping Jayne in an arm bar as the villains retreated with Grey standing tall, holding the women’s title aloft. The incident fueled anticipation for Jayne’s title defense against Grey at New Year’s Evil. Meanwhile, Thea Hail requested Jordynne Grace’s support at her side for the upcoming event, and Grace, though hesitant, agreed.
Villains and Virtuosos: Mid-Show Intrigue and Musical Mayhem
Adding variety, Joe Hendry took the stage for his much-hyped New Year’s Eve Eve concert, livening up the crowd and commentary. Accompanied by his guitar, Hendry reflected on his achievements before launching into a song referencing other stars and moments from across the NXT brand in 2025. Booker T’s commentary joined the musical spirit, with Hendry’s hook line earning a memorable spot:
“Join us on CW. You won’t believe your eyes. NXT was the show for me in 2025.” — Joe Hendry, Wrestler/Musician
The performance was dramatically interrupted by Darkstate, who ambushed Hendry with a coordinated attack, leaving him laid out after a devastating assistive powerbomb and standing over him in a show of dominance.
Elsewhere backstage, General Manager Ava urged a discouraged Blake Monroe to find her confidence in pursuit of reclaiming the NXT Women’s North American Championship. Other segments saw drama between Izzi Dame and Tatum Paxley, as Dame demanded action from The Culling but ultimately found herself bested in a physical exchange. Their conflict is slated to continue at New Year’s Evil in another anticipated grudge match.
Tag Team Tensions and Tournament Triumphs
The tag team match pitting OTM (Bronco Nima & Lucien Price) against Swipe Right (Brad Baylor & Ricky Smokes, with WWE Evolve Champion Jackson Drake) further showcased the ever-shifting alliances and rivalries within the NXT roster. The heels, backed by the full Vanity Project including Jackson Drake, could not overcome OTM’s power as interference backfired spectacularly—Drake was slammed to the mat while Nima and Price executed their tandem finisher to secure the pin.
Tag team action, as well as stable conflicts like those involving The Culling and Fatal Influence, underscored the ongoing faction warfare that gripped NXT throughout the year. These battles added more layers to storylines leading into future events.
Ricky Saints and Je’Von Evans: Grudge Match Erupts in Main Event
The evening’s headline attraction, the much-anticipated Ricky Saints grudge match NXT clash with Je’Von Evans, burst into chaos from the opening bell. Evans wasted no time, ambushing Saints before the official start and launching a wild brawl that spilled outside and over the announce desk. Both competitors pulled out every stop: Saints, focusing on Evans’s knee, sent him crashing through a barricade in a nod to earlier rivalry spots, while Evans countered with aerial maneuvers, including an outside dive and a highlight-reel top rope clothesline.
Back in the ring following a break, Saints locked in a guillotine, but Evans powered out with a suplex. Evans then surged with a series of high-octane moves: superkick, flip kick, a tornado DDT reversal, and a flying knee for a near fall. A dramatic back-and-forth ensued—Evans attempted a frog splash, Saints countered with a Pearl River Plunge, and action escalated as they crashed over the desk on the outside once more.
The closing sequence was a showcase of resilience and cunning. Evans, after several near falls, went for a springboard maneuver but was tripped by Saints, who tried a pin with leverage from the ropes. The referee spotted the infraction. Saints hit a spear, but Evans stubbornly kicked out. Saints hit a tornado DDT, and again Evans survived. As the emotion built, Evans fired up, countering a Roshambo and catching Saints with a Diamond Cutter. But in a crucial moment, Evans struck the referee with a cutter by accident.
With the official incapacitated, Saints feigned injury before resorting to a low blow, then delivered a Roshambo to Evans. A second referee rushed in and counted the decisive pin, handing Saints a highly controversial victory in the culminating moment of NXT’s final episode of 2025. Ricky Saints celebrated in the ring, his triumph marred by the tainted circumstances but closing the year on a controversial high note.
Looking Ahead: Consequences and Rivalries Set for New Year’s Evil
The implications of these heated contests and contentious finishes promise to spill into New Year’s Evil, with Oba Femi scheduled to defend the NXT Championship against Leon Slater and Jacy Jayne’s renewed feud with Kendal Grey ready to ignite. The events of the night set new benchmarks for athletic competition and storyline intensity, particularly around Ricky Saints’s divisive tactics. As NXT’s stars gain accolades and settle personal grudges, 2025 is shaping up to be a year defined as much by resolve and controversy as it is by pure athleticism and spectacle.
