[4.0] "This wasn't a bad pure wrestling show whatsoever. Its issue was in the booking and it being some of the most idiotic I've probably ever seen. Absolutely nothing made sense, nobody got over, everybody from the talent to the people booking the show looked stupid and they exposed they had absolutely no plan when Oba won the belt back. Failing to deliver an advertised match and then doing a pointless SWERVE for the sake of it was just so Russo I can't believe it happened on a 2025 wrestling show. If they're calling Blake up they didn't need to take the title off of Thea, at least not straight away. Crap match too and one that made Thea look weak as piss as she lost to someone who'd already lost that night as well as stupid as she spoke about the controversy over her win when in storyline there wasn't any. Oba just giving up the title did absolutely nothing for anyone. 0 out of 10 show for all that stuff bumped up by some good in-ring performances but nothing that could truly save it."
[4.0] "4.5/10. Very odd episode decision wise. Blake vs Thea never took place due to a pre-match attack and then Ricky Saints came out to say nothing of importance, Tatum got her win over Izzi next (cool I suppose), then Kendal Grey (your bloody Iron Survivor winner) couldn't get a win over Jacy and we simply moved on, then we have the Women's NA title match where we got another open challenge to make up for the match being cancelled after Blake was kicked out, and Izzi was the one to get and she wins it, obviously teasing the end of the Tatum/Izzi feud being for the title coz why not? Kinda wonder if Blake winning it back was the original plan until she was set to be called up recently. Then we have a big multi-man segment with Ethan Page and the kinda dire state of the men's roster ATM, then Leon Slater (your Iron Survivor replacement, essentially) was beat by Oba after a valiant effort, only for Femi to just vacate the title seemingly as Tony eyes it. I feel like they could've had a screwy finish that game Slater the win, but there wouldn't really be a point with Oba going to the main roster soon. Iron Survivor should really be moved to the road to Stand & Deliver IMO (maybe on Vengeance Day or even Roadblock) and act as NXT's Royal Rumble or Elimination Chamber equivalent. If you're not willing to start the year with a bang in the form of new champs, the stipulation and hype was all for naught, and lets not forget Je'von's early cash-in of sorts which he unceremoniously lost too."
[8.0] "That was a good special episode with 3 great matches, non-expected moments and things that will bring you to watch the next episodes. Ricky Saint's promo was fine, segment of NXT mid-card wrestlers, like Ethan Page, Josh Briggs etc, was pretty fun and showed us who will be the next guys for viewers after call-ups on the main roster. And that brings us to last moment of NXT, when Oba Femi just took his title and went out. Now NXT championship is vacated and Oba going to main roster, like Trick Williams, Je'Von Evans and Jordynne Grace. That was so forsed and debatable thing, but it's not th end. Overall, it was great show with weird booking desicions because of call-ups or maybe something else."
[7.0] "One day after the Stranger Things themed Raw, NXT aired another satisfactory episode of tv wrestling that still fails to exceed beyond competency, though the reasons New Years Evil fails to reach greatness are much different from Raw's own limitations. The initial angle of Hail vs Monroe being derailed due to a pre match beatdown was executed excitingly enough, though the ultimate pay off later was lackluster to say the least, and it didn't really get better with the Ricky Saints promo afterwards. I can't say I dislike Ricky but I'm not really moved by him either, and I can't say I see much of that famous, Rock-eque charisma he was known for in AEW. Dame vs Paxley was up next and it was adequate and not much else. I love Tatum Paxley a lot and I'm pretty amazed by just how over she's gotten with the crowds, and she's a solid worker on top of all that but I didn't get the sense that these two had a ton of chemistry, certainly not as much of some of Paxley's previous opponents. The finish was the right one though and the crowd were very happy about it despite Paxley botching a top-rope 450 just minutes before the three count. The best match of the night was Jayne vs Kendal, continuing what I think is a very long streak of Jacy Jayne matches consistently outperforming most others on any given show. She had a good dance partner here of course, Kendal Grey seems to be nothing short of a savant, though she lacks the intensity of someone like Angle or Lesnar (yet) she seems to have that same quality of being a sponge for wrestling, and her technical ability is already being compared by some to a young Bryan Danielson. I think she deserves to have the rocket strapped to her, I can't think of any young prospect in the company I'm more high on than her. Dame vs Thea was middling, and was undercut by the fact that most of the audience wanted Tatum Paxley involved somehow. I don't see how Izzi winning the belt serves the Hail/Monroe program at all either, easily weakest part of the night. I like Ethan Page and I think he's having one of the best title runs in the company at the moment but the promo train with him on this show was so long and so contrived it made me zone out, they need to stop structuring promo segments like this, or at least make them have fewer people involved. Femi vs Slater was another solid Oba Femi defense. I'm not saying anything original here but Femi is a freak of nature who seems to have been made in a lab to be a pro wrestler, I'm not as high on Slater and I think he could be doing more in the ring to develop a more unique style of his own but that's not say he's not fun to watch in bursts. Femi leaving his belt in the ring after, presumably implying that he's relinquishing the title in preparation of going to the main roster rather than putting over somebody else before he leaves is both hilarious and beast, that's a real wrestler right there."
[5.0] "Außerhalb des Rings passierte recht wenig. Die Storys werden langsam aber sicher weitererzählt, ohne das es großartig im Gedächtnis bleibt. Dabei wirkt alles recht chaotisch und gefühlt beeft sich jeder und jede mit jedem. Die Matches waren in Ordnung, gerade der Main Event war schlechter als erwartet. Match of the Night war für mich Jacy Jayne vs. Kendal Grey."
[6.0] "A solid episode of NXT to start the new year, some okay matches and segments including Ethan Page when he addressed the NXT universe only for a few interruptions which turned into chaos. Tatum Paxley vs Izzi Dame: Better than their previous match at Deadline last month, the action was delivered in a more compelling manner, The Culling not being at ringside made it better, Tatum going over was the right choice and a solid opening match (Even if this was not supposed to be the opener) [***3/4]. Jacy Jayne vs Kendal Grey: This delivered a bit more than anyone could have expecting, personally I was expecting a quick maybe 5 minute match but it was double that time and Grey had a solid showing and should have won the title but Fatal Influence had to get involved which allowed Jayne to retain [***1/2]. Izzi Dame vs Thea Hail: This was an open challenge that was bad as Hail did not come into this 100% and it showed, Dame being the one to get the title match was not great so close after losing to Tatum Paxley earlier in the episode [**]. Oba Femi vs Leon Slater: Slater was the underdog that had his moments even if he did lose, Femi was dominant as expected and got the win, Slater bodyslamming Femi was a highlight [***3/4]"
[4.0] "This episode narrowly avoids being a complete write-off, and that narrow escape is owed almost entirely to the main event. Even then, it feels more like damage control than a true redemption. The show never establishes a strong sense of direction, and by the end, it leaves the impression of a card stitched together reactively rather than thoughtfully booked. If this was indeed Oba Femi's final appearance for the brand, the decision not to move the title is baffling. The show itself demonstrates a willingness to shuffle championships around when it suits the booking, which only makes the restraint here feel inconsistent rather than deliberate. Instead of a meaningful transition or a decisive moment, the title picture is left awkwardly static, robbing the main event of the added weight it could, and arguably should, have carried. The structural problems begin early and never fully go away. Opening with a bait-and-switch immediately undermines audience trust, and the subsequent Open Challenge only compounds the issue. Putting that spotlight on someone who had already lost earlier in the night, while also having them show no visible effects from that loss, completely breaks internal logic. When a wrestler neither sells prior damage nor struggles through a supposed second match, the entire premise collapses. Rather than creating intrigue or heat, it generates indifference and frustration. By the time the main event arrives, the bar has been set uncomfortably low. While the match itself is competent and easily the best thing on the show, it isn't strong enough to retroactively justify what came before it. Instead of feeling like a satisfying climax, it plays more like a reminder of what the show could have been with tighter planning and clearer priorities. In the end, this is an episode defined more by what went wrong than by what went right. If there's anything worth your time here, it's the Femi vs. Slater title match. Beyond that, this is a show best skipped without regret."
[4.0] "New Year's Evil was such a strange show. Thea Hail was supposed to defend her women's NA title against Blake Monroe, but Blake attacked her before their match and was ejected from the building. Ricky Saints then cut a nothing promo, just to fill up some time I guess. Tatum vs Izzi was solid. While there wasn't anything in particular that stood out about the action, it was consistent and everything they did looked fine. Tatum gets a decisive win (6/10). Jacy vs Kendal for the NXT women's title was the best match of the show. They worked well together, showing a good mix of different styles. Jacy retains thanks to interference, but Kendal comes out of this for the better as she continues her rise with another strong performance (7.5/10). Thea Hail comes out and issues an open challenge. In the ensuing chaos, it's Izzi who gets in the ring first. They have an okay match. Then Izzi wins to become the new champion, even though she already lost a match earlier in the night so I don't get what they're going for here. If Thea was going to lose anyway, why not have Blake beat her since those two are feuding? Nonsense (2/10). The Ethan Page segment with a bunch of other people coming out was bad, the men's division in NXT is so weak right now. The main event for the NXT title between Oba and Slater was pretty good, though it never really felt like Slater had a chance to win and Oba retains with relative ease. This could have used a few more minutes (6.5/10). Then as the show closes Oba unceremoniously drops the title because he's being called up to the main roster. This was odd. I know they've had to scramble with all of the callups to the main roster, but the bizarre booking did a poor job of trying to bridge the gap logically and NXT's year begins with no clear direction for what comes next. 4/10"
[5.0] "I liked the opener, both in terms of ring work and storytelling, although I felt it was a bit of filler, but it was still good. Kendall's match was a disaster. In-ring work, it was GREAT; it was the perfect opportunity for Kendall to establish herself, but once again they used the same boring ending as Jacy Jayne. It's always the same thing. I'm not even going to get angry, but it's getting tiresome to always see the same copy-paste in all her title defenses. The open challenge would have been good if it had been Tatum, but Tatum isn't at that level. Tatum should be NXT Champion, so it was good that Izzi responded, and she deserved the title to establish herself as a heel. The main event was good, but disappointing. I was expecting at least the level of OBA vs. Je'von in Heatwave, but they didn't give them time. It was getting good, but the ending was very anticlimactic. It's infuriating that Leon can't beat OBA so she can go to the main roster, but Ricky Saints was able to beat him. It's a shame."
[5.0] "The oba moment was extremely cool, but with the flurry of call-ups the entire NXT division seems extremely confusing. The men's division is cooked and Aigle and Zozaya etc. need to get involved ASAP, and the whole NA title story with the women's was resolved awfully."
[7.0] "NXT New Year's Evil more like NXT The Big Raid Edition, Immaright? fun show overall but it's so obvious that this show wasn't supposed to happen this way, between Blake losing the NA title, call ups, etc. this show felt like NXT trying to re-start the booking they had planned for Stand and Deliver"
[4.0] "An absolute mess of a show full of ridiculous booking. Refs blocking women from an open challenge. A loser of the first match winning a title. Oba just dumping the title instead of putting someone over. Absolutelynnothing here to make me continue to watch this show."
"5/10 NXT is currently getting gutted of its top stars so it's hard to judge it so harshly but at the same time, HBK should've built bigger stars by now. Ricky Saints and Blake Monroe should be farther ahead than they are. I found it a very confusing episode"
"I think this episode was a very strong way to kick off the year, with several endpoints and fresh starting points. I was initially a bit confused by how the Women's North American Title situation was handled, but I ended up appreciating the way they wrapped it up. Jacy vs Kendal was the match of the night. I was also happy with Oba's final match (a necessary farewell). The segment involving the secondary champions and their new challengers was really well done as well, serving as an effective setting point for the year ahead"
[6.0] "For the first episode of NXT in 2026, it went pretty well. We had some good matches (except for the one between Thea Hail and Izzi Dame, which wasn't great), we had a video vignette of Elio Lefleur, and there was a moment of suspense at the end of the main event."
[2.0] "If you had told me that Shawn Michaels started doing drugs again like he did in the 90's, I would believe you after watching tonight's episode of NXT. What in the absolute fuck is he doing with this show? Nothing makes any fucking sense. Storylines are started and then dropped. Babyfaces seldom win anything and are made to look like complete buffoons week after week. The backstage segments are atrociously acted and my fucking GOD was that Ethan Page promo segment an affront to every sense. I've never seen a show where there was such disparity between the actual in ring product and the booking. The wrestling on this show was actually decent which is why I can't give this show a 0 despite really wanting to on principle. Why can't we put over new faces Shawn? Why does Kendal Grey have to wait her fucking turn despite being beyond ready for the strap? Why are we keeping this anchor of a title around the waist of Jacy Jane who should have been called up a fucking year ago? Why do I still bother to give this wretched fucking show a chance every week? Bryan Alvarez is spot on about how this show absolutely sucks. This is the worst booked wrestling show on television bar none. It's like watching late stage WCW with better in ring."
"This show was... something. Tatum beating Izzi was good, although it probably should've been a stipulation match (but maybe they're saving that for later considering what Izzi did later in the night). Jacy/Kendal was really good, but the typical Fatal Influence lame-duck finish was disappointing, especially considering the potential of a Jacy call-up. Thea trying to prove herself after Blake got ejected (for no good reason) was admirable, but the Open Challenge was a disaster (another locker-room-clearing rush, Tatum clearing her path with the chainsaw, only for Izzi to get in from the backside of the ring and steal her spot). Izzi v Thea wasn't great other than the finish of the avalanche I-Drive/Dame Over; which is it? - same thing with Tatum's finisher, what's it's name now? Ricky's promo was weirdly-timed but decent, LeFleur's vignette was cool, Evolve cameos were interesting, Hendry wanting DarkState and "help from badasses" is intriguing, please end Lola vs Kelani next week, Tony needs to explain himself (he can't keep standing there menacingly forever), Ethan's segment that set up Int'l and Speed Title matches was a giant mess, and Oba/Leon was unsurprisingly amazing with an unsurprising but satisfying result. If the show ended there, it's probably an 8 from me. But then, as Ava's addressing the Evolve roster, Stone tells her Oba did something odd. I was like "what'd he do, level someone else who tried to get in his way? " Never could've expected him to leave the title in the ring and be long gone from the inner arena/bowl when the camera cut back to ringside, and I'm not a fan of that. He should've lost it legit, and to JeVon. Down to 6/10 this goes."
[7.0] "This felt like a chapter was ending with Oba Femi leaving, and now the shift is to a rebuild for NXT as they're going to make a crop of new stars. 3 out of the 4 Matches from the show were fun to watch, and I think this rebuild of NXT is going to be quite interesting for 2026. I think it's the smart thing to do, as now WWE Main Roster is going younger, and shifting into an era where the new stars are arriving, so this is going to be cool."
[7.0] "A tough day for NXT, considering that the 3 biggest stars of the brand just left and probably Ethan Page is going to leave soon. All the matches, with the exception oh the Hail and Dame, were very good. With that said, probably the thing that made me write here was the segment with Ethan Page and a showcase with other champions. The NXT men's division is looking worse right now and I think the biggest problem is that the booking is not using the best talent in the positions that they deserve. Stacks, Shiloh Hill, Jasper, D'Angelo are some of the worst names that NXT will put on your TV, and guys like Heights, Borne, Dempsey and Shugars are being underutilized. For the love of God, Wes Lee was released so they could put these LFG guys on TV and Charlie Dempsey is literally on catering when he had awesome matches against the likes of Garrini and Kiyomiya last year. Give the guy a push, it's been 3 years that he is in developmental and you won't book him in meaningful matches."
[6.0] "New Year's Evil felt like a bit of a letdown despite Jayne/Grey and Oba/Leon delivering the goods. Not as big of a disappointment as the first Raw of 2026, but just an okay show when I thought it would be a very good to great one."
[7.0] "Pretty enjoyable show from NXT with a lot of development as it relates to wrestlers moving on to Raw or Smackdown. Some good wrestling on the show with the Jacy Jayne/Kendal Grey match being my match of the night. Some good development for the following week's show as well. 6.5-7"
[8.0] "this was WWE NXT - New Year's Evil 2026 and it was a pretty good show with a great matches expect the NA title match not quite sure if I agree with the other ratings It was a pretty good show I wonder if Blake is getting called up since the title changed over"
[5.0] "Very mediocre episode. Poor segments and a lifeless show until the final 15 minutes. That's too little for what's expected to be a special episode, I'm sorry."
[8.0] "A pretty high-quality show, marking the beginning of a new era in NXT. Most of the brand's top stars are moving to the main roster, and we said goodbye to some of them today. There were good matches, storylines, and overall, the whole thing was a blast to watch. I love these kinds of NXT episodes."
