Welcome to NXT Deadline!

NOTE: this article WILL transition to live results for tonight's program. Welcome one and all to NXT Deadline! Tonight's show starts at 7pm Eastern--that's 6pm Central, 5pm Mountain, and 4pm for you West Coasties. Unlike most WWE PLEs, tonight's program airs on Peacock in the US. We've got five matches on tap for tonight. As always, this article will transition to live results shortly prior to the start of the card. Until then, way in below with your predictions, thoughts, or whatever you'd like--it's 2:35am EST, far too early for me to be picky!

Speaking of tonight's card, NXT Champion Ricky Saints puts his title on the line against the juggernaut Oba Femi. Also up for grabs is the NXT North American Championship when Ethan Page defends against AAA's Mr. Iguana. Also on tap in non-title singles action is Tatum Paxley as she seeks a measure of revenge against Izzi Dame for costing Pax her women's championship last month. We've also got two Iron Survivor matches ahead of us. For the men, Je'Von Evans, Joe Hendry, Myles Borne, Dion Lennox, and TNA X-Division Champion Leon Slater will duke it out for a future NXT Championship opportunity. And battling for a shot at women's gold are Lola Vice, Sol Ruca, Jordynne Grace, Kelani Jordan, and Kendal Grey.

We'll have all that and possibly a little bit more, starting tonight at 7pm Eastern! Until then, have a great start to your weekend and don't forget to bookmark this page!

Show Starting Soon

Alright, folks, our show starts at the top of the hour. No card changes are evident on the WWE.com website so it looks like we're good to go!

NXT Championship Match: Ricky Saints(c) vs Oba Femi

Just announced at 6:57pm EST: for the first time in history, the NXT Championship match will open a PLE! We get two opening vignettes, see arrivals, and then our entrances start at 7:06pm EST. Out first is our challenger, Oba Femi. Our champ is out next in absolute style. We get our opening bell at 7:11. Both men start by circling up before engaging in a short back-and-forth sequence. Femi and Saints take turns in control; the crowd's hot for both young Superstars. Oh yeah, we're reminded a few dozen times that John Cena picked the Superstars for tonight's Iron Survivor challenges. The first few minutes see both competitors taking short turns in control before Femi begins to chain enough offense together to, officially, take control.

Saints takes a turn on the offense around 7:15pm, laying into the challenger with quick slows and blows. He switches tactics a few times, targeting Femi's legs and arms. Femi rallies and hoists the champ high above his head, military press-style, then drops the champ down hard on the canvas. Femi takes another turn in control, slowing the pace drastically by using rope-assisted holds and working grapples. Oba hits a beautiful suplex toss, sending Saints flying from the corner to the middle of the ring. Femi covers but no joy. This angers him, and he begins to kick and pummel the champ in a corner. Someone get Booker an indica, we're barely 18 minutes in, no way he makes it the rest of tonight without some assistance. Femi continues to keep the pace slow and steady, punishing the champ with holds and powerful blows while he's downed.

Saints tries to fire up about 7:20pm, hitting a pair of basement dropkicks to Femi's knees before going on the offense in the corner. Saints heads up top and hits a Hurricanrana/Spear combo, covering for a close two. The champ rides the momentum, stringing together several moves that culminate in a Stunner for another close cover. Saints slaps on a Guillotine on Femi; the challenger fades, briefly, before powering to his feet. Saints holds on. Femi begins to fade, dropping to a knee. Saints wraps his legs in a body-scissors on Femi. Fem, again, tries to rally, rising to his feet. Femi hoists the champ up and tosses him, freeing himself. Femi charges the champ as he stands on the apron; Saints drops down, pulling the rope down and sending Femi flying. Saints follows it up with a flying forearm dive to the outside, dropping Femi. The ref begins a count-out. Femi barely gets in at 9.9. Saints with a modified Famouser and a cover attempt for two. Both men rise and begin to slug it out in the ring. The pace picks up drastically as both Superstars begin to take turns hitting signature moves. Saints looks for a Roshambo; Femi escapes. Femi hits a Fall From Grace and covers but no joy. Femi hits a sit-out Fall From Grace, covering to pick up the win at 7:28pm!

Oba Femi faces Cody Rhodes next Saturday night at SNME.
Your Winner AND NEW NXT Champion, Oba Femi! (17 minutes)

After the Match

Saints rises and offers a hand; Oba Femi shakes it and the crowd pops. The two remain posed like that, holding hands, for an awkward time. Finally the cringe is over and we cut to hype for New Years Evil next month on January 6th. Oh, that date, oh...

Women's Iron Survivor Challenge Match: Sol Ruca, Jordynne Grace, Kelani Jordan, Lola Vice, Kendal Grey

Iron Survivor Rules: Five superstars, 25 minutes. Two start off, with the other three joining every five minutes until all five are in the ring. The goal: have the most falls, Iron Man-style, within 25 minutes. Points are awarded for pinfalls and submissions. If you're pinned or submit, you're put in a penalty box for ninety seconds. The Superstar with the most points at the end is our Iron Survivor, and they get a championship title shot in the future. Out first is former TNA Knockouts Champion Kelani Jordan, followed by WWE Evolve Women's Champion Kendal Grey, escorted out by Wren Sinclair (together they are "Wren QCC"). We get our bell at 7:44pm EST. Remember, these two will have the full 25 minutes to fight; they'll also be the most-fatigued duo in this match. Grey and Jordan start off fast, with neither Superstar establishing a commanding control early on. Both attempt pinfalls repeatedly, unsuccessfully. Vic Joseph is definitely a Kelani Jordan, based on his comments--he points out not only has she been on a cold streak lately, but also that she failed to score a single point the last time she was in a Women's Iron Survivor match. Finally Grey steals a pin seconds before the buzzer sounds. Out next: Jordynne Grace at 7:49pm. Kelani Jordan is sent to the penalty box.

Grace hits the ring and immediately lays into Grey. She works over Grey and locks in a unique submission hold--no clue as to its name, but commentary didn't know, either. Jordan is released from penalty in time to make the save. Grace is sent out of the ring; Jordan and Grey again clash and go after each other with repeated pin attempts. Jordan scores a pinfall at 7:51pm, and Grey is sent to a penalty box. Grey & Jordan have 1 point each; Grace has zero. Grace and Jordan battle it out. Grace with clotheslines to lay out Jordan. Jordan fires off a jumping facebuster (commentary called it a DDT, did not look like a DDT). Jordan covers Jordynne but no joy. The clock counts down for the penalty box and Grey is released...and immediately wiped out by Jordan, who dives outside and connects with a knee. Grace and Jordan continue to battle in the ring as Grey recovers. Grey hits the ring and drops Grace then goes after Jordan and they continue to battle until Lola Vice enters the match at 7:54pm.

Vice cleans house with kicks, then drops Grey and covers to pick up a point! Grey's sent to the penalty box. Everyone has a point but Grace and Ruca. Grey, Vice, and Grace all engage in a fast-paced three-way that's too much for this reporter to transcribe. Finally the penalty box opens and all four go at it. Grey looks for an arm submission on Grace; Grace tries to escape with a roll-up but Grey reverses and pins Grace. Grace goes to the penalty box. Everyone but Sol Ruca have a point now. The action continues. Grace is finally released from the penalty box and hits the ring on fire, chopping and slamming and bombing everyone she can in a mad rush. Grace looks for pin attempts on Grey (fail) then Vice (another fail). Jordan dives in from the top; Grace catches her, rolls through, and picks up the pin! Sol Ruca enters the match at 7:59pm and we have ten minutes left! Current Score: Jordan, Grace, Vice 1; Grey, 2; Ruca, 0 As Ruca approaches the ring, she's attacked by Kelani Jordan, who's supposed to be in the box. Jordan grabs Ruca's bad knee, yanks her down by the knee, and Ruca lands on it. The ref sends a limping (with assistance) Ruca to the back to a chorus of boos.

The action continues and, about a minute or so later, Sol Ruca returns running at full strength and attacks Kelani Jordan. Sol hits the Sol Snatcher on Vice & Jordan, then covers them both! Sol scores two points and Vice & Jordan are sent to the penalty box with six and a half minutes left! Current Score: Ruca & Grey, 2; Grace, Vice & Jordan 1. Ruca "fights through the pain" as she continues to kick, hop, run, and dive off the ropes. Ruca kips up and hops on her bad knee. Ruca with a kick to Grace, covering. Grey makes the save. Grey looks for a DDT but Ruca counters and slams Grey down. Ruca with a Dragon Sleeper on Grey; Grace slaps an ankle submission on Grey. Outside, Vice & Jordan are released. Vice slaps a Sleeper on Jordan before realizing it won't count as she's outside the ring. All chaos ensues as all five Superstars battle with under four and a half minutes to go. Jordan covers Grace, snatching a point and sending Jordynne to the penalty box. The battle continues inside and out the ring. Current Score: Jordan, Ruca & Grey, 2; Grace & Vice, 1.

Jordan with a springboard Moonsault to wipeout everyone by the ring. Jordan sends Vice into the ring. Jordan ducks under a Roundhouse Kick from Vice, slams her into the ground, and looks for a 450 but no joy. Jordynne Grace is back in this match at 8:06pm. Grace with a German Suplex/Blockbuster combo. Grace with a spinning sit-out powerbomb on Jordan, picking up a point. Vice with a kick to Grey who attacked Grace; Vice covers, picking up a point. Current Score: five-way tie at two! Grace and Ruca battle on the apron; Grey & Jordan are in the penalty box; Vice leaps onto Ruca's back with a sleeper outside the ring. Ruca rams Vice against the ring side, then drops back to slam her into the hard floor. Less than sixty seconds to go, tied at two. Bare with me, folks, these matches are wild. Ruca with a Sol Snatcher off the steps onto Lola Vice on the hard ringside floor! Ruca sends Vice into the ring; Kelani, released from penalty box, attacks her from behind. Jordan with a 450 to cover Vice; Grace makes the save. Grace is pulled out by Jordan. Grey is out of the box and hits Shades of Grey on Lola Vice as time expires, picking up the win at 8:09pm EST. What?!

Your Winner and NEW #1 Contender, Kendal Grey! (25 minutes)

Match Set

Kendal Grey will take on Jacy Jayne for the NXT Women's Championship at New Year's Evil on January 6th. To sell this point, Jacy Jayne and her hussies come out to stare down Grey before we head to ads.

North American Championship Match: Ethan Page(c) vs Mr. Iguana

Mr. Iguana is out first at 8:20pm, followed by the North American Champion Ethan Page. We get our bell at 8:22pm. They're expeditious with this one tonight. The match, however, is not. This match is, well, what you'd expect from a participant named Mr. Iguana. At one point, he plays dead. Lots of silly shenanigans; go watch the YouTube if you want a better recap of this ten-year-old mediocrity than I'm giving you. To quote a famous police captain, I'm too old for this shit. Ethan Page gets hit with a Beanie Baby at 8:25. Mr. Iguana covers but no joy. Iguana does a spinny thing that Page over-sells as he heads outside. The action, for what it is, continues outside. Page sends Iguana's face into the steel steps and finally, I feel a sliver of life in my dead soul. Page whips Iguana into the ropes before dropping him with an elbow. Page slaps Iguana's head. Okay, back to boring again. Iguana rallies. Iguana gets the puppet and looks for an Old School type move, only for Page to catch him and powerslam him. Page stomps Iguana, stands on his arm, and rips the stupid puppet off. Page is booed as he grimaces at the puppet. He spits on it and throws it out the ring. Mr. Iguana, of course, hulks-up to punish Page. Iguana with an anger-fueled comeback sequence. Ethan Page, however, won't stand for that and picks up the win at 8:31pm. It's over, thank god it's finally over.

Your Winner and STILL NXT North American Champion, Ethan Page! (9 minutes)

Singles Match: Tatum Paxley vs Izzi Dame

We get a video hyping this match. To sum up, Paxley and Dame were friends; Paxley won the title and didn't listen to Dame's advice not to get all willy-nilly with challenges. Dame screwed Paxley, costing her the title in a match against Jacy Jayne. Paxley vowed to make Dame feel all her pain. At 8:43pm, Izzi Dame is out first, escorted by the Culling. Tatum Paxley is out next. We get our bell at 8:45pm. Paxley is upset and crying and the two meet up in the middle of the ring. Dame attempts to soothe Paxley, clearly setting her up. Tatum doesn't fall for it and the two begin to battle. Pax is off to a hot start. Dame rolls out of the ring and begs off Pax at one point. Pax walks over and helps Dame to her feet. They hug; the crowd boos and Izzi looks evil at the camera, then sends Pax into the steel steps. Shocker.

Dame sends Pax back into the ring before the ref hits his 100 count and the action continues, with Dame taking control and battering Pax around the ring. Dame slows the pace, taunting the crowd frequently. I do mean slow. The time is 8:50pm; tonight's forecast calls for clear skies and cold temperatures, with a very slight chance of snow. Oh look, Dame's still doing the same super-slow "taunt the face" routine. This goes on for several minutes. I wish I had some marque moves to recap for you but, alas, there was better grappling in your grandparents' bed last night. Hmm, will Raj see this--does he truly read my results? If so, I expect a text at some point within the next twelve hours! Oh shit, time to bury this in a wall of text! Izzi Dame continues her onslaught of molasses-paced madness, constantly taunting the crowd with taunts that successfully taunt the crowd. She slaps Tatum Paxley at 8:54pm and, finally, it happens!

Tatum Paxley shows signs of life, starting a small comeback sequence that culminates in a short pin attempt. Pax heads up the turnbuckles but Dame rallies and charges, attacking her. The two battle on the turnbuckles. Dame looks for a Superplex but Pax slaps on the brakes. Pax shoves Dame off then dives off; Izzi catches her mid-air with a dropkick. Dame drives Pax into the canvas then covers but no joy. Both Superstars rise and begin to slowly take turns exchanging blows. Dame looks for a Big Boot but Pax ducks under, firing off a Crucifix Bomb. The action spills outside. Pax stays on the offensive, hitting a springboard kick and a German Suplex before clearing the commentary table. The crowd pops for this. Pax pulls Dame up onto the commentary table. The ref pleads with Pax, as does Dame. Pax laughs and hits X on top of the table! It doesn't break. Pax sends Dame into the ring but the Culling stop her from entering. They offer her two black-clothed dolls, representing Tatum & Izzi, then rip the head off the Pax doll. Tatum slaps Shawn Spears before entering the ring--and walking right into a Big Boot. Dame hits Dame Over and covers, picking up the win at 8:58p.

Your Winner Izzi Dame! (13 minutes)

Men's Iron Survivor Challenge Main Event Match: Je'Von Evans, Myles Borne, Dion Lennox, Joe Hendry, TNA X-Division Champion Leon Slater

Iron Survivor Rules: Five superstars, 25 minutes. Two start off, with the other three joining every five minutes until all five are in the ring. The goal: have the most falls, Iron Man-style, within 25 minutes. Points are awarded for pinfalls and submissions. If you're pinned or submit, you're put in a penalty box for ninety seconds. The Superstar with the most points at the end is our Iron Survivor, and they get a championship title shot in the future. Also note: the winner faces Oba Femi at New Year's Evil for the NXT Championship. Out first at 9:13pm is TNA X-Division Champion Leon Slater. Joining him next is Je'Von Evans. We get our bell at 9:16pm, and this match will run exactly 25 minutes. Updates roll out as Superstars join the match and so forth. Evans immediately looks for a cutter to start us off. Both men lock up and continue in an extended sequence of move and counter-move. Both Superstars seem equally matched during the first five minutes, with neither taking control for more than a few moments. Evans manages to steal a pinfall with seconds left in the period. Evans 1; everyone else 0.

Myles Bourne, who won a match earlier this week on NXT to secure the third-placement spot (he got to choose which spot), enters at 9:21pm. Slater enters the box and ninety seconds pass by without anything noteworthy. Slater re-enters the match and the three Superstars continue randomly fighting each other. Lots of fast-paced action, but nothing noteworthy during that period. Out fourth, entering at 9:26pm, is Dion Lennox of Dark State. Oh yeah, I should tell you the Current Score: Evans 1; everyone else 0. We're also reminded that Dion Lennox has said he wants to win tonight without any assistance from Dark State. Lennox hits the ring hot and cleans house briefly. The battle continues, with various Superstars pairing up briefly. Everyone's looking good in this match, just not much noteworthy yet. Borne and Lennox work together to hit a Doomsday Device on Slater. Current Score: Evans & Lennox, 1; others, 0. Out last is Joe Hendry at 9:31pm to a great pop from the sold-out crowd.

Hendry hits the ring on fire, with a hot crowd, and begins clearing the ring. The crowd rips off chants affirming their belief in Hendry. Borne hits the ring and attacks Hendry, but Joe battles him off. Joe begins to send each Superstar out of the ring one after another, then dives over the top to wipe them out to a big pop at 9:33pm. Borne and Hendry go at it in the ring; Myles looks for the Borne Again but Hendry avoids it and slams Myles down, covering him. Current score: Evans, Hendry & Lennox, 1; Slater & Borne, 0. We have 7 minutes left in the match. The action continues. Everyone begins firing off moves, dropping each other in rapid succession, as Borne's penalty-box timer expires. As Borne exits the box, Dion kicks the door into his face, dropping him. Dion hits the ring and is dropped. Hendry and Evans begin dropping people. Evans drops Hendry then head up top, setting up a possible coast-to-coast attempt. Evans hits a coast-to-coast Swanton, and Slater follows it up with a diving attack of his own. Slater hits a Swanton 450 on Hendry, picking up a point. Current score: Borne, 0; everyone else, 1. We have right at 4 and a half minutes left.

Borne with a Borne Again on Dion, and we now have a five-way tie at 1 point each. Dion begins to beat the crap out of Hendry in the penalty box, which is allowed. In the ring, Evans, Slater and Borne are all on their knees, slowly slugging each other. In the penalty box, Joe Hendry recovers and angrily attacks Dion Lennox before entering the match. Hendry drops everyone in the ring to a big pop. We have just over two minutes left as Dion enters the match. All still tied at 1 point each. Dion immediately goes after Hendry. Evans dives over the top, taking out Dion briefly. Dion throws Evans and the official in the penalty box and we're told no one can unlock it. Hendry with a Standing Ovation on Lennox. Evans climbs out of the penalty box, literally, and dives off the top, wiping out Lennox on the outside. Slater dives outta nowhere, wiping out Evans. Slater with a side kick to Hendry, dropping him. Evans with a cutter to Slater and a diving cutter. Borne makes the save.

Borne and Evans go at it in the ring. Borne with a Super Borne Again off the turnbuckle but Lennox rips him out of the ring to save the pinfall. Still tied at 1. Henry looks to bomb Slater but is sent out of the ring. Evans rolls up Borne as time expires, picking up the tie-breaking point at 9:42pm! Final Score: Evans 2, others 1. He'll face Oba Femi for the NXT Championship at New Year's Evil.

Your Winner and NEW #1 Contender, Je'Von Evans! (25 minutes)

After the Match

Evans celebrates and we get replays from the match. We're reminded Evans will face Oba Femi on January 6th. New NXT Champion Oba Femi makes his way out to staredown Evans. The lights cut out and a video plays on the tron. In the video, a blurry figure is shown walking down a street. It fades to black, a light comes on in the arena. The figure is in the ring and it's Tony D'Angelo! Tony D is back! He throws a handful of black...uh, napkins or something similar, onto the fallen Evans and our program ends.