The John Report: WWE NXT 12/30/25 Review

This week’s WWE NXT features Je’Von Evans against Ricky Saints, Ethan Page facing Moose, Jacy Jayne battling Wren Sinclair, and more.

It’s two days before New Year’s Day for this final episode of NXT in 2025. It was taped two weeks ago to give talent and staff some time off during the holiday season. The next live episode of NXT is a big one on January 6th, which they call New Year’s Evil. I think the lineup this week looks better than last week.

I mentioned in last week’s review that there’s a report that some NXT wrestlers like Je’Von Evans, Sol Ruca, Joe Hendry, and NXT Champion Oba Femi could be joining the main roster soon. The former NXT Champion Trick Williams has also been on Raw and SmackDown, where they have called him a free agent. Trick going to SmackDown with fiancée Lash Legend makes sense. Evans has also been on Raw the last few weeks, while Hendry has been on SmackDown, beating The Miz. Femi has been shown in video packages on Raw and SmackDown as well, so his main roster push is likely coming soon. In Femi’s case, it will be interesting to see if he drops the NXT Title to somebody or if he just forfeits it and goes to the main roster. I’m not sure if WWE would want him to lose before going to the main roster. Anyway, I think all of them will do well in 2026 and beyond.

This episode will also feature the NXT Year End Awards.

They were at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando for this week’s show. Follow me on Twitter @johnreport, and check out my NXT TV review archive. Let’s get to it.

On the Netflix version of NXT I’m watching, they have edited the show, so there won’t be any action during the break like in a live show. I won’t even mention the commercials in my review. The runtime is 1 hour, 21 minutes. The whole show was available at 8 p.m. ET, so of course I’ll go in order.

They showed Ricky Saints and Je’Von Evans walking around earlier in the day. That’s the main event.

It is Vic Joseph and Booker T on commentary as usual. Mike Rome was the ring announcer.

NXT North American Championship: Ethan Page vs. Moose

Page attacked early, Moose broke free and hit a Spear. Page went to the floor to avoid being pinned. Moose charged on the floor, Page avoided that and Moose hit the steel steps. When they got back into the ring, Page went to the turnbuckle and hit a roundhouse kick to the head, followed by a neckbreaker.

They returned after a break for some fans as Page remained in control. Page tried a suplex, Moose blocked that and Page hit a boot to the face. Moose came back with a suplex of his own. The fans chanted for TNA’s Moose and chanted his name. Moose hit a uranage slam and a senton splash. Page tried something off the turnbuckle, but Moose caught him and hit a sitout spinebuster for two. They stood face to face and exchanged strikes. Moose hit a pump kick, but Page hit a clothesline and a Codebreaker knee attack for two. Moose headbutted Page, who went to the turnbuckle and Moose dropkicked Page from the turnbuckle to the floor. Moose gave Page a Spear into the thin barricade at ringside. Back in the ring, Moose hit a Spear and sold a left arm injury. While Moose was making a pin, Page got his left foot on the bottom rope to stop the count. Page left the ring. Moose slowly ran around the ring and Page gave him a back body drop onto the steel steps. Rough landing for Moose’s lower back onto the steps. Back in the ring, page went up top and hit a Superfly Splash for two. Page hit the Twisted Grin for the pinfall win. It went about 9 minutes without commercials.

Winner by pinfall: Ethan Page

Analysis: ***1/2 A very good match between two veterans. Page was in TNA for several years, so they likely know eachother well. I didn’t think Moose had a shot here, but he does have credibility as a big guy and former TNA World Champion, so it was better than seeing Page against a midcarder with no chance. Moose had a lot of momentum, but then Page sent him onto the steel steps and that was the key moment in the match. Page hit two moves after that to get the win.

The NXT Year End Awards video aired for Male Superstar of the Year. The nominees are: Je’Von Evans, Ricky Saints, Trick Williams, Ethan Page and Oba Femi. And the winner is…Je’Von Evans.

A video aired with Evans holding the award. Evans thanked the fans for voting for him. Evans talked about his accomplishments over the last year. Evans said if you thought 2025 was wild, then 2026 will be real bouncy.

Analysis: I think Oba Femi should have won and Ethan Page would be my second choice. I love Evans as much as anybody, but the others had bigger roles and greater years.

While standing backstage, Izzi Dame spoke to her pals in The Culling, Shawn Spears & Niko Vance, as she mentioned Tatum Paxley with a chainsaw last week. Spears and Vance didn’t want to go near Paxley, so Dame left on her own to go handle it.

There was chaos backstage with Wren Sinclair checking on her friend Kendal Grey, who was down on the ground, selling an attack. Wren called for help.

Let’s Hear from Izzi Dame

Izzi Dame did a promo talking about how sad Tatum Paxley is. Dame said that she did so many things to Paxley, yet Paxley went after Spears and Vance. Dame said that Paxley can’t be fixed and nothing Paxley does will ever scare Dame. Dame said that Paxley was spiraling and it’s pathetic. Dame claimed she is Paxley’s cure. Dame said she saw Paxley at her lowest and she put her back there when Paxley refused to evolve.

Tatum Paxley interrupted and the fans were behind her as usual. Paxley claimed she learned so much from Dame. Paxley got into the ring with Dame to say she saw and felt everything. Paxley said she is sorry. Paxley said she’s sorry that Dame is so insecure. Paxley said that Dame has lost sight of who she really is. Paxley said that Dame is saying Paxley is weak, yet Dame is scared to look in the mirror. Paxley said she doesn’t need friends like Dame, she needs friends like the fans who have been with her from the start. Paxley said she’s here to end this for her.

Dame said if you want to play games, she’ll play too. Dame asked Paxley what’s her next move? Paxley said when it’s her time, and she’s rotting in the dirt and when the bugs eat her brains, they’ll see what Paxley does to Dame at New Year’s Evil. Paxley said no Spears, no Vance, no dolls, no chainsaw – just the two of them. Dame said she’s all for it, but after that, playtime is over. Paxley said that it’s not over until she says it is. Dame tried a kick, but Paxley avoided it and Paxley hit a flipping neckbreaker on Dame.

Analysis: The promos were okay, but sometimes Izzi Dame promos are so boring and they feel unnatural a bit. Tatum Paxley has charisma, so that helps her a lot. I assume Paxley wins at New Year’s Evil to end the feud since Dame won their last match.

The NXT Year End Awards video aired for Tag Team of the Year. The nominees are: Hank & Tank, Zaruca (Sol Ruca & Zaria), The Culling (Shawn Spears & Niko Vance), Fatal Influence (Jacy Jayne, Fallon Henley & Lainey Reid) and Darkstate. And the winners are…Sol Ruca & Zaria.

Sol Ruca and Zaria held their award while talking about how they are the best tag team in NXT. They spoke about being a team for a year and how they have wrestled on multiple brands together.

Analysis: Weak year for NXT tag teams. I’d pick Darkstate to win, but this is a fan vote, so the babyfaces are going to do well.

Fatal Influence was shown walking backstage for Jacy Jayne’s match up next.

Jacy Jayne (w/Fallon Henley & Lainey Reid) vs. Wren Sinclair)

This is not for Jayne’s NXT Women’s Title. Jayne will defend the NXT Women’s Titel against Kendal Grey next week at New Year’s Evil.

Jayne was in control early with a senton splash. Jayne worked over Wren with kicks and punches. Jayne hit a clothesline. Wren got a hold of Jacy’s left arm and wrenched on it, followed by Wren kicking Jayne in the left arm. Wren hit a shoulder tackle, along with a neckbreaker for two. Henley distracted Wren, so Jayne superkicked Wren. Jayne hit a catapult to send Wren’s throat into the middle rope.

The match continued with Jayne hitting a neckbreaker. Wren was able to get some momentum going after sending Jayne into the ropes. Wren hit a running clothesline, along with a double underhook suplex for a two count. Jayne rolled through a pin attempt and hit a running knee for two. Wren pulled Jayne’s arm and sent her into the turnbuckle. Wren hit a cross body block off the top for two. Wren went for a submission on the arms, and then went for an armbar. Wren got a rollup for two. Jayne broke free and hit the Rolling Encore forearm smash for the pinfall win. It went about 8 minutes without commercials.

Winner by pinfall: Jacy Jayne

Analysis: *** The match was solid with the NXT Women’s Champion Jayne continuing to look strong. I would have liked to see Jayne sell the left arm injury more during the match because she stopped doing it in the second half of the match. It was a relatively clean win by Jayne. Wren is still in that underdog babyface role, but I hope she gets some momentum in 2026 and is featured more in the future.

After the match, Fatal Influence attacked Wren Sinclair. Kendal Grey went down to the ring and fought off the three heels with superkicks, punches, and a German Suplex. Grey applied an armbar on Jayne’s left arm and Jayne tapped out. Grey posed with the NXT Women’s Title to end it.

Analysis: I think Kendal Grey has a shot to win the NXT Women’s Title next week. It would be an upset, but I wouldn’t mind seeing it. Jayne doesn’t need a long title reign.

Joe Hendry was working on his singing voice. An NXT guy with a headset said that the ring was set up for Joe’s concert, so Joe left.

Joe Hendry Concert

Joe Hendry made his entrance wearing one of his Joe Hendry shirts. Booker T sang Hendry’s theme song, and it wasn’t a good sound. Just saying.