WWE NXT Results: Top champ hospitalized; 15-month streak ends; major return

We got a great episode of WWE NXT tonight with some hard-hitting matches while Ridge Holland from SmackDown came in to challenge the NXT Champion.

• Fallon Henley def. Tiffany Stratton
• Lexis King def. Dion Lennox
• Izzi Dame & Kiana James def. Jacy Jayne & Thea Hail
• Dragon Lee def. Charlie Dempsey & Joe Coffey to retain the NXT North American Title
• Nikkita Lyons def. Tatum Paxley
• Gallus def. Hank Walker & Tank Ledger
• Ridge Holland vs. Ilja Dragunov was stopped due to injury

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WWE NXT Results (December 19, 2023): Fallon Henley vs. Tiffany Stratton

Stratton caught Henley on the ropes before the latter tried to run outside before she was dropped from the apron. Back in the ring, Henley was sent into the corner but hit back with a hurricanrana.

Stratton got a spinebuster for a near fall before the two traded some counters. Henley managed to get a sudden roll-up off the counter sequence and picked up the win.

Result: Fallon Henley def. Tiffany Stratton

Stratton attacked Henley post-match, and the fight headed backstage, where Tiffany used a mop to attack her and dumped trash on her.

Grade: C

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Trick Williams and Carmelo Hayes were backstage, and Melo wanted to apologize to Trick for last week. Trick said that they were good before Melo doubled down on it being Ilja who attacked him way back when.

Melo wanted Trick to make their New Year's Evil title match a triple threat, but Trick said he won the Iron Survivor to earn the title match. He instead wanted them to train together and for Melo to be on the ringside for the fight.

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Ilja Dragunov was out next and said he had no idea how he got mixed in with the Trick/Melo situation before discussing what winning the NXT Title meant for him.

Ridge Holland came out of the crowd and said he had been struggling recently and needed to figure out where he was going.

Ilja welcomed him back to NXT before Ridge said he wanted a match with the champ. Dragunov noted that they could have their match tonight before the two shook hands, and it was made official.

Trick Williams was unhappy about the match and confronted Dragunov backstage, but the champ said he was giving Ridge a chance.

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Lexis King vs. Dion Lennox - Men’s Breakout Tournament on WWE NXT

King went for a handshake before the match but was denied before Lexis raked his eyes using the ropes. Lennox headed outside after a big kick, and King followed up with a big clothesline.

Lennox tried for a roll-up in the ring, but King broke it up before taking a big bodyslam. Lennox got a splash in the corner before trying to end the match with a suplex and a bridge pin.

King found the ropes and kicked out of it before sending him into the turnbuckles. Lexis hit the spinning DDT and picked up the win.

Result: Lexis King def. Dion Lennox

Trey Bearhill came out after the match to attack Lexis as revenge for taking him out of the tournament, but the latter ran off before he could hurt him.

Grade: B

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Backstage on NXT, Eddy Thorpe challenged Dijak to an NXT Underground match.

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Jacy Jayne & Thea Hail vs. Izzi Dame & Kiana James on WWE NXT

Dame and Thea kicked off the match, and Jacy was tagged in early on, and she got a nearfall off a Crucifix Bomb. Dame got a big boot before she and Jayne took each other out with clotheslines.

Hail came in with a senton but was distracted by Riley Osborne in the crowd before Dame caught her with a big boot and picked up the win.

Result: Izzi Dame & Kiana James def. Jacy Jayne & Thea Hail

Grade: B

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Andre Chase and Duke Hudson were playing dice with OTM and SCRYPTS to win back what they owed to the mystery money lenders. Hudson was trying to tell Chase to quit while he was ahead, but the latter was addicted to gambling.

SCRYPTS wanted a double-or-nothing bet on the tag team match next week, and Tony D'Angelo's lawyer snitched on Chase and approved of the condition that if OTM wins the bet, they get a tag title match.

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Dragon Lee was about to kick off his title match against Charlie Dempsey when Gallus came out and joined them in the ring. The match was originally an open challenge, and Joe Coffey wanted to face Lee for the North American Title.

Lee said he'll face both opponents and turn it into a triple-threat match.

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Dragon Lee vs. Charlie Dempsey vs. Joe Coffey - North American Title match on WWE NXT

Lee was taking a beating from both challengers, and they locked in a double hold on him at one point as we headed for a break. Back on NXT, Dempsey suplexed Coffey, who suplexed Lee in a big double move.

Coffey got a near fall as the match went on and Lee returned with the double stomp in the corner before hitting Dempsey with a dive to the outside.

All three superstars were down at ringside after Joe Coffey also hit a dive before someone dragged Coffey under the ring by what seemed like Joe Gacy. Lee hit Operation Dragon on Dempsey in the ring and picked up the win.

Result: Dragon Lee def. Charlie Dempsey & Joe Coffey to retain the NXT North American Title

Drew Gulak and his crew attacked Lee after the match, and Joaquin Wilde and Cruz Del Toro came out to make the save.

Grade: B+

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Tavion Heights vs. Luca Crusafino on WWE NXT

Heights had the early advantage but took an elbow and a neckbreaker before Luca got a near fall. Luca hit a hip toss, but Height came back with an overhead toss. Before picking up the win, Heights hit a German Suplex, a T-Bone Suplex, and a Belly-to-Belly suplex.

Result: Tavion Heights def. Luca Crusafino

Grade: C

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Nikkita Lyons vs. Tatum Paxley on WWE NXT

Lyons sent Paxley outside early on, but the latter sent her into the steel steps with a sidestep. Paxley returned with some big moves in the ring and got a near fall before locking in a submission hold.

Lyons turned it into a roll-up before getting a big spinning kick and getting the win off the split-legged pin. This was her first win on NXT TV since September 2022, ending her 15-month losing streak.

Result: Nikkita Lyons def. Tatum Paxley

Paxley was busted open and bleeding from the nose as NXT moved on.

Grade: B-

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Hank Walker & Tank Ledger vs Gallus on WWE NXT

Hank and Tank made some big moves early on and took down Gallus. Wolfgang was sent outside before he sent Walker into the ring post. As the match went on, Walker was isolated in the corner, and Mark Coffey got a big kick before picking up the win.

Result: Gallus def. Hank Walker & Tank Ledger

Grade: C

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Dijak was in a backstage promo and said he accepted the challenge before bragging about the beating he gave Eddy in the strap match earlier in the year.

Stratton challenged Henley to a match after calling her trash. If Henley loses, she would have to be Stratton's servant.

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Ridge Holland vs. Ilja Dragunov on WWE NXT

Dragunov had the early advantage and hit some chops in the corner before Ridge came back with a headbutt.

The champ tried to lift Ridge, but it was countered before Ilja returned with a kick and a German Suplex.

The champ got some big elbows before Ridge almost got the Beats of the Bodhran on him, but Ilja slipped out. Ridge was hit a DDT off the counter before the champ got the H Bomb.

They traded kicks before Ridge almost got a pin. It looked like Ilja hurt his arm in a move, and officials were called before they put him in a neck brace and stretched him away.

Result: D.N.F

Grade: B+