WWE NXT Live recap, results, and grades: CONTROVERSIAL ending to major title match mars finish: A MASTER manipulator refocuses his rage!

None of these three is the person to decide what to do . . .

FULL RESULTS FOR WWE NXT (DECEMBER 17TH, 2024).
OBA FEMI defeats Axiom by pin.
JAIDA PARKER defeats Wren Sinclair by pin.
JAKARA JACKSON/LASH LEGEND defeat Sol Ruca/Zaria by pin.
AXIOM/NATHAN FRAZER defeat Gallus (Mark Coffey/Wolfgang) by pin.
TRICK WILLIAMS VS. EDDY THORPE ends in a No Contest/Double Pin.

They've used the deadfall pinfall too much lately.

Thorpe hits an elbow drop for two. They trade kicks until Thorpe hits the neckbreaker. They have a weird near-botch exchange when Eddy traps Trick in a waistlock. They just stand there for like seven seconds. Thorpe goes for his spinning DDT finisher, but the ref gets hit. He pins Trick, but no one is around to count. He gets up to stir the ref, but Trick rolls him up. Another ref makes the count but he kicks out. Thorpe hits a Helluva Kick two times but is hit with a Trick Knee the third time. Trick falls lifeless onto Thorpe, whose leg is clearly under the rope. BOTH refs recover to make the three count. Ava then walks out, but no official decision is made.
Result - Eddy Thorpe vs. Trick Williams ends in a No Contest/Draw.

GRADE: C.
The commercial break halfway through killed the early part of the match. Trick's pace is slow and doesn't mesh well with Thorpe. He hit his usual spots, but the entire match felt clunky and sloppy. The false finish was overused since Kevin Owens only lost after Cody hit Crossrhodes on a chair.

Booker calls it how it happened - Ava got played and looked dumb for how it happened. Thorpe goes for another reverse crossbody, but the two collide. Booker then claims Eddy hasn't earned a title shot since he's been here for a couple of years and Vic says he never earned one. Vic is doing a good Michael Cole impression tonight.

Since Thorpe was in control of the match, we didn't see it because it aired during the commercial break. Vic asks Booker if Eddy's thought of others being called a mastermind for doing the same thing he did was valid, and Booker agrees. Vic plays the loyal puppy, claiming Thorpe lied to the Rock's daughter, er, NXT GM Ava.

The action spills to the outside early on, with Trick laying some chops on Eddy's chest. Back in the ring, Thorpe hits a reverse crossbody. Trick quickly responded with a popup punch followed by a side kick for a near fall. Trick goes for another side kick but gets trapped in the ropes. Vic brings up Trick's neck from a few weeks ago, providing another out for if he should lose (but he won't).

Time for Ava to cost Eddy Thorpe the NXT Title since he got one over on her!!

Trick Williams wishes Je'Von Evans well after he did what Trick never did - acknowledge Page's long journey just to get to WWE. Oba Femi then walks up to say the usual "I'll be the next champion" at New Year's Evil. We get a pre-taped promo from Stephanie Vaquer, putting Cora Jade on notice ahead of their showdown next week.

It was a good thought while it lasted, kid.

Page thanks Je'Von. He should be worried about taking his smile instead of losing his. He then decks Evans with the mic before trapping his neck inside a chair. He jumps onto it before yelling, "This is the real me!" He found his smile after that!

The smile wasn't a regular smile but a "proud dad" smile from someone who busted his butt for 18 years. Evans says he should drop the "All Ego" so everyone can see the real Ethan Page They're all proud of him. Something's gonna happen.

Evans apologizes for talking himself up backstage about his accomplishments. Hearing the story actually changed his mind, unlike when Page said a lot of this to Trick Williams. Evans says he knows the real Page, which is who he saw after Heatwave. Page won the title, looked right at his family, and said, "I Love You."

He looks into the camera to praise his wife for everything. The crowd then "What" chants him, which he acknowledges. Page adds that every time he loses, his support system loses as well. The looks of disappointment in his wife's eyes are what kills him. He adds that he's not sure if he loves this anymore and that he "lost his smile" in an homage to HBK's infamous promo. Je'Von Evans then comes out.

He brings up the journey he had to get here and the promises he made to his daughter of winning the big one, which he did in NXT. Page brings up that he did it faster than Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn, and others.

Ethan Page then walks out to cut Booker T and Vic off. He apologizes for the inconvenience before getting into the ring. He gets booed and says everyone has the right to boo him because this is the same energy he's been getting at home over the last few weeks.

Before the next match, we get a preview of Lexis King's NQCC workout with Charlie Dempsey. Dempsey introduces the Deck of Cards Workout where the card pulled is the number of reps they do. For fun, Dempsey multiplies them by two. We get a few sweaty, hairy bro moments. Dempsey says he's impressed with King's work and that he didn't take any shortcuts. He agrees to the Heritage Cup match next week.

Almost didn't land that Canadian Destroyer!

Je'Von Evans, Hank Walker, and Tank Ledger are having a bro-fest backstage with each rehashing their recent successes. Evans brings up all the big moments and legends who endorsed him and how he almost won the Iron Survivor. Ethan Page is in the background and storms by after Evans' last comment.

Frazer gets blasted with a clothesline from Wolfgang. He climbs to the top, but Frazer meets him. Axiom hits a blind tag. He hits the Spanish Fly, and Frazer tags in. Axiom takes Mark and Joe Coffey out with a Cannonball splash as Frazer hits the Phoenix Splash for the win.

Result - Axiom and Nathan Frazer defeat Gallus (Mark Coffey/Wolfgang) by pin.

Grade: B+.
Gallus and the Champs have different styles, and it shows when each team has control. Frazer and Axiom keep it exciting while Gallus slows it down. The drama helped sell things throughout the match.

Axiom blasts Mark with the Golden Ratio while Frazer nearly gets the win on Wolfgang. Axiom goes for another kick but hits Frazer instead. Wolfgang sets Mark up for something, but Axiom hits him with a Canadian Destroyer. Frazer then hits Wolfie with a Poison Rana.

Mark decks Nathan before tagging Wolfgang in. They hit a kick/power slam combo for two. Mark hits a Uranage, and Wolfie hits a Swanton, but Axiom busts up the attempt. Booker is mad that he did so for some reason.

Gallus continues their usual slow pace of doing little and controlling their opponents. Axiom makes the tag to Frazer. He hits the ropes as fast as Bron Breakker. He hits a reverse DDT on Mark before tossing Wolfie to the outside. He hits a standing Shooting Star Press for two. Mark evades a move, but Frazer hits a Sling Blade and Frog Splash. Wolfgang breaks up the pin.

Frazer tags himself right in since Axiom appears to be dead on the apron. He reaches for a tag, but Axiom refuses. Mark Coffey takes advantage and tags Wolfgang in. Stacks and Luca look on from backstage. They're probably the one tag team that may have a logical shot as the next Champs.

Axiom finally tags himself in. He hits a Hurricanrana on Mark. Frazer hits a Suicide Dive on Mark while Axiom hits Joe Coffey on the other side. He goes for another one but buckles under the pressure. Wolfgang hits him with a falling Uranage. Mark suplexes Baby Rollins on the outside.

Frazer and Axiom try to do their signature pose, followed by a dash to the ring, but Axiom falls over, and Frazer has to help him up. Telegraphing much???

Time for Gallus. Yay. They challenge Axiom, wearing shoulder tape, and Nathan Frazer, wearing a protective mask on his face.

We get a recap of the NXT Women's Division since its inception, including references to former WWE Star Paige, the Four Horsewomen of NXT, and then Asuka's dominance. They also mention Shayna Baszler, Mandy Rose, and Roxanne Perez's current hold on the title.

Jaida Parker's mouth gets her into more trouble . . .

We next get a pre-taped promo/vignette from Tatum Paxley, Gigi Dolin, and Shotzi. Tatum thanks them for playing with her. Gigi says they need to be wary of Jacy Jayne, though, because she's more dangerous when she has friends and a lackey. Fatal Influence watches from afar to mock them. Isla Dawn and Alba Fyre randomly show up. Fatal Influence says, "They attract the freaks" before acting like Mean Girls.

Wren sends Parker back into the ring. Jaida goes for the hip check, but Wren evades it. She hits a back elbow, and the butt check for the win.
Result - Jaida Parker defeats Wren Sinclar by pin.

Grade: B-.
Good chemistry. Both women looked good in spots. The outcome was never in doubt but they made it seem like Wren had a chance even though Jaida's had a bigger push.

Jaida traps Wren in a submission with her knee on Wren's neck. The ladies trade strikes. As usual, Jaida mouths off to her opponent but gets blasted with strikes for her brash approach. Wren lands a series of moves highlighted by a double underhook suplex. Jaida rolls out of the ring in front of NQCC and OTM walks over to get in their face. The uninvolved tag teams brawl to the back.

Jaida hits her sit-down move early on to Booker's glee. She adds a Falcon Arrow for one count. Wren uses her mat skills to get control with a Full Nelson. Jaida counters into one of her own before landing a suplex for a near fall.

The next contest pits Jaida Parker against Wren Sinclair. On paper, this is a wash since Wren doesn't even get an entrance but appears in the ring off the commercial break. NQCC and OTM are ringside to argue over which team is better for Alphabet Soup.

After the match, we cut to a segment from last week between Tyriek Igwe and Tyson Dupont. Igwe is upset that they lost, while Dupont is mad that he disrespected Hank and Tank by refusing a handshake. Wes Lee is in the background and says that Dupont is the one who needs to change his mindset because the business is cutthroat. He and Igwe bump fists.

Legend gets in Zaria's face, allowing Jakara to chop block Zaria from behind. The two trade suplex attempts until Zaria lands one. She tags Sol in for a Splash off the top rope. The ref inexplicably stops the count as Jackson jumps over the pin combo to kick Zaria. Lash and Jackson take Sol out and then dump Zaria to the outside. Jackara hits a Suicide Dive on the outside. Lash hits her Gory Bomb slam for the win.
Result - Lash Legend and Jakara Jackson defeat Zaria and Sol Ruca by pin.

GRADE: C+.
There were some cool spots with Zaria and Ruca, and Lash pulled her weight. Things slowed down when Jackson came in, and it hurt the flow.

Sol and Lash trade pin attempts. Jackson tags in but wastes time taunting. She has trouble locking in a suplex but eventually hits it. Jackson traps Sol in a rest hold and then a modified choke. Jackson goes for another suplex but gets kicked by Sol. In comes Zaria. She quickly cleans house with a German Suplex and Spear on Jakara. Lash breaks up the pin.

Booker claims Lash could be the NXT Wrestler of the Year with, I'm guessing, a straight face. Zaria and Lash have a standstill at first. Legend strikes first with a bodyslam but then whiffs when going for a short splash. Ruca tags in and the duo kicks Lash outside the ring. Zaria hoists Jakara on her back and Sol climbs up and jumps onto Lash on the outside. Zaria then tosses Jackson onto Lash.

Jakara rushes Sol with a dropkick right off the bell. Sol catches Jakara and spins her around before dropping her on her face. She adds her surfboard taunt. Lash tags in and lands an elbow on Ruca for two. Sol hits a big Codebreaker but gets tossed to her corner by Lash. Zaria tags in.

Lennox rightly says "I'm done" and "I've had it" with this teenage love puppy drama. Time to read some books!

As the NXT turns its next chapter, Karmen Petrovic whines to Dion Lennox about what she should do with Ashante Adonis. He says she should apologize and she agrees. The two hug but Adonis walks in to see it. Since he can't handle other males being near women, he loses it.

I guess Ava forgot a shortcut is how SHE got to WWE . . .

Up next is the duo of Sol Ruca and Zaria taking on Lash Legend and Jakara Jackson.

Sarah Schreiber interviews Eddy Thorpe ahead of his title match that he earned by "faking" his own attack. He says he doesn't care because if anyone else did that, they'd be called a genius. Ava jumps in to blame him for taking a shortcut (nice kettle meet pot moment due to her family connection). He says it doesn't matter because, after tonight, she'll be calling him the NXT Champ.