NXT Deadline Results: Grey Wins, Femi Captures Title

Oba Femi Captures NXT Championship to Open the Show

Oba Femi and Ricky Saints kicked off NXT Deadline with an outstanding match for the NXT Championship. This was your classic David vs. Goliath story, but in this case, the powerful giant won and captured the title. Femi's raw power, combined with Saints' all-around ability, made for a match that kept you guessing and set the tone for an excellent show.

Femi continues to impress me every time he steps in the ring. The way he carries himself, tells a story, and executes his moveset with precision shows he's ready for the next level. This match felt like a passing of the torch from Saints to Femi.

Honestly, what else can Saints accomplish in NXT at this point? It's time for him to move up to the main roster.

As for Femi, his honorable warrior character combined with his in-ring ability makes him must-see TV. He'll get his chance to prove it on the biggest stage when he faces Cody Rhodes at Saturday Night's Main Event. That's the opportunity right there — a chance to show what he can do against one of the industry's best wrestlers. Don't be surprised if we see him on Monday or Friday nights regularly in 2026.

Kendal Grey Shocks in Women's Iron Survivor Match

Kendal Grey won the Women's Iron Survivor Match, and I'll say it — this might have been the best match on the entire card. The fans were locked in for all 25 minutes as Grey, the dark horse coming into this match, outlasted Sol Ruca, Jordynne Grace, Lola Vice and Kelani Jordan.

It's rare when an Iron Survivor match hits on all cylinders as this one did. Grey sold like a champion for everyone else while making her own offense look believable. The ring psychology throughout this match was top-tier, and it set up multiple storylines that NXT creative can explore going forward.

Sol Ruca's early injury had me convinced she was done for the night. When she came back, I was shocked. When she came back as quickly as she did and continued wrestling at a high level, I was stunned.

Ruca sold that injury throughout the entire match while still hitting those incredible flips — landing on one leg, no less. In an era where selling sometimes feels like a lost art, she kept it going from bell to bell.

Get this woman on the main roster. Yesterday.

We got to see her finisher twice, and both times it looked like she might pull off the win after suffering the injury. She didn't win tonight, but she's absolutely going to be in the title picture soon.

Jordynne Grace showed exactly why she's a veteran you want in matches like this. She brought the power when needed, but she was also nimble enough to keep pace with the high-flyers and submission specialists. That versatility is what separates good performers from great ones.

Lola Vice had more of a supporting role in this match, but don't sleep on her contributions. Her offense, presence and overall skill elevated this match. In a match this chaotic, it's easy to get lost in the shuffle, but Vice made sure fans remembered she was there. Mark my words — fans are going to be clamoring for her to get a title shot sooner rather than later.

Kelani Jordan — wow! She's taken her game to another level, and it showed here. Jordan was just as impressive as the other four women in this match. The combination of technical wrestling, dirty heel tactics and high-flying offense made her stand out. She got under everyone's skin in exactly the way a heel should. This was an A+ performance from Jordan.

The big question now is what will happen between now and New Year's Eve. Does Ruca get a shot at Grey for the win? And let's not forget about Ruca's "best friend", Zaria — with friends like that, who needs enemies? Grey is going to have every woman in that locker room gunning for her, including NXT Women's Champion Jacy Jayne and the rest of Fatal Influence.

This match delivered on every level — excitement, storytelling, athleticism, psychology and a finish that made perfect sense. These women showed why they're ready for the main roster. Actually, forget what I just said. Put all of them on the main roster right now. Here's a question for you: Is NXT's women's division the best in all of wrestling right now? And yes, that includes the WWE main roster.

Ethan Page vs. Mr. Iguana Falls Flat

The Ethan Page match against Mr. Iguana was... well, it was a match. Page did everything he could to make something out of nothing, but there's only so much you can do.

Mr. Iguana has athleticism, sure, but I haven't seen a gimmick this goofy since Danhausen showed up on the scene.

This is NXT's last major event of the year, and Page's considerable talent was completely wasted on a subpar opponent. TKO owns 51% of AAA. Are you telling me this is the best luchador they could find?

The fans got their laughs, I'll give them that. But will anyone remember this match by Tuesday's show? I certainly hope not. If they want to use Mr. Iguana again, bury him in the first hour of a random Tuesday episode and move on.

Dame vs. Paxley Continues Intriguing Feud

Izzi Dame and Tatum Paxley delivered a solid match that advanced their ongoing story. Paxley spent most of the match working from underneath, which is exactly where you want your babyface in this situation. Her offensive bursts kept the crowd invested and had us all wondering if she could pull off the upset.

Both women walked out of this match having left us with one burning question: How does this feud end? That's good booking right there.

Men's Iron Survivor Challenge Delivers Main Event Excellence

Je'Von Evans won the Men's Iron Survivor Challenge in a main event that not only met expectations but exceeded them. This match had everything you could want: high spots, technical wrestling, dramatic tension and excellent storytelling.

Dion Lennox continues to be the kind of heel that makes you want to see him get beaten down — and I mean that as the highest compliment.

Je'Von Evans showed ring IQ and savviness way beyond his years. Joe Hendry reminded everyone exactly why WWE signed him. And Leon Slater? The man is special, plain and simple.

Having the falls tied at one apiece across the board kept everyone guessing until the final moments. Sure, there was reason to think Evans would win going in. But here's the thing about good wrestling booking: it makes you doubt the predictable outcome while taking you on an unpredictable journey to get there.

Everyone in this match elevated their profile tonight. That's what a main event is supposed to do.

Commentary Concerns

Now we get to the announcers. Commenting on the announcers is like watching sports. If a referee's name is mentioned, then they messed up somehow.

Vic Joseph is exceptional, but Booker T is abysmal. If he were just plain awful, it'd be an improvement.

I like Booker T. I watched him as a part of the Ebony Experience in Global Wrestling. I cheered for Harlem Heat and loved his long solo run, but as an announcer? No, just no.

He is too over the top; he doesn't know whether to be a face announcer, a heel announcer, a down-the-middle announcer, or a turdblossom. He tries different lanes and doesn't excel at any of them. I had to mute the sound and turn on the closed captioning, but even reading his commentary can grate on your nerves.

His work on commentary distracted from the amazing in-ring action. OK, rant over.

Final Verdict

This is how you execute a special event. NXT Deadline 2025 was an outstanding show from top to bottom, and NXT has given us every reason to keep watching. Let's hope Tuesday's show carries this momentum forward into New Year's Evil.