WWE NXT is putting on their latest live special this weekend. Vengeance Day will feature five title matches, and a whole lot more. It all goes down on Sat., Feb. 4 at 8pm Eastern from the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, streaming live on Peacock here in the U.S., and internationally on WWE Network.
We’ll give you everything you need to get ready for tonight’s show, with a quick recap of how we got to every match, and thoughts & predictions from our motley crew of NXT-following Cagesiders on each.
Let’s get to it.
Bron Breakker (c) vs. Grayson Waller in a Steel Cage match for the NXT championship
Grayson Waller earned a shot at the long-reigning champion by winning the Iron Survivor challenge at December’s Deadline PLE. Their match at last month’s New Year’s Evil special episode ended in a countout due to a rope break, so Shawn Michaels booked them in a cage to ensure a decisive winner. Waller’s spent the extra time physically & psychologically attacking Breakker every chance he gets.
Geno Mrosko: This has been the standard story they’ve told with Breakker his entire run in NXT. He’s the dominant champ who gets tested, doubts himself, attacks his own weaknesses, and overcomes. He’ll do the same here. Pick: Bron Breakker
Sean Rueter: Though I’ve been on Team “Melo should be the one to dethrone Bron” for what feels like a year, Waller’s performance on all fronts over the past month has changed my mind. He’s ready, it’s time to see what else Bron can do (either on the main roster, or as part of a non-title feud in NXT), and Hayes can lean face when he challenges Grayson. The Aussie’s reign needn’t be a long one. He’d fit in on Raw or SmackDown right now. Pick: Grayson Waller
Claire Elizabeth: This is tailor-made for Bron to pick up the win. The big guy’s feeling some doubt, he’s a little unsure of himself, Waller’s in his head, but the thing of it is he can get in Breakker’s head all day and he’ll still never be a threat. Pick: Bron Breakker
Marcus Benjamin: I came around on this feud. Mostly because of the personalities involved and the way they clash. Grayson is an irritant and that gets under Bron’s thick skin. But I’m still not sold on the idea that Grayson threatens Bron. They tried selling the fact that Grayson almost got Bron in their first match and Bron realizing he almost got got. Meh. They can keep talking that but we know how this ends. Pick: Bron Breakker
Roxanne Perez (c) vs. Gigi Dolin vs. Jacy Jayne for the NXT Women’s title
Roxanne Perez won Deadline’s other Iron Survivor challenge. Her title shot was expedited due to the Mandy Rose situation. Then, on the show where Perez vs. Rose was supposed to happen, Mandy’s Toxic Attraction teammates won a battle royal to become Roxanne’s first challengers. Gigi Dolin & Jacy Jayne teased dissension in order to get the drop on the champ at a “summit”, and vow to be on the same page at Vengeance Day.
Geno Mrosko: It seems a little too obvious that Dolin and Jayne will be unable to get along and therefore both end up losing. So I’m going to go with a swerve and say Mandy Rose makes a surprise return, helps Toxic Attraction win, and they Freebird the title. Pick: Gigi Dolin
Sean Rueter: WWE knows they could have something special in Perez, as evidenced by her actually getting in some offense during her Royal Rumble debut last weekend. This feels like the Toxic’s NXT swan song before they join the main roster tag ranks post-WrestleMania. Pick: Roxanne Perez
Claire Elizabeth: The will-they-won’t-they of the breakup of what’s left of Toxic Attraction is the story here and the champ is a mere sidebar at best. Perez picks up the win, the Toxics squabble a while longer, and either they melt their way down into an undercard singles match at this year’s Stand & Deliver, or they reforge the team and go for those tag titles. (Or both, knowing pro wrestling!) Also my girlfriend is super into Roxanne after the Rumble, so… Pick: Roxanne Perez
Marcus Benjamin: I’m picking Roxanne here because she just won the belt and they clearly have big plans for her. But I have no idea how it ends. I really don’t want the predictable thing where Gigi and Jacy turn on each other. Especially since they already hustled everyone into thinking they did. So how does Roxanne pull this one out? That’s the intrigue and fun part. Pick: Roxanne Perez
Wes Lee (c) vs. Dijak for the NXT North American championship
Dijak has loomed over this title scene since returning to NXT last fall. His “street justice” gimmick explained why he prevented Tony D’Angelo & Stacks from screwing Lee out of his belt. That earned him the champ’s respect, and this title shot.
Geno Mrosko: They’ve been pushing Dijak with this new justice for all thing and he’s the big baddie who is going to run through his foes and it’s not really landing for me. I think it’s the vocabulary. Pick: Wes Lee
Sean Rueter: Not sure either of these guys are proving they can stand out in WWE with their overall body of work. But both of them can go, and this should be a really fun match. Pick: Wes Lee
Claire Elizabeth: I dunno, I like against-all-odds singles champ Wes Lee but I can’t help but think he might be a little more compelling on the chase against an unstoppable force like Dijak. And ol’ Donny could use a little bit better motivation than just walking around and rambling about justice from behind his mirror shades. Either way I expect to be entertained, though! Pick: Donovan Dijak
Marcus Benjamin: Just end this. End this now. Pick: Wes Lee. Not 1980s guy Dijak.
The New Day (c) vs. Pretty Deadly vs. Gallus vs. Chase U for the NXT Tag Team titles
The New Day came to NXT and became WWE Tag Team Triple Crown champs by beating Pretty Deadly’s Elton Prince & Kit Wilson at Deadline. They’ve since been talking to the brand’s other teams about elevating their games, so in addition to giving the former champs their rematch, Kofi Kingston & Xavier Woods have also invited the winners of New Year’s Evil’s gauntlet match (Gallus’ Mark Coffey & Wolfgang, formerly of NXT UK) and a New Day Invitational 4Way (Andre Chase & Duke Hudson of Chase U) to this dance.
Geno Mrosko: The New Day are probably dropping the titles here and Gallus is probably the right pick in terms of who looks strongest going in but I’m a sucker for Chase U, who are one of the few good things to come from the NXT 2.0 Era. Pick: Chase U
Sean Rueter: Ya Boys are probably wrapping up their time working with the yutes in developmental. The lads they took the belts from seem poised for the next level themselves. The U is great, but it’s not really the time of year to put the straps on a comedy act (and do we really trust Duke Hudson?). That leaves one choice, and Shawn Michaels loves his UK guys and gals. Pick: Gallus
Claire Elizabeth: I guess this one comes down to whether or not Kofi and Xavier are willing to run double duty Mania weekend, right? I’m gonna say nah, with my fingers crossed for New Day as the obvious stars of the rumored Cinnamon Toast Crunch match at WrestleMania, and I’m gonna fantasy book the surprisingly compelling Chase U drama as the story of the NXT tag titles going forward… Pick: Chase U (Andre Chase & Duke Hudson)
Marcus Benjamin: Taking Xavier’s health into account, and what that may or may not be, I think New Day retains here. Why? Because there’s a better spot for them to lose Stand & Deliver. Whoever beats them there gains more than beating them at Vengeance Day. Pick: Ya boys, the…NEW DAY
Kayden Carter & Katana Chance (c) vs. Fallon Henley & Kiana James for the NXT Women’s Tag Team championship
After a long streak of playing bridesmaids in this scene, Katana Chance & Kayden Carter are now the longest reigning champs in the belts’ history. Their next challenge comes from a God-fearing country gal and the businesswoman who tried to steal her family’s bar & seems to being stringing along her sweet but dim-witted friend.
Geno Mrosko: This is over before it’s even getting started and everything about the story tells us that. Pick: Kayden Carter & Katana Chance
Sean Rueter: “CAN THEY CO-EXIST?!?!” No. No, they can not. Pick: Katana Chance & Kayden Carter
Claire Elizabeth: Yeah, Henley and James are gonna be a little bit too busy playing spit spit sputter sputter like two cats who haven’t learned that they’re friends yet to win tag titles. Pick: Katana Chance & Kayden Carter
Marcus Benjamin: Kayden & Katana already broke the record for longest reigning women’s tag team champs. I don’t see them losing to Fallon & Kiana, especially since those two have their own issue. Fallon doesn’t trust Kiana and Kiana is clearly hiding something. That lack of trust plays out here and proves too costly when facing the tag champs. Pick: Kayden Carter & Katana Chance
Apollo Crews vs. Carmelo Hayes in a 2 out of 3 falls match
Apollo Crews came to NXT with (actual) visions of being NXT champion. That hasn’t come true yet, but it has put him in the path of another star who thinks that title is his destiny. Carmelo Hayes won their first singles clash, while Crews came out on top of a tag match. In order to definitively prove who the better man is, they agreed on a 2 out of 3 falls stipulation.
Geno Mrosko: If Crews’ eyes start bleeding it could get hairy for the man who doesn’t miss but there’s levels to this game, folks. Pick: Carmelo Hayes
Sean Rueter: Crews will get one fall, and probably a heater to counter Trick Williams. But NXT’s A Champ is going to be NXT champion soon, and that means he’ll be the one taking 66.67% of the falls in this one. Pick: Carmelo Hayes
Claire Elizabeth: This is gonna kick a lot of ass and launch Carmelo into the stratosphere, baby! Pick: Carmelo Hayes
Marcus Benjamin: I can’t wait for this one. That’s all I have to say. Carmelo Hayes gets the W and moves to Bron for the big belt. Pick: Carmelo Hayes
Now give us your picks! Then join us in our live blog tonight and we’ll see how we all did.
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