6 Ups And 0 Downs For WWE NXT: New Year's Evil

Ups...

6. Doomsday Comes For Damian Priest

Despite many assuming the almighty Karrion Kross would immediately pick up where he left off upon returning from the injury which forced him to surrender his NXT Championship, 'The Herald of Doomsday' has been a little too occupied with a former NXT North American Champion to focus on Finn Balor and the belt he never lost. So, last night, after going back-and-forth with 'The Archer of Infamy' for a few weeks, the two titans kicked off the black and gold brand's New Year's Evil event...and they didn't disappoint.

After largely dominating his prey in the early stages of the war, Kross was faced with a defiant Priest who refused to back down. Even with his ribs clearly flagging after a gluttony of suplexes and body strikes, the unorthodox big man began to tee off on the former NXT Champion, rocking Kross with some vicious kicks, clotheslines and head shots. However, the aforementioned damaged ribs were having a serious effect on his ability to support Kross' weight when it came to utilising his usual power game.

In the end, the battered mid-section would prove too much for a plucky Priest as Kross overcame his desperate flurries of offence to nail him with a vicious Saito suplex and forearm to the back of the head for the victory.

Both guys helped produce a compelling first contest of 2021 here, with Priest selling like the seasoned NXT star he has become and Kross reminding us why he's still a force to be reckoned with. If, as rumours suggest, this is to be Priest's final farewell to the land of black and gold, doing so on the back of arguable his most compelling bout to date wasn't a bad way to go.