Preliminary matches
The television special began with NXT Cruiserweight Champion Roderick Strong (accompanied by Hachiman and Malcolm Bivens) taking on NXT North American Champion Carmelo Hayes (accompanied by Trick Williams) to unify both titles. The two began with chain wrestling, which was dominated by Hayes. In the climax, after more back-and-forth action, Strong prevented a diving leg drop attempt and went for a superplex, but Hayes countered into a cutter on Strong, who got the worst of the impact. Hayes then performed a diving leg drop on Strong to win the match and unify the titles. The NXT Cruiserweight Championship was immediately retired, with Hayes being recognized as the final NXT Cruiserweight Champion and going forward as the North American Champion.
Following this, the 2022 Men's and Women's Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic tournaments were announced, with the women's tournament beginning in February and the men's tournament beginning in two weeks.
After that, AJ Styles made his advertised appearance. Styles talked about his championship wins, but also having a few regrets. He mentioned his WWE debut at the 2016 Royal Rumble, but never went through NXT. Styles stated that NXT had something special, which was the passion of the fans and wrestlers. Styles talked about Grayson Waller being bigger and better than this place when Waller interrupted. Waller talked about Styles' loss to Omos the previous night on Raw, stating that Styles lost that night because he was thinking about Waller. Styles then stated that he was not 100% ready for a fight. Waller then teased a fight, but preferred that they have a match as the main event of the following episode of NXT. Afterwards, Styles and Waller brawled, with Styles getting the upper hand after performing a Pele Kick. Styles attempted a Phenomenal Forearm, but Waller backed away to end the segment.
Next, a backstage segment took place where Amari Miller talked with Kacy Catanzaro and Kayden Carter. Catanzaro and Carter talked about winning the Women's Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic tournament before Indi Hartwell and Persia Pirotta interrupted, challenging them and Miller to a match for the following episode of NXT. Tiffany Stratton passed up the offer of being Hartwell and Pirotta's partner, that spot being filled by Wendy Choo.
In the second match, Imperium (Walter and NXT Tag Team Champions Fabian Aichner and Marcel Barthel) took on MSK (Wes Lee and Nash Carter) and Raw Tag Team Champion Riddle. Imperium dominated the early moments until Lee tagged in. Aichner performed a lariat on Lee. Lee ducked Aichner and tagged in Riddle before Walter tagged in. Walter then dominated Lee and Carter before Aichner and Barthel performed stereo Tree of Woe dropkicks on Lee. In the climax, Riddle escaped a European Bomb attempt before performing a High Knee on Barthel. Riddle performed a German Suplex on Walter. Lee and Carter performed a Dommsday Blockbuster on Aichner. Riddle then performed a corkscrew senton on Aichner before performing an RKO on Barthel to win the match.
In the penultimate match, Mandy Rose defended the NXT Women's Championship against Cora Jade and Raquel González in a triple threat match. Rose arrived at the Performance Center with a helicopter, while González entered the Performance Center on a motorcycle. After González dominated Jade and Rose, Rose brought the fight to González before Jade cleared Rose from the ring. Later, Jade performed a hurricanrana on González before doing the same to Rose. González performed a backbreaker on Jade before lifting her up and throwing her out of the ring. González then brought Rose, who tried to escape, back inside the ring. Rose performed a Codebreaker on González for a nearfall. In the closing moments, González performed a Chingona Bomb on Rose, but Jade broke up the pin with a senton. González went for a superplex on Jade, but Jade shoved González off the top rope. Jade then tried to pin Rose, however, Rose countered into her own pinning combination to retain the title.
Before the main event, Andre Chase talked about being grateful for one of his Chase University students protecting him the previous week and for Harland not throwing that student off the roof before Von Wagner interrupted. Wagner stated that he was the real star of NXT before attacking Chase. Wagner then attacked a few Chase University students in attendance before being escorted to the back to end the segment.
Main event
In the main event, Tommaso Ciampa defended the NXT Championship against Bron Breakker. While Breakker made his entrance, he broke a giant X, signaling how a new era of NXT was starting. After an evenly contested match between the two, Ciampa attempted a DDT on Breakker onto the exposed concrete, but Breakker countered and performed an Alabama Slam on Ciampa through the announce table. Back inside the ring, Breakker performed a Military Press Powerslam on Ciampa, who grabbed the bottom rope to break the pin. Ciampa then kicked the ropes into Breakker's midsection and followed up with two Running Knees and a Fairytale ending on Breakker for a nearfall. In the closing moments, Ciampa attempted an Air Raid Crash on Breakker from the second rope, but Breakker shoved him off and followed up with a diving bulldog. Breakker forced Ciampa to submit to the Steiner Recliner to win the title for the first time. After the event went off the air, Breakker's father, Rick Steiner, who had not appeared in WWE since 1994, celebrated the moment with Breakker.[20]
