New Year's Evil (WWE 2K22)

**New Year's Evil** was the first annual New Year's Evil event and was the eleventh episode of **WWE 2K22 Universe Mode**. The event was aired as a special episode of NXT, and was released on October 16, 2022. Four matches were held at the event. In the main event, Santos Escobar defeated Isaiah "Swerve" Scott to win the NXT North American Championship. In other prominent matches, Cameron Grimes defeated Johnny Gargano in the finals of the NXT Championship number #1 contendership tournament and Io Shirai successfully retained the NXT Women's Championship against Candice LeRae and Dakota Kai in a triple threat match.

## New Year's Evil

Poster for the event, featuring Santos Escobar and Isaiah "Swerve" Scott

#### Production

New Year's Evil was announced on the second episode of NXT. Production on the event began in late-September 2022 and finished in early-October 2022. The theme song for the event was "deadweight." by InRetrospect.

#### Storylines

On the first episode of NXT, Santos Escobar, in a backstage promo after Isaiah "Swerve" Scott's victory over Timothy Thatcher, announced his intentions to take the NXT North American Championship from Swerve. The following week, after Escobar defeated Dexter Lumis, Swerve would come down to the ring to confront Escobar. Escobar would then challenge Swerve to a match at New Year's Evil for the NXT North American Championship, which Swerve accepted.

On the first episode of NXT, William Regal announced a four-way tournament to crown a number #1 contender for Tommaso Ciampa's NXT Championship at the upcoming NXT Takeover: Vengeance Day pay-per-view. The tournament featured Cameron Grimes, Pete Dunne, Kyle O'Reilly and Johnny Gargano. On the second episode of NXT, Cameron Grimes defeated Pete Dunne via roll-up, meanwhile, on the third episode of NXT, Johnny Gargano defeated Kyle O'Reilly via Garga-No Escape, setting up the tournament finals between Gargano and Grimes at New Year's Evil.

On the final episode of NXT; the NXT Women's Champion, Io Shirai was interrupted by two former challengers of hers: Candice LeRae and Dakota Kai. Both women staked their claim to the championship, with Shirai challenging them both a triple threat NXT Women's Championship match at New Year's Evil.

On the second episode of NXT, William Regal announced the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic and the following week, announced the participants: Legado Del Fantasma's Joaquin Wilde and Raul Mendoza, Oney Lorcan and Danny Burch, NXT UK Tag Team Champions, Moustache Mountain and Roderick Strong and KUSHIDA. Strong, attempting to recruit KUSHIDA into Diamond Mine, went behind KUSHIDA's back to get them a spot in the tournament. After Wilde and Mendoza defeated Lorcan and Burch in their semi-final match, the second semi-final match between Moustache Mountain vs. Roderick Strong and KUSHIDA was announced for New Year's Evil.

#### Event

The event began with the NXT Women's Championship triple threat match between the defending champion, Io Shirai, Candice LeRae and Dakota Kai. The match began with LeRae and Shirai, after Kai fled the ring. However, after LeRae was taken out of the ring, Kai would sneak into the attack and attack Shirai. Later on in the match, LeRae would powerbomb Dakota Kai through a table. After a brief back-and-forth, Shirai won the match by hitting Kai with the moonsault to retain her championship.

The second match was a semi-final match in the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic tournament as Roderick Strong and KUSHIDA took on the NXT UK Tag Team Champions, Moustache Mountain. The match saw KUSHIDA often being hindered by Roderick Strong's demands. However, the tables would turn after Roderick Strong forced KUSHIDA to tag him in, only to be almost immediately defeated by Moustache Mountain's Assisted Burning Hammer, with Tyler Bate pinning Strong for the win.

The semi-main event was the finals of the NXT Championship number #1 contendership with Johnny Gargano taking on Cameron Grimes. The match began with a back-and-forth between Gargano and Grimes, only for Gargano to begin gaining control. At one point in the contest, Grimes would attempt to utilize his Cave In finisher, only for Gargano to counter the manuever by catching Grimes in mid-air and bringing him down to the mat with a Powerbomb. Shortly after, Gargano would throw Grimes onto the apron, running towards the ropes before rebounding off of the ropes and spearing Grimes, standing on the apron, through the middle rope and onto the floor. Shortly thereafter, Gargano attempted his Garga-No Escape finisher, but Grimes broke out of it. Moments later, the match concluded after Grimes managed to hit the Cave-In onto Gargano, winning the tournament and an NXT Championship match against Tommaso Ciampa at the NXT Takeover: Vengeance Day pay-per-view.

The main event of the show saw Isaiah "Swerve" Scott defend the NXT North American Championship against Santos Escobar. The match began with Swerve hitting Escobar with a Pump Kick, before putting him on the top rope before jumping up and hitting a Hurracarana onto Escobar. Soon after, Escobar would finally gain his footing in the match after hitting a Spinebuster onto Swerve. Soon thereafter, Escobar hit a suicide dive to Swerve, before throwing him into the steel steps. Swerve would then, hit a Falcon Arrow onto Escobar from the top rope before tossing him to the outside and hitting a Rope Step Senton. Escobar then hit a Kneeling back to belly piledriver onto Swerve, only for Swerve to kick out. However, two Phantom Drivers later, Escobar had defeated Swerve, and had won the NXT North American Championship.

#### Results

 **2** | **Moustache Mountain** (Tyler Bate and Trent Seven) defeated Roderick Strong and KUSHIDA by pinfall
This was a semi-final match in the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic
 **3** | Cameron Grimes defeated Johnny Gargano by pinfall
This was the final in the NXT Championship number #1 contendership tournament
 **4** | Santos Escobar defeated Isaiah "Swerve" Scott (c) by pinfall