WWE New Year’s Evil Kickoffs a Brand-New Era with New Champions
It is safe to say that WWE is on a roll right now. Coming off the historic debut of Monday Night Raw on Netflix, NXT got to showcase again why they are the future in an electric night in Los Angeles, CA. Three champions entered the night looking to retain their championships and all three will leave empty-handed. Oba Femi, Giulia, and Lexis King all walked out as champions. Still, Femi and Giulia represent a changing of the guard as they will represent the silver and black brand going forward. An amazing night was capped off by the electricity of The Rock making his first appearance on NXT to feel the energy of the crowd and to see what this brand is about. Overall, the future of the brand has been established, and the new leaders look ready to have their turn in the main event spotlight.
Oba Femi has been dominant since he made his re-debut in the 2024 Men’s Breakout Tournament. By winning that tournament he earned an opportunity to cash in a contract to earn a championship match of his choosing anytime and anywhere. He quickly cashed in to become NXT North American Champion dominated the mid-card scene and held that championship for a record reign. Now, Femi holds the NXT Championship by defeating Trick Williams and Eddy Thorpe in a Triple Threat Match. The Ruler looks to have another dominant reign holding the top crown on the brand. A rematch against Williams is more than likely to happen, probably at “Stand and Deliver” before WrestleMania Saturday. After Femi presumably defeats Williams it is hard to look at the roster to see who could beat him for the title. It is possible that Femi could break Adam Cole’s championship reign; nonetheless, Femi will be a major player in the WWE for years to come.
Giulia is already a superstar based on her international reputation alone and now she can call herself NXT Women’s Champion. Shockingly, we are only seven days into January and the women’s division on all three brands has brand new champions. This is a testament to long-term storytelling across the board from WWE, with Giulia’s being one of them. Some fans may not know her yet, but what they should know is that she is the next great international star in the WWE. She has been compared to Shinsuke Nakamura, probably because they are both from Japan, but their strong styles are similar. Giulia finally defeated Roxanne Perez to end her historic reign and now she is the new leader of one of the best divisions in WWE. They’re a bevy of superstars for Giulia to face with a dream match against Stephanie Vaquer being the one fans cannot wait to see when it happens. As for Perez, it looks like a main roster call-up is on the horizon for her and it may happen very soon after the Royal Rumble or after WrestleMania 41. The 23-year-old has proven that she is ready for the big time because she delivers stellar matches at a high rate and can work with anybody. She is someone to root for because she is living her childhood dream and is a future face of the WWE women’s division.
NXT delivered in what has been a fantastic two days for the WWE. The excitement and energy are at an all-time high for wrestling and the superstars of the silver and black brand gave us a teaser into what the rest of the year will unfold. There will be new stories and challengers to look forward to and new superstars to see. However, the story of the night is Femi and Giulia and the excitement that they will bring to the main event scene. It is a new year, and fans now have two brand-new champions who will be the focal point of NXT in 2025.
