NXT: New Year's Evil is a New Year's-themed professional wrestling television special produced by the American promotion WWE for its developmental brand NXT since 2021. The event was originally established by rival World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and produced as a special episode of its Monday Nitro program on TNT on December 27, 1999. WWE acquired WCW in 2001, and after 21 years since that WCW event, WWE revived New Year's Evil in 2021 as an annual special episode of NXT, held in early January. It was broadcast on USA Network from 2021 before moving to The CW in 2025.
History On December 27, 1999, the former professional wrestling promotion World Championship Wrestling (WCW) produced a New Year's-themed television special titled New Year's Evil, which was broadcast on TNT as a special episode of WCW's flagship program, Monday Nitro. This would be the only New Year's Evil event produced by WCW, and then in March 2001, the company was acquired by WWE, at the time still known as the World Wrestling Federation (WWF; renamed WWE in May 2002). On December 6, 2020, after 21 years since that WCW event, WWE announced that it would revive New Year's Evil to be held for its developmental brand NXT on January 6, 2021, as a special episode of NXT, broadcast on the USA Network. Prior to this special, WWE's previous New Year's-themed event was the New Year's Revolution pay-per-view event, which was held from 2005 to 2007.
A second NXT: New Year's Evil was scheduled to be held as the January 4, 2022, episode of NXT. This in turn established New Year's Evil as an annual television special of NXT, held in early January. The 2024 event was held as part of WWE's week-long programming of New Year's-themed shows called New Year's Knockout Week. It was also the final New Year's Evil to air on the USA Network, as NXT moved to The CW in October that year.
Events #EventDateCity VenueMain eventRef.1WCW Monday Nitro:New Year's EvilDecember 27, 1999Houston, TexasAstrodomeKevin Nash (c) vs. Sid Vicious and The Wall in a WCW World Tag Team Championship Lethal Lottery Tournament First Round 2-on-1 Handicap match2NXT:New Year's Evil (2021)January 6, 2021Orlando, FloridaWWE Performance CenterFinn Bálor (c) vs. Kyle O'Reilly for the NXT Championship3NXT:New Year's Evil (2022)January 4, 2022Tommaso Ciampa (c) vs. Bron Breakker for the NXT Championship4NXT:New Year's Evil (2023)January 10, 202320-woman Battle Royal to determine the #1 contender to the NXT Women's Championship at NXT Vengeance Day5NXT:New Year's Evil (2024)January 2, 2024Trick Williams vs. Grayson Waller for Williams's Iron Survivor Challenge title opportunity for the NXT Championship6NXT: New Year's Evil (2025)January 7, 2025Los Angeles, CaliforniaShrine Expo HallTrick Williams (c) vs. Oba Femi vs. Eddy Thorpe in a triple threat match for the NXT Championship7NXT: New Year's Evil (2026)January 6, 2026Orlando, FloridaWWE Performance CenterOba Femi (c) vs. Leon Slater for the NXT Championship
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