The 2022 NXT: Vengeance Day was a professional wrestling television special produced by WWE, held exclusively for wrestlers from the promotion's developmental brand, NXT 2.0. It was NXT's second annual Vengeance Day, and WWE's 10th Vengeance overall, and aired as a special episode of the weekly series NXT 2.0. It took place on February 15, 2022, at NXT's home venue, the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida for a second consecutive year. In lieu of NXTs normal channel, the USA Network, the special aired on Syfy due to USA's broadcasting of the 2022 Winter Olympics.

In February 2021, WWE revived Vengeance as an NXT TakeOver event called Vengeance Day; the name was a reference to its Valentine's Day scheduling. That September, however, the TakeOver series was discontinued along with NXT's rebranding as NXT 2.0. With the scheduling of this 2022 event, Vengeance Day became its own event as well as NXT's annual Valentine's event. Unlike all previous Vengeance events, which aired on pay-per-view as well as livestreaming on the WWE Network in 2021, this was the only Vengeance to air as a television special, as the following year's event returned to livestreaming.

Five matches were contested at the event. In the main event, Bron Breakker defeated Santos Escobar to retain the NXT Championship. The event garnered positive reviews from critics, with much praise directed towards the NXT North American Championship match between Cameron Grimes and Carmelo Hayes.

Production Background Vengeance was originally established as a pay-per-view (PPV) event for WWE in 2001 and it was held annually until 2007, followed by one event in 2011. In February 2021, WWE reinstated Vengeance for its NXT brand as a TakeOver event called Vengeance Day, and it aired on PPV and was livestreamed on the WWE Network. Its title was also a reference to its Valentine's Day scheduling. The TakeOver series was then discontinued in September 2021 after NXT was rebranded to NXT 2.0, reverting NXT to being WWE's developmental brand.

On January 25, 2022, WWE announced that Vengeance would continue for NXT under the Vengeance Day name, but unlike all previous Vengeance events, the 2022 Vengeance Day would be held as a special episode of NXT 2.0. The brand's second Vengeance Day, and WWE's 10th Vengeance overall, was scheduled to be held on February 15, 2022, at NXT's home venue, the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida for a second consecutive year. This in turn established Vengeance Day as NXT's annual Valentine's event. Additionally, due to USA Network's broadcasting of the 2022 Winter Olympics in NXTs normal time slot, the television special aired on Syfy.

Storylines The card included matches that resulted from scripted storylines. Results were predetermined by WWE's writers on the NXT brand, while storylines were produced on WWE's weekly television program, NXT 2.0.

On January 4, 2022, at NXT: New Year's Evil, Bron Breakker defeated Tommaso Ciampa to win the NXT Championship for the first time in his career. On the following week's episode of NXT, Breakker gave thanks to Ciampa for congratulating him on his win and paying respect to his father Rick Steiner. As Breakker left the ring, he crossed paths with Santos Escobar and Legado Del Fantasma (Joaquin Wilde and Raul Mendoza) as he was getting ready for his upcoming match. On the January 25 episode, Escobar was in the ring with Legado Del Fantasma, complaining how Breakker rose quickly in NXT and captured the title before him. Breakker appeared and told Escobar he accepted his challenge, but Escobar said it would be done on his time and he would let Breakker know when he was ready. On February 5, Breakker was scheduled to defend the title against Escobar at Vengeance Day. On the February 8 episode of NXT, a Championship Summit was held where both Breakker and Escobar traded words on who was going to leave Vengeance Day as champion, when Raw roster member Dolph Ziggler appeared and confronted Breakker over his comments about him on Twitter, and said that he had never held the NXT Championship. Ciampa then appeared to confront Ziggler, which caused Escobar to say that once he became champion, he would deal with the both of them. Ciampa and Ziggler brawled at ringside, leaving Breakker to get beaten down by Wilde and Mendoza, and double powerbombed through the table.

At NXT: New Year's Evil, the seventh Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic was announced, with the eight-man tournament beginning on January 18. On the February 8 episode of NXT, the semifinals took place with MSK (Nash Carter and Wes Lee) defeating Edris Enofé and Malik Blade, and The Creed Brothers (Brutus Creed and Julius Creed) defeating Grizzled Young Veterans (James Drake and Zack Gibson) to advance and meet in the final at Vengeance Day.

On December 5, 2021, at NXT WarGames, Tony D'Angelo took out Pete Dunne with a crowbar and took his mouth guard during the Men's WarGames match. Dunne took it back from D'Angelo on the December 14 episode of NXT and defeated him in the main event the following week. After the match, D'Angelo attacked Dunne's hand with a crowbar, causing him to writhe in pain. On the January 11, 2022, episode, D'Angelo defeated Dunne in a Crowbar on a Pole match. The following week, D'Angelo conducted a memorial service for Dunne's career and set his sights on Carmelo Hayes's NXT North American Championship. On the January 25 episode of NXT, D'Angelo fought Cameron Grimes in a number one contender's match for a shot at the title at Vengeance Day, but lost after Dunne appeared and hit his hand with a cricket bat. The following week, Dunne challenged D'Angelo to a Steel Cage match, which was scheduled for Vengeance Day. On the February 8 episode, Dunne upped the stipulation after avoiding his crowbar attacks during a match with Draco Anthony, throwing in chairs, crowbars, kendo sticks, and a toolbox in the ring to make it a weaponized steel cage match.

On October 26, 2021, at NXT: Halloween Havoc, Toxic Attraction (Gigi Dolin and Jacy Jayne) defeated the team of Io Shirai and Zoey Stark and the team of Indi Hartwell and Persia Pirotta in a Triple Threat Tag Team Scareway to Hell Ladder match to win the NXT Women's Tag Team Championship for the first time in their careers. On the January 25, 2022, episode of NXT, Dolin and Jayne (alongside NXT Women's Champion Mandy Rose) competed in a six-woman tag team match against Hartwell, Pirotta, and Kay Lee Ray, where they lost after Dolin was pinned by Pirotta. The following week, Toxic Attraction appeared in the ring to tell Hartwell and Pirotta that they signed their "death sentence" after their fluke win the previous week, saying they were putting their tag title on the line against them at Vengeance Day.

Event Preliminary matches The television special began with Pete Dunne taking on Tony D'Angelo in a weaponized steel cage match. Throughout the match, the two used various weapons, and both kicked out of their respective finishing moves (D'Angelo out of a Bitter End and Dunne out of a Fisherman's Buster). In the climax, Dunne found a crowbar and struck D'Angelo with it twice. Dunne followed up with a second Bitter End on D'Angelo to win the match.

Following this, footage was shown of Cora Jade and Raquel González training for the 2022 Women's Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic.

In the second match, Toxic Attraction (Gigi Dolin and Jacy Jayne, accompanied by NXT Women's Champion Mandy Rose) defended the NXT Women's Tag Team Championship against Indi Hartwell and Persia Pirotta. During the match, Rose sent Hartwell back in the ring. The referee saw this and ejected Rose from ringside. In the climax, Jayne sent Pirotta into the steel ring steps. As Hartwell went for her springboard elbow drop, Jayne intercepted it, and Jayne and Dolin followed up with a high-low kick combo on Hartwell to retain the titles.

Afterwards, LA Knight tried to address the fans, but was interrupted by his longtime rival Grayson Waller, who told the police officers to arrest Knight due to Knight violating the restraining order. Waller said that the restraining order was set up after Knight's attack on Waller after the latter's match on the January 11 episode of NXT. However, Knight showed footage of Waller breaking the restraining order with an attack on Knight on the February 1 episode. As a result, Waller stated that the restraining order was void. Knight then laid out Waller and Sanga. It was subsequently announced that Knight would face Waller on the following episode of NXT.

In the third match, Carmelo Hayes (accompanied by Trick Williams) defended the NXT North American Championship against Cameron Grimes. During the match, Grimes performed a Sidewalk Slam on Hayes for a nearfall. Hayes performed a Codebreaker on Grimes for a nearfall. Later, Williams tried to interfere, but Grimes sent Hayes into Williams and followed up with a frankensteiner on Hayes. Grimes then performed a top rope Crossbody on Hayes for a nearfall. Grimes attempted a Cave In, but Hayes rolled out of the ring. After Grimes performed a Cave In on Williams, Hayes sent Grimes into the barricade. Back inside the ring, Hayes performed a La Mistica Slam for a nearfall. In the climax, Grimes countered a crossface into a pinning combination for a nearfall. Hayes then whiplashed Grimes on the top rope and followed up with a diving leg drop on Grimes to retain the title.

In the penultimate match, MSK (Wes Lee and Nash Carter) took on The Creed Brothers (Brutus Creed and Julius Creed) in the finals of the 2022 Men's Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic. During the match, Julius sent Lee off the apron and into the announce table. After more back-and-forth, Lee performed a twisting Senton on Julius for a nearfall. Lee then catapulted Julius into a Stomp by Carter, but Brutus broke up the pin. In the closing moments, after Brutus took out Lee, Carter attempted a Suicide Dive, but Julius caught him and performed a Cartwheel Slam. Back inside the ring, Julius performed a Basement Lariat on Carter to win the tournament and earn a future NXT Tag Team Championship match.

Following this, Imperium (Gunther and NXT Tag Team Champions Fabian Aichner and Marcel Barthel) talked about The Creed Brothers' (Brutus Creed and Julius Creed) Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic win. Gunther stated that he would be watching the NXT Championship match before being interrupted by Solo Sikoa. Sikoa talked trash to Gunther before laying down a challenge.

After that, as Trick Williams and NXT North American Champion Carmelo Hayes were talking backstage, they were confronted by Pete Dunne, who told Hayes that he was still the champion, for now.

Main event In the main event, Bron Breakker defended the NXT Championship against Santos Escobar, who was accompanied by Legado Del Fantasma (Joaquin Wilde, Raul Mendoza, and Elektra Lopez). Before Breakker's entrance, he burned the old Vengeance logo. After an even match between Breakker and Escobar, Legado Del Fantasma interfered in the match, allowing Dolph Ziggler to perform a Superkick on Breakker for a nearfall. Shortly afterwards, Tommaso Ciampa appeared and brawled with Ziggler, which spilled backstage. Escobar attempted a Frog Splash, but Breakker moved out of the way and performed a Spear on Escobar. Breakker then performed a Military Press Powerslam on Escobar to retain the title.

Reception