As another year comes to an end, many people are looking to the future that awaits them in the upcoming year ahead. But when it comes to NXT’s corner of the WWE Universe, the coaches and assorted personnel (including WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels) are always concerned with the future. After all, their roster contains the next breakout stars of Raw, Smackdown, and even Wrestlemania.
• Date: Saturday, Dec. 9
• Start time: 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT and Sunday 12 a.m. GMT / 11 a.m. AEST
• Kickoff show time: One hour before
• Watch in the U.S.: Peacock
• Watch everywhere else: WWE Network
• Watch anywhere — try ExpressVPN 100% risk-free
But before the WWE can say goodbye to 2023, a year that came with hard-hitting matches, unforgettable moments, and incredibly unexpected returns that some thought would never happen in a million years, the superstars of NXT are prepared to shine in the final WWE Premium Live Event of the year: NXT Deadline. The second annual PLE emanates from the Total Mortgage Arena in Bridgeport, Connecticut on December 9, 2023.
And just like the inaugural event last year, the show will feature an Iron Survivor Challenge for both the men’s and women’s divisions. This completely unique match involves five competitors who are attempting to score the most points in 25 minutes. Points are scored when a wrestler earns a pinfall, a submission, or is the victim of a disqualification. After a point is awarded, their opponent goes to the penalty box for 90 seconds and cannot score any points during this period. Whoever emerges from the match with the most points becomes the number one contender to their division’s top championship.
If that’s hard to follow, it’s much easier to understand when you see the rules in action. However, in order to do that, you’ll have to know how to tune in. Luckily, we have all of those important details for you right here.
How to watch WWE NXT Deadline 2023 from anywhere
While Peacock is available all across the U.S. and the WWE Network is still the standard around the world (though that's changing), WWE NXT Deadline 2023 live streams can get a bit confusing. You might want to check out a VPN if you can't watch with the service you normally use.
International audiences will be pretty jealous of U.S. audiences, which will save cash by switching to Peacock (unless you get the no-ads tier at $9.99 per month).
The best VPN is ExpressVPN. It meets the VPN needs of the vast majority of users, offering outstanding compatibility with most devices and impressive connection speeds.
Watch WWE NXT Deadline 2023 in the U.S.
WWE premium live events like WWE NXT Deadline are exclusively streamed on Peacock in the United States. They are included in both the Premium and Premium Plus tiers of the streaming service.
However, even if you’re subscribed to the ad-free option, it won’t make a difference since commercials are still included in live WWE productions.
Right now, you can get Peacock for $1.99 per month. This deal will last an entire year, though it is only available to new subscribers. Even better, you can get the annual Peacock plan for $19.99, which essentially gives you two months free.!
Watch WWE NXT Deadline 2023 in U.K.
Our friends in the United Kingdom will grab WWE NXT Deadline 2023 live streams on the WWE Network, for a higher price — closer to the $9.99 that Americans used to pay.
It's also available from BT Sport Box Office for £14.95.
Americans abroad, though, can use ExpressVPN to watch on Peacock (U.K. Peacock doesn't have WWE).
Watch WWE NXT Deadline 2023 in Australia
WWE NXT Deadline 2023 live streams begin at 11 a.m. AEDT on Sunday morning.
It's all on Binge, the new official home for WWE premium live events in Australia.
Binge has three tiers for its pricing, starting at $10 AUD per month:
- Basic - $10 a month with 1 screen, SD
- Standard - $16 a month with 2 screens, HD
- Premium - $18 a month with 4 screens, HD
WWE NXT Deadline 2023 card and predictions
Though “Auld Lang Syne” is a typical hymn heard around the world towards the end of the year, professional wrestlers don’t forget about old acquaintances very easily. In fact, feuds can sometimes go on for years and even decades. But in an attempt to squash some beef in NXT, Deadline will feature a number of grudge matches on the card.
First, after defeating Kiana James in a Devil’s Playground Match at Halloween Havoc, Roxanne Perez still had to deal with her opponent causing trouble for her. James ruined Perez’s chance to become a two-time Iron Survivor by costing The Prodigy her coveted spot in the highly anticipated match.
With turnabout being fair play, Perez returned the favor. The two continued to be at each other's throats in the weeks that followed until they were given an opportunity to let their frustrations out in a steel cage. Both women have earned NXT gold in the past and have shown time and time again that they’re capable of handling business in the ring. But with Perez exhibiting a mean streak as of late, that may give her the edge in this grueling contest.
As personal as Perez and James’ issues seem to be, it doesn’t get much more personal than everything going on with Carmelo Hayes and Lexis King. The latter is a newcomer to the Black and Gold Brand who openly renounced the legacy of his Hall of Fame-worthy father Brian Pillman in order to forge his own path in the industry.
After that, he quickly inserted himself into the business of the former NXT Champion and his long-time friend Trick Williams. The duo had been experiencing some growing pains recently as Williams proved his dominance as a singles competitor, but things became exasperated when Trick was attacked and couldn’t compete in a fatal four-way to win an opportunity to face Ilja Dragunov for the NXT Championship at Halloween Havoc.
Despite accusations, Melo claimed that he wasn’t the one who attacked his best friend. And upon King’s debut, he stirred the pot by saying that he helped Hayes carry out the attack. In order to prove his innocence and remove the King-sized thorn from his side, Hayes is determined to defeat his Deadline opponent and prove to Williams where his loyalties lie. Although, even though the saying goes “Melo Don’t Miss,” the talented superstar has taken a few big losses lately. Plus, King has definitely taken up residence in his opponent’s head. It’s typically not best to bet against Hayes, but it’s very possible that he could take an L this weekend. And if it gets really bad, the outcome of this match may even affect Williams’ performance in his Iron Survivor Challenge.
Speaking of really bad, that’s one way to describe the situation surrounding the NXT North American Championship. Originally, Dominik Mysterio of The Judgement Day was set to defend his title against Wes Lee after the challenger defeated three former North American Champions to earn the opportunity. Unfortunately, the Cardiac Kid suffered a back injury that will require surgery and a recovery time of 8-12 months.
Obviously, this is a devastating development, especially since Lee’s crusade to regain the North American Title from Mysterio has been going on since the summer. As Lee puts his in-ring career on hold to heal up, another fierce competitor is stepping into his spot to give Dirty Dom a run for his money. Now, thanks to WWE Hall of Famer and LWO leader (and Dominik’s father) Rey Mysterio, Dragon Lee will take the injured fighter’s place to attempt to dethrone the nefarious champion. But with Dom’s Judgement Day stablemates always lurking, the deck will be stacked against the Master of the 619 and the Future of Lucha Libre, so it’s possible that the younger Mysterio may squeak by with his championship reign intact yet again.
Finally, we can’t talk about NXT Deadline predictions without predicting the winners of the Iron Survivor Challenge matches. Both fields feature some top-tier talent. All ten competitors have incredible potential and have proven on numerous occasions that they can hang with the best that the brand has to offer.
Any of these wrestlers could put on an excellent match with their respective champion. But in my opinion, it feels like the right time for Tyler Bate and Fallon Henley to step into the spotlight for an extended period of time. Both have worked hard to get where they are today and they’re also no strangers to NXT gold. The Big Strong Boi and the Top Shelf of NXT have come a long way since their WWE debuts and they’re both ready to enter a new phase of their careers. Even though Tiffany Stratton and Trick Williams may be the favorites, Henley and Bate would be most welcome surprises if they can pull off some wins.
Here’s the full card for WWE NXT Deadline 2023:
- Kickoff Match: Axiom vs. Nathan Frazer
- Iron Survivor Challenge to determine the #1 contender for the NXT Championship: Dijak vs. Bron Breakker vs. Trick Williams vs. Josh Briggs vs. Tyler Bate
- Iron Survivor Challenge to determine the #1 contender for the NXT Women’s Championship: Tiffany Stratton vs. Kelani Jordan vs. Lash Legend vs. Blair Davenport vs. Fallon Henley
- Lexis King vs. Carmelo Hayes
- Steel Cage Match: Roxanne Perez vs. Kiana James
- NXT North American Championship Match: Dominik Mysterio (c) vs. Dragon Lee
- NXT Championship Match: Ilja Dragunov (c) vs. Baron Corbin
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