Preliminary matches
The event began with NXT Head of Creative, Shawn Michaels, coming out and hyping the crowd by asking if they were ready. This brought out CM Punk, in his first NXT appearance since August 2012. Punk then endorsed Michaels and teased signing with NXT.
In the first match, "Dirty" Dominik Mysterio defended the NXT North American Championship against Dragon Lee (accompanied by Rey Mysterio). In the opening stages, Lee landed a somersault plancha and a slingshot hurricarana to Dominik for a two count. Lee then locked in a Fujiwara Armbar on Dominik, but Dominik reached the bottom ropes. Dominik then delivered an apron DDT to Lee for a two count. Dominik then performed a slingshot senton to Lee for a nearfall. Lee then delivered a diving double foot stomp to Dominik onto the outside. Back in the ring as Lee attempted the Asai DDT, Dominik impeded it with a dropkick for a two count. Lee then delivered a snap German suplex, but as he attempted a sit-out powerbomb, Dominik escaped and hit a sit-out powerbomb for a nearfall. Dominik then attempted the 619, but Lee escaped and delivered a sit-out powerbomb for a nearfall. Lee then hit the Asai DDT on Dominik to win the North American title.
Next was the Women's Iron Survivor Challenge contested between Blair Davenport, Lash Legend, Fallon Henley, Tiffany Stratton, and Kelani Jordan. Davenport and Henley started the match. Stratton was the next to enter. Stratton delivered an Alabama Slam to Henley for a two count. Davenport then threw Stratton out of the ring and pinned Henley to score her first fall (Davenport 1–Henley 0–Stratton 0–Legend 0–Jordan 0). Jordan entered the match next. Henley then performed a Blockbuster and the Shining Wizard to Stratton to score her first fall (Davenport 1–Henley 1–Stratton 0–Legend 0–Jordan 0). Legend entered the match last. She delivered a chokeslam to Stratton and a powerbomb to Henley and placed Henley on top of Stratton and simultaneously pinned both women to score two falls (Davenport 1–Henley 1–Stratton 0–Legend 2–Jordan 0). The Meta-Four (Noam Dar, Oro Mensah, and Jakara Jackson) then came out to prevent Stratton and Henley from escaping the penalty box. Henley escaped through the top of the box, but Stratton pushed her off the top of it, crashing through the commentator's table. Stratton then landed a diving senton to Meta-Four from the top of the penalty box. Davenport then landed a diving double foot stomp to Jordan and pinned her to score her second fall (Davenport 2–Henley 1–Stratton 0–Legend 2–Jordan 0). Stratton then performed a rolling Death Valley Driver to Jordan and hit the Prettiest Moonsault Ever on Legend and pinned Legend to score her first fall (Davenport 2–Henley 1–Stratton 1–Legend 2–Jordan 0). Davenport then hit the Kamigoye on Jordan and pinned her to score her third and decisive fall (Davenport 3–Henley 1–Stratton 1–Legend 2–Jordan 0). The buzzer then sounded, declaring Davenport the Iron Survivor and earning an NXT Women's Championship match at NXT: New Year's Evil. After the match, Davenport called out champion Lyra Valkyria and said that she would beat Valkyria for the title. As Valkyria was making her way onto the ramp, Cora Jade made her return to NXT for the first time since the July 25 episode of NXT, and proceeded to attack Valkyria.
After that, Carmelo Hayes faced Lexis King. In the closing stages, King hit a double foot stomp to Hayes for a two count. King then delivered two backbreakers and a running knee strike to Hayes for another nearfall. Hayes then performed a springboard DDT and La Mistica to King for a two count. King then hit Hayes with a Jackhammer for a nearfall. Hayes then pushed King into the steel steps and delivered a step-up enzeguiri for a two count. King hit a backbreaker, but Hayes then hit the First 48 Codebreaker and then the Nothing But Net on King for the win.
The fourth match was the Men's Iron Survivor Challenge contested between Trick Williams, Bron Breakker, Dijak, Josh Briggs, and Tyler Bate. Dijak and Briggs started the match. Dijak hit Feast Your Eyes on Briggs to score his first fall (Dijak 1–Briggs 0–Breakker 0–Bate 0–Williams 0). Bate then entered the match next. Briggs delivered a running lariat to Dijak to score his first fall (Dijak 1–Briggs 1–Breakker 0–Bate 0–Williams 0). As Dijak attempted Feast Your Eyes on Bate, he escaped and used a schoolboy pin on Dijak to score his first fall (Dijak 1–Briggs 1–Breakker 0–Bate 1–Williams 0). Williams entered the match next. Bate performed a step-up enzeguiri, a slingshot clothesline, and the Tyler Driver '97 to Williams to score his second fall (Dijak 1–Briggs 1–Breakker 0–Bate 2–Williams 0). Breakker entered the match last and delivered three consecutive spears to Briggs, Bate, and Dijak to score three consecutive falls (Dijak 1–Briggs 1–Breakker 3–Bate 2–Williams 0). Williams then delivered a flying crossbody to everyone on the outside, but as he attempted to enter back in the ring, Breakker stopped him. Dijak then hit a Cyclone Boot on Williams to score his second fall (Dijak 2–Briggs 1–Breakker 3–Bate 2–Williams 0). Breakker and Bate then delivered a Frankensteiner/Powerbomb combination onto Dijak, with Bate scoring his third fall (Dijak 2–Briggs 1–Breakker 3–Bate 3–Williams 0). Briggs and Dijak then hit stereo moonsaults onto Williams and Breakker to score their second and third falls, respectively (Dijak 3–Briggs 2–Breakker 3–Bate 3–Williams 0). As Dijak attempted another Feast Your Eyes, Briggs escaped and Williams used a schoolboy pin on Briggs to score his first fall, but Dijak immediately delivered a big boot to Williams (Dijak 3–Briggs 2–Breakker 3–Bate 3–Williams 1). Dijak then landed Feast Your Eyes on Williams, but Eddy Thorpe came out and pulled the referee out of the ring to stop the count. Thorpe then hit Dijak onto the turnbuckles and delivered an enzeguiri to him, allowing Williams to use another schoolboy pin on Dijak to score his second fall (Dijak 3–Briggs 2–Breakker 3–Bate 3–Williams 2). Bate then delivered a Tornillo splash and attempted the Tyler Driver '97, but Williams reversed it into a jacknife pin to score his third fall (Dijak 3–Briggs 2–Breakker 3–Bate 3–Williams 3). Breakker then attempted a Spear, but Williams impeded it with a running pump knee strike and pinned Breakker to score his fourth and decisive fall (Dijak 3–Briggs 2–Breakker 3–Bate 3–Williams 4). The buzzer sounded and Williams was declared the Iron Survivor, thus earning an NXT Championship match at NXT: New Year's Evil. In the penultimate match, Roxanne Perez faced Kiana James in a Steel Cage match.
