WWE television special
The 2022 NXT Vengeance Day was the 10th Vengeance professional wrestling event produced by WWE, and the second annual held for the promotion's NXT brand division. It took place on February 15, 2022, at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida. It aired as a special episode of "NXT". In lieu of its normal channel, the USA Network, the television special aired on Syfy due to USA's broadcasting of the 2022 Winter Olympics in "NXT"'s normal slot.
In February 2021, WWE revived Vengeance as an NXT TakeOver event called ; the name was a reference to its Valentine's Day scheduling. That September, however, the TakeOver series was discontinued. 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 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 be directed to the North American title 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 a one-off event in 2011. In February 2021, WWE revived Vengeance for the NXT brand as a TakeOver event called , and it aired on PPV and the WWE Network. Its title was also a reference to its Valentine's Day scheduling. The TakeOver series was then discontinued in September 2021. On January 25, 2022, however, WWE announced that Vengeance would continue under the Vengeance Day name, but unlike all previous Vengeance events, the 2022 Vengeance Day would be held as a special episode of "NXT". The 10th event in the Vengeance chronology, it was scheduled to be held on February 15, 2022, at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida. 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 "NXT"'s normal slot, the television special aired on Syfy.
Storylines.
The card included matches that resulted from scripted storylines, where wrestlers portrayed heroes, villains, or less distinguishable characters in scripted matches that built tension and culminated in a wrestling match or series of matches. Results were predetermined by WWE's writers on the NXT brand, while storylines were produced on WWE's weekly television program, "NXT".
On January 4, 2022, at , 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 accepts 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 becomes champion, he would deal with the both of them. Ciampa and Ziggler brawled at ringside, leaving Breakker to get beat 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 men's 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 finals 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' 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 Io Shirai and Zoey Stark, and 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 last week, saying they were putting their tag titles 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.
Matthew McFarlin of "Slam Wrestling" gave the event 4 out of 5 stars, saying: "[W]ith relatively quick matches, tonight's entire lineup was exciting and effective. The "WWE style" bogged down the main event's first half, but when the chains are off for people like Carmelo Hayes and MSK, the in-ring action is amazing stuff." John Moore of "Pro Wrestling Dot Net" praised the Weaponized Steel Cage opener for being "a fun hardcore match" that was "creative and Takeover worthy" and showcases D'Angelo's rapid growth in his early wrestling career, the Women's Tag Title match for being a "really fun women's tag team match", called the North American Title bout a "great match between two smart in-ring technicians", the Creeds-MSK tag team bout a "fun Dusty Rhodes Classic final with the right team going over", and praised Escobar for carrying Breakker during their NXT Championship main event. He concluded that: "NXT continues to deliver with these themed shows. Even with rookies like Tony D'Angelo or Bron Breakker, top to bottom this show was a good wrestling show. I'd argue that Breakker and D'Angelo would be able to have great matches on Takeover. The rest of the show, solid as well. A nice return to form for NXT.
Jeremy Thomas of "411Mania" called the North American Championship match "unequivocally great" and