24th Oct2022

‘WWE NXT: Halloween Havoc’ Review (Oct 22nd 2022)

by Phil Wheat

We’ve got another WWE “Premium Live Event” to review this week – NXT’s Halloween Havoc… Yes, Halloween Havoc, the PPV that was synonymous with WCW back in the day and now looks to be an NXT-exclusive show. Let’s see what went down!

Match #1: NXT North American Title Ladder Match – Winner: Wes Lee

The following is courtesy of wwe.com:

The NXT North American Title Ladder Match had the NXT Universe buzzing out of the gate, as Nathan Frazer, Wes Lee, Carmelo Hayes, Von Wagner and Oro Mensah put it all on the line for championship gold. Lee chopped down with an impressive drop aided by a ladder, only to see Frazer up the ante with an unbelievable Springboard Spanish Fly of The A Champion onto the unforgiving steel. Interference from Williams forced Mensah to go airborne to wipe out the rest of the field, as Mr. Stone sabotaged Hayes’ teammate’s attempt to snatch the gold to his own detriment. Von Wagner flexed his muscles with a toss of Lee from the ring through the announce table. After clawing himself back to the mat, Lee climbed The Scareway to Hell with the rest of the competitors strewn throughout the ring area and grabbed the championship for the ultimate redemption for the last year of adversity.

My Score: 4 out of 5

Match #2: Casket Match – Apollo Crews def. Grayson Waller

The following is courtesy of wwe.com:

Apollo Crews had a brutal vision for the future of the brash Grayson Waller and fulfilled it at Halloween Havoc. Waller made the first statement by smashing Crews through the wood of the casket to put the conclusion of the match into question. The druids delivered another casket, and the audacious Aussie delivered a Stunner until his arrogance got the best of him. Crews rallied back for one final slam of Waller before closing the casket on his rival.

My Score: 3 out of 5

Match #3: Weapons Wild Match – Roxanne Perez def. Cora Jade

The following is courtesy of wwe.com:

Roxanne Perez and Cora Jade had long since put their friendship in the rearview mirror by the time Halloween Havoc rolled around, but a Weapons Wild Match ensured there was no turning back. In the showdown’s most pivotal moment, Perez hesitated for a moment with Jade on the precipice of the Performance Center. Jade went all-or-nothing, though, and pulled both of them off the ledge to send them crashing through a table. With the action back in the ring, Jade yelled to Perez that they were never friends. The ill-advised trash talk appeared to be the final push Perez needed as a Pop Rocks onto steel chairs finished off Jade and their once promising partnership for good.

My Score: 2.5 out of 5

Match #4: Ambulance Match – Julius Creed def. Damon Kemp

The following is courtesy of wwe.com:

Julius Creed is his brother’s keeper, and at Halloween Havoc, he kept Brutus Creed secure as a member of the NXT roster. Damon Kemp upped the ante on the Ambulance Match with his former Diamond Mine training partner, then ratcheted up the brutality by slamming Creed’s fingers in the ambulance door as the grappler kept the match and his brother’s career alive. Julius rallied with a seemingly endless streak of steel chair smashes onto the back of Kemp. After the beatdown, Creed carried Kemp back toward the ambulance and closed the doors for the hard-earned win.

My Score: 3.5 out of 5

Match #5: NXT Women’s Title Match – Mandy Rose def. Alba Fyre

The following is courtesy of wwe.com:

It was a Dream Match of Nightmares for Alba Fyre, as the challenger started her night by luring Toxic Attraction to her haunted house trap. Fyre dragged the NXT Women’s Champion back to the ring for their showdown, but Rose tried her best to stay on her feet with Gigi Dolin & Jacy Jayne lurking. A Swanton Bomb appeared to have Fyre headed for a breakthrough title win, but Toxic Attraction sprang into action to pull the referee from the ring. A Gory Bomb left Fyre helpless without the official to administer the count, and a Kiss by the Rose allowed the champion to retain. A year after claiming the title at Halloween Havoc, Rose still holds championship gold one year later at NXT’s most terrifying night.

My Score: 2 out of 5

Match #6: NXT Title Triple Threat Match – Bron Breakker def. Ilja Dragunov and JD McDonagh

The following is courtesy of wwe.com:

It was non-stop action from the opening bell as Bron Breakker, Ilja Dragunov and JD McDonagh left it all on the mat for the NXT Title. A slugfest broke out as Breakker and Dragunov traded haymakers while McDonagh looked on with a devilish smile. Dragunov showed off his incredible athleticism with a jaw-dropping dive across the ring into a kick of the Irish Superstar. An amazing flurry from Dragunov was capped off by a relentless charge, but McDonagh grabbed the official’s arm before his hand hit the mat for the third count. With Dragunov lining up one more big move, Breakker dug deep to overcome the odds and deliver the definitive Spear to survive with his title for another day.

My Score: 4 out of 5

Final Verdict: 3/5

Overall this was a good show but not a great one. NXT is still trapped by some of the 2.0 storylines and characters. Like a lot of WWE pay-per-views… sorry, premium live events… this show opened strong – with a brilliant ladder match that saw Wes Lee reach the heights he did in Impact (and proved those that said he was dead in the water after his tag team partner was released wrong!) – and closed just as strongly with a hard-hitting three-way main event. We may have all questioned Bron Breakker being the NXT Champion when he won the title but he’s done a LOT to prove he was the right choice!

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