By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
NXT Halloween Havoc
Streamed live October 27, 2024 on Peacock
Hershey, Pennsylvania at Giant Center
NXT Halloween Havoc Pre-Show
-Megan Morant and Sam Roberts hosted the show from Stamford, Connecticut.
-The Fatal Influence faction chose a gauntlet match as the stipulation for the NXT North American Championship match. Kelani Jordan will face the three members in the following order: Jazmyn Nyx, Jacy Jayne, and Fallon Henley.
-Busted Open hosts Dave LaGreca and Bubba Ray Dudley checked in from the main floor of the venue a couple of times. Ridge Holland showed up and took issue with being criticized. Holland pointed out that Bubba did whatever it took during his career. Holland said he would do the same thing when he takes Chase U down for good.
NXT Halloween Havoc Main Card
The show opened with arrival shots of Giulia and Stephanie Vaquer, Roxanne Perez and Cora Jade, Ethan Page, and Trick Williams while Vic Joseph checked in on commentary… A Halloween Havoc video package aired…
Vic Joseph was joined on commentary by Booker T, and Mike Rome was the ring announcer… Entrances for the NXT North American Title match took place…
1. Tony D’Angelo vs. Oba Femi in a Tables, Ladders, and Scares match for the NXT North American Championship. The match will end via pinfall or submission. Mike Rome, who wore a Beetlejuice style suit, tried to deliver in-ring introductions for the title match, but D’Angelo cut him off and then hit Femi to start the match.
The action spilled over to ringside where D’Angelo speared Femi through the barricade and into the timekeepers area. Femi came back with a chair shot. There was a ladder bridge over the apron and the broadcast table. Femi tossed chairs inside the ring before rolling D’Angelo back inside. D’Angelo threw a chair at Femi, who then slammed one over the back of D’Angelo.
Femi chokeslammed D’Angelo onto a chair inside the ring and covered him for a near fall. Femi slammed D’Angelo onto a ladder that was leaning in a corner of the ring. Femi pulled a table out from underneath the ring and it ended up in another corner of the ring. Femi drove D’Angelo through the table with a shoulder block and covered him for a near fall.
Femi grabbed the crowbar that D’Angelo normally uses as a weapon. D’Angelo blocked crowbar shots with a chair. Femi wedged the crowbar in D’Angelo’s mouth. D’Angelo got to his beet and backed Femi into the corner, but Femi drilled him with a clothesline to the back of the head.
Femi set up for a powerbomb, but D’Angelo backdropped him. D’Angel slammed a chair over Femi’s back and then suplexed him onto another chair. D’Angelo put Femi down with a spinebuster for a near fall.
Femi powered up and dumped D’Angelo to the mat. D’Angelo clutched his right knee. Femi went to ringside and pulled out a zip tie, which he used to tie D’Angelo to the bottom turnbuckle.
Channing Lorenzo, Luca Crusifino, and Adriana Rizzo ran out. Femi took out the men at ringside and then entered the ring and backed Rizzo toward the ropes. Rizzo went to the apron. Femi followed. Rizzo picked up the crowbar, which Femi took away from her.
D’Angelo escaped the zip tie and then speared Femi off the apron and through the ladder bridge. Femi came right back once they were inside the ring. Femi powerbombed D’Angelo for a near fall.
Femi set up D’Angelo for another, but Rizzo hit him from behind with a crowbar. Crusifino slammed a chair over the back of Femi. Lorenzo held up the chair while he and Crusino performed a Shatter Machine. D’Angelo used a spinebuster to put Femi through a table and then pinned him…
Tony D’Angelo defeated Oba Femi in a Tables, Ladders, and Scares match in 15:20 to retain the NXT North American Championship.
Powell’s POV: The story told on the NXT television show was that Femi took out the D’Angelo’s male sidekicks, so it was pretty weak to have them play such a big part in the finish. Joseph tried to sell it as the family coming together to take out Femi, which is somehow meant to be a babyface move? Strange. Both wrestlers worked hard and this was a pretty good hardcore brawl otherwise.
After some ads/video packages, Lexis King was interviewed in the backstage area. He spoke about struggling to find a cornerman for his match against Charlie Dempsey. William Regal showed up and said he would be King’s cornerman. Regal said he knew King’s father and the apple doesn’t fall from the tree. Regal said he appreciated that King was trying to be his own man. King shook hands with Regal…
Powell’s POV: Of course, the fun part of this story is that William Regal is the father of Charlie Dempsey.
Entrances for the women’s tag team match took place…
2. NXT Women’s Champion Roxanne Perez and Cora Jade vs. Giulia and Stephanie Vaquer. Vaquer had half her face painted in a way that looked similar to Thunder Rosa. There was some nice mat work from Perez and Vaquer early on.
Giulia tagged in and then she and Vaquer put their opponents in double submission holds until they reached the ropes. Giulia hit a missile dropkick on Perez and covered her for a two count. Later, Vaquer performed a wicked dragon screw leg whip on Perez for another two count.
Perez caught Vaquer on the ropes with kicks and then performed a huracanrana. Jade tagged in and followed up with a Swanton on Vaqeuer. Jade had the pin, but Giulia broke it up. Giulia performed a spinning slam on Perez. Jade suplexed Giulia, who rolled to ringside.
In the end, Giulia suplexed Perez from the ropes. Vaquer followed up with a corkscrew dive and then pinned the Perez.
Giulia and Stephanie Vaquer defeated NXT Women’s Champion Roxanne Perez and Cora Jade in 14:15.
After the match, Zaria’s entrance theme played. Zaria was shown in a suite area looking down at Giulia and Vaquer, who were in the ring, as well as Perez and Jade, who were at ringside…
Powell’s POV: Strong work from all four wrestlers. The outcome was not surprising. The big question was whether Giulia or Vaquer would pin Perez or if they would take the easy way out and have Jade do the honors. The fact that Vaquer got the pin would seem to suggest that she’s next in line for a title shot. Meanwhile, the NXT creative team is doing a fantastic job of building up Zaria.
Footage aired of Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill, Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa, B-Fab, Bayley, Indi Hartwell, Tiffany Stratton, Michin, and Byron Saxton playing “What’s in the box?” They took turns reaching in the box and touching the “item” inside. It was the head of Boogeyman, who legitimately scared the hell out of some of the wrestlers. Cute…
Je’Von Evans and Cedric Alexander spoke inside a dressing room. Alexander said he understood why Evans slapped Nathan Frazer, and noted that it’s the reason they are getting a shot at the NXT Tag Team Titles. Alexander also mentioned that it’s okay to do bad things at times. but they quickly moved on from that subject…
Busted Open’s Dave LeGreca and Bubba Ray Dudley checked in from the main floor and spoke about the show thus far and looked ahead to the ambulance match… A video package aired on the history between Andre Chase and Ridge Holland…
3. Ridge Holland vs. Andre Chase in an Ambulance match. Both entrances were televised. Chase wore a Freddy Krueger style Chase U sweater. They fought to the stage where the old school hearse ambulance was located. Holland stuffed Chase in the back, but he was unable to close the door. Chase used sprayed a fire extinguisher at Holland.
Holland pushed a stretcher from the ambulance to ringside and eventually picked up Chase and dropped him on top of it. Back inside the ring, Holland clotheslined Chase and then performed a belly-to-belly suplex. Holland followed up with a jackhammer.
Holland went to ringside and brought back a kendo stick, which he slammed over the back of Chase. Holland also slammed a chair over Chase’s back. Holland set up the chair in the ring and hit Chase until he was seated on it. Holland slapped Chase and then ran the ropes, but Chase shot up and used a drop toehold to drive Holland onto the chair.
Holland and Chase both ended up with kendo sticks. Chase got the better of the kendo stick battle and then did his Chase U kicks. Chase went up top and hit a crossbody block. Chase grabbed a chair and hit Holland’s back with it, which sent Holland to ringside.
Chase followed to the floor, but Holland scooped him up and slammed him on the floor. Holland pulled back one of the ringside mats. Chase backdropped Holland on the exposed floor. Chase ran the stretcher into Holland three times and then cleared the broadcast table.
Holland grabbed Chase by the neck and tossed him into the apron. Holland got Chase on the table and then joined him. Chase kicked Holland and then DDT’d him on the table. A “one more time” chant broke out. Chase was going to oblige, but Holland acted like he was dead weight.
Chase grabbed the stretcher and rolled Holland onto it. Holland regrouped and then put Chase on the stretcher and rolled it to the stage. Holland grabbed a pumpkin, which got a pop from the live crowd. Chase hit Holland with a stretcher board and then got the pumpkin and threw it at Holland.
Chase climbed on top of the ambulance and performed a cannonball dive onto Holland. Chase tossed Holland inside the ambulance, but Holland stopped him from closing the door. Holland gouged the eye of Chase and then escaped the ambulance.
Holland swung the ambulance door and hit Chase with it. Holland catapulted Chase into the door. Holland put Chase down with DDT. Holland opened the ambulance door, tossed Chase inside, and then slammed the door shot to win the match. Joseph said this was the biggest singles win of Holland’s career…
Ridge Holland defeated Andre Chase in 14:30 in an Ambulance match.
Powell’s POV: A solid hardcore brawl. This would have been more fun if we didn’t have another hardcore brawl just two matches earlier. I wonder if that’s going to be a factor with the main event. Holland going over was the right move. The live crowd didn’t seem all that fired up about him, but it feels like this is the first time that he’s developed a bit of momentum as a singles wrestler.
Footage aired of Nathan Frazer and Axiom training in the ring. Axiom wasn’t pleased by the way Frazer spoke to Je’Von Evans on Tuesday’s show. Frazer asked if Axiom could be more condescending. Axiom said he could and then he’d be Frazer…
Sara Schreiber spoke with Ava, who announced Jaida Parker vs. Lola Vice in a hardcore match with Dawn Marie as special referee for the 2300 Arena show on Wednesday, November 6…
Powell’s POV: I was a big fan of Dawn Marie’s work in ECW. It will be nice to see her back in the national spotlight for the night.
Jazmyn Nyx made her entrance and then Kelani Jordan followed for the gauntlet match…
4. Kelani Jordan vs. Jazmyn Nyx, Jacy Jayne, and Fallon Henley in a gauntlet match for the NXT North American Women’s Championship. Nyx had a run off offense and used a fisherman’s suplex to get a two count. She went for the same move again, but Jordan caught her in an inside cradle for a two count of her own. Jordan performed an Angle Slam and then hit a 450 splash before getting the three count.
Kelani Jordan beat Jazmyn Nyx in 3:35.
Jacy Jayne ran out to start the second stage of the match. Jordan sent Jayne to the floor and then hit her with a twisting dive. Back in the ring, Jordan performed a top rope crossbody block for a near fall. Jordan set up for the One of a Kind moonsault, but Jayne cut her off and put her in a tree of woe. Jayne cannonballed into Jordan and then hit a senton that led to a two count.
Jayne drilled Jordan with a running knee strike for a near fall. Moments later, Jordan ducked a rolling elbow and then rolled Jayne into a pin for the three count.
Kelani Jordan beat Jacy Jayne in 8:00.
After the match, Jayne hit Jordan with a cheap shot. Fallon Henley ran out and went on the offensive. A short time later, Henley jumped from the middle rope and hit a neckbreaker for a near fall. Henley showed frustration over not getting the pin.
Jordan came back with a facebuster. Jordan hit the One of a Kind moonsault, but Jazmyn Nyx came out and distracted the referee. Jordan knocked Nyx off the apron and then covered her for a two count. Jordan went up top again. Jacy Jayne returned and distracted her. Jordan kicked Jayne off the apron. Jordan went for a 450 splash, but Henley put her knees up. Henley followed up a kick and then scored the pin.
Fallon Henley defeated Kelani Jordan in 14:15 to win the gauntlet match for the NXT Women’s North American Championship.
After the match, Henley tried to deliver a promo, but she was cut off by Zarian’s entrance music. Zaria appeared in the ring behind the Fatal Influence members and ended up laying them out…
Powell’s POV: First off, good for Henley, who struck me as being more ready for the main roster than some of the wrestlers who got the call before her. The three matches were fine. The live crowd was a little slow to get invested during the first match, but their interest seemed to grow with each match. Jordan has likable charisma and is a pretty good promo, but for some reason she just hasn’t fully connected with the audience. Did they make the same mistake they did with Roxanne Perez by rushing a belt on her too quickly? At least it was a secondary title for Jordan, so it’s not like she’s already reached the peak of the NXT women’s division. Zaria taking out Fatal Influence seems to suggest that she’s a babyface, though I wouldn’t rule out the possibility that she’ll be more of a monster who takes on all comers.
After some ads, Tony D’Angelo was celebrating his win with Channing Lorenzo, Luca Crusifino, and Adriana Rizzo when Sarah Schreiber showed up. D’Angelo said Oba Femi tried to take his title and his family. D’Angelo sold pain from the match and then gave credit to Rizzo for the crowbar shot. Rizzo said she knows who attacked her on Tuesday and would deal with it on Tuesday…
Joseph ran through the previously advertised matches for Tuesday’s NXT show and added the in-ring debut of Zaria to the lineup…
LaGreca and Bubba Ray Dudley were discussing the show when Ridge Holland showed up and did the “I told you so” bit with Bubba stemming from their pre-show confrontation. Bubba said he let it slide during the pre-show and he let it slide. Bubba told Holland not to let it happen again. Holland stared him down and then backed away…
Powell’s POV: One can only assume that they are setting up something for the 2300 Arena show between Holland and Bubba, which could be fun.
Vic Joseph stood on the stage where they had a swing set with skeletons and the ambulance from earlier. Booker was on a graveyard set. Tatum Paxley popped out of a crate behind him. Ava came out for some reason. Tatum said told Ava she wanted a match. Ava said she would give her the match on Tuesday. Paxley spun the wheel and it stopped on casket match. Ava announced Paxley vs. Wendy Choo in a casket match for Tuesday’s NXT…
A video package set up the main event… Entrances for the main event took place…
5. Trick Williams vs. Ethan Page in a Devil’s Playground match for the NXT Championship. Mike Rome delivered in-ring introductions for the title match. Page attacked Williams and the referee rewarded him for it by starting the match. Both men grabbed chairs. Trick knocked the chair out of Page’s hands and then hit him with repeated chair shots.
Page grabbed a pumpkin from ringside, which got a big pop from the crowd. Once Page returned to the ring, Williams knocked the chair out of his hands. Williams put the pumpkin over the head of Page and hit it with a punch and a pumpkin.
Williams pulled a ladder and another chair out from underneath the ring. Page kicked Williams, who then popped up Page, who fell face first on the ladder on the apron. Both men fought into the crowd. Williams played to the crowd and was hit in the gut by Page. Williams stuffed a move and backdropped Page onto a garbage can.
Back at ringside, Page rapped a chair around Williams neck and ran him into the ring post. Page DDT’d Page and covered him on the floor for a two count. Page set up a chair and then side slammed Williams onto it before covering him for a two count.
Page put Williams in a seated position on the top turnbuckle. Page pulled Williams off by the arms and flipped him onto a chair that was lying in the ring. Page covered Williams for another two count. Williams stuffed the Ego’s Edge and countered into a DDT.
Page went for the Ego’s Edge again a short time later, but Williams slipped out and shoved him into the corner. Williams hit a leaping knee strike and covered him. Page reached the ropes and the referee stopped his count. Joseph pointed out that it was an error by the referee because there are no rope breaks. Joseph chalked it up to muscle memory.
Williams pulled out a black bag and then poured nuts and bolts in a corner of the ring. Williams came back with a neckbreaker on the nuts and bolts and got a two count. Page rolled to ringside. Williams followed and then Page ran him into the ring post. Page grabbed the top half of the ring steps, but Page hit him from behind.
Page ran Williams’ abdomen into the side of the ring steps. Page smiled when he noticed blood coming from the mouth of Williams. Page picked up Williams and walked up the steps before putting him through the broadcast table with the Ego’s Edge. Page covered Williams for a two count.
The referee checked on Williams and motioned for the trainers to check on him. Page wanted to go after Williams, but the referee and trainers made him back off, which drew some boos. Page put both pieces of the ring steps inside the ring. Williams blew off the trainers and crawled back inside the ring.
Page slammed Williams onto the bottom piece of the ring steps. Page picked up the top piece of the steps and tried to slam them onto Williams, but he moved. Williams performed a uranage slam onto the steps. Williams picked up the top piece of the steps, but dropped them when Page kicked him in the balls.
Page picked up a piece of the ring steps. Williams punched Page in the balls. Williams slapped Page and then bashed him with the ring steps. Williams hit Page with a running knee strike and then pinned him.
Trick Williams defeated Ethan Page in a Devil’s Playground match in 18:00 to retain the NXT Championship.
Page was celebrating his win when Ridge Holland ran in and attacked him from behind. Page spun Holland around and they jawed at one another. Page drove his shoulder into Holland, then grabbed Williams and shoved him to Holland.
Bubba Ray Dudley ran in and beat up both heels before clearing them from the ring. Trick got to his feet and then he and Bubba jawed at the heels. Paul Levesque, Shawn Michaels, and Lee Fitting were given executive producer credit graphics to close the show…
Powell’s POV: The brutality of this main event was overhyped during the build. Williams barely bled from the mouth and this wasn’t any different than the other hardcore style matches on this show. I don’t know why Halloween means hardcore in NXT, but having three similar matches on the same show was a mistake. I thought Williams and Page might get to push things further than they did, but they worked a standard WWE hardcore style brawl. Anyway, I assume this means we get Trick and Bully vs. Page and Holland at 2300 Arena.
Overall, did this show really need to happen? It wasn’t all bad or anything, but it belongs in the category of “fine if you saw it, fine if you missed it.” I will have more to say about NXT Halloween Havoc in my same night audio review, which will be available for everyone as the latest Pro Wrestling Boom podcast. Let me know what you thought of NXT Halloween Havoc by voting for the best match and grading the overall show below.
Looks like Henley’s winning the title.