WWE NXT Halloween Havoc Review - October 22, 2022

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

Wes Lee def. Carmelo Hayes, Oro Mensah, Nathan Frazer and Von Wagner in a Fatal 5-Way Ladder Match to Win the NXT North American Championship

As tired as I am of seeing Ladder matches in NXT (specifically over the NXT North American Championship), this was excellent as expected. There was a ton of talent involved and everyone had their time to shine. Okay, so Wagner stuck out like a sore thumb, but he had a passable performance. Lee winning made the most sense given the story they've told with him leading up to this event and it made for a memorable moment.

Apollo Crews def. Grayson Waller in a Casket Match

The commentators noted that this was the fourth Casket match in WWE ever to not feature The Undertaker, the first in NXT, and the first in WWE since The Greatest Royal Rumble in April 2018. Wow! Unfortunately, this feud didn't fit the stipulation, but I understand it was fitting for Halloween Havoc. The best Casket matches I've seen have actually come outside of WWE, but this was mostly solid other than Crews breaking through the top of the casket and then the lights going out. That was stupid. Crews needs to start winning more if the plan is for him to challenge for the NXT Championship eventually.

Roxanne Perez def. Cora Jade in a Weapons Wild Match

For a feud that's been highly personal, I felt like this lacked the sense of urgency it needed to take it to the next level. Despite that, this was a very good match and they made the most of the extreme environment. The big bump they both took together off the top of the platform toward the end didn't come off well, but they gave it a hell of an effort and finished off their feud properly with Perez finally giving Jade her comeuppance in satisfying fashion.

Lash Legend Interrupted Shotzi and Quincy Elliott

Shotzi and Elliott were fine choices as the hosts of Halloween Havoc. Shotzi filled the role two years ago and is a perfect fit for it, while Elliott gets more exposure by appearing alongside her. I'm not sold on him in the ring yet, but at least they're trying with him. I rolled my eyes when Legend came out because almost nothing she has been involved in over the last year has been worth watching. She's just not ready for television yet and I don't have high hopes for her match with Shotzi on Tuesday's NXT.

Julius Creed def. Damon Kemp in an Ambulance Match

As I've said before, this feud has far exceeded my expectations. The dissension within Diamond Mine has been well done for months now and Kemp has really broken out on his own. The Creed Brothers and specifically Julius have been very impressive with their performances as well. This was very physical and enjoyable. WWE doesn't do Ambulance matches often, but this delivered. I assume Brutus will get a rematch with Kemp one of these days on NXT TV and that the rivalry isn't over yet.

​​NXT Women's Champion Mandy Rose def. Alba Fyre

I didn't think this match would go the way of a cinematic haunted house, but alas, I was wrong. I didn't mind most of it since it was similar to what we got from Cameron Grimes and Dexter Lumis at Halloween Havoc two years ago, but it almost felt like a waste of time in a way because the actual match didn't happen until later in the show and was pretty subpar. Unfortunately, this was lame as their last one-on-one encounter earlier this year. The outside interference from Toxic Attraction at the end didn't help, either.

NXT Champion Bron Breakker def. Ilja Dragunov and JD McDonagh in a Triple Threat Match

In what should come as absolutely no surprise, this was a tremendous Triple Threat with killer performances from all three men. They worked wonderfully together, kept the crowd engaged throughout, and produced some strong nearfalls down the stretch. For the first time in a while, I felt there was a legitimate chance of Breakker dropping the title, but he ultimately retained. I would've had him pin McDonagh so Breakker vs. Dragunov could be built to at a later date. It could happen anyway, but there isn't much of a reason for it with Dragunov eating the loss here.

Overall Show

This marked the first time Halloween Havoc has been a "premium live event" under the NXT banner. It was probably the weakest installment in NXT to date yet still an entertaining show on the whole. The opening and closing matches were easily the best of the night and it dragged a bit in the middle. I wish they wouldn't go overboard with the stipulations like it's NXT's version of Extreme Rules, but the Halloween vibe is always a treat (no pun intended) and it was a great night of action.

SEE MORE: NXT Reviews