First off, condolences to the family and friends of Tracy Smothers.
WWE is saddened to learn that Tracy Smothers passed away today at the age of 58.
WWE extends its condolences to Smothers’ family and friends. https://t.co/wdclVdB1n0
— WWE (@WWE) October 28, 2020
1 and 2 added a 3rd and got some titles, 75% of the Undisputed Era was killed thanks to a Punter, Cameron Grimes is being forced by management to go to a Haunted House (he should consider a legal recourse from what I hear trials on Wrestling shows go great) and Johnny Gargano justified his hatred of wheels.
This Week: IT’S HALLOWEEN HAVOC
POP: Brand Scarefare
Tonight we continue the trend of passive aggressive shade towards Cody Rhodes by using WCW shows as themes for episodes of NXT (i’m joking of course…at least I think I am) with NXT Halloween Havoc! The production is great and is still something that NXT has an edge on over their competitor on Turner programming. Also Shotzi was a great host because she basically spent the entire night doing and being the absolute most. The graphics, the giant inflatable pumpkin, everything looks great. Speaking of looking great…
POP: Wrestling, But Make It Fashion
Every single person who went all out for the Halloween theme, looked amazing. The Garganos (of course) had a couples theme with Jack Skellington and Sally, Damien Priest showing up as Sting (though I wish he sprang for the facepaint too), Santos Escobar’s Rey Mysterio Halloween Havoc ‘97 tribute complete with Dia de Los Muertos face paint, WADE BARRETT BRINGING BACK BAD NEWS BARRETT (!!!) and every single one of Shotzi’s wardrobe changes.
Props to everyone.
POP: Rock’d n’ Roll
First, that headbanging entrance complete with live guitar is the coolest Damien Priest has ever looked and he usually looks cool as shit. More superstar entrances with live instruments please (give Nakamura his violinist back, instant star again). It was then immediately followed by Johnny being a little shit and popping the giant Jack O’Lantern at the top of the ramp. That monster.
Thanks to the bane of Johnny’s existence, this match was a “Devil’s Playground Match” which is basically a Falls Count Anywhere Match. This was a great way to start the show, it immediately grabs viewers’ attention as they brawl all over the Halloween themed CWC. At one point, the giant Jack O’ Lantern even got its revenge when Johnny got tangled in it and Priest got some kicks in. If Johnny Gargano superkicking a skeleton (while still slapping that thigh, natch) that jumpscared him doesn’t put a smile on your face, you might be Jim Cornette.
After getting kicked through a wall and a trash can thrown at his head, Gargano is able to get the upper hand for a short amount of time, but gets distracted by his burning hatred of wheels. It’s almost over for Gargano but then someone (yeah it’s probably Indi Hartwell) in a Ghostface costume hits Priest with a pipe and hands Gargano a tombstone. One tombstone (minus the Piledriver) later and Johnny Gargano is the first ever 2-Time NXT North American Champion.
Thanks to the assisted DDT from The Wheel, it is nice to see that Johnny has finally gotten over his hatred of wheels. Apparently he never even said he hated wheels. Pumpkins however, can absolutely still get it.
POP: 1-2 Punt
Pat McAfee is really good at getting people to hate him and everything coming out of his mouth, but you probably already knew that. I mean just watch his promo here, it’s absolutely infuriating as he explains how perfectly his plan to take down the UE was executed, down to hiring “the guy who took out his guy”, who after once again losing to the UE, were all for joining “The Brand” (but not Robert Stone’s).
Kyle O’Reilly shows up by himself without a chair or anything to take on the 3 guys who hurt his friends (did turning face make them dumb) but not to worry! Pete Dunne, man who the Undisputed Era have time and again assaulted, jumped, beat up, and pronounced his name incorrectly countless times is back on NXT Domestic and is here to help!…hey wait a minute
Yes in the most shocking “heel” turn of all time, Peter “Doone” joins Team McAfee and they all beat up Kyle. You know, similar to The Young Bucks, The Undisputed Era kinda deserve everything they’re getting. Until like, last month, all 4 of them were the biggest assholes on the show, then all of a sudden they wanna act noble and act like all the things they’ve done in the past is forgotten? Nah, that’s not how that works. As far as I’m concerned, the only reason Team McAfee are heels is because Pat can’t stop himself from insulting the fans. Otherwise, karmically, the UE has this coming.
Memories https://t.co/Zh6dHrvg2Q
— Pete Dunne (@PeteDunneYxB) October 29, 2020
Pat McAfee, Pete Dunne, Oney Lorcan, Danny Burch (and probably when he recovers, Ridge Holland). That’s one hell of a stable.
Pete’s gonna murder Pat one of these days.
Mid: Mask On
This match was fine, nothing to really write home about. Escobar is great, Jake Atlas is improving. Really, the only notable thing about this match is the return of the loaded mask thanks to Raul Mendoza who uses it to get Escobar the W.
POP: A Nightmare on Forsyth Commerce Rd
This match has been building for weeks and it did not disappoint at all. We already know how great Rhea Ripley is, but what this match really was, was a showcase for how good Raquel Gonzalez is and she really proved herself here. She matched Ripley blow for blow and move for more. It was her best match in NXT so far. But of course, Rhea Ripley wins with the Riptide. Definitely check this one out.
POP: LOL, but also Ugh
I have to give this segment props for the absolute DIY feel of these costumes. I think the guy in the The Giant costume is just wearing a torn up shirt. And I can’t give a BOTCH to any segment with a YET-TAY costume. How Drake convinced Dain to dress up like The Shockmaster, I have no idea.
POP: The Hills Have Grimes
Here’s the part where I talk about the best part of the show and possibly the best part of NXT this entire year: the Haunted House of Terror Match. NXT split this match up into separate parts and aired them throughout the night, so I’m gonna tackle the match as a whole in this one section.
After an almost fugue state like William Regal forcing Cameron Grimes into an unmarked vehicle (featuring an unwanted cameo) that had a really ashy guy in the passenger seat. That was scary.
The unmarked vehicle drops Grimey off at what is assumed to be Dexter Lumis’ home which of course is run down and creepy.
Once he makes his way into the home, he immediately runs into a haunted tricycle. This is the type of ridiculous shit in wrestling I love.
Wait. That’s the wrong GIF.
There we go.
Grimey then finds a ref standing in the corner ala Blair Witch and asks him what the rules of the match are (prolly should’ve asked like a week before bro) and the referee is a zombie. A zombie. Now Lumis is stalking Grimey around the house and breaking down doors like he’s Michael Myers, and Grimey eventually makes his way to the bathroom.
Apparently Grimey is so thirsty he’s willing to shower with a random woman he assumes is Lumis’ sister in the middle of a match. “MAKE ROOM FOR CAMERON GRIMES” might be the hardest I’ve laughed at something on WWE TV all year. However, it turns out to be a goth contortionist who really needs sunlight. Grimey is deathly scared of people who lack Vitamin D of course so he runs away.
After being attacked by multiple zombies, and being jumpscared by Lumis’ popping up in the unmarked vehicle, Grimey decides to just run all the way back to the CWC, which was probably the most unrealistic part of this entire ordeal. My mans Cameron Grimes was running down the street like Smokey after taking some Angel Dust.
Once our poor, thirsty hero finally makes it back to the CWC, he is once again accosted by the contortionist zombies who help Lumis win the match (including a spot where Lumis’ “sister” climbs all over him, and he then tosses her at Grimes). Now, at this point, you may be asking yourself “How and why does a Serial Killer Artist have the ability to summon the Living Dead?”. My response would be “stop trying to bring your darn logic into this, this was amazing”. Somehow Dexter and Grimey had a better cinematic match than Ciampa and Gargano. Let that sink in for a minute. This was definitely up there in the rankings of cinematic wrestling matches in 2020.
POP: Shit NXT’s Dad Says
This was the most boomer Ciampa has ever been, but it worked here. Ciampa is being framed as the guy who may soon become the “old guard” of NXT who’s going up against another person who’s younger but is “getting in his own way” (gee in that way why not expand on that guys). I missed the Ciampa promos where he’s just sitting in a dark place yelling at the camera. I preferred the shipping container though.
POP(py): Scary Match
Following the entrances, including another live performance this time for Io’s entrance from Poppy, The Wheel gives us a “Tables, Ladders & Scares Match” for the NXT Women’s Championship (the “Scares” part wound up being very apt).
As far as actual matches (don’t know if I can fully count the Terror Match as a match), this won the night and was worthy of being the main event. Someone actually put a bag filled with fake limbs under the ring and Candice actually screamed. It’s NXT Canon that the Garganos are easily frightened scaredy cats. Priest should’ve just shown up to the match in a Freddy Kruger mask to win. I don’t know why Io Shirai whacking Candice with a fake arm is hilarious, but it is. Also the chalk outlines on the tables were a nice touch but it also made me laugh because they reminded me of the Wayans Bros. logo.
I really have to hand it to both of these women because they went all out in this match. I probably spent 40% of this match with my hand in front of my mouth in shock at the bumps they were taking. Io suplexing Candice onto that chair made me cringe out of my body. I had the same reaction again when Io tied Candice’s leg in a chair and did a Dragon Screw.
After Candice launches the both of them into a couple tables, Indi…I mean the person in the Ghostface costume shows up again to get Candice up the ladder, but Shotzi chases them off. One tipped over ladder and Candice going through another ladder later (which is such a dangerous looking spot I wonder if they should even do it anymore), and Io is still undefeated in Ladder Matches. A great ending to a great Halloween Havoc.
I really hope NXT continues to take advantage of those WCW Copyrights and Brands WWE has just laying around and that Halloween Havoc becomes a yearly event.
Good luck convincing Candice that wheels are actually great, Johnny.
As always please share this article on all your shareables and if you wanna talk about how the Haunted House of Terror Match was the best thing ever with other fans, check out the Discord.
Next Week:
A Tommaso Ciampa match
Ember Moon vs. Dakota Kai
