WWE NXT Halloween Havoc Live Coverage - October 28th, 2020
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Spin the Wheel, Make the Deal
Halloween Havoc is back! The scariest night of the year comes to NXT!!
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Card:
Spin The Wheel, Make The Deal: NXT North American Title Match
Johnny Gargano vs. Damian Priest (c)
Spin The Wheel, Make The Deal: NXT Women's Title Match
Candice LeRae vs. Io Shirai (c)
Haunted House of Terror Match
Cameron Grimes vs. Dexter Lumis
Non-Title Match
NXT Cruiserweight Champion Santos Escobar vs. Jake Atlas
Rhea Ripley vs. Raquel Gonzalez
:nxt:
- The WWE NXT Halloween Havoc special opens up with a video package.
- We're live from the Capitol Wrestling Center in Orlando, Florida. Host Shotzi Blackheart is on the stage with some sort of saw. She howls.
:nxtnorth:
Devil's Playground Match for the NXT North American Title: Johnny Gargano vs. Damian Priest
A band starts performing the entrance of NXT North American Champion Damian Priest. Priest is in the ring now, with his invisible bow and arrow. Out next comes Johnny Gargano. Vic Joseph welcomes us. He's joined by Vic Joseph, and WWE Hall of Famer Beth Phoenix remotely. Gargano hits the ring and has words with Priest. Shotzi Blackheart spins the wheel on the stage and this will be a Devil's Playground match.
The bell rings and Priest drops Gargano to start as Gargano yells at Blackheart. This will be No DQ, Falls Count Anywhere. Priest unloads on Gargano and hits a Flatliner. Priest with a flying back elbow in the corner, and another. Priest with a third big elbow to pay tribute to Sting. Gargano tries to fight but Priest nails a spinning heel kick for a 2 count.
Priest keeps control and knocks Gargano out to the floor. Gargano kicks Priest as he tries to re-enter. Gargano goes for the slingshot Spear but Priest blocks it. Gargano fights off the Reckoning. They tangle and Gargano ends up sending Priest into the steel ring steps. Gargano goes under the ring and brings out a kendo stick. Priest has a pipe. Gargano swings and it's blocked as we go to a picture-in-picture commercial.
Back from the break and Priest beat Gargano with the steel ring steps during the commercial. Gargano has control now. He leaps off the stage and takes Priest down as fans chant for Priest. Gargano with a kendo stick shot over the back, and more kendo stick shots. They go in the ring and Priest swings the pipe but it's blocked. Gargano fights but Priest brings him in from the apron with the big Broken Arrow for a close 2 count. Priest fights from the apron but Gargano kicks him to the floor. Gargano ends up slamming Priest on top of half of the steel steps and covering for a 2 count on top of the steel.
Priest ends up hitting a Broken Arrow over the announce table. They fight over to part of the set next to the stage now. Priest knocks Gargano into the backstage area and follows. Gargano sprays Priest with a fire extinguisher. Gargano slams Priest into a door several times. Gargano ends up slamming a trash can into Priest and dropping him as we go back to commercial as Gargano beats Priest through the backstage area with a steel trash can now.
Back from the break and Priest knocks Gargano onto part of the custom Halloween Havoc set. Gargano retreats up by the wheel now. Priest stands over Gargano in front of the wheel. Gargano slides under an attack and superkicks him in the jaw. Gargano smiles and cracks Priest with a steel trash can, and again. Gargano unloads on Priest with the steel trash can now as fans boo.
Gargano yells at the wheel. Gargano mocks Priest with his arrow, then charges but Priest jumps up with a kick to the face. Priest knocks the trash can into Gargano's face. Priest calls for the Reckoning but a man appears in a Scream mask. He drops Priest with a steel pipe. The referee yells at the mystery man. Gargano drops Priest with a DDT. Gargano looks up at the Scream guy and he's shocked. The mystery man brings a tombstone, part of the set, to Gargano now. Gargano smashes Priest with the tombstone, knocking him off the set, down to the concrete below.
Fans chant "holy s--t!" at Priest's fall. Gargano climbs down and pins Priest to win the title.
Winner and New NXT North American Champion: Johnny Gargano
- After the match, Gargano stands tall as we go to replays. Gargano raises the title in the air as fans boo.
- Vic and Barrett are in their costumes at ringside. Barrett is dressed as Bad News Barrett and Vic is dressed as Waldo. Barrett talks some friendly trash to Vic, telling him he's got some BAD NEWS!
- Pat McAfee is backstage walking with NXT Tag Team Champions Oney Lorcan and Danny Burch. Back to commercial.
- Back from the break and we get a Geico-sponsored video on the injured NXT Champion Finn Balor.
- Cameron Grimes is backstage worried about tonight's match with Dexter Lumis. NXT General Manager William Regal appears and makes Grimes go out to the parking lot. Grimes wants to wrestle in the ring but Regal isn't trying to hear it.
- We go to the ring and Pat McAfee is out with new NXT Tag Team Champions Oney Lorcan and Danny Burch.
McAfee brags about last week's title change and also his recent "Takeover: XXX" match with Adam Cole. McAfee takes shots at the fans in the crowd, who are dressed in costumes tonight. McAfee goes on about his Takeover performance and how big of a punk Cole was. McAfee talks about how he was too busy with his projects to deal with Cole, so he hired Ridge Holland to do the dirt for him. Holland got injured, so McAfee decided to reach out to the guy who took out his guy Holland. Lorcan and Burch were all about McAfee's money deal, and the time was right. He goes on but the music of The Undisputed Era interrupts. Out comes Kyle O'Reilly by himself.
Burch, Lorcan and McAfee get ready for a fight. O'Reilly taunts them from ringside. Pete Dunne suddenly comes out as his music hits. He has two steel chairs with him. O'Reilly waits on the apron and Dunne joins him. Dunne enters the ring with O'Reilly for a fight, but he stops and drops O'Reilly with a chair shot to the back. Dunne has turned on O'Reilly. McAfee watches from the second turnbuckle as O'Reilly is triple teamed. Fans boo. Lorcan and Burch end up dropping O'Reilly on the chair with a double team as the boos get louder. McAfee takes the mic and yells in O'Reilly's face, telling him he's smarter, and we are the new kings of the brand... and that is undisputed. The music hits to end the segment.
- Cameron Grimes is backstage begging William Regal. Grimes asks Regal to put a loss on his record, anything to stop from doing this match. Grimes asks Regal if he will come out with him. Grimes goes out and there's a van. A creepy zombie guy is in the passenger seat. The van door swings open and WWE Hall of Famer Michael "PS" Hayes jumps out. Hayes cuts a promo to Grimes and Grimes gets in the back of the van, which is filled with fog. Grimes says he hates rednecks. The van drives off to take Grimes to his match. We go to commercial.
NXT Cruiserweight Champion Santos Escobar vs. Jake Atlas
We go back to the ring and Jake Atlas is waiting for this non-title match. Out next comes Legado del Fantasma - NXT Cruiserweight Champion Santos Escobar with Raul Mendoza and Joaquin Wilde.
Escobar has half of his face painted like the mask he was using at one point. The bell rings and they charge but Escobar nails a big leaping kick to the face. Escobar keeps control and goes to the opposite corner, smirking as he cuts Atlas off. Escobar works Atlas over and taunts him, yelling at him to quit. This angers Atlas, who levels Escobar and unloads, beating him into the corner as the crowd pops.
The referee warns Atlas but he keeps fighting, shutting Escobar's counter down. Atlas drops Escobar face-first into the mat. Atlas with a big uppercut and a German suplex in the middle of the ring. Atlas yells out, drops Escobar with a forearm and covers for a close 2 count. Atlas with more offense and a close pin attempt but Mendoza and Wilde save the match by putting Escobar's foot on the bottom rope.
Atlas runs the ropes and leaps out, taking both heels down at the barrier. Escobar takes advantage of the distraction. Atlas ends up getting dropped by Mendoza and Wilde at ringside. Escobar brings Atlas back in and hits the Phantom Driver in the middle of the ring for the pin to win.
Winner: Santos Escobar
- After the match, Escobar stands tall as the music hits. We go to replays. Legado del Fantasma
- We get a video package on Ember Moon. She cuts a promo on Dakota Kai and says Kai won't like the receipt she's about to get.
- We go to host Shotzi Blackheart. She says the scares have just begun tonight as up next is the Haunted House of Terror. Blackheart howls away as the announcers hype the next match. Back to commercial.
- Back from the break and Shotzi sens us to the Haunted House of Terror.
Haunted House of Terror Match: Cameron Grimes vs. Dexter Lumis
The cinematic-style match begins with the white van pulling up to a dirty old house. Cameron Grimes hops out, a bit terrified, and starts yelling about how he's coming for Dexter Lumis. Grimes is spooked but he keeps walking to the house. We see Lumis sitting up in a tree, watching Grimes walk past him.
Grimes enters the house and a stuffed deer head on the wall scares him. He keeps walking, nervously yelling and talking to Lumis, who he still hasn't seen. We see Lumis creeping into the front door behind Grimes. Grimes walks up on a referee, who is face-first in a corner. He turns around and yells at Grimes, spooking him again. Grimes is finally attacked but he manages to escape the room and shut the wooden door. Lumis beats his way through the door and comes out. Grimes enters another room, a bathroom, and we see a silhouette behind a shower curtain. Grimes says he didn't realize Lumis had a sister. He starts undressing and tells the woman to make room because he's coming in the shower.
The curtain is opened and it's a creepy zombie/ghost girl, screaming at Grimes. He's terrified again and wants to leave this house. Lumis comes for Grimes but he retreats, stumbling around. Lumis wails away and Grimes fights back some and kicks Lumis in the head. Grimes has a broomstick now. He looks from the kitchen into a living room and we see the creepy girl from the shower again. She attacks and ends up on Grimes' back with a Sleeper hold. He spins her around and goes to the front porch. Grimes tosses the zombie girl into what looks like a lake. Grimes turns around to zombie versions of a few Superstars and referees. Grimes screams and keeps running away.
Grimes goes for the white van to escape but Lumis is in the driver's seat, staring at Grimes. Grimes jumps out of the van and runs away. To be continued...
- We get a "Tale of the Tape" graphic for Rhea Ripley vs. Raquel Gonzalez. Ripley is shown walking backstage as fans cheer her on. We also see Gonzalez walking backstage, and she gets booed.
Rhea Ripley vs. Raquel Gonzalez
We go back to the ring and out comes Rhea Ripley to a big pop. Back to commercial.
Back from the break and out comes Raquel Gonzalez as Ripley stares her down from the ring. They argue as the referee stands in between them. The bell hits and they lock up. Gonzalez with big knee strikes, sending Ripley to the corner. They go on and Ripley fights back from the corner. Gonzalez blocks an Irish whip and sends Ripley into the corner. Ripley keeps fighting and tries for a suplex but Gonzalez overpowers. Gonzalez takes it to the corner with shoulder thrusts.
Ripley fights back with body shots. Gonzalez blocks boots in the corner. Ripley blocks a right hand, then kicks Gonzalez. Gonzalez ducks a roundhouse kick and drops Ripley. They have words in the middle of the ring now, getting in each other's faces. They trade big shoves, then big slaps in the middle of the ring. They're both furious now. They unload with lefts and rights as the crowd cheers them on.
Ripley gets the upperhand with kicks and punches but Gonzalez slams her to the mat by her head. Gonzalez stomps while Ripley is down now. Ripley blocks a suplex, and another attempt. Gonzalez blocks a suplex attempt. Ripley slides out of a suplex, then clubs Gonzalez. Ripley with big clotheslines but she's shocked as it does nothing to Gonzalez. Gonzalez slides off Ripley's shoulders. They run the ropes and Ripley dropkicks Gonzalez to the floor. Ripley then dropkicks Gonzalez through the ropes for a pop. Ripley flies but Gonzalez catches her in mid-air, upside down, and launches her into the barrier with ease. Ripley goes down hard. Gonzalez stays on top of her and brings it back into the ring for a 2 count as we go to a picture-in-picture commercial.
Back from the break and Gonzalez has Ripley on her shoulders, manhandling her while Ripley looks up at the lights. Ripley counters but Gonzalez kicks out at 2. Gonzalez keeps on and slams Ripley in the middle of the ring for a close 2 count. Gonzalez with a running attack in the corner. Ripley fights out of the corner but Gonzalez clotheslines her for a close 2 count. Ripley ends up countering Gonzalez and back-dropping her.
Gonzalez charges but Ripley keeps hitting her with strikes. Ripley with big knee strikes in the middle of the ring. Ripley with another takedown and a running basement dropkick for a 2 count. Ripley focuses on the back and keeps dropping Gonzalez. Ripley stomps away while she's down now. Ripley tries for the inverted Cloverleaf submission and gets it locked in. Gonzalez kicks out of a pin attempt. Gonzalez with big boots to the face from the mat. Gonzalez with a big spinning slam in the middle of the ring for a close 2 count.
Gonzalez works Ripley over in the corner, then takes her to the top. Gonzalez climbs up and keeps pounding on Ripley. Ripley blocks a superplex, and again. Ripley keeps fighting and now headbutts Gonzalez up high. Ripley re-positions Gonzalez and goes for a super Riptide but Gonzalez escapes to the mat. Gonzalez keeps fighting from the mat while Ripley is on the top. Ripley fights back while sitting on the top. Ripley stands up but Gonzalez runs back to the top and launches Ripley to the mat over her head for a close 2 count. Gonzalez yells out in frustration and can't believe the kick out.
Fans chant "NXT!" now. Gonzalez lifts Ripley over her head for the one-arm powerbomb but Ripley counters and sends her face-first into the turnbuckles. Ripley stays on Gonzalez and hits the Riptide in the middle of the ring for the pin to win.
Winner: Rhea Ripley
- After the match, Ripley recovers and stands tall as her music hits and her arm is raised. Gonzalez rolls to the floor to recover as we go to replays. Ripley poses in the corner as fans cheer her on.
- We see a shirtless Cameron Grimes running down a street somewhere, yelling and apparently on his way back to the Capitol Wrestling Center. Back to commercial.
- Back from the break and we get a plug for Ilja Dragunov vs. NXT UK Champion WALTER on tomorrow's NXT UK episode.
- McKenzie Mitchell is backstage with Drake Maverick, who is dressed as WWE Hall of Famer "Hollywood" Hulk Hogan. He cuts a Hulkster promo and is suddenly sandwiched by two guys dressed as The Giant and The Mummy. Killian Dain comes through the curtain dressed as The Shockmaster. The big guys retreat but they were here in fun. Dain and Drake joke around before Drake puts on the Shockmaster helmet and falls, a spoof of the infamous Shockmaster debut in WCW.
Haunted House of Terror Match, Part 2: Cameron Grimes vs. Dexter Lumis
We see Cameron Grimes outside. He's made his way to the door of the Capitol Wrestling Center now, for the final part of the Haunted House of Terror Match. We briefly go to the announcers and then back to Grimes, who has stumbled onto the graveyard that is a part of the Halloween Havoc set. Zombies start coming up from the graves as Grimes begs and pleads, saying we're no longer at the house. Grimes yells at the zombies that they better stop. They back him into the ring.
Grimes stands up and Dexter Lumis is behind him. Lumis ends up attacking and unloading on Grimes, going from corner to corner. Lumis with a bulldog. The fog is filling the ring and ringside area now. The lights are also down. Lumis ends up catching Grimes with a big Spinebuster in the middle of the ring. Grimes is down on the mat as Lumis stares him down. The fog fills the ring some more. Two zombies enter the ring now, standing with Lumis. Grimes has nowhere to go. Grimes fights off one zombie with a Cave-In. There are a few more zombies now.
One of the zombies is on Lumis' back now, then standing on his shoulders. Grimes begs Lumis. Lumis presses the zombie in the air and launches it onto Grimes. Lumis then hits the big sideslam, stares over at Grimes and applies the The Silence submission. Grimes starts fading and passes out for the finish.
Winner: Dexter Lumis
- After the match, the music hits as Lumis stands tall. The smoke continues to fill the ring as the zombies start creeping around on the apron. Lumis exits the ring and looks back at the zombies crawling around Grimes. Lumis looks up at the camera and we get a bloody "The End" on the screen.
- We get a video package for tonight's main event.
- Host Shotzi Blackheart is up by the wheel again. She hypes the second and final spin of the night. We go back to commercial.
- Back from the break and Tommaso Ciampa is somewhere backstage. Ciampa no longer recognizes NXT. The talent is still some of the best in the world, but the attitude and the culture has changed. Everyone walks around like they're owed something, asking for opportunities. Ciampa says this isn't Monopoly and we're not taking turns. If you're hungry, you eat. He's hungry, so he eats. Ciampa says everyone wants to blame others for what they don't have. He goes on about the use of buzzwords and tweets getting attention for people. Ciampa says he was never handed anything, he never asked for an opportunity, he was simply the greatest sports entertainer of all time and for a very long time Tommaso Ciampa was NXT. He says it's about damn time he takes it back, and this all begins with The Velveteen Dream. He says Dream is a 25 year old prodigy who has the "IT Factor" but can't seem to get out of his own damn way. Ciampa says the old saying goes, "Hit me with a cast once, shame on me, hit me with a cast twice, you're a dead man." He walks off to end the segment.
- Tommaso Ciampa vs. The Velveteen Dream and Dakota Kai vs. Ember Moon are announced for next week.
:nxtwomen:
Tables, Ladders & Scares Match for the NXT Women's Title: Candice LeRae vs. Io Shirai
We go to the ring for tonight's "Spin The Wheel, Make The Deal" main event as Candice LeRae makes her way out. Poppy appears next to a big pop. She and her band perform the entrance for NXT Women's Champion Io Shirai as she makes her way to the ring. Shotzi Blackheart appears on the other stage and spins the wheel. This will be a "TLC: Tables, Ladders, Scares" match.
The bell rings and Candice attacks but Shirai drops her on her face. Candice goes to the floor for a breather but Shirai nails a big dive in front of the cemetery part of the set. Shirai brings a ladder from under the ring but LeRae stops her, shoving her into the edge of the apron. LeRae keeps control and pulls a table out but then grabs a bag of tricks.Shirai attacks and there are body parts in the bag - arms, a head, and other parts. Shirai beats LeRae with an arm. Shirai charges but LeRae drops her face-first into a ladder on the ground. LeRae brings another ladder out and stands it against the ring post. Shirai recovers but LeRae stays on her. Shirai counters a whip and sends LeRae face-first into the ring post.
LeRae fights back but Shirai sends her over the announce table. Shirai stands on the table and kicks the top off as fans cheer her on. Shirai tries to put LeRae through the table but LeRae fights her off and knocks her to the floor with a laptop shot to the face. Fans boo LeRae as referees check on Shirai.
LeRae bridges a ladder between the announce table and the apron. Shirai stops her by throwing a steel chair into her face. LeRae goes down. Shirai works LeRae over as she sits up against the steel ring steps. Shirai decks LeRae and sends her back into the steps. The referee checks on LeRae. Shirai goes under the ring and grabs a steel chair. Shirai tosses a few chairs in the ring. LeRae comes from behind but Shirai lands a chair shot. Shirai throws more chairs into the ring now. Shirai nails a suplex on the floor now as fans cheer her on. We go to a picture-in-picture commercial as Shirai puts another chair in the ring.
Back fro the break and fans chant "NXT!" as they trade shots at ringside. We see that two tables, with chalk body outlines on them, are stacked up at ringside. Shirai drops LeRae and brings a ladder into the ring. LeRae follows with a ladder of her own. Shirai stands a ladder up and looks to climb up for her title, which is hanging high above the ring.
LeRae stops Shirai from climbing for the title. LeRae drops Shirai and stands up a ladder of her own, leaning it up in the corner. LeRae drops Shirai and climbs up Shirai's ladder but Shirai knocks her off. Shirai looks to drop LeRae onto the pile of chairs. Shirai hits a backbreaker and pushes LeRae off her knee onto the chairs. Shirai goes up top for the Over the Moonsault but LeRae moves and Shirai lands hard on the chairs.
LeRae grabs a chair and unloads on Shirai with chair shots as fans boo her now. LeRae talks some trash but Shirai blocks a suplex. Shirai counters and nails a suplex of her own, driving LeRae down into a chair that was sitting up. Fans chant "NXT!" now. Shirai starts climbing up for her title now. LeRae pulls her down by her leg. They trade strike attempts and LeRae nails a big slap. Shirai is upset. She goes for the running double knees in the corner but LeRae moves and Shirai hits her knees into the ladder. The ladder falls over on LeRae.
Shirai struggles to get up as her leg is hurting. LeRae goes to the top but Shirai rocks her. LeRae is draping over the top turnbuckle now, knocked out. Shirai stands two steel chairs up next to each other in front of the turnbuckles. She climbs up for a superplex onto the chairs but LeRae avoids it with a counter. Shirai catches a kick with a chair, and has LeRae's foot trapped in the chair now. LeRae's ankle gets snapped and she goes down on the apron. The referee checks on her. Shirai misses the 619 and gets stuck in the ropes. LeRae with a chair shot to the back.
They tangle on the apron. LeRae puts them both through the double stacked tables at ringside with a big swinging neckbreaker. The referee checks on them both as they are laid out in the debris. Fans chant "NXT!" now.
The masked person in the Scream mask from earlier runs down now. They check on the participants and then tries to climb the ladder for the title. Shotzi hits the ring and takes the mystery person down for a big bump. LeRae is on top of the ladder now, thanks to the mystery person before Shotzi took her out, but LeRae is knocked out, draped over the top of the ladder. Shirai brings her ladder in now. They're both on top of their ladders near the title, fighting it out. LeRae sends Shirai flying to the mat and she lands hard. LeRae is about to grab the title for the win but Shirai pushes her ladder over. LeRae lands hard through the ladder bridge that was set up earlier from the apron to the announce table. LeRae is laid out from the huge bump. Shirai climbs the ladder that's still standing, and retrieves the title to retain.
Winner: Io Shirai
- After the match, Shirai holds the title up high in the air as fans chant "NXT!" now. Her music hits as we go to replays. Shirai sits on top of the ladder with the title, celebrating as the "NXT!" chant gets louder. LeRae is still knocked out on the ladder debris at ringside. NXT Halloween Havoc goes off the air with Shirai celebrating.
