NXT Halloween Havoc 2025

NXT's annual seasonal special premium live event, which took its name from the classic WCW event of the 90's, is always heaps of fun. The vibes are always good, ringside always looks appropriately spooky, and the matches usually have a seasonal twist. This year's event had a lot of matches that sounded like they'd be good value for money, including an appearance from the iconic Hardy's, so my anticipation was fairly high all-around.

Tonight's edition of 'Halloween Havoc' began with a tag team match that looked very cool on paper; Je'Von Evans and the TNA X-Division Champion Leon Slater versus La Parka and Mr. Iguana. This was a really enjoyable way to start the evening - four babyface wrestlers entertaining and exciting the live audience. All four men mixed amusing little comedic spots with classic high-flying wrestling, which made for a really solid start to the evening's action. There was a couple of odd moments, but nothing too major. This may have been a throwaway match, at least as far as storylines go, but I really liked it.

After a few backstage segments, it was time for the next match of the night, which saw the NXT North American Championship on the line in a 'Day Of The Dead' match, with AAA Latin American Champion Hijo Del Dr. Wagner Jr. challenging Ethan Page for the title. I had a quiet feeling that this could really steal the show, considering the talents in the ring. I knew this would be good, but I wasn't expecting it to get as violent as it did. It really worked for the rivalry and the story that the two men were telling. There was some smart ring psychology going on - typical for Page - as well as some shrewd use of weapons. This was a terrific no disqualification match, and one that the live crowd seemed to love just as much as I did. Page has been a superb champion and a brilliant addition to WWE.

Following this was a slightly unusual match, in which Zaria was defending the NXT Women's North American Championship on behalf of her friend, and the champion; Sol Ruca, against Blake Monroe. The match itself was fine - I do think that it would have been better with Ruca instead of Zaria, as much as I like Zaria - but this was still an entertaining match, which created plenty of storyline options for the team of Ruca and Zaria going forward. All three women have interesting opportunities for the near future after this match, and I hope all three can continue to thrive.

It was now time for the NXT Women's Championship, with Fatal Influence's Jacey Jayne defending her gold against The Culling's Tatum Paxley. This was an interesting match, which deserved a little more build, but regardless looked to be an exciting watch. Both women have grown hugely as performers during their time in NXT, and this match was a reward of sorts for both. Although it started well, the match really picked up when the two respective teams were sent to the back, and the two competitors could battle free of interruption. The crowd seemed to absolutely love this one, and, by the end of it, so did I. The final moments were dramatic and thrilling, and provided one of the more enjoyable moments in NXT this year.

Next up was the Broken Rules match for the NXT Tag Team Championships, with The Hardy Boyz, in their 'broken' personas, defending their gold against the young up-and-comers; Dark State. This match was pure carnage from start to finish, with men and weapons flying everywhere. I have to say, this rivalry has done a lot for the legitimacy of Dark State, who showed out in this match particularly. Inevitably, the Hardy brothers threw themselves around the ringside area, edpecially Jeff, age be damned. I did have a feeling that this match was gonna end one way, but it wad extremely cool to see it all unfold. It was smart to put the older Hardy Boyz with a much younger team - it was a great opportunity for Dark State to show their skills and metal.

At last, it was main event time, as Ricky Saint put his NXT Championship on the line against Trick Williams. This was a battle between two of the biggest characters in NXT today. Considering the talent in the ring, as well as the high stakes at play, I was actually a little underwhelmed by this main event match. I just felt like it could've been more exciting, especially in the middle portion of the match, which felt fairly tame compared to others on the card. The final five minutes were very good, in fairness, and I liked seeing the intensity during that period, but I really wish I'd seen that with the rest of the match too. Regardless, this was not a bad match, but it lacked a little in that crucial central portion.

Overall, I thought this was a good show, for the most part, which was only held back by a few little moments here and there, including a slightly disappointing main event. Premium live events don't always need gimmick matches, but when they have them, it's always good to see them explored properly, and given the time they need to feel important and impactful, such was the case here. I digress, I had a really good time with this seasonal event, and the big moments that came from some of them really made it worth it.