Jeremy’s WWE NXT Review 10.31.23

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Hello everyone, and welcome to our live WWE NXT coverage right here on 411! Jeremy Thomas as per the usual, and tonight NXT concludes its two-week Halloween Havoc event! Night one was a momentous night and the second night has the potential for the same as Ilja Dragunov defends the NXT Championship against Carmelo Hayes and Nathan Frazer challenges Dominik Mysterio for the NXT North American Championship. We also have the finals of the NXT Women’s Breakout Tournament between Kelani Jordan and Lola Vice, while Thea Hail and Jacy Jayne will try to take the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships from Chelsea Green and Piper Niven. And the Creed Brothers, who made their main roster debuts on Monday, will battle Angel Garza & Humberto Carrillo in a Tables, Ladders and Scares Match.

Here at Thomas HQ, I finished out by Hooptober viewing challenge for this year (though I still have some reviews to write). The last week was busy for me movie-wise as I did a rewatch of the fantastic It Follows and saw the tolerable gateway horror hit Five Nights at Freddy’s — and those weren’t even in my Hooptober list! In regard to Hooptober, I watched (and reviewed here on 411!) the excellent Joe Lynch Lovecraftian horror flick Suitable Flesh, as well as the return to form that was Hell House LLC Origins: The Carmichael Manor. In preparation for the latter I watched Hell House LLC III: Lake of Fire, which was a silly little sequel whose biggest flaw was not even really trying to be scary.

I closed out my Hooptober watching with Brian De Palma’s psychic horror drama The Fury, which didn’t connect with me at all; Wes Craven’s Vampire in Brooklyn with Eddie Murphy which was all wrong in tone on multiple levels despite a game cast; Tobe Hooper’s Mortuary which completely lost me in the final act; and the new horror comedy from Sung Kang Shaky Shivers on Screambox, which also faltered in its last act despite some funny moments otherwise.

On TV, I’m both staying caught up on Drag Race UK season five and started up with The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula season five which got off to a great start.

Anyway, we’re gonna have a lot to cover tonight so let’s hop right in.

As a reminder, the GoFundMe for Larry’s daughters is still active and if you can make a donation, that would be awesome. Thank you so much to everyone who’s done so thus far.

* The ECTO-1 has pulled into the NXT Parking Lot! And out step Shotzi and Scarlett in Ghostbusters outfits.

* We’re LIVE in the Capitol Wrestling Center where New Year’s Day are performing over a recap of last week’s NXT and a preview of what’s to come tonight.

Tables, Ladders & Scares Match
The Creed Brothers vs. Humberto Carrillo & Angel Garza

The Creeds attack Humberto and Garza outside the ring to start the match. They set up a table and batter Humbert and Angel, setting Angel on the table as Julius tosses Humberto on him through the table! Into the ring and a cover for two. Humbert is whipped and put on Brutus’ shoulders but Angel hits Julius with a chair and Humbert knocks Brutus down. Stomps in the corner, a ladder is in the ring and Humberto dropkicks a chair into Brutus’ face in the corner.

Humberto and Angel set up some chairs in the ring and put the ladder on it, they slide out of the ring but get leveled by chairs from the Creeds. Julius holds the ladder on them and Brutus slams another fully set-up ladder on them! Brutus with a table and sets it up on the outside, Julius has one two and the crowd is very happy. Julius grabs Humberto and brings him to the apron, Garza takes out Julius and rearranges the chair as Julius is going for a superplex to the outside. Angel nails Julius, they get him up — BODYSLAM onto the table set on the chairs in the ring!

Brutus nails Humberto, but Angel grabs him in a Gory Lock — HUMBERTO OVER THE TOP with a neckbreaker through the outside table! And we’re on PIP break.

We’re back and it’s been a hectic PIP break, with tables set up and chair shots galore. Angel and Julius are in the ring getting to their feet with chairs, they tee off on each other’s backs. Chair shots to the chairs right into the head, and Angel takes down Brutus with a springboard kick that slams a chair into his face.

Angel and Humberto set up a ladder in the ring and tosses Julius, then nails Brutus in the gut and across the back with a chair. He sets Brutus on the chair and Humberto with a double stomp off the top THROUGH the chair, cover but Julius breaks it up. Julius with mounted punches to Humberto, but Humberto with a sunset flip INTO A POWERBOMB through a ladder! Cover gets a nearfall.

Angel grabs Julius but Brutus with a chair to Humberto’s gut, then Angel’s. He picks up a ladder over his head and airplane spins to take down both Carrillo and Garza. Humberto and Angel are outside now and they have a ladder, but Brutus dropkicks the ladder. He picks up the ladder and puts it on his head, but Carrillo and Garza with chair shots to the ladder. They choke him with the ladder but Julius comes up and over to take them out.

The Creeds have ANOTHER two tables that they slide into the ring and set up. Julius out and grabs Humberto, rolling him in the ring and putting him on his shoulders. Brutus tries to go up but gets cut off by Angel. They trade shots, Brutus knocks Humberto off the top through a chair at ringside! Brutus up top — BRUTUS BALL through a table. That does it.

Winner: The Creed Brothers (14:02)
Rating: ****
Thoughts: If you don’t like these kinds of matches, this won’t be for you. But these four absolutely killed it (and each other) in this match and did it with precision. It was a car crash in the best way. And Angel & Humberto instantly got over big-time with that performance.

The Creeds and Ivy pose on a ladder post-match.

* Shotziwise and Scarlett are using a ouija board as they ask for a guide to help them with the foolish mortals tonight. Another two hands join in — it’s Isla Dawn and Alba Fyre! They say that there’s something in the other realm that requires their attention and they should go; let them take over. They promise that they’ve got this, and Shotzi and Scarlett leave. Alba says they’re in control, and Alba says they’ll fill the night with mischief, mayhem and havoc.

* McKenzie asks Tiffany Stratton about Fallon Henley’s impersonation of her and she says she’s done and walks off for her match with Henley.

* We get a vignette with Joe Gacy talking about how he’s done unspeakable things and seen horrors, and he likes it. He’s not justifying his actions, he’s only human and he makes mistakes. But people stab him with their judgmental eyes day after day; is he the problem? He’s not asking for forgiveness, he has no strings on him anymore and maybe we’re the kind of person who believes in fairy tales — but maybe we’re not.

Fallon Henley vs. Tiffany Stratton

Tiff attacks Fallon during her entrance and throws her into the guardrail, then into the ringpost. She picks Fallon up and slams her kneefirst into the ringpost and then locks in a figure four around the post. Officials are out to break it up and Tiffany mocks everyone.

Winner: No Match

* Meta-Four show up at the creepy mansion where Tozawa is dressed as the Scooby Gang. They don’t want to go in but Noam says they have to. The door opens and they walk in hesitantly. They get scared by haunters along the way and walk up. They walk into the mansion and Lash says he’s probably not here. But we hear Tozawa’s voice vaguely echoing. Noam asks Jakara if she speaks Japanese and she says she doesn’t know what was said but it can’t be good.

Noam says they’re going and in they walk. Ora says they all stay together and don’t split up. Suddenly there’s a couple guys in costumes behind them and they run away, splitting up. To be continued…

NXT North American Championship Match
Dominik Mysterio vs. Nathan Frazer

Lock up to start, Frazer takes Dom down but back to their feet and Dom whips Frazer over. He showboats and they go back into the lockup, Frazer shot into the ropes and is hit with an armdrag. Lock back up again, Dom gets Frazer into the corner and batters him with punches and stomps. WHip across the ring, Frazer up and over and starts in with hiptosses and then a dropkick that sends Dom out of the ring.

Dom starts to go in but backs up and Nathan sits waiting for him. Dom in, Frazer into the corner but flips over Dom. Into the ropes, he catches Dom with a forearm and Dom out of the ring as we go to PIP break.

We’re back as Dom hits Frazer with the Three Amigos — or two at least, as Frazer reverses the third into a brain buster! They trade blows in the center of the ring, Frazer takes over and chops Dom in the ropes but Dom comes back with a slap — and Nathan tackles him down! Dom hits an enzuigir,. but Frazer fires back with his own! Frazer with a springboard into an inverted DDT for two.

Dom is out on the apron and Frazer goes to him but gets snapped throat-first against the ropes. Frazer with a baseball slide dropkick to Dom, he dives out but Dom dodges and Rhea distracts him while Dom takes out Frazer. Frazer rolled back in, Dom celebrates with Rhea and Fazer leaps onto him!

Back in the ring, Frazer goes for the Pheonix Splash but Dom dodges and takes Frazer out. Dom up top — but Frazer leaps up for a superplex! Twist and a turn, cover for a nearfall. Rhea tries to toss Dom the title but he misses it! Frazer rolls him up for two, Dom catches Frazer on the ropes and goes for 619 — but Frazer with a superkick! Frazer up top — but Dom is up and shoves him off the top to the booth. Dom goes up top, frog splash, pin.

Winner: Dominik Mysterio (10:26)
Rating: ***
Thoughts: Very solid match between these two, as we would expect. They had a couple sloppy moments that hurt the match overall, but on the whole this was quite well done. Dominik getting the win was expected.

Post-match, Wes Lee is back and attacks Dom! He batters Dom, who escapes the ring. Wes raises the title high and Rhea and Dom are pissed.

* Andre Chase is with Jacy Jayne, who says Andre finally knows what it’s like to be a champion. He should be happy, and grateful. She says she scratches his back, he scratches hers. Chase says he’s not going to cheat, and Duke and Thea come in. Duke says he hasn’t had to pay for lunches for a week. Chase says they’ll win fair and square, and Jacy gives him a look before leaving.

Tony D and Stacks come in and say that Andre and Duke owe them. Duke says they’ll get their championship rematch and Tony says “Yeah, that too.” They leave and Ilsa & Alba come out as Harley and Ivy. They talk about how the WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions hold the most frightful curse and laugh.

* Back at the mansion, Jakara is freaked out and alone but talking herself up as she walks through a costume rack. A zombie hand comes out and spooks her, she runs off but finds herself face to face with another zombie. She keeps running until a creepy girl with a mask shows up behind her and she faints.

Elsewhere, Ora is confronted by a winsome ghost and says no, not happening. He walks down a tunnel of mannequins and one of them is not a mannequin so he hits them. He turns around and says hey to Tozawa, who beats him up. Ora gets dragged off into the darkness.

Lash is walking and missing her glasses. She thinks she found the cup but it’s just a regular trophy. She pulls another sheet off something and it’s a zombie head. She fights off an attacker but a tall pumpkinheaded dude drags her off. TO BE CONTINUED.

Robert Stone vs. Bron Breakker

Bron approaches Stone slowly and Stone tries to dodge to the side but gets cut off. Bron lunches and Stone ducks under. Bron backs him into the corner and shoves him back, Stone with a shot and goes on the run. Back into the ring, Bron absolutely runs Stone over off the ropes.

Bron rips Stone’s shirt picking him up and then manhandles him in the corner before tossing him across the ring. Stone struggles to get to his feet and gets grabbed by Bron, who talks shit. Stone slaps Bron and then dodges a clothesline — rollup for two!

But Bron right back and he grabs Stone for a belly to back suplex. Bron says it’s over and lies in wait — SPEAR. He covers Stone for three.

Winner: Bron Breakker (2:37)
Rating: N/A
Thoughts: RIP Mr. Stone.

Bron tosses Stone to the outside and then picks up the ring steps, tossing them aside. He grabs Stone and drops him on the steps, picks up the top half and goes to smash Stone — VON’S MUSIC HITS! Von Wagner is here! He starts laying into Bron and beats him into the ring — and then clotheslines him to the outside. Von grabs Bron — choke slam onto the steps! Von grabs the top have and holds them up — Bron dodges the smash and officials are out to hold Von back. Bron is looking upset as he backs away and Von helps Stone to his feet.

* We get a vignette celebrating Lyra Valkyria’s path to the title and her win over Becky Lynch last week. We see Becky putting Lyra over and Lyra doing media in Ireland about her win. She’ll address the NXT Universe next week.

* SCRYPTS and OTM are there and SCRYPTS says he didn’t expect people to understand him. He just played the wine-slipping life. He’s Reggie but back home is friends call him SCRYPTS. He’s cut from the same cloth as Bronco and Lucien and the Brutes don’t understand him. They wouldn’t last one week on the streets. They want revenge for the Brutes costing them in the tag team battle royal. SCRYPTS says you’re either somebody or nobody, and they are somebody.

WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship Match
Chelsea Green & Piper Niven vs. Thea Hail & Jacy Jayne

The challengers attack on the outside and take out the champions, the bell finally rings and they take out Piper Niven on the outside. Back in, Chelsea gets a roll-up for two but Jacy immediately takes back over. Snapmare and a kick to the head, Thea tags in and hits an armdrag and drop-toe hold.

Chelsea puts The4a on the apron but Thea dodges a shot and gets back in the ring, Green sends her to the outside and follows but Thea back in and dives on Green. Niven here now, Thea dives but gets caught — and Jacy dives onto them and takes the champs down as we go to PIP break.

We’re back and Piper is in control of Thea with a sleeperhold. Thea gets to her feet and tries to fight her way out, she gets whipped in the corner. Niven runs into a boot, Thea with a crossbody, caught into a shoulderbreaker! Piper with a charge in the corner and cannoball, but Thea dodges. Thea goes for the Kimura, but Piper counters — and Thea counters back into a DDT!

Green gets the tag and cuts off Thea, elbow drop but Thea still gets the hot tag. Enzuigiri to Green, she dodges Piper and sends her into Green. Superkick to Piper, cannoball to Green in the corner, cover for a nearfall.

Jayne lies in wait but Green dodges the knockout blow. Unprettier countered, spinebuster by Jacy, cover but Piper breaks it up. Thea jumps on Niven but gets powerbombed, Jacy with a superkick to Piper. Green and Thea with double kicks and they’re down! DUke is on the apron hyping up the crowd, Jacy goes for the NXT Tag Team Title belt but Chase grabs it. He says she doesn’t need it and Green catches Jayne with the Unprettier for three.

Winner: Chelsea Green & Piper Niven (8:59)
Rating: ** 3/4
Thoughts: Very solid match here, Jacy and Thea work really well together as a team. I’m hoping they stick together in the inevitable Jacy split from Chase U.

Alba and Isla as Chucky and Tiffany make the wheel spin and taunt the champs.

* Lexis King is with McKenzie who is happy with his first interview. He says he’s always pleased with his performances and is pleased that his name is getting attention. It comes with being a star. This is his life and he’s going to do things his way. King talks about making an impact and says we’ll just have to see what he does next — or has already done. He won’t explain, McKenzie tries to end the interview but Lexis wants to keep going. McKenzie leaves.

* The Iron Survivor Challenge is returning at NXT Deadline.

NXT Women’s Breakout Tournament Finals
Kelani Jordan vs. Lola Vice

Waistlock by Kelani to start, Lola pushes her off in the ropes. Headlock by Kelani, shot into the ropes, handspring takedown cover for two. Armdrag after a spin through the ropes for two, but Lola right back and hits some rapid kicks to Kelani. Charging hip check in the corner, Kelani to the outside as we go to PIP break.

We’re back and Lola has been working over Kelani’s knee, but Jordan with a small package for two. Another cover gets two for Kelani, but Lola right back with a kick to the gut. She charges into the corner, Kelani dodges and Kelani with a kick to Lola as they both go down.

Kelani runs over Lola a couple of times and kips up. Somersault legdrop gets two. Jordan with a leg on Lola’s neck but she counters and kicks Kelani down. Whip into the ropes, Jordan handsprings and takes Lola down. She connect with the leg drop, then goes up top. Elektra distracts her and gets kicked to the floor, Jordan with the split-legged moonsault but Lola moves! Roundhouse kick finishes it.

Winner: Lola Vice (6:56)
Rating: ** 1/2
Thoughts: Not the best match of the night by any stretch Lola seemed to be the clear pick here because WWE is just more behind her. I’m not convinced that she’s ready; she has the look but her in-ring work is still missing something where Jordan is more polished. But we’ll see where she goes from here.

* Noam Dar is alone in the creepy mansion calling for anyone who’s seen his cup. It’s big, it’s silver, it has his name on it and it’s his. He turns and sees the cup, and says it’s the best day of his life! He asks the cup what they did to her and goes to lick it — he knows it’s her now. I’m dying. Noam says he would come and get her any time. They are the champions! Freedom!

Noam looks behind him and all the monsters there. He says “Ruh-Roh” and tries to offer them things. Tozawa taks the cup and Noam says he’s done. Please give him the cup back! Tozawa wants a Heritage Cup match, Noam says no way and the monsters threaten him. He says he can have his match next week. Tozawa gives him back the cup and leaves, and tells the monsters “go.” They pounce on Dar.

* Ilja and Alba say the spirits are calm again thanks to Shotzi and Scarlett, and they’ve kept the balance. Alba asks what else you could ask for on Halloween Havoc. Von and Stone storm in and Von wants Breakker next week. Stone says he’s not getting him that match. Von doesn’t care that he’s not ready. Which he says several times. He says it’s time for him to end this, but his head is hurting. He says he’s good and to get the match made.

Set For Next Week:
– NXT Heritage Cup Match: Noam Dar vs. Akira Tozawa
– Lyra Valkyria returns
– NXT Deadline Iron Survivor Challenge Qualifiers Begin

NXT Championship Match
Ilja Dragunov vs. Carmelo Hayes

Ilja charges, Melo ducks and goes for a kick, Ilja blocks it and goes for a leaping punch. Melo with an enzuigiri, Ilja fires back. Melo with a release German suplex, but Ilja right back with a waistlock, Melo elbows out and lays in the punches, Ilja fires back and they’re trading shots. Superkick from both men as we go to PIP break.

We’re back and they’re trading blows and dodging shots. Ilja takes over and hits an enzuigiri to the back of the head, Melo off the ropes and staggers back into a German suplex. He holds on for a second, and then the third — Melo blocks it and heabutts Ilja. Sprinboard for the DDT but he doesn’t get it, Ilja takes over and hits a powerbomb for two.

Ilja is lying in wait, he comes off the ropes but Melo with a superkick and another. Pump kick, Ilja comes back with a lariat for two. Ilja turns Melo inside out with a clothesline and picks him up — knees to the head from the champ! Melo is fighting back, Ilja goes for the Constantine Special but Hayes catches him with a tilt-a-whirl facebuster for a nearfall.

Melo up top and waits, Ilja is up but grabs Melo and slams him down to the mat by the head. Ilja climbs, but now it’s Melo who goozles him. He knows Ilja off the top all the way to the floor. Melo grabs him and pulls him to the apron, he goes over the top and SPIKE DDT’s Ilja onto the APRON!

Melo gets Ilja in and goes up top, frog splash — only a nearfall! Melo is up first and grabs Ilja — and they start trading blows! Ilja levels Melo with a clothesline, stomp, belly to belly suplex and cover for two!

Ilja lies in wait, he charges in and hits a kick o the head. Another one, and Hayes right back with a shot but Ilja with an H Bomb! My feed momentarily went wonky but Ilja with a shot to the back of the head, he goes for a Constantine Special but Melo cuts him off with a kick to the head! Ilja up on the apron, Melo leaps to the apron — but Ilja catches him and puts him on his shoulders! DVD onto the apron!

Ilja is up now and is clearing off the announcer’s booth. He chops Melo onto the booth and goes up top — H BOMB to Melo THROUGH THE TABLE!! Ilja grabs Melo and rolls him into the ring, they both get in just before the 10 count. Ilja kicks Melo in the head and is going up top – he leaps! Melo goes for the lungblower! Ilja catches him! Hayes hits the lungblower — and Ilja right back with the H Bomb! Cover for two and then some!

Ilja up top, he comes off the top — lungblower! Hayes is up now and goes up top —

HERE COMES TRICK! TRICK WILLIAMS IS COMING OUT and Melo looks scared! Ilja nails Hayes, hits the superplex and is ready — Torpedo Moscow! That gets it!

Winner: Ilja Dragunov (16:41)
Rating: *** 1/2
Thoughts: As brutal and badass as this was, it also wasn’t as good as their past matches. The clear need to redo the final sequence was really awkward and kept this from hitting the top level it could have been. Still a good match, just not the great one it could have been.

Ilja celebrates with his title and he leaves as Trick stares at Melo in the ring. He climbs up on the apron and walks up to the downed Melo, who looks up at him. Trick pulls Melo up and they’re staring off — as we then go backstage where Baron Corbin attacked Ilja.

And with that, we’re done for the night!

8.5

The final score: review Very Good

The 411

The second part of NXT Halloween Havoc was a slight downturn from night one. The main event just wasn't as good as night one and that's a major factor here. But by no means does that make this a bad show or even a mediocre one. We had a lot of great stuff and even the main event, while I'm being critical of it, was mostly good. This was a great couple of weeks for NXT and set the stage for a lot of what's to come; I for one am excited to see what's next.