NXT’s Halloween Havoc fallout episode takes place tonight with a card highlighted by two women’s title matches.
The TNA Knockouts Championship will be on the line with Kelani Jordan defending against Jordynne Grace. A former TNA star before arriving in NXT, Grace is looking to reclaim a title that she has held three times before.
New Evolve Women’s Champion Kendal Grey also has a title defense scheduled, taking on Lash Legend.
A new number one contender for men’s Speed Champion El Grande Americano will be determined in a tournament final. The matchup pits Axiom against Jasper Troy.
Plus, former No Quarter Catch Crew members Tavion Heights and Myles Borne meet in singles action.
We should also get appearances by NXT Women’s Champion Tatum Paxley, Women’s North American Champion Blake Monroe, and NXT Tag Team Champions DarkState following their Halloween Havoc title wins.
Join us for live coverage starting at 8 p.m. Eastern.
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NXT is on the air from the Performance Center in Orlando in front of a live studio audience. The results and happenings at NXT Halloween Havoc are recapped in a video package. It somewhat reminded me of WCW Halloween Havoc in 1999 since both shows were overbooked.
After the canned intro, Trick Williams is in the television control room ranting and raving at production staff. Trick is hijacking the show like he is NWO in 1996. He screams about this being his house, and he runs things. He orders no one touch any buttons as he storms his way into the building, and Trick grabs a microphone on his way to the ring.
Trick says to shut up because grown folks are talking. He then proceeds to say he beat NXT Champion Ricky Saints “like a bum.” Trick calls Saints a bum numerous times, prompting NXT General Manager Ava to interrupt Trick’s diatribe.
Ava tells Trick a temper tantrum will get him nowhere. Ava insists there is no controversy from the title match, and Trick simply lost. Trick strongly disagreed. He rants some more, and Trick claims to the fans support him. The studio audience chants “Trick got whopped,” which plays on common chant during Trick’s segments and matches.
Trick cuts a promo listing some of his recent victories over the likes of Carmelo Hayes, Ethan Page and Pete Dunne. That includes some fights in the “underground” and last man standing. With that, out comes Ricky Saints with his NXT championship belt in hand. Saints runs to the ring while yelling into a microphone, saying that it is tough talk for “a guy that got his ass whipped on Saturday.”
Saints rushes into the ring with security rushing in close behind him. Saints and Trick have a silly pull-apart brawl, as this feud seemingly must continue.
— Sponsored by an insurance company, a video package hypes the Speed tournament final with Axiom against Jasper Troy, which is up next.
Axiom vs. Jasper Troy in of the WWE Speed Championship Number One Contender’s Tournament
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On commentary, the announcers likened this to tales old as time where speed meets brute strength. That includes David against Goliath. Booker T also likens the match to “The Tortoise and the Hare”. Sure, Booker.
That was indeed David against Goliath, except the Goliath character won this time. The match was short of course, given the time limit. There was some cat and mouse. Axiom used his speed, but this match was more about getting Troy over. For the finish, Troy gives Axiom a Black Hole Slam. Troy then pins him to become the number one contender to the WWE Speed Championship. His opponent, El Grande Americano, was sitting in the crowd watching the match.
Match result: Jasper Troy defeated Axiom via pinfall in the finals of the WWE Speed Championship Number One Contender’s Tournament.
— Sol Ruca is backstage talking with Ava. Alongside them is Zaria. Ava says Ruca is making “progress” with her injury, but not sure when Ruca will be cleared to compete. Ruca forfeits the WWE Speed Women’s Championship to Ava, much to the dismay of Zaria. Ruca had also declined to have anyone sub for her, and Zaria storms off.
— The Culling is heading towards the ring.
New women’s champ spins the wheel to make a deal
Newly-crowned NXT Women’s Champion Tatum Paxley is joined by The Culling, as they celebrate her win with an in-ring promo. Paxley shouts “We did it!” as chants of “Tatum” fill the sound stage. She dreamed of this moment, she says before calling Halloween Havoc the greatest night of her life. Paxley goes to cut a babyface promo, much to the chagrin of her heel faction.
Paxley wanted to share the win with everyone. Not because of who holds the title, but what the title represents. Paxley talks about the journey getting there, and how she made the most of her opportunity. If a creepy weirdo like her can become the women’s champ, then anyone can. Paxley wants to be a fighting champion.
Izzi Dame, Paxley’s stablemate in The Culling, interjects trying to talk sense into Paxley. Dame does not picture Paxley as a fighting champion, and Tatum can lose the title fast as she won it. Dame mention it took Paxley four years and countless title challenges, and Dame insists that Paxley make challengers earn their shot like Paxley did.
Paxley dismisses Dame’s concerns, and Paxley herself insists this is going to be amazing. Paxley mentions fans were upset about no wheel at Halloween Havoc, so she brought it back to determine a challenger. A gleeful Paxley hurries to the wheel gimmick that is on the entrance ramp. Notably, Dame’s name is not on the wheel. Paxley says they would never fight over the title as she wants nothing to come between their friendship.
Paxley spins the wheel and it stops on the name of Lola Vice. Paxley is pumped up, and her first title defense is set for later tonight.
— Evolve Women’s Champion Kendal Grey enlists the help of Wren Sinclair to be her second for the title match that is up next.
Kendal Grey vs. Lash Legend for the Evolve Women’s Championship
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Grey really shined here. They were given a lot of time, and this could possibly be among the longest matches in the career of Lash Legend. Especially so with no smoke and mirrors.
The match goes through a commercial break. Legend lands a big boot, and she is standing tall as the show cuts to commercials. The big boot spot would play a part in the finish. As they go home, Legend misses a big boot. Grey counters to deliver her flatliner finisher (“Shades of Grey”), and she scores a pin on Legend. And still…
Match result: Evolve Women’s Champion Kendal Grey defeated Lash Legend via pinfall to retain her title.
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Myles Borne vs. Tavion Heights
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Good match that was given time, as it went through a split-screen commercial break.
Josh Briggs is at ringside at the announce desk for guest commentary, and Briggs goes on to play a part in the match. Heights finds himself outside the ring near the desk. He exchanges sharp words with Briggs, and Briggs jumps on the apron after Heights rolls into the ring. Briggs is knocked off the apron by Heights, but the distraction allowed Borne to clothesline Heights out of the ring. Borne follows up with a plancha on both.
Back in the ring they are going back-and-forth down the home stretch, when Borne counters a belly-to-belly into an inside cradle. Borne scores a pinfall with the small package.
Match result: Myles Borne defeated Tavion Heights.
Borne and Heights shake hands after the match, but they are soon each attacked in post-match angles. Briggs brawls with Heights at ringside as security tries to break them up. Meanwhile, Trick Williams rushes into the ring with a metal folding chair. Borne takes a chair shot from Trick, and Trick grabs a microphone.
Trick against calls out Ricky Saints as he rants and raves. Trick is ranting and looking towards the entrance ramp. “Stone Cold” Ricky Saints jumps the barricade for a surprise attack on Trick. They have a pull-apart brawl. I have lost track of the number of pull-apart brawls on this show. Please give it a rest. Security could use a break.
— Chelsea Green in a cameo appearance is talking with Ethan Page backstage. Page, who is still NXT North American Champion, hypes up their mixed tag team title match on a AAA show this Sunday. As they talk, Thea Hail walks by and name drops Joe Hendry. Say his name and he appears, and he does appear by jumping out of a trash bin like a jack in the box. As Page and Green leave, Hail comes back to push Hendry away as he rides in the trash bin. This was an odd skit.
Tatum Paxley vs. Lola Vice for the NXT Women’s Championship
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This was more of an angle than a match, as the heel trio of Fatal Influence interfere to render a no-contest. Former champ Jacy Jayne is joined by her cohorts, Fallon Henley and Lainey Reid, as they surround the ring. Vice and Paxley get back-to-back trying to fight off the heels. However, they are no match for the heel trio. Paxley is held so that Jayne can deliver a Rolling Encore. Both Paxley and Vice are laid out in the ring as the heels pose in the ring.
Despite the numerous pull-apart brawls throughout the night, security was nowhere in sight on the Fatal Influence run-in. No security rushing to the ring, even though they rushed to the ring earlier in the show. Maybe they were too tired from all the other pull-apart brawls. Or they could be busy still trying to break up Trick and Saints. Nevertheless, the heels just run amok here on the babyface champ and her new friend. This sets up a trios match with Fatal Influence against Paxley, Vice and Dame next Tuesday on NXT.
Match result: NXT Women’s Champion Tatum Paxley and Lola Vice wrestle to a no-contest after interference by Fatal Influence.
— New NXT North American Women’s Champion Blake Monroe cuts a promo in bathtub. This includes product placement with Maybelline. Monroe reveals her first title defense is in New York City for the “Gold Rush” specials held from The Theater at MSG.
— Darkstate has a confrontation with Je’Von Evan, which helps set up Evans teaming with Leon Slater against the heels in a tag title bout.
— Kelly Kincaid interviews Sol Ruca and Zaria as they are leaving the building. Zaria blurts out that she is entering the Speed tournament, and she vows to win the title back for Ruca. They are then interrupted by Jacy Jayne and company. Jayne then cuts a promo on regaining the women’s title she lost.
Kelani Jordan vs. Jordynne Grace for the TNA Knockouts Championship
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The match goes through a commercial break. Jordan rams Grace’s leg into the ring steps just before the show cuts to the break.
They do a close near fall on a Spanish Fly, and Grace kicks out at the nick of time. At that point, there is a commotion at ringside. The fight between Ricky Saints and Trick Williams spills out into the aisle, which interrupts the match that is still going in the ring.
With the referee distracted by the melee at ringside, Jordan retrieves her Knockouts title belt. Jordan stares at the title belt, and she throws it down like she thought better of using it to cheat. Grace rolls her into German suplex for another near fall. Jordan got a shoulder up.
Saints and Trick fight their way into the ring, where Saints spears Trick. More brawling before a Cactus Jack clothesline sends them both out of the ring. Security rushed in trying to separate them. Meanwhile, Jordan grabs the title again. Grace goes to grab Jordan, and Jordan turns around with a belt shot. Hit by the title belt, Grace sells like she is knocked out. Jordan then covers her for the winning three count.
Match result: TNA Knockouts Champion Kelani Jordan defeated Jordynne Grace via pinfall to retain her title.
