The 2024 edition of Halloween Havoc in NXT was your prototypical NXT PLE in 2024. Just like the weekly television shows, it had hits, misses, and everything in between.
The specialty Halloween themed gimmick matches weren’t as bad as previous iterations — when Ethan Page was holding a black bag full of “something” during the main event, my initial thought was “oh no, it’s a bag full of candy corn!” Instead, it was a bag full of metal nuts and washers? So, bad, but just not as bad as it could have been. And there it is — probably the best overall descriptor of the show, “bad, just not as bad as it could have been.”
Here are my Brass Ring Ratings for the event and here’s how they work … I call it like I see it and grade accordingly. Period.
Tony D’Angelo vs. Oba Femi - NXT North American Championship Tables, Ladders, and Scares Match
Well, the “scares” in this match were off the charts. SO scary. I kid. Arguably the best match on the show. D’Angelo and Femi have shown good chemistry together and they’ve built a nice rivalry. A lot went into protecting Femi in the loss — so much so that D’Angelo looked like a weak babyface in the process with his entire family having to run out and get involved to help him win. Femi is the priority, so protection was key, but again, D’Angelo takes it on the chin even in victory.
Heydorn’s Brass Ring Rating - OO 3/4
Roxanne Perez & Cora Jade vs. Guilia & Stephanie Vaquer
Really good and my match of the night. All four women worked very well together and Jade in particular. She excellently sold all throughout the match and took a vicious Guilia knee to the face. Vaquer was the star of the match by far. She’s a special talent and after winning the match for her team, it appears a title match is on deck for her against Perez.
Heydorn’s Brass Ring Rating - OOO 1/4
Andre Chase vs. Ridge Holland - Ambulance Match
Not a bad match, but a long match. Too long. Chase and Holland hit their spots and felt like they hated each other throughout, but it was just overindulgent on time. Plus, the finish fizzled a bit as Chase didn’t really land the big spot off of the ambulance in a believable way. Holland getting the W is telling — especially after what we saw in the main event. He’s up next for Trick Williams.
Heydorn’s Brass Ring Rating - OO 1/2
Kelani Jordan vs. Fatal Influence - NXT Women’s North American Championship Gauntlet Match
Well, this really sucked for Kelani Jordan. A gauntlet match?! Silly havoc wheel. The match wasn’t great, but it wasn’t bad either. Jordan played the underdog babyface well and the heels did their heel schtick effectively for some crowd heat. The match seemed like it was constructed for Jordan to go over in the end, so watching Fallon Henley win the title was a surprise. Really, though, it seems like Jordan lost the title so Zaria can win it off of a true heel. It’s not an accident that Zaria interrupted the Fatal Influence celebration. Now, she interrupted Guilia and Vaquer earlier in the show too, but she fits much better in this part of the card. That being said, the NXT women’s division is stacked at the moment. A definite positive of the show and reason to watch it each week.
Heydorn’s Brass Ring Rating - OO 1/2
Trick Williams vs. Ethan Page - NXT Championship Devil’s Playground Match
Not a Devil’s Playground Match! How spooky!! Eye roll. Anyway, silly stipulation aside, this was fine until the post-match stuff. Williams and Page beat each other up pretty good and Williams got the definitive win. That’s exactly what needed to happen, so thumbs up there. Seeing Bubba Ray Dudley get involved at the end of the show was pretty nauseating. Almost as much as JBL getting involved in the Joe Hendry vs. Nic Nemeth world title match at TNA Bound for Glory. These guys don’t need to be getting game checks in 2024. Especially not in prominent spots. Who is going to watch NXT because of Bubba Dudley? Do surprises when they are good ones, not just simply to do them. This was the latter and it didn’t land.
Heydorn’s Brass Ring Rating - OO 1/2
What did you think of NXT Halloween Havoc 2024? Let us know in the comments!
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