The post-Halloween Havoc edition of WWE NXT opens up on the USA Network with a look back at Saturday’s Premium Live Event.
We’re now LIVE from the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida as Vic Joseph welcomes us. He’s joined at ringside by WWE Hall of Famer Booker T.
MATCH #1: NXT Women’s Tag Team Championship Match:
Katana Chance and Kayden Carter © vs. Nikkita Lyons and Zoey Stark
The show opens in the ring as Alicia Taylor is doing formal ring introductions with both teams – Nikkita Lyons and Zoey Stark, plus NXT Women’s Tag Team Champions Katana Chance and Kayden Carter.
Lyons starts off with Carter and they go at it. Fans do dueling chants early on. They show each other up and then have some words in the middle of the ring. Lyons rams Carter into the corner and in comes Stark to take over. Stark drops Carter for a quick pin attempt. Chance ends up coming in and going to work on Stark.
Chance with a 2 count. Stark blocks a suplex but Chance launches her with a hurricanrana, but Stark lands on her feet for a stalemate. Chance dropkicks Stark but Stark gets the upperhand. Lyons tags in and runs over Chance with a shoulder. Lyons with offense on Chance now. Carter comes in but Lyons keeps control, but doesn’t see Chance tag in. They double team Lyons and Carter covers for 2. Lyons is sent to the floor on another double team.
The champs send Stark to the floor now. The champions fly out but Lyons and Stark catch them both in mid-air. The challengers slam the champions on the floor, then rush back into the ring. Lyons and Stark stand tall to a pop as we go to a picture-in-picture commercial.
Back from the break and Lyons is in control of Chance. We see how she hit a big side-slam on Chance for a 2 count. The champs mount offense on Lyons now. Carter takes out Stark and Lyons when Stark tries to run interference. Lyons tangles with Carter but Carter kicks her in the face. Chance tags in for the double team but Stark breaks the pin up just in time. Fans chant “NXT!” now. Stark gets the tag, as does Chance. Stark unloads and launches Chance face-first into the turnbuckle, then hits a big Exploder suplex from the corner. Chance counters Stark’s finisher, rolling her up for 2. Stark clotheslines Carter to the floor as Lyons drops Chance. Chance flies at Stark with a scissors kick but Stark rolls her up out of nowhere for the Championship win.
Winners and NEW NXT Women’s Tag Team Champions: Nikkita Lyons and Zoey Stark
After the match: Chance and Carter immediately return to the ring to have words with the referee while Lyons and Stark begin celebrating as their music hits. We go to replays. Lyons and Stark celebrate but the referee informs Taylor that the match is being re-started due to an unseen tag by Chance and Carter.
The bell re-starts as Lyons goes at it with Chance. We see a replay of Chance’s tag to Carter before the pin by Stark. The champs look to double superplex Stark now. They send Lyons to the floor. Carter flies out and nails Lyons on the floor.
Chance with a big Spanish Fly to Stark for a close 2 count in the middle of the ring. Stark goes on and tags in Lyons first, who levels Chance off the apron and then drops Carter in the middle of the ring. Lyons with her split-legged pin on Carter but Chance beaks it up. Stark sends Chance to the floor.
Lyons and Carter go at it again. Cater kicks the leg out, then superkicks Lyons a few times to stun her. Chance tags in for the big assisted 450 Splash/Neckbreaker combo from the corner for the pin on Lyons to retain.
Winners: Katana Chance and Kayden Carter
After the match: Chance and Carter begin celebrating as the music hits and we go to replays. The champions continue their celebration as a disappointed Lyons and Stark look on.
We get a video package looking at the NXT Halloween Havoc main event. Ilja Dragunov speaks and says he was so close to winning the NXT Championship, but so far. He says JD McDonagh stole his destiny. JD enjoys manipulating Dragunov’s reality. He says JD was a cancer to NXT UK until Ilja removed him. He says no one in NXT is safe, not Ilja himself or NXT Champion Bron Breakker, or anyone else, until JD is removed again. Ilja says tonight The Czar will eliminate JD once and for all. Vic hypes Dragunov vs. McDonagh for later tonight.
We see NXT North American Champion Wes Lee walking backstage. Back to commercial.
Back from the break and we see T-BAR’s mask burning in a fire, like we did in the vignette during Halloween Havoc. We hear a voice, apparently that of T-BAR/Dominik Dijakovic, and he says the second coming isn’t about retribution, it’s about justice.
We go back to the ring and Alicia Taylor introduces new NXT North American Champion Wes Lee. Lee won the vacant Championship in a Ladder Match at Halloween Havoc on Saturday. Lee hits the ring and fans chant “you deserve it!” now.
Lee thanks everyone. He goes on about how he never thought he’d make it to WWE, never thought he’ be a champion, and damn sure didn’t think he’d be a champion on his own. He talks about how the passion in NXT inspired him, even when he was in the dark. Winning the title gave Lee a sense of validation he’s been searching for his whole life, that he belongs, that there’s a place for him and he’s loved. He is forever grateful. The feeling of hearing “you deserve it!” while up on the ladder was indescribable, but he is thankful. Lee says honestly, the Superstars don’t deserve the love the fans show them all the time because it is special, but he plans on… a “yes you do!” chant interrupts. Lee says he will continue to make sure he exceeds any and every expectation that… the music interrupts and out comes Grayson Waller with a mic.
Waller tells Lee to stop sucking up as he doesn’t deserve anything, and neither does the fans. Waller is glad Lee had a good Saturday because he didn’t, he hates this stupid made-up holiday of Halloween. Lee says just because Waller lost, he can’t come out and rain on his parade. Waller says technically he beat Apollo Crews. Waller says all Lee did was climb a ladder, and Waller did the same at Home Depot but got nothing. Waller says as far as he’s concerned, he’s still up on Crews. The music interrupts an out comes R-Truth. The RAW Superstar is rapping and wearing a Joker costume. Fans chant “Truth!” as he hits the ring and gives a shout-out to Orlando.
Truth thinks he’s here to kick off Halloween Havoc, but he has the wrong night. Waller interrupts. Truth confuses Waller’s Australian accent with a British accent. Waller breaks it to Truth that Halloween Havoc was three days ago. Truth laughs and isn’t buying it. Lee shows his North American Championship as proof the event did already happen. An excited Truth congratulates Lee. They taunt Waller for the Casket Match loss to Crews. They have some more words and Waller goes to leave but stops to attack Truth but it backfires as Truth and Lee take turns on Waller, beating him back and forth, then out of the ring. Lee and Truth celebrate together now. Truth wishes everyone a Happy Halloween and says he will see them next week.
BACKSTAGE: Edris Enofe and Malik Blade are getting ready for their shot at the NXT Tag Team Championships. Blade is nervous about the match. Enofe gets him hyped up and says this is their night – will they take his big opportunity or let it slip away? Blade is now also fired up and ready to win the titles.
MATCH #2: Women’s One-On-One Match:
Shotzi vs. Lash Legend
We go back to the ring and Quincy Elliott has the mic. He introduces his Halloween Havoc co-host and out comes SmackDown Superstar Shotzi on her tank. Shotzi hits the ring and poses in the corner as we go back to commercial.
Back from the break and McKenzie Mitchell is backstage with Apollo Crews. Crews gives Grayson Waller some props, credit where credit is due, and says he’s very talented, but also extremely annoying. Crews knew when he had Waller shut in the casket that he would be able to move on with his original plan when he came back to NXT – the NXT Championship. Crews says Waller did get him away from his original vision, but now Waller has R-Truth to worry about, and now Crews’ original vision is clear again. Crews says NXT Champion Bron Breakker will be back next week and he will have his eyes locked on the TV screen because he will be very interested in what Breakker has to say. We go back to the ring and Lash Legend is wrapping her entrance. The bell rings and Shotzi brawls with Lash.
Lash with knee strikes, then she tosses Shotzi across the ring. Lash sends Shotzi to the apron but wastes some time. Shotzi fights in and dropkicks the knee, then goes for a sweep but Legend stomps her. Elliott watches from ringside as Shotzi fails to scoop Legend for a slam. More back and forth now.
Shotzi ends up applying a submission over the ropes. Shotzi goes to the top as fans cheer her on, but Lash charges and knocks her back to the floor. Elliott approaches Shotzi to help her up but Lash gets in his face. Quincy taunts Lash with his back side. Shotzi attacks Lash and they brawl at ringside some more. Shotzi brings it back in but Lash presses her for a slam in the middle of the ring. Lash puts Shotzi’s leg on the bottom rope and stomps it. Shotzi kicks out at 2. Lash goes for the Stretch Muffler submission now. Shotzi gets an opening and fights back.
Lash blocks a kick but eats an elbow in the corner. Lash with a shoulder thrust in the corner. She places Shotzi on the top turnbuckle but Shotzi rocks her. They tangle and Shotzi drops Lash with the Never Wake Up modified DDT for the pin to win.
Winner: Shotzi
After the match: Quincy returns to the ring to celebrate with Shotzi as the music hits. Shotzi hits the corner to pose.
The Creed Brothers are backstage with Ivy Nile now. Brutus Creed is getting ready for his five minutes with Damon Kemp. Brutus walks off as we go back to commercial.
MATCH #3: One-On-One Match: Brutus Creed vs. Damon Kemp We go back to the ring and The Creed Brothers are out – Brutus Creed with Julius Creed. Julius takes the mic and talks about how he was in a lot of pain after defeating Damon Kemp in the Ambulance Match at Halloween Havoc, but nothing like how bad he would’ve felt if he cost his brother his career. Julius goes on about how Kemp is learning actions have consequences, and now it’s his brother’s turn to put an exclamation point on this whole thing. Brutus takes the mic and says he can’t thank his brother enough, he loves his brother. Brutus gets fired up and says now it’s his turn. He says Kemp promised him five minutes in the ring, so bring your ass down here to he can beat it. Brutus says he will now finish what Kemp started. Kemp appears on the big screen and calls The Creeds a couple of dummies. He says Julius got lucky at Halloween Havoc, and medical saved Brutus from tonight’s fight because he’s not medically cleared. Kemp shows us his apparently injured arm. Kemp says Brutus still has five minutes of hell coming his way. Brutus says every day Kemp makes him wait, the beating will just get worse and worse and worse… because it’s Diamond Mine forever!
The music starts up and The Creeds embrace until Sanga and Veer Mahaan attack out of nowhere. Brutus is held in the corner by Veer while Sanga holds Julius by the throat. Veer has to come over and assist Sanga in leveling Julius. Sanga attacks Brutus in the corner, then comes back and drives Julius into the mat. Sanga and Veer stand tall together, and nod at each other as their music hits. They exit the ring and are met by Ivy Nile, who yells at them some, and asks why, before heading into the ring to check on The Creed Brothers.
BACKSTAGE: Pretty Deadly is talking about how athletic and how fast Edris Enofe and Malik Blade are, and they’re fan favorites. No they were just talking about themselves. They declare Enofe and Blade couldn’t even lace their boots. Pretty Deadly are hyped up for tonight’s Tag Team Championship defense. They walk off and we go to commercial.
Back from the break and we see a three-way video call between Toxic Attraction. NXT Women’s Champion Mandy Rose is in her car, Gigi Dolin is at the pool, and Jacy Jayne is at the gym. Rose says they are thankful they all got out of Halloween Havoc alive, and kept the title. Jayne says they beat Alba Fyre at her own game. Rose says Toxic Attraction is in demand, and next week they will celebrate the 1 year anniversary of Rose’s title win. Rose says you bitches better be ready to celebrate because as long as we have the NXT Women’s Championship, it’s Toxic Attraction and everyone else.
MATCH #4: NXT Tag Team Championship Match:
Elton Prince and Kit Wilson © vs. Edris Enofe and Malik Blade
We go back to the ring and out comes Edris Enofe and Malik Blade for tonight’s second title match. NXT Tag Team Champions Pretty Deadly are out next – Elton Prince and Kit Wilson. We get formal ring introductions from Taylor.
The bell rings and Blade charges with a corner dropkick to Wilson. Blade nails a Blockbuster, then Enofe follows up with the top rope flying elbow but Prince breaks the pin up just in time. Prince is sent to the floor. The challengers unload on Wilson with the double team now. The champions are sent to the floor.
Enofe and Blade bring Wilson back in and Blade stays on him, until Prince tags in and drops Blade. Prince works on Blade against the ropes now, then drops him with a back elbow. Wilson tags in for the double team to Blade for a 2 count. Blade sweeps the leg and drops a big knee to Wilson. Enofe tags in with an axe handle off the top while Blade holds Wilson. Enofe counters a move and rolls Wilson for 2.
Wilson fights out of the corner and drops Enofe with a right hand. Prince tags in and comes off the top but Enofe nails him in the gut on the way down. Blade tags in and comes off the top with an axe handle while Enofe holds Prince. Prince counters Blade and drops him with a side-slam for a 2 count. The champs knock Enofe off the apron, and unload on Blade in his corner.
Blade dodges a double team attack, and Enofe flies off the top with a crossbody to both champions. The challengers with more offense on both opponents, clotheslining them over the top rope to the floor. Enofe and Blade stand tall in the middle of the ring while Prince and Wilson try to regroup at ringside. Back to commercial.
After the match, Enofe is going at it with Prince. Prince with a scoop slam. Prince kicks Enofe to the floor, and in comes Wilson off a tag. Enofe counters a suplex on the floor, and hits a suplex to Wilson. Prince is legal again as he stops Enofe from tagging. Prince levels Enofe, then knocks Blade off the apron to boos. More back and forth now. Enofe and Wilson go at it. Prince and Blade tag in at the same time. Blade unloads and gets a big pop after offense on Prince.
Blade goes to the top but Prince rolls to the floor to safety. Blade comes down from the top, then runs the ring and leaps over the ring post, taking both champions down on the floor. Fans chant “holy shit!” now. Blade brings Prince back in and flies off the top with a big crossbody for a 2 count. Blade can’t believe Prince kicked out. Blade scoops Prince but Prince counters and rolls him for a 2 count. Wilson tags in for the double team Gutbuster. Blade kicks out at 2. Fans rally for the challengers now. Blade and Wilson trade punches from their knees as fans go along with the strikes. They’re on their feet fighting now, still trading strikes. They trade counters and in comes Enofe for a big double team move. Prince still kicks out. Wilson and Enofe go at it now.
Enofe with a big flying knee strike but Prince makes the save and Blade rocks him. Enofe can’t believe the kick-out. The back & forth continues now. Prince interferes from the apron, bringing Blade out. Enofe blocks Prince coming at him and gets a very close 2 count. The champs are shocked at how close the pin attempt was. Pretty Deadly now hits Spilt Milk on Blade and Wilson covers for the pin while Prince stops Enofe from making the save.
Winners: Elton Prince and Kit Wilson
After the match: Pretty Deadly celebrates as the music hits and we go to replays. Wilson and Prince hit the floor and stand tall together with the NXT Tag Team Championships.
We get a video from JD McDonagh, looking at the Halloween Havoc main event. He didn’t get out of bed on Sunday because he wasn’t the NXT Champion, but neither was Ilja Dragunov. JD says Ilja calls him cancer, but Ilja is the one who’s constantly spreading to everywhere he goes. JD goes on and says he has a lot of nicknames but the one he likes is The Necessary Evil. JD says there’s a necessary evil, and The Devil Inside him, which he can access while others shy away from. JD says the look on Ilja’s face when he stopped the pin on Saturday was priceless, but another expression he’s out for tonight is pain, because Ilja will not leave the building on his own strength tonight. JD says Ilja will be bloody and incapacitated beyond repair. He says Ilja will wish he never heard JD’s name and wish he never came to NXT.
Still to come, The Schism is here. Back to commercial.
BACKSTAGE: McKenzie is with Zoey Stark now. She’s upset about the earlier Championship match and says NXT Women’s Tag Team Champions Katana Chance and Kayden Carter are two of the luckiest people in NXT. Nikkita Lyons comes in apologizing, but Stark says it’s not her fault. Stark says they have rematch and when they get it, they are taking the gold. Stark tells Lyons to keep her head up, and they embrace.
We go back to the ring and out comes The Schism – Joe Gacy, Rip Fowler and Jagger Reid. They are all wearing the yellow masks, with their names written on them in glow in the dark ink. The new person with the yellow mask and red hoodie is with them. Fowler, Reid and the mystery woman stand on a podium while Gacy speaks in front of them.
Gacy takes his mask off and talks about how arrogance is commonplace in NXT. He talks about The Schism’s unity and how these pioneers with him are free with many more to come and understand that their togetherness is their greatest accomplishment. Gacy says their mission statement is clear – remove your mask and join The Schism or be torn down. Fowler removes his mask and speaks. He says NXT is a den full of selfishness, greed and envy of other’s good fortunes. He says The Schism hears your comments at them, but they understand that this is simply a reflection of your own shortcomings. He says only by coming together can the system work… water to roots, and more roots will grow, but allow them to dry out and so will all hope. Reid speaks next and goes on about how to be truly healthy you must learn to control the social well-being correctly. He says loves brings love, and The Schism builds stronger together as a unit.
Gacy says there are people in the world who would make you think they have everything they could want, but they are empty and depleted inside. He says Fowler and Reid gave in to everlasting unity, and this comes from showing their true selves. Now the time has come for the new member to take their next step, to sit under The Schism’s tree you must do the same and reveal your true self, but remember, there is no going back.
The mystery woman in the red hoodie steps off the podium. Fans chant “take it off!” now. She removes the hoodie to reveal red and black hair. She then removes her mask and it’s The Rock’s daughter – Simone Johnson, also known as Ava Raine. Fans pop big time for Raine. She says the love and acceptance The Schism has given her defies any preconceived notion of who she’s supposed to be. She says this finally completes her… she is Ava Raine. The Schism now does a group hug, with everyone smiling. Fans chant “Ava!” now. Gacy says this collective of hearts beats together, for the roots of one tree. They all raise two fingers in the air as fans cheer them on.
BACKSTAGE: Sol Ruca is with McKenzie Mitchell now. She’s nervous and excited to face Indi Hartwell tonight, kind of like the feeling she gets before a big wave. She knows Indi is a badass competitor but… Indi interrupts and says doing tricks for the crowd is cool, but it will only take you so far in NXT. Indi says NXT is all about winning, and Sol is about to learn that tonight. Indi walks off.
We get a graphic that plays a voicemail left on the WWE Performance Center receptionist number. A distorted voice says to let go of all your pain, washing away your deepest fears, listen with your eyes, speaking with your ears. Awaken from the pits you call the dark, opening up to my soliloquy, is just the start. Watch as I come and leave my mark, as I plan to rip all of NXT apart. Sincerely – Scrypts.
MATCH #5: Women’s One-On-One Match: Sol Ruca vs. Indi Hartwell We go back to the ring and out comes Sol Ruca. Indi Hartwell is waiting in her corner. The bell rings and they go at it.
Sol with some early offense but Indi slams her around, then kicks her in the back. Sol does the Matrix counter, then slams Indi. Ruca with another slam fo a 2 count. Indi dodges Sol in the corner, then Sol misses a dropkick. Indi with a pair of clotheslines, then a short-arm clothesline. Indi with a lariat for a 2 count.
Indi slams Ruca in the middle of the ring, face-first in the mat, for the quick pin to win out of nowhere.
Winner: Indi Hartwell
After the match: Indi stands tall as the music hits. We go to replays. Dressed in all black, Elektra Lopez suddenly attacks out of nowhere and launches Indi into the turnbuckles. Lopez scoops Ruca and drops her with a sitdown powerbomb. Lopez kicks Ruca in the ribs, then exits the ring as fans cheer her on. Lopez declares that she is back. Lopez says she’s coming for each and every one of you as Indi watches from the corner.
We go to another Chase University segment. Andre Chase is upset at Bodhi Hayward for not showing up. Duke Hudson is late but he apologizes as he was looking for Bodhi. Andre says Bodhi was supposed to give a presentation on holiday traditions in pro wrestling. Duke kisses up to Andrew, but Andre tells him to take a seat. Andre lashes out at Duke at one point because he’s not interested in taking notes, because he’s using his strong mind. Thea Hail thanks Duke for speaking up for her to Chase at one point. Duke ends up snatching the pen off the desk of another student, then smirking to end the segment.
MAIN EVENT: One-On-One Match:
Ilja Dragunov vs. JD McDonagh
We go back to the ring for tonight’s main event as Ilja Dragunov makes his way out to a pop. Back to commercial.
Back from the break and we get a promo for NXT Deadline on December 12. We get a video package with Roxanne Perez looking at her Weapons Wild win over Cora Jade at Halloween Havoc. She goes on about losing her friend and says no matter who changes, she has to stand true to who she is and why she’s in NXT. Perez can stand on her own two. Malik Blade and Edris Enofe are backstage now, down about their loss to Pretty Deadly. Odyssey Jones comes up driving a pick-up truck, with girls in the back seat, the front seat, and the bed. He finally talks Enofe and Blade into coming to party with the girls and worrying about the titles next week. We go back to the ring and out comes JD McDonagh. JD poses on the top, but Dragunov launches him to the mat. Ilja goes to work and delivers a German suplex.
Ilja with another German with a bridge for a 2 count. JD turns it around and unloads in the corner. Dragunov slams JD in the middle of the ring. Dragunov with some trash talking now. JD sends Dragunov into the ropes, but Ilja has a freak accident and goes down on the apron with his hurt arm. JD tries to bring Ilja back over the rope with a suplex but Ilja hangs on and tries for a suplex of his own.
JD drops Ilja over the top rope, throat-first. JD charges and knocks Ilja from the apron to the edge of the announce table, ribs-first. JD follows but the referee holds him back, asking if Ilja can continue. JD returns to the ring as the referee checks on Ilja. The referee calls for medics to tend to Ilja now.
Back from the break and JD continues to focus on Ilja’s ribs now. We see how Ilja was cleared to continue during the break. JD keeps Ilja grounded with a waist-lock as fans rally now. Ilja gets up and they unload on each other with strikes in the middle of the ring now.
JD levels Ilja but Ilja comes right back with an enziguri to drop JD. Fans chant “Dragunov!” now. Ilja with a running high knee in the corner. Ilja keeps control and goes to the top as fans cheer him on. Ilja leaps out with the senton, but JD gets his knees up, catching Ilja in the back. Ilja is down in pain now while JD drags him over. JD stomps Ilja and slowly goes to the top as fans rally for Dragunov.
Ilja chops JD and climbs up while JD fights back with forearms. They trade more stiff strikes up to the top now. Ilja with a big superplex from the top. He comes right back up and drops a big right hand while JD is flat on his back. Fans chant “this is awesome!” now. Dragunov gets fired up while playing to the crowd and waiting for JD to get up. Dragunov collapses before he can attack. Ilja gets right back up and JD is worried. Ilja charges but JD catches him in mid-air, bringing him down into a body scissors.
JD has Ilja twisted up on the mat now but Ilja is hanging on. The referee checks on them both. Ilja fades as JD tightens the hold. Ilja finally goes out in the hold as we see blood coming from his nose. The referee calls the bout.
Winner: JD McDonagh
After the match: The referee has to yell at JD to get him to finally release the hold. Ilja is laid out. The music hits and JD stands tall to boos from the crowd. We go to replays. Medics bring a stretcher to ringside now and Ilja is loaded up onto it while JD looks down at him. JD hits the corner to pose, staring out and smiling as Dragunov is carried away. NXT goes off the air with McDonagh looking out at the crowd.
