8 Ups & 9 Downs For WWE NXT In 2020
7. Halloween Havoc
The best episode of NXT's regular weekly show all year and - crucially - a sign that careful booking was actually back on the black-and-gold brand, Halloween Havoc was an aesthetic and creative masterclass in equal measure.
In-ring remains the easy bit for NXT, but expectations were still surpassed by a blistering main event between Io Shirai and Candice LeRae and a blinding hoss battle on the undercard between Rhea Ripley and Raquel Gonzalez. Elsewhere, Shotzi Blackheart was in her joyous element as the evening's emcee, and Johnny Gargano used a wheel to win his second North American title after weeks of hilariously decrying their usefulness.
Matches and promos can be engineered to the point of greatness, but great vibes cannot be manufactured. For an all too rare occasion in 2020, NXT fuelled an entire broadcast with amazing ones all night.