20 Greatest Matches In WWE's Empty Arena Era

13. Io Shirai vs Candice LeRae - NXT Hallowe'en Havoc

WWE Clash of Champions 2020 Drew McIntyre Randy Orton
WWE.com

NXT’s Hallowe’en Havoc show is, presumably, what WWE thought they were doing with their Horror Show at Extreme Rules. Here, though, instead of swamp fights and eye gouging, we had Shotzi Blackheart in a daft costume and the delightfully goofy tables, ladders, and scares match for Shirai’s Women’s Championship.

There are few wrestlers in the company who carry themselves like killers so convincingly as Shirai, who has felt untouchable for every moment she’s held the belt. It would take something quite spectacular for LeRae to wrest it from her grip, and it’s fair to say that Candice brings her A game here.

The match goes hardcore from the off, and both women take some nasty bumps. LeRae is suplexed onto an open chair, before Shirai whiffs first a moonsault and then a Meteora onto a pile of chairs and a ladder respectively.

They save the ladder climbing spots for late in the fight - a run in results in a dude in Ghostface get up receiving an electric chair drop onto the chairs - and Candice takes one final bump out of the ring and through another ladder before Shirai retains. Spooky silliness done right.

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Yorkshire-based writer of screenplays, essays, and fiction. Big fan of having a laugh. Read more of my stuff @ www.twotownsover.com (if you want!)