8 Ups & 4 Downs From WWE NXT Halloween Havoc 2022
WWE's developmental brand delivered Halloween treats, but some jump scares sucked.
Eagle eyes would've spotted Bron Breakker smashing Ilja Dragunov's mock tombstone with that shovel first during his entrance. This was a prelude of what was to come during Halloween Havoc's main event, but was that decision the right call? The beaten man, not the headstone gimmick.
Triple H and Shawn Michaels' revamped NXT special was akin to a 'MakeOver', not a TakeOver. Digging up the old NWA/WCW Halloween Classic name worked a treat again this year, that's for sure - NXT's roster is full of hungry wrestlers who are either keen to move on up to Raw/SmackDown or failed on those shows and view the third brand as a blessing.
Speaking of which: Dominik Dijakovic could be the next to experience a Mandy Rose-esque revival away from main roster pressures. One easily-missed vignette teased his re-arrival on NXT, at least. It was a blink-and-you'll-miss-it moment for sure.
There was enough across a riotously entertaining six match card to make Havoc worth seeing. Only one bout flopped, and a few other incidental moments fell flatter than Julius Creed's hands after that ambulance door squashed them.
Here's all the good and bad!