WWE NXT 2.0 Halloween Havoc Results: Winners, Grades, Reaction and Highlights

In celebration of the spookiest month, WWE NXT 2.0 presented Halloween Havoc. This year, the show promised huge bouts for championship gold.

Tommaso Ciampa regained the NXT Championship in an electric Fatal 4-Way match against some of the best in NXT. Bron Breakker arrived on that same night and made an immediate impact, setting himself up for a huge title shot against The Blackheart.

Raquel Gonzalez has dominated the women's division, but Mandy Rose has built a dangerous alliance with Jacy Jayne and Gigi Dolin in Toxic Attraction. She faced Big Mami Cool in a Spin the Wheel, Make the Deal match.

Meanwhile, the remaining two members of Toxic Attraction challenged Io Shirai and Zoey Stark as well as Indi Hartwell and Persia Pirotta in a Scareway to Hell Ladder Match for the NXT Women's Tag Team Championships.

The NXT Tag Team Championships were on the line as well. MSK faced Imperium again, this time in a Spin the Wheel, Make the Deal match.

This was just the beginning of a night hosted by LA Knight including an appearance from Chucky, a new edition of Lashing Out with Lash Legend, the debut of Solo Sikoa and Johnny Gargano and Dexter Lumis' open house invitation to Carmelo Hayes and Trick Williams.

This show was jam-packed with talent, and almost every title in NXT was on the line.

Chucky introduced Halloween Havoc, focusing on the brutal opener. The face teams took out Gigi Dolin and Jacy Jayne early then went for the ladders, placing two in the ring. Persia Pirotta knocked Zoey Stark out of the ring off a ladder.

Io Shirai tried to sneak past Pirotta but got planted on the turnbuckle. Pirotta followed up with a powerbomb on a ladder to Dolin, but Jayne responded with a hurricanrana to Pirotta. The Genius of the Sky planted Jayne with a powerbomb and moonsault on the ladder.

Indi Hartwell took out Stark with a spinebuster on a ladder then climbed alongside Shirai to the very top. Hartwell ducked out and knocked The Genius of the Sky off.

Jayne distracted Hartwell as Dolin climbed up the ladder on the opposite side. Hartwell realized too late as Dolin booted her to the mat and pulled down the gold.

Result

Toxic Attraction def. Shirai & Stark and Hartwell & Pirotta to become the new NXT women's tag team champions.

Grade

B

Analysis

This was a spot-heavy ladder match with a lot of messy moments. Many of the women barely avoided serious injury, and Shirai took a rough landing on a ladder. It was fun but pretty par for the course with a ladder match.

Toxic Attraction needed this win after the build up. Dolin and Jayne promised a lot when they joined Mandy Rose. It should be interesting to see which women step up to the champions next.

The Genius of the Sky and Stark should no longer be forced to stay together. Maybe the friendship can become natural.

Joe Gacy interrupted Grayson Waller, who had taken up the role of host for LA Knight because The Million Dollar Mega Star had an "emergency" to handle. He wanted to show the true inclusive nature of wrestling in a match with Malik Blade.

Blade attacked Gacy at the bell and had him reeling, but Harland arrived. While Gacy calmed the dangerous man down, the distraction allowed Gacy to hit a handspring clothesline for the win.

Waller continued the party backstage where Kushida and Ikemen Jiro were confused by Halloween. The host tried to help Cameron Grimes with his lady troubles. Duke Hudson invited Grimes to his poker room, and Xyon Quinn sent Robert Stone through a table with a spinebuster.

Result

Gacy def. Blade by pinfall.

Grade

D+

Analysis

This was fine as a squash match but felt unnecessary, especially during the opening half-hour with no commercial breaks. Gacy's gimmick is too awkward to work in the ring and would make more sense as Harland's manager.

Waller has the charisma to make spots like this work. The more opportunities he gets, the more he can sell audiences on him. He can gain from working with charismatic stars like Grimes and Knight.

Malcolm Bivens issued an open challenge for anyone to "pick their poison" against Diamond Mine. Odyssey Jones arrived to face Roderick Strong.

While the strength of Jones kept him moving in this match, the rest of Diamond Mine got involved to distract the big man. This set up Strong to hit a running high knee for the victory.

Result

Strong def. Jones by pinfall.

Grade

D

Analysis

This was unnecessary. The idea of a "pick your poison" challenge with Diamond Mine is a great idea that has plenty of legs. However, Strong and Jones had already fought on 205 Live recently, and the result was a foregone conclusion.

The Creed Brothers or Ivy Nile needed the opportunity more given their limited experience. Hopefully, future opportunities like this do not just lead to 205 Live rematches. Just because NXT barely acknowledges that show, it is no excuse to invalidate it.

Raquel Gonzalez came out on her motorcycle and spun the wheel. She got Chucky's Choice, and he decided to make this match a Trick or Street Fight.

God's Greatest Creation pulled out a kendo stick early that she used to batter Big Mami Cool. She even trapped her in a chair with the stick before hitting a bicycle knee. Rose also sent Gonzalez hard into steel steps to nearly take a win.

The NXT women's champion responded by bashing Rose's face into a trio of steel chairs in the corner. She speared Rose through a corner table for a nearfall. As Gonzalez prepared to finish it, she was smacked in the back with a shovel by a mysterious figure.

This set her up to stumble into a bicycle knee that gave Rose the biggest win of her career. The mysterious figure then revealed herself to be Dakota Kai.

Result

Rose def. Gonzalez by pinfall to become the new NXT women's champion.

Grade

B-

Analysis

This was a solid match, though the pacing was awkward in moments. The two relied far too much on weapons, not helping the potential argument that Rose is not good enough for this moment.

Gonalez deserved better than a messy end to her title reign, but she was also too dominant to lose without Rose getting help. It just could have been handled better, especially with the stipulation allowing Kai to do more.

Rose has improved as a performer since her time on Monday Night Raw. However, she still does not quite feel ready to be NXT women's champion. Some of the greatest women's wrestlers of all time have held that title. God's Greatest Creation will need to prove herself.

Carmelo Hayes and Trick Williams arrived at Dexter Lumis' house, where they were bombarded with horrific scenes. They ran into Andre Chase before finding the NXT North American Championship before Johnny Gargano and Lumis sent the champion and his friend running.

Grayson Waller came to put himself and his social media over. LA Knight finally arrived, questioning why Waller knew about his car troubles getting to the arena. Solo Sikoa arrived and laid out Waller and sent Knight into a retreat.

Grade

B

Analysis

As always, Gargano and Lumis delivered in their pre-taped segments. Hayes and Williams got a chance to show their personalities throughout the haunted house. Even if the ultimate goal here was murky, the segment was a fun use of the Halloween Havoc theme.

Using Waller and Knight to play off Sikoa's arrival in NXT made sense on the surface, but this debut did not land. The fans started an "Uso" chant, and Sikoa had no chance to sell the fans on him. He just knocked down Waller briefly.

DJ Tommy Carlucci gave MSK a special entrance for their NXT Tag Team Championships match. Alex, the NXT 2.0 fan of the night, spun the wheel to set up a Lumber-Jack O'Lantern Match.

The lumberjacks kept the action in the ring initially, but MSK dived onto Fabian Aichner and Marcel Bartel outside. As the action wore on, Imperium took back over, and Aichner hit both Wes Lee and Nash Carter with a standing rolling fireman's carry.

Lee dived into the crowd, which set off a brawl that led all the lumberjacks out of the arena. The four teams stood tall in the ring, and Aichner took out Carter then hit a brainbuster on Lee that set up the Imperium Bomb for the victory.

Result

Imperium def. MSK by pinfall to become the new NXT tag team champions.

Grade

A-

Analysis

This was the jump-start this show needed. Imperium and MSK are a phenomenal matchup. This showed even with the distraction of the lumberjacks. The teams brought everything to make this more than it was built up to be.

While it was surprising, Imperium's win was a welcome one for NXT. The tag team division needed a shake-up. With two of the absolute best Superstars as tag team champions, new matches can emerge throughout the division.

Hopefully out of the title picture, MSK can regain the attention of the audience. Lee and Carter are talented and can make the most of a fight to get back to the top.

Bron Breakker warmed up backstage with Chucky, confident of a win. As the bell rang, though, Tommaso Ciampa showed off his game plan. He quickly pounced of the rookie, wearing down the bigger man with technical offense.

While Breakker fought back with power moves, The Blackheart would not let up, even after a spinebuster sent him reeling outside for a moment. The big man went to the second rope and fell hard off the turnbuckle, and Ciampa immediately went back on the attack.

The Blackheart hit the Willow's Bell for barely two on Breakker, who was on the back foot for the first time in his career. The challenger answered with a Frankensteiner and a double underhook bomb for a nearfall. The two fought outside where the champion hit Breakker with a DDT on exposed concrete.

The Blackheart hit the Fairy Tale Ending with certainty he would win, but the challenger kicked out. Ciampa hit three running knees before the Fairy Tale Ending finished it.

Result

Ciampa def. Breakker by pinfall to retain the NXT Championship.

Grade

B+

Analysis

This started out unspectacularly as Ciampa spent too much time going after the ribs of Breakker. However, once it got going, it felt like anything could happen. The big man pushed the champion but ultimately fell short because he was not quite ready.

The finish was a great way to put over just how dangerous Breakker is. His resilience should sell him to the NXT Universe more than his pure strength. He got a chance to work with the best, and he did not look out of place.

While this was far from the 30-minute wars of past NXT TakeOvers, it did not need to be. The story was told completely, and the right man remained champion. Ciampa is the measuring stick that all must meet. It will be fun to watch the next challengers arise.