NXT Halloween Havoc (2023)

Halloween Havoc is a professional wrestling event currently produced by WWE. As the name implies, it is a Halloween-themed show held in October. It was originally produced as an annual pay-per-view (PPV) by World Championship Wrestling (WCW) from 1989 until 2000 as WWE purchased WCW in 2001. The 2000 event was the final Halloween Havoc until WWE revived the show as an annual event for their developmental brand NXT in 2020.[1] The 2020 and 2021 events were held as television specials of the NXT program on the USA Network, but for 2022, it was held as a livestreaming event.[2]

At NXT No Mercy on September 30, 2023, it was announced that NXT Halloween Havoc would return as a television special, but expanded to a two-part special of NXT on the USA Network. The fourth annual NXT Halloween Havoc, and 16th Halloween Havoc overall, was scheduled to take place on October 24 and 31, 2023, at NXT's home base, the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida.[3] SmackDown wrestlers Shotzi and Scarlett will serve as the hosts of the event—Shotzi previously served as host of the 2020 and 2022 events, and in 2023, she and Scarlett began hosting a paranormal series on WWE's YouTube channel called Chamber of Horrors.[4]

The card will include matches that result from scripted storylines. Results are predetermined by WWE's writers on the NXT brand,[5][6] while storylines are produced on WWE's weekly television program, NXT, and the supplementary online streaming show, Level Up.

On the October 3 episode of NXT, Lyra Valkyria defeated Roxanne Perez and Indi Hartwell in a triple threat match to become the number one contender for Becky Lynch's NXT Women's Championship during Week 1 of Halloween Havoc.[7]

On the October 10 episode of NXT, NXT Tag Team Champions The Family (Tony D'Angelo and Channing "Stacks" Lorenzo) proposed to guest NXT General Manager Cody Rhodes to set up a tag team battle royal where the last two remaining teams will compete in a standard tag team match to determine a number one contender for their titles during Week 1 of Halloween Havoc. Rhodes accepted the proposal and called this match the Bada Bing Bada Boom Battle Royal.[8] The following week, the Battle Royal was won by Chase University (Andre Chase and Duke Hudson).[9]

On the October 10 episode of NXT, guest NXT General Manager Cody Rhodes announced a triple threat match between Baron Corbin, Dijak, and the winner of Carmelo Hayes vs. Bron Breakker to determine the number one contender for Ilja Dragunov's NXT Championship at Halloween Havoc. Later that night, Hayes defeated Breakker to be added to the match.[8] The following week, the triple threat match was won by Hayes.[9]

On the September 5 episode of NXT, during Gigi Dolin's match against Thea Hail, Dolin was attacked by Blair Davenport, costing her the match.[10] The following week, Dolin and Davenport engaged in a brawl backstage.[11] Two weeks later, a scheduled match between Dolin and Davenport never occurred after Davenport attacked Dolin backstage.[12] At the NXT No Mercy pre-show, after Davenport defeated Kelani Jordan, she was attacked by Dolin,[13] and a match between them was set up for following episode of NXT, where Dolin won. After the match, Davenport choked the referee and yelled that her feud with Dolin was not over.[7] Two weeks later, Davenport challenged Dolin to a match at Halloween Havoc, which Dolin accepted. Later that night, Dolin unveiled the Spin the Wheel, Make the Deal Wheel, and spun the wheel with it landing on a Lights Out match, which was later made official.[9]

On the September 5 episode of NXT, Lyra Valkyria and Roxanne Perez were chatting in the locker room before being interrupted by Kiana James, where Perez hit her with a forearm to start a brawl.[10] On the October 3 episode of NXT, during a triple threat match to become the number one contender for NXT Women's Championship, James pulled Perez to ringside, costing both James and Perez the match.[7] The following week, James tried to attack Perez after her match with Asuka, but Shotzi appeared and attacked James.[8] On the October 17 episode of NXT, Perez distracted James during her match with Shotzi, costing her the match. Later that night, a Spin the Wheel, Make the Deal match was announced between Perez and James, where Perez spun the wheel and it landed on Devil's Playground Match.[9]

The NXT Women's Breakout Tournament is a tournament composed of eight female wrestlers from the NXT brand. The tournament began on the October 3 episode of NXT. The winner earns a contract and can cash-in for a NXT Women's Championship match at any time.[7]

On the September 5 episode of NXT, Bron Breakker severely injured Von Wagner after crushing his skull with steel steps.[10] At NXT No Mercy, Wagner's manager, Mr. Stone interfered in Breakker's match against Baron Corbin, ultimately costing him the match.[13] On the October 17 episode of NXT, Mr. Stone stated that Wagner has a long way to go in his recovery and took issue with Breakker's lack of remorse. Mr. Stone challenged Breakker to a match at Halloween Havoc, which was later made official.[9]

† Reece repleced Jakara Jackson after Jackson was not medically cleared to participate.