Halloween Havoc returned to WWE’s calendar as an NXT tentpole in 2020, and in five short years it’s already produced matches and moments that reshaped careers, crowns and creative direction. Below are the five moments that, in my view, define NXT’s Halloween Havoc era — with research-backed context and what each moment signals for this year’s show on Saturday, October 25, 2025.
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1) Io Shirai vs. Candice LeRae — Tables, Ladders & Scares (Halloween Havoc, Oct. 28, 2020)
Why it’s top-tier: Halloween Havoc was revived by NXT in 2020 and the promotion leaned into theatrical, stipulation-driven storytelling. The main event — Io Shirai defending the NXT Women’s Championship against Candice LeRae in a TLC-inspired “Tables, Ladders & Scares” match — was not just a brutal, creative spectacle: it set the tone for how NXT would use Halloween Havoc as a place for cinematic, boundary-pushing women’s matches and gimmick-heavy storytelling. The match mixed high-risk ladder work, character-driven moments (the “ghostface” interference beat) and a visually striking finish that made the title retrieval above the ring feel like a genuine payoff. The segment emphasized that Halloween Havoc was a night to blend horror-movie imagery with serious stakes.
What it tells us for 2025: NXT’s creative DNA for Halloween Havoc still leans on spectacle plus emotional stakes. Expect at least one high-concept or stipulation match this year that uses production and character beats to elevate a title or a breakout moment.
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2) Mandy Rose defeats Raquel González — Spin the Wheel, Make the Deal (Halloween Havoc, Oct. 26, 2021)
Why it’s top-tier: The 2021 Halloween Havoc brought back the classic “Spin the Wheel, Make the Deal” shtick and produced a genuinely career-altering moment when Mandy Rose dethroned dominant Raquel González in a brutal Trick-or-Treat/Street Fight variant to win the NXT Women’s Championship. That match signaled NXT’s willingness to mix campy Halloween stipulations with legitimate title changes — and it was a launchpad for Mandy’s main-event profile in NXT and beyond. The 2021 show also underlined how Halloween Havoc could be both unpredictable and consequential for the title picture.
What it tells us for 2025: Spin-the-wheel style unpredictability is still a tool NXT will use when it wants a “big moment” surprise; creative should be ready for heel-to-face flips or stipulation-based shocks this year.
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3) Wes Lee wins the vacant NXT North American Title — Five-Way Ladder Match (Halloween Havoc, Oct. 22, 2022)
Why it’s top-tier: The 2022 Havoc opened with a five-way ladder match for the vacant North American Title that crowned Wes Lee — a moment that worked on two levels. First, it was a straight-up, athletic, chaotic ladder classic that showcased a deep midcard with high upside (Carmelo Hayes, Nathan Frazer, Von Wagner, Oro Mensah). Second, it functioned as a launching pad for a performer (Wes Lee) whose singles career gained immediate credibility after a long run as a tag-team stalwart. NXT used Havoc to create a watermarked “breakout” win — the kind of booking that turns a ladder match into a career milestone. Reviews and coverage at the time treated the match as one of the night’s emotional highlights.
What it tells us for 2025: Halloween Havoc remains a prime place to elevate a midcarder into the main-orbit — watch the opening slot and the North American title picture for potential breakout winners this year.
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4) Bron Breakker retains in a violent triple threat — NXT Championship main event (Halloween Havoc, Oct. 22, 2022)
Why it’s top-tier: The 2022 main event — Bron Breakker retaining the NXT Championship over Ilja Dragunov and JD McDonagh — was an intense, physical triple threat that underscored NXT’s commitment to blending modern athleticism (Dragunov), character heat (McDonagh) and raw, carried-by-size main-eventers (Breakker). Putting a three-way of differing styles in the Havoc main event gave the show a teeth-clenched finish and reinforced its utility as a “weather moment” where champions are defined or reframed. In short: Havoc can be where the brand’s biggest stars are confirmed or re-forged.
What it tells us for 2025: Expect NXT to either put its top title on the line in a high-stakes match or use Havoc to coronate a champion who will define the brand heading into the next year.
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5) Lyra Valkyria stuns Becky Lynch to win the NXT Women’s Title (Halloween Havoc, Oct. 24, 2023)
Why it’s top-tier: Week One of the two-night 2023 Halloween Havoc saw Lyra Valkyria defeat Becky Lynch to become NXT Women’s Champion — a moment that mixed the historical gravity of “The Man” appearing on NXT with the clear push of a younger superstar. Lyra’s win was immediately presented as a generational passing-of-the-torch moment inside NXT’s ecosystem: a younger talent beating an established global star on Halloween Havoc gave the victory maximum PR and narrative weight, and it reinforced Havoc’s status as a stage where NXT can create headline-grade, career-defining moments.
What it tells us for 2025: Havoc is still the perfect stage for “big name vs. homegrown” storytelling — and NXT will use that dynamic to either elevate its own or to create must-see TV with outside stars.
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How these five moments shape the angle for Oct. 25, 2025
1. Havoc = elevation night. The pattern is clear: whether it’s a ladder match winner (Wes Lee), a newly crowned women’s champion (Lyra), or a major stipulation blowoff (Io vs. Candice), Halloween Havoc is where NXT makes people matter. For 2025 expect the card to include at least one stamped “career-changer” match — a title match or a stipulation with long-term consequences.
2. Stipulation + spectacle is the brand hook. From “Tables, Ladders & Scares” to “Spin the Wheel, Make the Deal,” NXT leverages creative stipulations to give Havoc a unique identity. For the Oct. 25 show, look for production-led matches (weaponized gimmicks, cinematic beats, or an out-of-the-ordinary stipulation) designed to create a social-media moment.
3. Homegrown stars vs. star power = headline currency. Havoc’s big moments often involve an established name elevating or being defeated by a rising NXT star (Lyra vs. Becky Lynch), or the brand crowning its own in a way that television executives and fans can market. If WWE wants to push someone into a 2026 main-roster conversation, Halloween Havoc has repeatedly been the lever.
4. Early card matters as much as the main event. Wes Lee’s win shows the opening match can deliver the biggest “moment” of the night. Don’t sleep on the North American (or equivalent mid-card) slot; expect NXT to book that match with the potential to create a breakout star.
5. Creative continuity will be the difference between viral moment and long-term momentum. Historically, Havoc has worked when the win or stipulation feeds a coherent 3–6 month arc. The 2025 build should be judged on whether NXT uses Saturday’s winners to start week-to-week storytelling — not just one-off fireworks.
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