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

NXT Halloween Havoc may not have delivered high spectacle, but it did continue to develop the biggest feuds on the silver-and-black brand. The October 29 edition of NXT followed suit.

Zaria made a statement, ruining Fallon Henley's celebration after she captured the Women's North American Championship. She made her in-ring debut this week.

Nathan Frazer and Axiom hoped to stay on the same page against the fast-paced duo of Je'Von Evans and Cedric Alexander. Who would walk out as NXT tag team champions?

Lexis King continued his journey to redemption, challenging Charlie Dempsey for the Heritage Cup with Mr. Regal in his corner.

Tatum Paxley and Wendy Choo looked to settle the score in the first-ever WWE women's casket match.

This week's show also featured the fallout from Halloween Havoc including Trick William's NXT Championship victory and Stephanie Vaquer pinning NXT women's champion Roxanne Perez.

Tatum Paxley was fighting from behind throughout a wild brawl, but she managed to send Wendy Choo off the casket through a bed with a fire extinguisher.

The impact left Choo vulnerable to throw in the casket to lose.

While the stakes were lower in the WWE Performance Center, this match felt like it lived up to the energy of Halloween Havoc better than any match on the main card.

It was a pure "plunder" contest with plenty of props involved that built to multiple memorable moments. It felt like Paxley matched and ultimately exceeded Choo's wildness to pick up the win.

This was a nice win for Paxley, who needs a consistent push from this spot. She has outperformed her spot for a while and has earned a title program or a call-up soon.

Result

Paxley def. Choo by closing the casket.

Grade

B+

Notable Moments

• Paxley interrupted the Halloween Havoc montage, indicating that the event was not done until this casket match.
• Paxley wheeled out a massive casket while Choo came out with an entire bed.
• Both women were in costume: Paxley as Alice from Alice: Madness Returns and Choo as Sally from The Nightmare Before Christmas.
• Choo sent Paxley through her dollhouse, destroying it.
• Paxley used Choo's pillow to stop the casket from closing. Choo pulled her out to reveal Legos. She planted Paxley on the Legos with a uranage.
• Choo met Paxley in the casket with a running elbow, and it closed on both women. The referee would not call a winner with both inside.

Trick Williams called out Bubba Ray Dudley, who explained that he beat down Ridge Holland for his disrespect.

Trick asked Bubba to team with him against Holland and Ethan Page in the 2300 Arena on Nov. 6. He refused because he did not want to take an NXT Superstar's spot.

This was a longer segment than it needed to be, but it did reach a better conclusion than expected. Bubba put over Trick and set up the champion to find a friend who can watch his back.

This is an important angle for the NXT champion that will have ramifications beyond the show next week.

However, that potential angle did not last the night.

Grade

B

Notable Moments

• Bubba told Trick that he has no friends because he is NXT champion.
• He threw out all the classic Dudley standards as he teased possibly teaming with Trick, including the glasses and the call for the tables.
  
• Ava talked with Rob Van Dam about competing next week in the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia, promising to book him something special.
• Tony D'Angelo got a call from Nunzio, warning him that he was stepping into his territory in Philly next week.
  

Charlie Dempsey dominated Lexis King early and caught him with a butterfly suplex into a bridge for the first fall in Round 1.

Dempsey injured King's knee in the second round and then dominated the rest of the way. He finished it in Round 3 with another bridging butterfly suplex.

This was a better piece of business than wrestling match, but it succeeded in its purpose. The goal was to make King more sympathetic. He showed heart and a refusal to cheat throughout.

Dempsey dominated throughout, and Mr. Regal's influence was minimal. Still, the angle worked. King comes out of this more interesting than he has ever been in NXT.

The next step is to move beyond the basic angle. King should not need to tell the world every week that he is not Brian Pillman Jr. He should be able to focus on making his own character.

Result

Dempsey def. King with two straight pinfalls.

Grade

B

Notable Moments

• NXT has committed to Mr. Regal as the name for The Gentleman Villain, but Booker T kept calling him William.
  
• King hurt his knee on a bump over the top rope. Officials were ready to call the match, but Regal convinced him to keep fighting.
• Regal offered him brass knuckles, but King refused, saying: "I am not my father."

• Lola Vice delivered a pre-taped warning to Jaida Parker that she would beat her in their Hardcore match next week. Parker responded with her own warning.
  

Zaria destroyed Brinley Reece in a brutal display that ended with a Spear and an F5.

Fatal Influence, Roxanne Perez and Cora Jade looked to make a statement at the expense of Zaria. Instead, Kelani Jordan, Stephanie Vaquer, Giulia and Jordynne Grace all arrived to start an even fight that stood with the fan favorites on top.

About as entertaining as a squash can get, Zaria landed in NXT with fire. Reece played her role well, competing in moments before she was overwhelmed.

The match could have been enough, but NXT added so much more on top. A 10-woman brawl closed the segment, which sold that battle lines have been drawn between newcomers and veterans.

This set a clear promise that Zaria is not going to be stuck working squashes for the next couple months. It also brought back Grace, who is always a welcome sight in NXT.

Result

Zaria def. Reece by pinfall.

Grade

A+

Notable Moments

• Zaria seemed to dislocate the elbow of Reece. She then grabbed Reece's arm and popped it back in with force.
• Grace's surprise appearance got the biggest pop of the night.
• Based on the brawl, NXT announced a 10-woman tag match for next week.
  
• The fan favorites strategized for next week before Rhea Ripley arrived to wish them good luck.
• Later, Mami was found bloodied and unconscious near her car. Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez were shown walking away from the scene.
  

Nikkita Lyons looked poised to pull off an upset against Kelani Jordan, but Adrianna Rizzo distracted her.

This allowed Jordan to duck the Lyon's Roar and hit the split-legged moonsault to win.

Afterward, Rizzo attacked Lyons as officials tried to break them up.

Jordan's evolution from newcomer to reliable in-ring hand has been quick. She is one of the most reliable performers to maximize her opponents.

This was rushed, but it's hard to imagine anyone getting more out of Lyons in less than three minutes. This was a strong showing for both competitors with the right winner.

Jordan should be protected at a main event level, and Rizzo gave Lyons an out while setting up an interesting feud for the next month.

Result

Jordan def. Lyons by pinfall.

Grade

B

Notable Moments

• Rizzo warned that she was going after Lyons all night. When she arrived, she stared down Lyons while taking off her earrings to prepare to brawl.
  
• Jordan tried to stop Rizzo at first. When Rizzo explained it was Lyons who attacked her last week, Jordan gave her an extra boost to dive onto Lyons.
  

Ridge Holland interrupted "All Ego" Ethan Page to call his shot for an NXT Championship match.

Bubba Ray Dudley took offense to Holland's taunting and stormed to the ring.

The WWE Hall of Famer tried to talk some sense into the Englishman, but the heels teamed up on him.

Trick Williams made the save, and Bubba officially agreed to team with the NXT champion.

Beyond going too long again, this segment was the opposite of the Trick-Bubba exchange earlier. It reinforced that the star of the moment was the legend and not the current NXT wrestlers.

Despite all efforts to the contrary, even the generous NXT fans have not bought into Holland as a top heel. This story is not going to be the missing piece, even if the fans love Trick and nostalgia.

All signs are pointing to the men of the NXT roster putting over the ECW legends of the past while the women likely steal the show in the 2300 Arena.

Grade

D

Notable Moments

• Bubba said he did not know Holland until this past weekend, but he put over his injury return and bad attitude.
• The WWE Hall of Famer walked right past All Ego after saying Page deserved nothing.
  

Je'Von Evans was too much for Nathan Frazer and Axiom until Wes Lee distracted The Young OG.

The two brawled to the back, leaving Cedric Alexander to fall to the brainbuster-Golden Ratio combination.

Evans and Lee kept fighting backstage until officials broke it up. Rob Van Dam told them they had given him a great idea for next week's NXT.

This was the best NXT match of the past few days by a solid margin. Alexander was pushed to keep up with three of the fastest wrestlers in WWE and showed out more than he has in years.

NXT clearly values The Young OG with multiple recent main event spotlights, and he showed why in his best showing since the Fatal 4-Way at Heatwave.

It is a shame that the finish was so messy, and Frazer and Axiom are back to arguing as this could have reached even higher heights. Perhaps a rematch is in order down the line.

Frazer and Axiom remain a fantastic tag team. Their stories are looping, though, and more teams need to step up around them to make this division.

Result

Fraxiom def. Evans and Alexander by pinfall to retain the NXT Tag Team Championship.

Grade

A-

Notable Moments

• Evans sent Axiom into Frazer and then superkicked Frazer, who accidentally sent Axiom to the mat in a DDT position.
• The Young OG hit a perfect springboard cutter across the ring on Axiom but only got a near-fall.
• Frazer and Axiom hit the Spanish Fly into the Phoenix Splash on Alexander. Evans broke it up with a stomp on Frazer right into a jumping cutter on Axiom.
  

Even with the ECW nostalgia taking up too much focus, this was a massive rebound show after a disappointing Halloween Havoc.

From the opener to the main event, every contest delivered with the time it was given. The best matches even outshined the premium live event card.

The women's division feels bigger than it ever has. Jordynne Grace is back. Zaria is a monster. Stephanie Vaquer and Giulia are just waiting to get the full spotlight back.

Trick Williams was not as successful on this night, though the real test will be next week. Bubba Ray Dudley's involvement could make or break Ridge Holland as the next big threat to the NXT champion.

Even Lexis King made the most of his minutes. After a rocky first year in NXT, his babyface work is starting to land. It will be interesting to hear how crowds react to him coming off the most interesting match of his NXT career.

Overall, NXT was a major success, setting the stage for a major show in the 2300 Arena that should have a unique chaotic vibe based on all the hype from this week.

Overall Grade: B+