NXT emanates live from the Performance Center in Orlando tonight, with just over 3 weeks until Halloween Havoc. A huge 20-woman battle royal is scheduled, plus the final first-round matches in the Dusty Tag Team Classic! Tune in to the action on the CW starting at 8 PM ET, and follow along right here on Cageside!
Six-brand Women’s Battle Royal
Reigning NXT Women’s Champion Kelani Jordan will learn who’ll be staring across the ring at her at Halloween Havoc tonight, when women from six different brands converge in Orlando to compete
in a 20-woman battle royal.
After losing the title to Jordan at Heatwave, Kendal Grey has been out dealing with lingering vestibular issues. After being referred to a sports psychologist to work through some of the mental health struggles that her injuries were causing, Kendal has remained on our screens in recent weeks through ongoing therapy sessions. Her WrenQCC partner, Wren Sinclair, accompanied her to her first appointment after finding herself with free time due to her suspension. With two of Kelani’s top contenders out of the picture temporarily, NXT GM Stone came up with a creative way to determine who Jordan would face at Halloween Havoc at the end of the month.
Last week, we learned that tonight’s show would feature a 20-woman battle royal, with an NXT Women’s Title match at Havoc on the line. Stone talked the match up by announcing that Raw, SmackDown, NXT, Evolve, AAA, and TNA would all be represented. Looking at the graphic featuring the competitors, he wasn’t lying (although Ivy Nile and Kiana James seem to be the only ladies from the main roster in the field). Several stars could make for intriguing #1 contenders, but last week’s show ended with a returning Reina Volcan laying Kelani out and standing tall.
Was that a sign of things to come this week, or will one of the other 19 women outlast the field and stamp their ticket to Halloween Havoc? Find out on tonight’s show!
First Round of the Dusty Classic concludes
In the first two weeks of action, Fraxiom, Noam Dar & Romeo Moreno, the Creed Brothers, and the unlikely pairing of Chazz “Starboy” Hall and Mini Vikingo have advanced in the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic. Those four teams join the NXT Tag Team Champions, Swipe Right, and the AAA Tag Team Champions, the Brothers Wagner, in the quarterfinals. Two more spots in the round of 8 are up for grabs on tonight’s show as the first round draws to a close.
Sean Legacy and Dorian Van Dux finally get their shot to shine when they take on the Tokyo Bad Boys from AAA. Van Dux has been sidelined by an injury, forcing Legacy to team with EK Prosper. Will DVD be medically cleared to compete tonight, or will EK have to pinch-hit for him again? Either way, Legacy and his partner should be considered favorites to win the match and advance. Can the Tokyo Bad Boys bust the bracket like Hall and Vikingo did last week and add another unpredictable wrinkle to the quarterfinals?
In the other match tonight, former NXT Tag Team Champions Hank & Tank take on the Evolve duo of Shido Ash and Viktor Zanov. Will the Belly Boys tally one in the win column and take a step toward revitalizing their NXT careers? Or will the team from Evolve pull off the upset and advance to the quarters?
Zilla Fatu flexes his own birthright
Since coming up short in the NXT Title match at Heatwave, Zilla Fatu has found himself in the crosshairs of NXT’s faction of nepo-babies (and Stacks), Birth Right. After spurning their advances and rejecting an invitation into their group, Fatu’s team lost a 6-man tag team match a few weeks back, but unfortunately for him, that wasn’t the end of it.
Instead, this week, Zilla will try to cut the head off of the proverbial snake when he takes on Birth Right’s frontman, Lexis King. After putting Charlie Dempsey in a neck brace with a Triple Z, Zilla’s flying Samoan Spike-like move, Lexis will make sure his painted beard looks extra crispy tonight as he seeks revenge for his friend.
Will this be the last round in the Fatu/Birth Right saga? Will William Regal or Fit Finlay come around and try to convince Umanga’s son to see the light and join the crew? The next chapter will be written tonight!
Quick Hits
- Myles Borne went scorched earth on the NXT universe last week with a scathing promo to justify his recent heel turn on his partner, Tavion Heights. After getting all of that off his chest, will Myles now set his sights back on the North American Championship? If he does, will Tavion have something to say about it?
- What or perhaps who is next for Grayson Waller after his successful open title defense against EK Prosper last week? With Halloween Havoc less than four weeks away, will GM Stone find a creative way to name Waller’s next #1 contender? Plus, will we get any health update on Mason Rook, who was forced out of his title match last week because he wasn’t medically cleared?
- Shiloh Hill has been knee-deep in poison mist lore in recent weeks, but tonight, he’ll take on Naraku. Will Shiloh experience another color of mist firsthand, or will he find a way to pull off a big victory over the former IWGP Champion?
All this and more on the CW tonight as the road to Halloween Havoc continues! Let us know what you’re most excited for on tonight’s show in the comments below, and be sure to follow along with the live coverage here on Cageside tonight, starting at 8 PM Eastern!
