Halloween Havoc is a professional wrestling event currently produced by WWE for its developmental brand, NXT. Held annually in October, it is a Halloween-themed show.
It originated as an annual pay-per-view (PPV) produced by World Championship Wrestling (WCW) from 1989 to 2000. The first two events occurred while WCW was still affiliated with the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA); WCW left the NWA in January 1991. The final five WCW editions (1996–2000) were held at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Paradise, Nevada (a Las Vegas suburb).
WWE (then the World Wrestling Federation) purchased WCW’s assets in March 2001. Nineteen years later, in 2020, WWE revived Halloween Havoc as an annual NXT event. The 2020, 2021, and 2023 editions aired as special episodes of NXT’s weekly television program (the 2023 version spanned two weeks). The 2022 and 2024–present editions have primarily been premium live events (PLEs) streamed on platforms such as Peacock (U.S.) and Netflix (international markets). From 2020–2023 the event carried the NXT logo; beginning in 2024 it has used the WWE logo.
History
In 1989, WCW (then under the NWA banner) staged the first Halloween Havoc on October 28 at the Philadelphia Civic Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. A second event followed in 1990, establishing the series as an annual PPV; this was the last under the NWA banner. The 2000 edition was the final WCW Halloween Havoc. After WWE’s 2001 acquisition of WCW (and the company’s later rebranding to WWE), the event was dormant until its 2020 revival for NXT.
NXT revival and evolution
After a nearly two-decade hiatus, WWE revived Halloween Havoc specifically for NXT. The return was announced on October 4, 2020, during NXT TakeOver 31, with NXT wrestler Shotzi Blackheart revealed as the host. The first NXT edition aired on October 28, 2020, as a special episode of the weekly NXT program on the USA Network. It was held at the Capitol Wrestling Center inside the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida.
The revival fit a broader pattern under NXT leadership at the time of resurrecting classic event names and concepts from WCW and earlier WWE history (alongside revivals of WarGames, The Great American Bash, and In Your House branding). WWE had previously filed a trademark for the Halloween Havoc name. The 2020 show reintroduced thematic elements from the WCW era, including the “Spin the Wheel, Make the Deal” stipulation, a Devil’s Playground match, a Haunted House of Terror match, and campy Halloween production touches such as themed entrances, costumes, and decorations.
The 2020 success led to Halloween Havoc becoming an annual NXT fixture. The 2021 edition continued as a USA Network television special at the Performance Center. In 2022 it shifted to a standalone livestreaming event (on Peacock in the United States and the WWE Network internationally). The 2023 version returned to television as a two-night special of NXT. Beginning in 2024, it has generally been presented as a one-night premium live event, has toured outside the Performance Center for the first time (starting with the Giant Center in Hershey, Pennsylvania), and has been branded primarily with the WWE logo rather than the NXT logo. Later editions have occasionally featured crossovers with partner promotions and continued signature Halloween stipulations.
Early NXT versions were held at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida. The 2024 event was the first held outside that venue. Subsequent editions have taken place at various arenas. All classic WCW Halloween Havoc events became available on the WWE Network in 2014 and later on Peacock in the United States.
Signature elements have included themed stipulations such as Spin the Wheel, Make the Deal matches (used in the WCW era and revived for NXT).
Events
The following table lists all editions. “(c)” denotes the champion(s) entering the match. Main events are highlighted; full cards for recent NXT events have included additional title matches and crossovers.
| # | Event | Date | City | Venue | Main event(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| National Wrestling Alliance: World Championship Wrestling | |||||
| 1 | Halloween Havoc (1989) | October 28, 1989 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | Philadelphia Civic Center | Ric Flair & Sting vs. The Great Muta & Terry Funk (Thunderdome match; Bruno Sammartino special referee) |
| 2 | Halloween Havoc (1990) | October 27, 1990 | Chicago, Illinois | UIC Pavilion | Sting (c) vs. Sid Vicious (NWA World Heavyweight Championship) |
| World Championship Wrestling | |||||
| 3 | Halloween Havoc (1991) | October 27, 1991 | Chattanooga, Tennessee | UTC Arena | Lex Luger (c) vs. Ron Simmons (two-out-of-three falls; WCW World Heavyweight Championship) |
| 4 | Halloween Havoc (1992) | October 25, 1992 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | Philadelphia Civic Center | Sting vs. Jake Roberts (Coal Miner’s Glove match) |
| 5 | Halloween Havoc (1993) | October 24, 1993 | New Orleans, Louisiana | Lakefront Arena | Big Van Vader vs. Cactus Jack (Texas Death match) |
| 6 | Halloween Havoc (1994) | October 23, 1994 | Detroit, Michigan | Joe Louis Arena | Hulk Hogan (c) vs. Ric Flair (Steel Cage; WCW World Heavyweight Championship; Mr. T special referee) |
| 7 | Halloween Havoc (1995) | October 29, 1995 | Detroit, Michigan | Joe Louis Arena | Hulk Hogan (c) vs. The Giant (WCW World Heavyweight Championship) |
| 8 | Halloween Havoc (1996) | October 27, 1996 | Paradise, Nevada | MGM Grand Garden Arena | Hollywood Hogan (c) vs. Randy Savage (WCW World Heavyweight Championship) |
| 9 | Halloween Havoc (1997) | October 26, 1997 | Paradise, Nevada | MGM Grand Garden Arena | Roddy Piper vs. Hollywood Hogan (Steel Cage match) |
| 10 | Halloween Havoc (1998) | October 25, 1998 | Paradise, Nevada | MGM Grand Garden Arena | Goldberg (c) vs. Diamond Dallas Page (WCW World Heavyweight Championship) |
| 11 | Halloween Havoc (1999) | October 24, 1999 | Paradise, Nevada | MGM Grand Garden Arena | Sting (c) vs. Goldberg (WCW World Heavyweight Championship) |
| 12 | Halloween Havoc (2000) | October 29, 2000 | Paradise, Nevada | MGM Grand Garden Arena | Goldberg vs. KroniK (Brian Adams & Bryan Clark) (Handicap elimination match) |
| WWE: NXT | |||||
| 13 | NXT Halloween Havoc (2020) | October 28, 2020 | Orlando, Florida | WWE Performance Center | Io Shirai (c) vs. Candice LeRae (Tables, Ladders, and Scares; NXT Women’s Championship) |
| 14 | NXT Halloween Havoc (2021) | October 26, 2021 | Orlando, Florida | WWE Performance Center | Tommaso Ciampa (c) vs. Bron Breakker (NXT Championship) |
| 15 | NXT Halloween Havoc (2022) | October 22, 2022 | Orlando, Florida | WWE Performance Center | Bron Breakker (c) vs. Ilja Dragunov vs. JD McDonagh (NXT Championship) |
| 16 | NXT Halloween Havoc (2023) | October 24 & 31, 2023 | Orlando, Florida | WWE Performance Center | Night 1: Becky Lynch (c) vs. Lyra Valkyria (NXT Women’s Championship) Night 2: Ilja Dragunov (c) vs. Carmelo Hayes (NXT Championship) |
| 17 | NXT Halloween Havoc (2024) | October 27, 2024 | Hershey, Pennsylvania | Giant Center | Trick Williams (c) vs. Ethan Page (Devil’s Playground match; NXT Championship) |
| 18 | NXT Halloween Havoc (2025) | October 25, 2025 | Prescott Valley, Arizona | Findlay Toyota Center | Ricky Saints (c) vs. Trick Williams (NXT Championship) |
| 19 | NXT Halloween Havoc (2026) | October 31, 2026 | Orlando, Florida | WWE Performance Center | Announced matches include Grayson Waller (c) vs. Tony D’Angelo (NXT Championship) and Kelani Jordan (c) vs. Wren Sinclair (NXT Women’s Championship); additional matches and Danhausen as host |
