Opinion
DeMarco: Halloween Havoc Was The Perfect NXT Themed Show
Greg DeMarco, like all of you, tuned in to Halloween Havoc. But did you love it as much as he did? Find out why he did, here!
Greg DeMarco, like all of you, tuned in to Halloween Havoc. But did you love it as much as he did? Find out why he did, here!
WWE NXT brought us Halloween Havoc, an event first announced at Takeover 31. I watched it not-quite-live (because west coast time, and life), but it was still live-to-me. And I have to give you a spoiler here: I loved it.
But that’s not what this article is about, right? I mean, I could end it here at less than 100 words, throw in an image or two and call it a day. But that’s not what you’ve come to expect from ol’ Greg DeMarco. What’s important here is WHY I loved it so much.
So let’s have at it!
Heavy Metal Environment
When the Capitol Wrestling Center was introduced, Triple H promised a “heavy metal soundstage.” It didn’t quite feel that way to me, but they made small changes along the way (including keeping the ceiling illuminated) to get closer.
Well at NXT Halloween Havoc, I actually felt like we had accomplished the heavy metal soundstage vibe that Trips was talking about. Maybe it took some actual heavy metal, more smoke, and seeing more of the soundstage itself as people fought throughout the arena, but I was 100% on board with that selling point during this show.
Hot Start
There was so much hype behind Halloween Havoc, the worst thing they could have done was a slow burn at the top. Instead, they went right for a major match in Damian Priest defending the NXT North American Championship against Johnny Gargano, and it was the night’s lone title change as well. The match itself started hot, with a great entrance for Damian Priest and our first look at our host, Shotzi Blackheart, who we’ll talk about in a moment.
Stipulation Matches
Stipulation matches can suck. They really can. But these stipulation matches didn’t. NXT didn’t overcomplicate anything. The Devil’s Playground was a Halloween take on a Falls Count Anywhere Match. Tables, Ladders, and Scares was the exact same thing–a Halloween take on a TLC Match. And the cinematic experience we got from Cameron Grimes and Dexter Loomis accounted for the first time I’ve cared so much about either character. I love Cameron Grimes after his performance here–he gets it. And getting your character is a big deal in WWE.
Big Moments
This was a big show–a Mini Takeover if you will. Great American Bash was the same, and I am sure we’ll see more WCW themed NXT specials in the future. but for this to be a Mini Takeover, you needed some bigger happenings. You had those here, with Johnny Gargano capturing the NXT North American Championship from Damian Priest, thanks to an assist from who is likely Brendan Vink’s new persona. You also had Pete Dunne’s return to NXT proper, looking jacked as ever, and immediately turning on Kyle O’Reilly and joining Pat McAfee’s crew alongside Oney Lorcan and Danny Burch. This event had to have memorable moments that NXT can show us over and over in the coming months, and it had just that.
Shotzi Blackheart
The star of the night was Shotzi Blackheart. The first key to this is the fact that she wasn’t overexposed. She played her role well, but wasn’t the proverbial “shoved down our throats.” But if you didn’t already know, you know now…
SHOTZI. IS. A. STAR.
They say success is when opportunity meets preparation. What Shotzi does simply works right now. She’s been in the business over five years, had a failed run at Tough Enough because of a medical issue, but signed just over a year ago and is now ready for her spotlight.
But there’s more to Shotzi than that. She has major crossover appeal coming. She can be a mainstream media star in the next four years. She’s uniquely perfect, in the same manner as a “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, The Rock, Becky Lynch, or Sasha Banks. What those stars present wasn’t easily replaced, and that’s Shotzi Blackheart. Triple H knows it, WWE knows it, you know it, I know it. Shotzi Blackheart is a goddamm star.

Maybe you agree, and maybe you don’t. I’d love to hear your thoughts, so hit me up on social media @ChairshotGreg or leave a comment below. You can also join the discussion at The Chairshot’s Facebook Group.
Chairshot Radio Network
Launched in 2017, the Chairshot Radio Network presents you with the best in sports, entertainment, and sports entertainment. Wrestling and wrestling crossover podcasts + the most interesting content + the most engaging hosts = the most entertaining podcasts you’ll find!
MONDAY - Bandwagon Nerds (entertainment & popular culture)
TUESDAY - 4 Corners Podcast (sports)
WEDNESDAY - The Greg DeMarco Show (wrestling)
THURSDAY - Nefarious Means
FRIDAY - DWI Podcast (Drunk Wrestling Intellect)
SATURDAY - The Mindless Wrestling Podcast
SUNDAY - 30 Mindless Minutes
CHAIRSHOT RADIO NETWORK PODCAST SPECIALS
Attitude Of Aggression Podcast: The Big Five Project (chronologically exploring WWE's PPV/PLE history) Unidentified History (Ufology) & Game Gone Wrong (Game of Thrones Universe)
Chairshot Radio Network Your home for the hardest hitting podcasts... Sports, Entertainment and Sports Entertainment!
Powered by RedCircle
Let us know what you think on social media @ChairshotMedia and always remember to use the hashtag #UseYourHead!
Opinion
Chris King: The Wyatt Sicks’ Wasted Potential By WWE
Chris King takes a look at the WWE and their wasted potential of Uncle Howdy and the Wyatt Sicks faction.
Chris King takes a look at the WWE and their wasted potential of Uncle Howdy and the Wyatt Sicks faction.
It’s that time of the year again, folks; it’s unfortunate and downright awful that so many WWE superstars got released today. I’m not going to list all of them, but I am going to talk about one of my favorite factions,
The Wyatt Sicks. Nikki Cross, Joe Gacy, Erik Rowan, and Bo Dallas (Uncle Howdy) were something special. After Bo’s brother Bray Wyatt’s tragic passing, WWE felt like there was a hole that needed to be filled. Wyatt was one of the most creative and brilliant characters, and Bo would be taking over his brother’s concept and bringing it to life. In 2024, at the end of an incredible documentary highlighting Wyatt’s career and struggles, Bo appeared on the screen portrayed as Uncle Howdy. The last time Uncle Howdy was seen on-screen was at the 2023 Royal Rumble, where Wyatt defeated LA Knight in a Pitch Black Match. Howdy jumped off a structure onto Knight.
This post-credit scene sparked so much speculation and excitement that Wyatt’s brother would carry on his legacy and possibly debut the faction that was Wyatt’s concept. On the June 17th episode of Monday Night Raw, The Wyatt Sicks made their dramatic debut ,destroying the backstage area as well as “murdering” Chad Gable. It was such an iconic arrival for Howdy as he made his menacing walk from the back into the audience who were chanting “Holy Shit.” The Sicks and American Made (Chad Gable and The Creed Brothers) battled for months, with The Sicks being victorious. On the September 9th episode of Raw, The Sicks defeated them, with Howdy getting the win with Sister Abigail.
The following year, The Sicks would move over to Friday Night SmackDown, and it seemed like WWE had a plan in place. They would win the tag team championships from The Street Profits and start to look dominant. Now, what should have happened next is Howdy should have won the United States title. The Sicks could have held all the gold over on the blue brand, but it never happened. The Sicks entered into a never-ending feud with The MFT’s (Solo Sikoa, Tama Tonga, Tonga Loa, JC Mateo, and Talla Tonga.) It started off exciting, and the WWE Universe was red-hot for their interactions.
After months of repetitive matches and The MFT’s stealing their lantern, the feud grew tiresome and boring. Even Tama asked Solo why they are still holding onto the lantern, as it was destroying them as a whole. Finally on the SmackDown before Mania, Tama
gave the lantern back to Howdy against Solo’s wishes. Please explain to me why both factions fought almost every single week instead of just having one final blowoff match at WrestleMania.
It should have been either a massive street fight or a falls count anywhere match on the grandest stage of them all. Instead, it turned into a meaningless week-after-week extravaganza that benefited no one. The MFTs won the rivalry, and The Sicks don’t even work for WWE anymore. This was the same criminalized creative process that Wyatt dealt with during his first run in the company.
We’ll never know how much of a dangerous force The Wyatt Sicks could have been in the WWE. For all their careers’ sake, I hope they stay far away from the company for as long as possible. Every superstar that was cut deserves better!
Chairshot Radio Network
Launched in 2017, the Chairshot Radio Network presents you with the best in sports, entertainment, and sports entertainment. Wrestling and wrestling crossover podcasts + the most interesting content + the most engaging hosts = the most entertaining podcasts you’ll find!
MONDAY - Bandwagon Nerds (entertainment & popular culture)
TUESDAY - 4 Corners Podcast (sports)
WEDNESDAY - The Greg DeMarco Show (wrestling)
THURSDAY - Nefarious Means
FRIDAY - DWI Podcast (Drunk Wrestling Intellect)
SATURDAY - The Mindless Wrestling Podcast
SUNDAY - 30 Mindless Minutes
CHAIRSHOT RADIO NETWORK PODCAST SPECIALS
Attitude Of Aggression Podcast: The Big Five Project (chronologically exploring WWE's PPV/PLE history) Unidentified History (Ufology) & Game Gone Wrong (Game of Thrones Universe)
Chairshot Radio Network Your home for the hardest hitting podcasts... Sports, Entertainment and Sports Entertainment!
Powered by RedCircle
Let us know what you think on social media @ChairshotMedia and always remember to use the hashtag #UseYourHead!
Opinion
Chris King: Bloodline Saga: Is This the Right Call For WWE?
Chris King questions the WWE’s logic in setting up Jacob Fatu as the next challenger for World Heavyweight Champion Roman Reigns
Chris King questions the WWE’s logic in setting up Jacob Fatu as the next challenger for World Heavyweight Champion Roman Reigns
Roman Reigns is once again World Heavyweight Champion after his dominant win over CM Punk at WrestleMania 42. On the following night on Monday Night Raw, The OG Bloodline came back together as a well-oiled machine as The Usos stood side by side with Roman. With the WWE Universe asking who would be the first to challenge “The Tribal Chief,” Jacob Fatu shocked the world by answering the call.
Fatu is running hot after his impressive win over Drew McIntyre and feels like he is ready to become the new world champion. This bloodline segment ended Raw, and it picked right back up on SmackDown with even Solo Sikoa and the MFTs involved. This is now two shows that have been centered around The Bloodline saga, and it’s made me question whether or not WWE should be retelling this story.
The Bloodline (Roman Reigns, The Usos, and Solo Sikoa) ran WWE for over four years as Reigns’ henchmen, doing his dirty work to retain his title. Even though Roman has declared he doesn’t want Jey and Jimmy to serve him, it sure seems like WWE are spinning their wheels. Fatu could add a whole new chapter into the story, even if he’s not able to beat Roman at Backlash. “The Samoan Werewolf” could be forced to do the same thing as Jey did all those years ago and fall in line.
In my opinion, I feel like Fatu should be challenging for the Undisputed WWE Championship because that’s a title I feel like he should win. I understand standing up to your blood and trying to prove you’re the best, but I don’t think this is the right move. It feels like 2022 all over again, as The Bloodline is the central focus on both shows. If Fatu doesn’t win, what happens to all his momentum he’s been building over the last two years?
Why did WWE make this the best choice for storyline purposes? Why couldn’t creative have come up with a different challenger for Roman? There are so many other superstars that could challenge The Tribal Chief, such as Rusev, Bron Breakker, Gunther, or even a returning Sheamus.
I just can’t help but question WWE’s logic here, and it kind of reminds me of all the times The Shield reunited. Could WWE be pushing the same storyline too many times here? Could the WWE Universe get tired of this rinse and repeat cycle of The Bloodline Saga?
Are we about to see all the weekly episodes solely focused on The Bloodline again? Will it be cinema… Yes. Is there still money in The Bloodline… Yes. Was it the right call? That’s to be determined!
Chairshot Radio Network
Launched in 2017, the Chairshot Radio Network presents you with the best in sports, entertainment, and sports entertainment. Wrestling and wrestling crossover podcasts + the most interesting content + the most engaging hosts = the most entertaining podcasts you’ll find!
MONDAY - Bandwagon Nerds (entertainment & popular culture)
TUESDAY - 4 Corners Podcast (sports)
WEDNESDAY - The Greg DeMarco Show (wrestling)
THURSDAY - Nefarious Means
FRIDAY - DWI Podcast (Drunk Wrestling Intellect)
SATURDAY - The Mindless Wrestling Podcast
SUNDAY - 30 Mindless Minutes
CHAIRSHOT RADIO NETWORK PODCAST SPECIALS
Attitude Of Aggression Podcast: The Big Five Project (chronologically exploring WWE's PPV/PLE history) Unidentified History (Ufology) & Game Gone Wrong (Game of Thrones Universe)
Chairshot Radio Network Your home for the hardest hitting podcasts... Sports, Entertainment and Sports Entertainment!
Powered by RedCircle
Let us know what you think on social media @ChairshotMedia and always remember to use the hashtag #UseYourHead!
-
Podcasts7 days agoGreg DeMarco Show: WrestleMania 42 – Know What You’re Watching
-
AEW Results6 days agoMitchell’s AEW Dynamite Results & Report! (4/22/26)
-
Results4 days agoMitchell’s WWE SmackDown Results & Report! (4/24/26)
-
Results5 days agoAndrew’s TNA iMPACT! Results & Match Ratings: 4.23.2026


