NXT’s Io Shirai Retains and Sends Candice LeRae Brutally Through a Ladder at Halloween Havoc

The last match of the night was the fight for the NXT Women’s Championship between Io Shirai and Candice LeRae, and after Shotzi Blackheart spun the wheel the match was revealed to be a Tables, Ladders, and Scares match. It didn’t take long for Shirai to charge at LeRae, and the two quickly started battling outside the ring. LeRae then found a mysterious bag under the ring, and it was filled with bloody arms and legs, which Shirai would take and use as a weapon on LeRae. LeRae would actually take quite a bit of punishment here, being throw over the announce table, but she would eventually get some revenge after throwing Shirai into the steel steps.

Shirai would recover and return the favor, using those same steel steps. She then went back under the ring for more weapons, throwing a variety of chairs into the ring and doing for a table, but LeRae would put a halt to it all. That is until Shirai countered and sent LeRae face-first into the steps.

Shirai would then get up on the top rope but LeRae would roll into the ring. Shirai would still hit LeRae with a dropkick and then picked LeRae up and slammed her hard to the mat.

Shirai would go to set up a table, but LeRae would dropkick her to the ground. They would then trade blows and knock each other down, and at this point, two tables were set up by the ring.

Shira would recover and grab a ladder, putting it into the ring so she could grab the championship, and LeRae would follow suit. LeRae would actually use Shirai’s ladder and run up towards the belt, but Shirai stopped her. LeRae would surprise rher though and knocked her down, putting a ladder in the corner. LeRae would push Shirai down again and start to climb, but Shirai pulled her down.

Shirai would set down two chairs and slam LeRae into a backbreaker, but LeRae would counter her next move and send Shirai into the chairs. She would then pick up one of the chairs and start slamming it into Shirai’s back, and then she set up a chair and tried to slam Shirai into it, but Shirai countered and suplexed LeRae into it instead.

LeRae then sent Shirai’s shin into a ladder, and both stars were sporting some wounds. LeRae went to the top rope, and Shirai stopped her and then started grabbing chairs. She moved the ladder a bit and then set up two chairs near her. She then went up to grab LeRae on the top rope, but LeRae tried to push her down, and then succeeded.

Shirai then locked in LeRae’s foot in a chair and then twisted it between the ropes. Shirai went for the 619 but missed, and LeRae capitalized by hitting her in the back with a chair. LeRae then flipped Shirai and sent them both through the tables. The masked superstar was back in the ring and helped LeRae up the ladder, but Shotzi Blackheart intervened and knocked down the mystery figure.

LeRae was up at the top, and Shirai set up her own ladder and they locked up. LeRae then sent her back down and went for the belts but Shirai pushed the ladder and sent her flying out of the ring and through the ladder that had been set up outside, which looked brutal. Shirai started climbing and grabbed her Championship title, retaining the NXT Women’s Championship.

Here’s the official description for tonight’s Halloween Havoc on NXT.

Halloween Havoc is back! The scariest night of the year comes to NXT as Io Shirai defends the NXT Women’s Championship and Damian Priest defends the North American Title against Johnny Gargano under stipulations determined by Spin the Wheel, Make the Deal. Elsewhere, Rhea Ripley finally clashes with Raquel Gonález, Dexter Lumis makes Cameron Grimes face his fears in a Haunted House of Terror Match, and more tonight at 8/7 C on USA Network!

Here’s the full card:

Spin The Wheel, Make the Deal: North American Champion Damian Priest vs Johnny Gargano

Spin The Wheel, Make the Deal: NXT Women’s Champion Io Shirai vs Candice LeRae

Rhea Ripley vs Raquel Gonzalez

Haunted House of Terror Match: Dexter Lumis vs Cameron Grimes

Santos Escobar vs Jake Atlas

What have you thought of Halloween Havoc so far? Let us know in the comments or as always you can talk all things NXT with me on Twitter @MattAguilarCB!