PWI Weekly for October 27, 2025
'Tis The Season To Be Spooky: Pro Wrestling Illustrated Celebrates Halloween
WRESTLING AND HALLOWEEN go together like Kane and excessive pyro. That’s why at this time of year, we love to talk about ghoulish grapplers.
This edition of the PWI Weekly is our spooky Halloween spectacular. We hope you find it a treat. If not, send your tricks to us on X at @officialPWI.
WRESTLER OF THE WEEK
Since his return to WWE, Aleister Black has been casting a shadow over the promotion. With his brooding presence and eerie precision, the Dutchman has been like a gothic executioner on Smackdown. To date, he has picked apart The Miz, Carmelo Hayes, and Damian Priest, to name a few. In a recent United States title match against Sami Zayn, Black came just shy of claiming the gold; but, even in defeat, a statement was made. Perhaps a bigger statement was made in latter weeks when he aligned himself on-screen with his real-life wife, Zelina Vega.
Boasting legit martial-arts skills to go along with a sincere interest in the occult, Black isn’t just someone who pretends to be dark and dangerous—he actually is.
With the vindictive Vega now by his side, he stands to be even more so. In October, when many are playing at being spooky, Black is in his natural element. Consider this a warning to other WWE wrestlers who aren’t ready for what lurks in the shadows.
SPOTLIGHT ON …
Behind the fiendish mask, Mads Krule Krugger has got to be wearing a smile. Since dethroning Matt Riddle for the MLW World heavyweight championship, Krugger has been the undisputed boogeyman of Major League Wrestling. It should come as no surprise that the towering terror successfully defended his title in a Chamber of Horrors match at MLW’s Slaughterhouse show on October 4. Let’s be honest: It was a match made for him.
Elsewhere, Krugger continues to stalk the indie wrestling scene like Jason Vorhees stalks Camp Crystal Lake. He is truly one of modern wrestling’s iconic monsters.
A QUICK WORD ABOUT …
Speaking of monsters … “The Monster” Abyss is another masked wrestler fondly remembered by wrestling enthusiasts. Between 2003 and 2018, the man from “Parts Unknown” was a permanent fixture of TNA Wrestling, where he gave fans memorable outings in Monster’s Ball matches and introduced them to his spiked 2x4 “Janice.” Abyss also held multiple championships in the promotion and even had a reign as NWA World heavyweight champion.
Today, Abyss usually goes by the less intimidating moniker of Chris Park. He’s also traded his monster mask for a designer suit, serving as a producer for World Wrestling Entertainment.
Far from the frightening wrestler he once portrayed, fans got to see a softer side of Chris Park on the Netflix show, WWE Unreal. On one particular episode, a nervous Park could be seen frantically trying to guide a match home from the Gorilla position. Afterwards, he looked genuinely worried that he might receive an admonishment from Bruce Prichard.
We wouldn’t mind seeing Abyss deliver a Black Hole Slam to Brother Love on WWE TV someday.
SPOTLIGHT MATCH
What would Halloween be without an obligatory Halloween Havoc match? This one, from 1997, doesn’t serve up anything particularly macabre—but it gave us so much more. To this day, many consider this bout between Eddie Guerrero and Rey Mysterio to be an all-time great. Enjoy.
TERRITORIAL DISSINGS
Elvira? Sid Vicious? Say Less!
When I think of Halloween Havoc, I'm reminded of that issue of the Wrestler from 1991/2 with a cover pic of Barry Windham dressed as Sting- in the Horseman's clever ruse of attempting to get the belt off of Sting, and onto Sid Vicious. That angle got panned, but I loved it and loved the ensuing cover shot!
There have been so many good Halloween Havoc matches and main events over the years...Hogan vs Flair...Hogan vs Savage...Hogan vs Piper! Those matches may not have lived up to what was on paper, but they were all fun nonetheless. Like the rest of that 1991 Havoc- featuring good to great matches like Brian Pillman vs Richard (ahem, Ricky) Morton, Steve Austin vs Dustin Rhodes, Bobby Eaton vs Terrance (Terry) Taylor...and for something really spooky, Oz (Kevin Nash) vs Bill Kazmaier, in what may be one of the worst Halloween Havoc matches, ever!
While you're doling out the candy to the tricksters on the 31st- treat yourself to some Halloween Havoc, WCW style!