5 Retired Pay-Per-Views WWE Brought Back For NXT

It goes without saying that there have been some good (and not so good) pay-per-view over the years in WWE, and in particular, NXT. Some will last a lifetime, but some only just make it past their inception.

Fans clamor for the return of their favorite pay-per-views of years gone by, and in recent times, WWE has been reviving some of those classic event names for its NXT brand.

More often than not, a pay-per-view name can really make an event stand head and shoulders above the rest of their monthly rival names, and that's not an exception for NXT either.

Whether you're a 'Great Balls of Fire' kind of guy, or a 'Taboo Tuesday' kind of gal, there will always be pay-per-view names that will cement themselves with fans, good or bad.

It is safe to say undoubtedly that the NXT brand delivers event after event, and it is no wonder the brand is given the green light to showcase these historical pay-per-view names as their own.

With that being said, let's take a look at 5 retired pay-per-view names that WWE brought back for the black-and-gold brand, NXT.

#5. Fatal 4-Way - The first retired pay-per-view name WWE brought back for NXT

Whether this one was intentional or not, it did happen. NXT's second-ever WWE Network special, 'TakeOver: Fatal 4-Way', took place in September 2014.

The event was main evented by an edge-of-your seat classic featuring NXT champion Adrian Neville as he defended the gold against Sami Zayn, Tyler Breeze and Tyson Kidd.

In front of a boisterous sold-out crowd at Full Sail University, fans also saw Charlotte Flair retain the NXT Women's Title against Bayley.

Four years prior to the event, WWE had their own standalone pay-per-view called 'Fatal 4-Way'.

WWE's goal was similar to that of gimmick pay-per-view's happening today, where a number of matches would take place using that particular match gimmick.

WWE's event featured three Fatal 4-Way matches, with the main event match seeing Sheamus capture the WWE Championship following interference by The Nexus. Remember those guys?

Despite receiving 143,00 pay-per-view buys, it wasn't enough to convince WWE management to continue the event the following year, and it was ultimately scrapped.

Revived by Triple H and his NXT team in 2014, again, the event only lasted one year as a TakeOver event, but it will certainly be remembered for being a catalyst for the NXT brand catapulting to new heights in the years to come.

#4. The Great American Bash

NXT Great American Bash two-night event from 2020

The Great American Bash - the name coined by WWE Hall of Famer 'The American Dream' Dusty Rhodes - has a long and illustrious history within professional wrestling.

Stemming all the way back to 1985, the inaugural event took place under the NWA (National Wrestling Alliance) banner.

The pay-per-view name went from NWA to WCW in 1991, and was then revived by WWE in 2004, after a four-year hiatus following WWE's purchase of WCW in the early 2000's.

Over the years, the event has seen classics such as Dusty Rhodes vs. Ric Flair for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship and John Cena vs. Bobby Lashley for the WWE Championship.

The pay-per-view name was revived for the NXT brand in July 2020 - around the July 4th celebrations - with a two-night special at Full Sail University.

The new NXT tradition will continue in 2021, with 'The Great American Bash' taking place at the Capitol Wrestling Center (WWE Performance Center), and will be a one-night only event.

#3. Vengeance Day

The first-ever 'Vengeance' pay-per-view in WWE took place immediately following the end of the infamous Invasion Angle, which took over WWE television for most of 2001.

The first-ever 'Vengeance' event was also synonymous with the night that Chris Jericho won the WCW and WWE Championship on the same night, beating The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin, respectively.

The pay-per-view name became a SmackDown brand exclusive event for one year in 2003, and then became a Raw brand exclusive event for the following three years.

The name was shelved in 2007, to be revived for one night in 2011.

It was revealed that a pay-per-view special was to be added to the 2021 NXT calendar, to be broadcast on February 14th.

Many speculated it could be the return of the 'St. Valentine's Day Massacre', which was a WWE pay-per-view that took place on Valentine's Day in 1999. It was ultimately revealed to be the return of Vengeance.

Whether this event will continue to be on the NXT annual calendar is yet to be known.

#2. Halloween Havoc

Another pay-per-view event with a long and illustrious history within professional wrestling is the trick-or-treat event, 'Halloween Havoc'.

It was originally under the NWA/WCW banner, with the inaugural event taking place in 1989.

It featured 'The Nature Boy' Ric Flair and Sting teaming up to take on The Great Muta and Terry Funk in a Thunderdome Match, with Bruno Sammartino as special guest referee (what a match!).

The pay-per-view name was a highlight of the WCW calendar from 1991 to 2000, with the event taking residency at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas every October, between 1996 and 2000.

On the 20-year anniversary since its last scare, 'Halloween Havoc' was revived by NXT, and broadcast on the 28th October 2020 from the WWE Performance Center.

The event itself featured some ghouly themed matches such as the Haunted House of Terror match, and a Tables, Ladders and Scares match.

It is likely the event will become a permanent spooky fixture on the annual NXT calendar due to its popularity.

#1. In Your House

Karrion Kross with Scarlett after retaining the NXT Title at NXT TakeOver: In Your House

The 'In Your House' event initially became part of the WWE pay-per-view calendar in 1995, when WWE was competing with Ted Turner's World Championship Wrestling.

The 'In Your House' pay-per-view events were offerings outside of major pay-per-view events such as WrestleMania, and were two hours long, before becoming three hours long in 1997.

The pay-per-view name always came with some interesting taglines throughout its initial run, including taglines such as 'Beware of Dog' and 'Revenge of the 'Taker'.

After tragedy struck at the Over The Edge: In Your House event in 1998, WWE stopped the In Your House title altogether after the St Valentine's Day Massacre: In Your House in February 1999.

On the 25th year anniversary since its first event, the pay-per-view name was revived by NXT, and was revived again the following year in 2021, with it now becoming an annual fixture in the NXT calendar moving forward.

The event even came with its old set returning, which prompted many to give praise to WWE for giving it an old school feel.

Edited by Rohit Mishra