Report On Negative Backstage Reaction To WWE NXT Halloween Havoc Match

Of all the PLE's WWE has held in 2026, NXT Halloween Havoc this past weekend does not seem to be one that will be remembered fondly by most fans, or even some people within WWE. And the blame for that negative feeling appears to be going towards one match; Naraku vs. Shiloh Hill. On the latest "Wrestling Observer Radio," Dave Meltzer, himself a critic of the Naraku-Hill match, revealed that some people in WWE were so down on the match that they felt it cast a shadow over the rest of the PLE.

"I heard from some people there, and it was interesting their comments to me, because it was like their basic comment was 'Yeah, Naraku and Shiloh Hill ruined the entire show," Meltzer said.

The feud between Naraku and Hill began after the former cost the latter a chance to compete for the NXT North American Championship back in August. The rivalry would quickly devolve into being based around the use of mist, however, after Naraku used several different variants of mist to attack Hill in the weeks that followed. The mist would ultimately be the crux of their Halloween Havoc encounter, as the two would wind up spraying each other with orange mists while heading to the ring for their match.

This resulted in the most polarizing aspect of Halloween Havoc, as both Naraku and Hill would wind up having psychedelic trips, seen in segments that took place throughout the PLE. Eventually, the two would find themselves in the ring and regain their senses, resulting in a brief match that Hill would win after countering Naraku's mist attack with one of his own before hitting a neck breaker variation.

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit "Wrestling Observer Radio" and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription