During the broadcasts of NXT Halloween Havoc on USA Network, wrestler Ilja Dragunov successfully retained the NXT Championship by defeating Carmelo Hayes in a one-on-one match.
This was the main event of the second night of WWE's Halloween special at the Performance Center. The two men wasted no time feeling each other out and launched into the match with punches and kicks that had them both on the mat within minutes.
The action even spilled to ringside, where the champion decided to deliver a brutal H Bomb to Carmelo on the announcers' table. After creating an opening for victory, Hayes was caught off guard by the return of Trick Williams, who had been attacked backstage several weeks ago. Dragunov took advantage of this and finished him off with a Torpedo Moscow, securing the three-count. The final moments of the episode saw Baron Corbin attacking Dragunov while Hayes was confronted by Williams in the ring.
In this way, Ilja Dragunov retains the NXT Championship in his second official defense. The Unbesiegbar celebrates 30 days since his title victory at NXT No Mercy 2023. Dragunov defeated Carmelo Hayes on the night of October 1st in California to win his first world-class title in the company.