WWE have officially announced that NXT Cruiserweight Champion Santos Escobar will battle Jake Atlas in a non-title bout at NXT Halloween Havoc.
The announcement comes after Escobar and Atlas have clashed in recent weeks on the black and gold brand with the latter seeming hesitant to act against Legado del Fantasma.
The enmity began when Jake Atlas became unintentionally involved in the WWE Cruiserweight Championship storyline between Escobar and Isiah ‘Swerve’ Scott on the October 14 edition of NXT.
Defeating Ashante Adonis in less than two minutes, Atlas was forced into action against the Mexican faction when the trio hit the ring post-match and beat on Adonis who had rescued ‘Swerve’ from an ambush at NXT TakeOver 31.
Aiding both Ashante and Scott in warding off the champion and his cohorts, though hesitantly, the six men clashed last week in an all-out tag team affair which saw Legado del Fantasma triumph after Atlas failed to save his partners from the deciding pinfall.
The reluctance Atlas has shown in recent weeks combined with the finale to last week’s 6-Man Tag Team Match has caused many to speculate over a possible heel turn and fourth addition to the already successful and poplar trio.
Also on tonight’s NXT Halloween Havoc which is still slated to go ahead after a recent COVID-19 scare at the WWE Capitol Wrestling Centre:
- Damien Priest vs. Johnny Gargano – NXT North American Championship Match: Spin The Wheel, Make A Deal
- Io Shirai vs. Candice LeRae – NXT Women’s Championship Match: Spin The Wheel, Make A Deal
- Cameron Grimes vs. Dexter Lumis – Haunted House of Terror Match
- Rhea Ripley vs. Raquel Gonzalez
- Santos Escobar vs. Jake Atlas
- Pat McAfee, Danny Burch and Oney Lorcan will answer the challenge of anyone in the locker room
- Wade Barrett and Vic Joseph Halloween Costume Contest