Mystery individual helps Johnny Gargano win the North American championship

NXT’s Halloween Havoc special opened up with one of the two advertised Spin the Wheel, Make the Deal matches.

Damian Priest was the first out to defend his North American title against Johnny Gargano. He had a musician playing him to the ring, which worked for his theme music. Gargano responded by slicing the inflatable pumpkin sitting in the entrance. That bastard.

Halloween Havoc host Shotzi Blackheart spun the wheel, which landed on a Devil’s Playground match. This is basically a Falls Count Anywhere match, keeping it simple for the first Wheel match. (They also said it’s no count out and no DQ but what Falls Count Anywhere match doesn’t encompass both those?)

Their first foray outside happened during the picture in picture. It wasn’t until a bit later when it really made its way outside. Gargano hit a Sliced Bread to Priest on the ring steps. Damian responded by delivering a Falcon Arrow to the challenger onto the announce desk.

It was after that they really made their way away from the ring. They fought through the seasonal decorations into the backstage.

Gargano tossed the champ into the loading door and followed up by running a trash cart into him. The beating continued during the second picture in picture, with Johnny locking in the Gargano Escape using a crowbar. But Priest would fight back.

The Archer of Infamy chased his foe up the decorations until they landed near a second sinister wheel (Johnny’s sworn enemy) that was on top of the set. The challenger unloaded on the champ with a garbage can but once again, the champ fought back.

It looked like Damian was going to deliver his Reckoning for the finish when a person in a Scream mask attacked Priest with a pipe.

Johnny capitalized with a tornado DDT off the wheel. The mystery person handed Gargano a tombstone, which he crashed over the head of the champ, knocking him off the area they were fighting. The challenger followed behind and covered Priest for the 1-2-3.

A match that most figured would end with a Priest victory went the other way. Now we wonder who that masked individual was. Was it Indi Hartwell, who has been helping Candice LeRae? Someone involved in Pat McAfee’s group? Someone else entirely?

We’ll have to wait to see.

You can find the results to tonight’s episode at the live blog here.