Pete Dunne returns to WWE NXT at Halloween Havoc

Pete Dunne made his return to NXT at Halloween Havoc tonight and aligned with Pat McAfee, Oney Lorcan, and Danny Burch.

Dunne appeared on tonight’s show and initially seemed like he was going to help Kyle O’Reilly even the odds against McAfee, Lorcan, and Burch. Dunne came out with two steel chairs and gave one to O’Reilly. McAfee, Lorcan, and Burch then started to back off. When O’Reilly dropped his chair, Dunne turned against O’Reilly and hit him with a chair.

Dunne, Lorcan, and Burch then beat down O’Reilly as McAfee watched on.

For the first time since losing to Adam Cole at NXT TakeOver XXX, McAfee returned to NXT television last week and helped Lorcan & Burch win the NXT Tag Team titles from Breezango. McAfee cut a promo at Halloween Havoc tonight explaining how he was the person who hired Ridge Holland to attack Cole at TakeOver 31. When Holland got injured, McAfee reached out to Lorcan & Burch. Lorcan & Burch originally declined McAfee’s offer before changing their minds when they lost a number one contender’s match to Undisputed Era’s Roderick Strong & Bobby Fish.

Strong & Fish were supposed to challenge Breezango for the NXT Tag Team titles last week, but there were angles on last week’s show where Fish and Strong were attacked backstage. With none of his Undisputed Era stablemates available to team with, O’Reilly told NXT general manager William Regal to give the title shot to Lorcan & Burch.

Tonight was Dunne’s first in-person appearance on NXT since March. When he was last seen on NXT TV, Dunne held the NXT Tag Team titles with Matt Riddle. Riddle teamed with Timothy Thatcher as his temporary partner due to Dunne being unable to travel to the United States because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Dunne appeared on NXT UK following its relaunch last month, including teaming with Ilja Dragunov to defeat WALTER & Alexander Wolfe two weeks ago.