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Naraku made a stunning return on the Aug. 18 episode of WWE NXT, inserting himself into a crucial No. 1 Contender’s Match and changing the Heatwave card in dramatic fashion. With championship opportunities hanging in the balance, one unexpected appearance proved to be the difference between victory and heartbreak. The shocking comeback didn’t just derail Shiloh Hill’s momentum — it also reshaped multiple title matches for Heatwave. In true wrestling fashion, Naraku’s return came out of nowhere, proving that in NXT, you should always expect the unexpected. Naraku’s surprise attack sends Jackson Drake to Heatwave Shiloh Hill faced Jackson Drake in a high-stakes match where the winner would challenge Myles Borne for the NXT North American Championship at Heatwave. Before the bout, Borne revealed that NXT General Manager Robert Stone had approved the stipulation, giving Hill a golden opportunity if he could secure the win. The match quickly became chaotic as Vanity Project members Brad Baylor and Myka Lockwood attempted to interfere. After the referee ejected Drake’s allies from ringside, it appeared Hill had finally leveled the playing field. However, the tide turned after Drake accidentally collided with the referee. In that brief opening, Naraku emerged from underneath the ring and sprayed poison mist into Hill’s eyes. Blinded by the attack, Hill had no answer as Drake connected with a 450 Splash to earn the pinfall victory and become the new No. 1 contender for the NXT North American Championship. The result also activated an additional Heatwave stipulation. Along with defending the North American Championship against Drake, Myles Borne and Tavion Heights must now put the NXT Tag Team Championships on the line against Vanity Project’s Brad Baylor and Ricky Smokes. Following the match, Naraku made his intentions clear by warning the NXT locker room that he has returned to create chaos and set his sights on the NXT Championship. His comeback instantly adds another dangerous player to the title picture, and after misting Hill’s dreams away, the black cloud hanging over NXT just became much harder to ignore. Read More: WWE NXT Sets Weaponized Steel Cage Match After Bitter Feud