Photo: WWE.com
On Saturday, six of NXT’s brightest stars will make history as they vie for the WWE NXT North American Championship. Who will win?
A couple of weeks ago on NXT, General Manager William Regal announced that six of the developmental brand’s top wrestlers would compete in a ladder match for the newly minted WWE NXT North American Championship. While many could argue that NXT doesn’t need another title, there isn’t any doubt that the gorgeous belt will receive the creative backing needed to attain prestige in the eyes of the fans.
The competitors in the match certainly back up that hypothesis. The bookers chose six of the most well-protected acts in NXT to battle over the shiny new title. EC3, Lars Sullivan, Adam Cole (BAY BAY!), Killian Dain, Velveteen Dream, and the debuting Ricochet would all make fitting choices as the inaugural champion. Unfortunately, only one of them can win the coveted prize.
With NXT Takeover: New Orleans fast approaching, I wanted to look at this sextet of wrestlers and discuss why they could win and why they probably won’t. Given how well all six men have been positioned, who wins the title is anyone’s guess. I do know this, whoever walks out of the Smoothie King Center with the belt will put forth great matches and immediately enhance the aura of the championship.
Lars Sullivan
Earlier this year, I pegged Sullivan as one of 2018’s potential breakout stars. And for good reason; Sullivan has become one of the best homegrown talents in NXT. The NXT creative team has done an excellent job presenting Sullivan as a relentless monster. It’s almost as if the company snatched him out of a horror movie. He walks, talks, and wrestles like an antagonist from those scream flicks. They got everything right with him, all the way down to his entrance.
While he isn’t the best technical wrestler on the planet, Sullivan has had great showings against a variety of opponents. With his crude in-ring style and imposing aura, Sullivan would make for a compelling, monster heel champion. He could have a lengthy run as an unbeatable titleholder. That would help establish the title in its infancy; he could overpower challenger after challenger until a worthy contender eventually unseats him.
Of course, Sullivan’s booking could preclude him from winning the North American Title. Sullivan comes across like an old-school monster heel. He’s someone that bookers would historically use to get a potential top babyface over. I think most of the NXT brass see him in that same light: a strong upper mid-carder that can occasionally slot into the main event.
Sullivan doesn’t necessarily need the North American Title, but he wouldn’t be a bad first choice.
Killian Dain
Of all the reasons to like SAnitY (and there are plenty), Dain should rank at the top of the list. “The Beast of Belfast” is an outstanding worker who effortlessly blends his boorish brawling with unbelievable athletism. He has been one of the standout acts of SAnitY over the past year, a difficult feat considering he shares the spotlight with the always dependable Eric Young and the awesome Nikki Cross. Dain’s breakout 2017 has more than earned him a chance to carry some championship gold in 2018. But do the bookers see him as a viable champion?
Like Sullivan, NXT officials may see Dain as a roadblock for other top stars to overcome. I think he has a better chance of winning this than Sullivan, though, because of his versatility in the ring. He isn’t a jobber-to-the-stars, but he seems entrenched in the upper midcard. That, of course, isn’t a bad spot to be in, but it could mean that he gets overlooked for title consideration.
I see Dain and Sullivan doing something in the match that keeps both men from ascending the ladder and unhooking the North American Title. I expect Dain to deliver another memorable showing, but I think he will ultimately fall short in the end.
Ricochet
To say that Ricochet’s athleticism is “off the page” would be an insult because it’s something that can’t be described using basic verbs or cliches. Other than Will Ospreay and maybe SANADA, there are no other wrestlers that make the unbelievable look effortless like him. In the same arena where Anthony Davis regularly compiles jaw-dropping stats, I expect Ricochet to provide the fans with equally astounding aerial feats.
Obviously, this ladder match is Taylormade for one of the best high-flyers in the industry. Combine that with the fact that this will be Ricochet’s first WWE match, and the bout almost feels like a potential showcase for the company’s newest talent. If Ricochet fails to produce even one memorable flip or dive tonight, I would be surprised.
Like the other five guys, Ricochet would make a great North American Champion. However, I don’t see the company putting the North American Title on the 29-year-old in his introductory match. I could see the company holding off on giving him the belt for a few months, allowing him to chase whoever wins the title for a while. Considering the talent of the heels in this bout, that might be the right way to go.
Adam Cole (BAY BAY)
Let me be clear about one thing: Adam Cole is a superstar whether he wins this match or not. Cole possesses all of the necessary qualities to become a top guy. He speaks with a level of conviction and believability that few can match. He has an undeniable charisma. He is a tremendous worker. And of course, he has the photogenic look that WWE historically craves from its talent. Basically, Cole has everything he needs to succeed.
This ladder match will allow Cold to show off his slinky heel tendencies in the no-rules environment. However, he probably won’t win. For starters Cole has to wrestle in another match–he and Kyle O’Reilly (Future Shock reunion!!) will defend the NXT Tag Team Championships against The Authors of Pain and Roderick Strong and Pete Dunne in a triple threat match. Unless the bookers plan on turning Cole babyface, I don’t see him “overcoming the odds” to win the North American Title.
Also, Cole strikes me more as a main event guy, not someone who holds a secondary belt for months on end. That isn’t to say that Cole couldn’t pull it off, he absolutely could, but it just feels like he’s destined for bigger and better things.
Like Sullivan and Dain, Cole doesn’t need the North American Title. Yes, it would give his character something to bloviate about (especially if he and O’Reilly retain the tag titles). Yes, he could lend his considerable name value to the belt. But the North American Title might be better suited for the next two guys on this list.
The Velveteen Dream
Velveteen Dream might be one of my favorite acts in the company. He struggled to incorporate the Prince gimmick into his workrate early on but has since evolved into one of the brightest stars in NXT. Despite his status as a heel, Dream has earned the adulation of the fans thanks to stellar performances in the ring and his dedication to the character. As someone who is on the cusp on superstardom, winning the North American Title would cement Dream’s status as a top guy in NXT.
As North American Champ, Dream could regularly defend the gold (or silver) against babyfaces like Ricochet or Johnny Gargano. The Washington, D.C. native has shown his adaptability against wrestlers of all sizes and skill levels, an important trait for long-term champions.
For a wrestler that may never win the NXT title, Dream could become synonymous with the North American title in a good way, not in a “no one takes him or the title seriously” way like The Miz. The Dream could defend the belt in standout matches that boost the standing of the title and eventually make a star out of whoever beats him. He’s a near ideal fit for the title, but the next name on this list might have him beaten by a smidge.
EC3
Maybe it was his tremendous return promo. Maybe it was his roast session after last Wednesday’s show. Whatever it was, I am now convinced that EC3 is winning this match.
EC3 as the inaugural North American Champion almost seems like too perfect a fit. He already comes across as an arrogant, entitled, privileged heel with a punchable face. Winning the North Amercian Title (a title that EC3 wanted to be handed to him) would further embolden EC3’s cocky persona. Imagine the obnoxiousness that EC3 would emit if he became the North American Champion in his first match back in WWE. The promos would be equal parts hilarious and heat generating.
Like Velveteen Dream (and Cole and Lars), EC3 would be fantastic as the long-term North American Champion. His promos are gold, he’s pretty good in the ring, and he carries himself like a star. His opulent jerk gimmick would play well against almost all of the babyfaces in NXT, as most of them are presented as working class types. His character would be the perfect foil for the likes of Gargano and Kassius Ohno. Those two are established as talented wrestlers who have shrunk in big matches before. EC3 could have feuds with them that mirror his program with Matt Sydal in Impact Wrestling earlier this year.
Next: Nia Jax's Rocky Road To WrestleMania
If EC3 doesn’t win the strap tonight, it would be because the company has bigger plans for him in the immediate future. But with Cole and Velveteen Dream ahead of him in the pecking order, the North American Title might be the perfect starting point for EC3.