WWE NXT: Who will win championship gold in 2019?
Credit: WWE.com
NXT Tag Team Championship
With the exception of a brief reign by Moustache Mountainm thanks to a win at the UK Championship Tournament Special, the NXT Tag Team Titles were otherwise in the hands of The Undisputed Era for all of 2018. Whether the titles were being defended by Kyle O’Reilly, Bobby Fish, Roderick Strong, or Adam Cole, it was a successful shock to the system by Undisputed Era that helped them hold the titles almost all year. It’s an impressive feat when you consider the teams they had to contend with, but it’s unlikely they can keep this success going in the new year.
Street Profits
As much as the NXT fans love The Undisputed Era, it’s hard to articulate just how beloved Street Profits are. I had the chance to see them live at Dade City Armory on the local NXT circuit, and they were easily the most over act on the entire show. Despite coming close to the titles a few times in 2018, Street Profits never managed to make it happen.
They did however capture a different set of titles and became the Evolve Tag Team Champions back in October of 2018. They still hold those titles, but they’ll be looking for some gold back home in NXT in 2019. Fans can only hope Street Profits capture the titles even if just to witness the celebration as they “bring the swag like nobody can.”
War Raiders
Speaking of teams that were close to gold in 2018, War Raiders are definitely the prime example of that in NXT’s tag team division. After tearing through teams like The Mighty and Heavy Machinery, War Raiders have had their focus directly on The Undisputed Era for some time now. However, they had to take a violent detour from their championship pursuits.
At NXT TakeOver: WarGames II, the former ROH World Tag Team Champions and former two-time IWGP Tag Team Champions joined forces with Pete Dunne and Ricochet to take on all four members of The Undisputed Era. What followed was a chaotic and brutal car crash, but one that ended with War Raiders on the winning side. It was a huge moment, and puts them directly in line for a title shot in 2019.
#DIY
A lot of fans have a lot of strong opinions about this possibility, but I’m calling it now. After a tumultuous and emotionally traumatic year, Johnny Gargano has finally succumbed to his darker desires. While going up against Aleister Black inside of a Steel Cage, the appearance of Tommaso Ciampa caused Gargano to embrace the nostalgia.
It was just like old times, and #DIY suddenly collided into Aleister Black with their old tag team finisher Meeting in the Middle. The knee smash and superkick combo helped Gargano pick up the win over Black, and planted the seeds for a #DIY reunion in 2019. Just imagine NXT Champion Tommaso Ciampa and NXT North American Champion Johnny Gargano reuniting to simultaneously become double champions in 2019. Don’t pretend that thought doesn’t excite you.