With WWE NXT: TakeOver New York less than a month away, these are the matches that could fill out the pre-WrestleMania supercard.
Note: The author wrote this without independent of spoilers. If you read the spoilers, then this article isn’t for you. Or read it since you’re already here.
Uncertainty accurately describes the NXT creative team’s current direction as they continue to build to WWE NXT TakeOver: New York. While the last few weeks of television have built a solid foundation for developmental band’s annual pre-WrestleMania supercard, the writers have left plenty of room for speculation in regards to what should be another standout show.
Unfortunately, unforeseen circumstances have thrown some well-laid plans in flux. With current NXT Champion Tommaso Ciampa recently succumbing to a neck injury, his absence may not only affect the NXT Championship picture, but some of the other potential matches on the card as well.
As of Mar. 13, no matches have been announced for the big show but with the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic underway and an NXT Women’s Championship number one contender’s match set for this Wednesday, it won’t be long before the rest of the card takes shape.
Until then, we can surmise what Triple H and his band of writers plan to present the Barclays Center audience with on April 5 based on the previous months of storylines. Who could challenge Velveteen Dream for his NXT North American Championship? Which team will challenge the War Raiders for their NXT Tag Team Championships? Who could face Shayna Baszler for her title? What will the main event be? Well, let’s identify who could occupy those roles.
Dominik Dijakovic vs. Keith Lee – No DQ, No Countout Match
These two are scheduled to face one another on the March 20 episode of WWE NXT, but chances are that the writers will finagle their way out of delivering a clean finish for that contest, given that the first match between these two ended in a double count-out. But even if they choose to book a decisive conclusion to the rematch, would anyone object to seeing these two big, strong, uber-athletic men collide at TakeOver: New York?
If you, fine reader, have even the slightest reservations for such an encounter, I suggest you watch the embedded video above. If that three-minute clip doesn’t get you excited about the prospect of seeing two large men flip around like a couple of cruiserweights and batter each other with an assortment of power moves, then this match isn’t for you. The rest of us will be happy to feast our eyes on this one.
Dijakovic and Lee hypothetically opening TakeOver makes a lot of sense given their current position in the NXT pecking order. As it stands, both guys are well-protected midcarders who could possibly move into the NXT or North American Title picture once some of the more established acts move up to the main roster after WrestleMania, so a strong showing in Brooklyn — assuming the match happens — could lead to bigger things later in the year.
War Raiders (c) vs. The Forgotten Sons- NXT Tag Team Championship Match
Theoretically, the Forgotten Sons should be one of the more interesting acts in NXT. Their backstory, which basically alludes to them being displaced former members of the military who felt discarded by society once they returned home, gives them plenty of story branches to explore as frustrated heels and eventually as babyfaces (as long as the writers avoid infusing jingoistic overtones for cheap pops).
It’s the sort of gimmick that would concern plenty of fans if Vince McMahon and the main roster creative team were behind it, but the NXT crew has earned somewhat of a benefit of the doubt in regards to crafting a nuanced act that touches on a sensitive subject.
In practice, however, the trio of Jackson Ryker (formerly Gunner in TNA/Impact Wrestling), Steve Cutler, and Wesley Blake have been one of the most uninspiring factions in the entire promotion. The listlessness of this group becomes even more pronounced when you compare them to the far more entertaining Undisputed Era, but even on their own merits, the Forgotten Sons come across as generic guys that arrive, work their match, and go back to their abandoned warehouse to grumble about being forgotten.
In spite of all that, the writers have pushed them fairly hard and they seem like a clear favorite to win the Dusty Rhodes Classic and face the War Raiders for the NXT Tag Team Titles at TakeOver. It wouldn’t be the most exciting championship match, but Cutler and Blake — who was a former champion with the awesome Buddy Murphy a few years back — seem to have great chemistry as a team in the small sample that they’ve shown…and we all know how great Hanson and Rowe are. Hopefully, they can create something great on WrestleMania weekend, if they get the chance.
Velveteen Dream (c) vs. Matt Riddle- NXT North American Championship Match
The writers planted the seeds for a potential Matt Riddle/Velveteen Dream matchup on the Mar. 6 edition of WWE NXT when Riddle interrupted Dream mid-promo and voiced his intentions to challenge for the North American belt.
Dream, of course, balked at that notion in a way that only Dream could, but considering Riddle’s win-loss record since debuting for the promotion late last year, a title shot for “The King of Bros” is the logical progression for his character.
Obviously, these two could craft a stellar story, if that’s the route the writers choose to go for TakeOver. They could also choose to follow up on Dream’s ongoing issues with Adam Cole and/or Roderick Strong by placing one (or both) of them in a match with the North American Champion.
That would make more sense when factoring in that Dream is still early in his babyface run. The fans have enjoyed unabashedly cheering Dream over the last few months, so putting him opposite cemented heels like Cole and/or Strong — even though they often receive some ironic appreciation from the smart fans, but most of them usually play along and boo them against the right babyface — would allow the fans to give their unanimous support for the Washington D.C. native. Plus, Cole and/or Strong’s more traditional in-ring style probably meshes better with Dream’s skill set than Riddle’s strike and submission heavy arsenal.
But given Ciampa’s injuries, the writers may have bigger plans for Cole and Stong. If that’s the case, Riddle makes for a convenient and exciting backup plan.
Shayna Baszler (c) vs. Io Shirai- NXT Women’s Championship Match
Even though she failed to win the NXT Women’s Championship from Shayna Baszler at NXT TakeOver: Phoenix, Bianca Belair seemed like she was in good position to get another crack at the “Queen of Spades” at TakeOver: New York.
After all, the writers made sure to protect “The EST” by giving her a visual pinfall and mucking up the end of the match with interference by the champion’s henchwomen Jessamyn Duke and Marina Shafir to give Belair an out for losing. Between that and Sam Robert’s boneheaded remarks toward her earlier that evening, everything seemed set for Belair to work her way back into title contention to vanquish Baszler in Brooklyn. You know, a good babyface story.
Instead, we saw high-flying savant Io Shirai pin Baszler during a six-woman tag match alongside Belair and Kairi Sane against three of the MMA Four Horsewomen a week and a half later on NXT. This led to Belair complaining and campaigning for another title shot in a heelish manner — babyfaces don’t continue to say that they’re “UN-DE-FEA-TED” after they’ve lost no matter what mental gymnastics they use to justify their position — which then forced general manager William Regal to book a number one contenders match between Belair and Shirai for the March 13 NXT.
There’s a chance that the Belair/Shirai match ends in some sort of tie, which could lead to a triple threat match involving those two and Baszler. But NXT doesn’t book too many multi-person matches, so if they choose one, it will likely be “The Genius of the Sky”.
Johnny Gargano vs. Adam Cole vs. Aleister Black vs. Ricochet- Fatal 4 Way Match for the vacant NXT Championship
Before last week, it appeared as though the Tommaso Ciampa/Johnny Gargano saga would culminate in an NXT Championship match in Brooklyn. Then Ciampa underwent neck surgery, which not only upset plans for the two on the main roster but also creates a foggier direction for a TakeOver main event.
Of course, Ciampa will eventually abdicate the title once this batch of taping comes to a close, but will the writers have enough time to change the penciled in title match prior to TakeOver?
If they do, then don’t be surprised if they cook up a series of qualifying matches to set up some sort of multi-man match for the vacant title. Otherwise, they may have to scramble and name a handful of guys to compete for the gold. Either way, Gargano, Cole, Aleister Black and Ricochet make the most sense.
All four men are recent singles title holders, so the writers could easily use their recent on-screen success as the impetus for their respective spots in the match. This way, they could continue to forward the issues between Black, Ricochet and the Undisputed Era as well as the Gargano/Ciampa story (it’s no coincidence that these entities will have crossed paths in some way during the DRTTC).
The writers could keep the #D.I.Y stuff alive by putting the title on Gargano while implying that evil puppetmaster Ciampa is pulling the strings from afar. They could also pull the trigger on a long-anticipated Cole title reign and have him and his cohorts run roughshod as the top heels in NXT. Maybe they’ll put the belt back on Black or give Ricochet a run as the to protagonist — although their quasi-callups make that seem unlikely.
No matter what the writers choose to do, they’ll need to call an audible in the wake of Ciampa’s injury, and a multi-person title match on short notice seems like the sensible move.