WWE NXT TakeOver: New York Match Card Predictions Version 2.0

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.