NXT TakeOver: New York Match Predictions

The NXT stars return to the Barclays Center on April 5 for what looks to be another stellar TakeOver show on paper. But who will walk out victorious?

Plans change. Anyone who has followed the inner workings of WWE over the last few years knows that this company seldom holds true to its original ideas, at least on the main roster.

We see it all the time, whether it’s something as innocuous as advertising a match for RAW or SmackDown Live only for that match to not take place or something as seismic as swapping out wrestlers in main event championship bouts even though the match seemed set in stone a few months prior.

Part of the blame for this manic booking style lies at the feet of Vince McMahon changing his mind at a moments notice, but sometimes factors outside of McMahon’s control — such as injury or illness — forces the chairman’s hand, whether he’s prepared for them or not.

The company’s far more stable and organized brand, NXT, runs into these issues as well. Even though the developmental brand’s taping schedule makes laying out future storylines significantly easier, Triple H and his crew can also get blindsided by the unexpected.

But unlike the disheveled main roster, the NXT creative team knows how to make the best out of a bad situation. So while we won’t get the much-desired conclusion to the Johnny Gargano/Tommaso Ciampa story, the match that’s replacing it will be just as compelling.

The rest of the card is just as strong as Friday’s NXT TakeOver: New York event is sure to be one of the best show that fans see on WrestleMania weekend. But who will leave Brooklyn with big wins? I have some ideas as to what could happen.