WWE NXT TakeOver XXV: It’s do or die time for The Street Profits

The Street Profits may not be able to bounce back from the next high profile loss they endure, which is why it is imperative that they reign supreme as the new NXT Tag Team Champions at WWE NXT TakeOver: XXV.

At WWE NXT TakeOver: XXV this Saturday, four teams will vie for the vacant NXT Tag Team Championship in a Ladder match, and The Street Profits have to be considered the best choice to come out on top with the titles in tow.

It’s been a long road to the tag team titles for Street Profits, who have been regulars on NXT TV since the summer of 2017. They wasted no time in getting over with the audience upon their debut and soon became one of the most entertaining acts in the entire tag team division.

The loud reactions Montez Ford and Angelo Dawkins receive almost every time they make an entrance have oddly never translated to an opportunity at the NXT Tag Team Championship until just recently.

Now, it’s do or die time for them to take the titles at TakeOver, because if they fail, all hope could be lost for them ever capturing the gold.

Several similarities can be drawn between The Street Profits and Enzo and Cass while they were with NXT.

A lot like The Street Profits, Enzo Amore and Big Cass were beloved fan favorites, yet never once held the NXT Tag Team Championship. They received several shots at the twin titles between 2015 and 2016, but fell short of victory whenever it mattered most.

Of course, their lack of accolades down in developmental didn’t make much of a difference seeing as how they were called up to the main roster anyway in April 2016, but that was at a time when the tag team scene was much stronger than it is now.

If The Street Profits were to be promoted to either Raw or SmackDown Live at any point in the near future, they could flounder the same way Heavy Machinery, SAnitY and AOP have lately.

NXT has crafted a fairly solid tag team scene over the past year or so. Despite losing Heavy Machinery and The Viking Raiders to the main roster in recent months, the black-and-gold brand still boasts the likes of Street Profits, Undisputed Era, The Forgotten Sons, Oney Lorcan and Danny Burch, and occasionally Fabian Aichner and Marcel Barthel.

Those first four teams will all be in contention for the championship on Saturday, and realistically, any one of them could prevail. Lorcan and Burch came close to clinching the titles in 2018, Forgotten Sons have been pushed aggressively in 2019, and Undisputed Era have been the standard bearers of the tag team division since their formation.

Street Profits, however, have been in chase mode the longest and need a big win eventually to order to maintain their credibility and popularity. There’s no better time for NXT to pull the trigger with them than on the grand stage of TakeOver: XXV.

Although Ford and Dawkins are always up for a good time, they can be serious when they want to be, as seen in their series of matches with Viking Raiders in April and May. Street Profits took the fight to the dominant duo more than anyone else had before, and looked fantastic in defeat both times.

Ford also proved with his promos that he just might be one of most talented talkers in NXT right now. They’re not give many chances to talk, but when they do, he knocks it out of the park with his intensity.

It would have been nice to see their story spotlighted a bit more on NXT TV heading into TakeOver, but the Performance Center YouTube channel (as seen below) has done an excellent job of making you want to see them finally get their moment at the event.

The only other outcome to this contest that would make sense is Kyle O’Reilly and Bobby Fish taking the titles home to Undisputed Era, especially if Adam Cole defeats Johnny Gargano for the NXT Championship later in the evening.

The entire faction could be draped in gold by the end of the summer (assuming Roderick Strong goes after the NXT North American Championship eventually).

It’s possible Street Profits continue feuding with O’Reilly and Fish through TakeOver: Toronto II and that’s where they capture the NXT Tag Team Championship, but by not doing it this Saturday, NXT would be failing to strike while the iron is hot with them.

It’s more important for Street Profits to fulfill their destiny of becoming the champs when the time is right than it is for them to have a lengthy reign (in other words, perhaps Undisputed Era can beat them for the belts as soon as TakeOver: Toronto II).

NXT is known for doing the right thing and not swerving fans for the sake of swerving them (a la the main roster). With that in mind, an NXT Tag Team title victory for Street Profits at TakeOver: XXV is only academic, and would no doubt result in a massive celebration from the fans in attendance and the Profits themselves.