It’s Wrestlemania weekend and it all kicks off this Friday with NXT Takeover: New York and with the card announced it could be the best Takeover, easily passing Mania itself and I predict the longest Takeover.
This will be the last NXT pay-per-view for a number of these wrestlers before they get the main roster call up.
The predictions will be laid out as I think the card begins and ends.
WWE UK Championship – Pete Dunne (c) vs Walter
The moment Walter was confirmed to be coming to WWE’s UK brand and making his appearance at NXT UK Takeover: Blackpool it was pretty much certain the Austrian was the next champion.
This is a perfect way to begin the show as this will get fans hyped for the rest of the night and plant the flag to the other wrestlers to say “beat this.”
Dunne’s near two-year reign has been special and a great representative of the UK scene and deserves to move to either Raw or Smackdown and Walter will be the monster heel that’ll carry the UK brand forward.
Prediction – Walter Wins Becoming New WWE UK Champion
NXT Tag Team Championship – War Raiders (c) vs Aleister Black & Ricochet
The conclusion for this match is a bit disappointing as the recent main roster call ups for both Black and Ricochet and they’re competing for the SmackDown Tag titles at Wrestlemania.
However, winning the 2019 Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic which earned them the chance to go against the champs will be a great swansong for the talented call ups.
Plus, this will be a great win under War Raiders’ belt as they can dominate the NXT Tag Team division.
Prediction – War Raiders Win Retaining NXT Tag Titles
NXT North American Championship – Velveteen Dream (c) vs Matt Riddle
This could easily argue to steal the show and the whole weekend and be the most talked about match on social media.
It’s just a shame I’ve got to pick a winner because I don’t want either man to lose, but this the business. The upside is this will a spectacular preview to whenever these two lock up again in a future Wrestlemania.
I’m picking Riddle to win on the bases Dream will be the focus post Takeover becoming the top heel on the brand and going for the NXT title. Unless Riddle is getting a post mania call-up (which seems unlikely) and to continue his momentum he shouldn’t be losing his first title match.
Prediction – Matt Riddle Wins Becoming New NXT North American Champion
NXT Women’s Championship – Shayna Baszler (c) vs Io Shirai vs Kairi Sane vs Bianca Belair
Baszler’s reign has been dominate and has been a fantastic heel, probably one of the best in the company, and her swansong will hopefully be brilliant.
By the looks of the promo image, the match could be a ladder match. If so, it only adds to the excitement and being a fatal four way you have to think Baszler’s fellow horsewomen Marina Shafir and Jessamyn Duke will get involved.
This bout is about two women, Shirai and Belair as they’ll be the focus of the women’s division as I believe this will be Sane’s final NXT match before the main roster call-up.
Both Shirai and Belair would be fantastic champions, but the boost to Bianca would be incredible as she’s the future of WWE’s women’s wrestling.
Prediction – Bianca Belair Wins Becoming New NXT Women’s Champion
NXT Championship – Johnny Gargano vs Adam Cole (2 Out Of 3 Falls)
Due to Tommaso Ciampa’s unfortunate neck injury, we won’t be getting the concussion of the best storyline WWE has told in a very long time, but in Adam Cole, (baybay!) Gargano has a challenging hurdle to finally getting his hands on the NXT title.
This again should be a cracking match as Johnny Takeover comes alive during these shows as he’s been in the main event five of the previous six Takeover’s and I think you’d have to be a cold-hearted person to think he won’t finally succeed.
I can easily see this match alone go for nearly an hour or slightly over and it’ll be all down to the last fall as you know it’ll be 1-1. Cole’s Undisputed Era stablemates will be involved, which will make the story and Johnny Wrestling getting the gold even better.
As the running theme of this show, it’ll also be a final appearance from Cole and co as a move to Raw or Smackdown is on the horizon.
Additionally, once Ciampa is fit, it’s going to be one final match as we’ll see if Gargano is the true champion and didn’t win the belt because his former DIY partner wasn’t around.
Prediction – Johnny Gargano Wins Becoming New NXT Champion
The Bear Cave 