I mentioned on Twitter this week that the only things interesting me on the way to Night of Champions were Cesaro’s encounter with Sheamus (which I wrote about last Sunday), Dolph Ziggler’s upcoming clash with The Miz (which I wrote about before SummerSlam) and Paige’s rivalry with AJ Lee.
But since I’ve already covered two of those topics here, and the other one is being completely ruined by the inclusion of Nikki and Brie Bella (also known as the most irritating storyline in WWE), I’m not feeling up to the task of discussing the current happenings in WWE today.
Instead, we’re going to move on down to what is intended to be a lesser breed within WWE, the NXT roster. That’s what it’s supposed to be, despite often times being more intriguing and entertaining than whatever Vince wants to shove down our throats. Plus, we don’t hear the phrase “for only $9.99” every ten seconds, and shouldn’t this Thursday either due to Takeover being aired exclusively on the WWE Network. But whatever, NXT IS WHERE THE ROOKIES WRESTLE. *winks*
So as I said, this Thursday Night, NXT will host its third special event this year, with the second instalment of NXT Takeover. And if you managed to catch the last two shows, you’ll know they were absolutely fantastic.
There’s something about NXT that perfectly captures the essence of what professional wrestling is about. The stories are always fitting in their own right, but at the end of the day, the most important thing is what happens between those ropes. Not wishing your twin had died in the womb and not boasting about being a success in Hollywood.
And on Thursday, we’re going to see just what the younger breed is capable of. Who knows? Maybe one of the many faces we see in Full Sail University will be on Raw or Smackdown within the coming weeks. Decide yourself whether that’s a good thing or not.
Since I do not currently possess a subscription to the WWE Network, I intend on catching all of the action this Friday afternoon, and I am pretty darn excited for it. So without further ado, let’s predict NXT Takeover!
Mojo Rawley vs. Bull Dempsey
I’ve been a big fan of Bull Dempsey ever since he debuted in NXT. He’s tougher than a $2 steak, he’s hard-hitting and he brands himself on being the last of a dying breed in this industry. It doesn’t quite help that he was once one of Adam Rose’s Rosebuds, but let’s step past that, shall we?
The guy models himself on tough men from wrestling’s history, from Steve Austin, to Terry Funk, to Tazz, who spent many years training with Dempsey and actually suggested that he wear a singlet just like his.
As he said in an interview on WWE’s website, Dempsey has one goal in mind, and that’s to bring brutality back to the company. And this Thursday he may be facing his first potential victim in the form of Mojo Rawley.
I’ve never really had a problem with Mojo. I get that he’s only there because he played football and WWE seems to think that equals in-ring athleticism, which it doesn’t, but he hasn’t bothered me yet. His ability both in and out of the ring leaves a lot to be desired, but that’s what NXT is for, right? Practice?
Yeah, he’ll probably be in main events as soon as he debuts on the main roster, and then I’ll be complaining, but I kind of like his energy. It reminds me of Ultimate Warrior, which is something we haven’t seen for some time. He’s not nearly as chaotic, but the whole “I stay hyped” thing is an intriguing trait for Mojo’s personality.
Unfortunately, he hasn’t had anything going for him since Rusev beat the living hell out of him at the last NXT Takeover. I know that doesn’t mean much as far as NXT goes, because there’s always going to be room to move up the ladder when bigger names are brought up, but it’s enough of a reason for me to rule out any chance of Rawley winning on Thursday.
This started out with Rawley and Dempsey making strangely compatible tag-team partners, but as we’ve learned over the last few months, Bull Dempsey does not play well with others, and will surely prove it this Thursday at NXT Takeover.
Winner: Bull Dempsey
Hair vs. Hair: Enzo Amore vs. Sylvester Lefort
Does anyone else love Colin Cassady and Enzo Amore? I can’t quite put my finger on it, but there’s something about them that I find great. Enzo has great speaking skills when he’s telling us about being a certified G and a bonafide stud, or how Big Cass is 7 feet tall (and you can’t teach that). They’re entertaining, and ever since Enzo Amore returned from injury a few months ago, I’ve really enjoyed seeing them work as a duo again.
I can see them working well on the main roster should they stay together, and since the tag-team division seems to be slipping through the cracks once again, I think they (and many other tag-teams in NXT) would be the perfect fresh faces to bring some flair back to the division.
Unfortunately I’m not quite up-to-date with Sylvester Lefort and Marcus Louis’ backgrounds, so I don’t know much about the guys aside from what we see on television (which is basically, they speak French and wrestle). But they have had a rivalry with Big Cass and Enzo for longer than I can remember.
In fact, this match will ultimately end in a man having his head shaved, due to the fact that Louis and Lefort messed with Enzo’s hair a couple of weeks ago on NXT. As you may be aware, Enzo Amore is always sporting a sweet (and different) hairstyle whenever we see him, so it’ll be interesting to see if he loses it all this Thursday.
As far as my prediction goes, I’ll have to go my gut instinct and pick Enzo for the win. He has already had some of his head shaved, but I think that’s enough of a reason for him to pick up some revenge at Takeover, by shaving the hair of Sylvester Lefort.
“Badda boom, realest guys in the room!”
Winner: Enzo Amore
NXT Tag-Team Championship: The Ascension (c) vs. Kalisto & Sin Cara
Konnor and Viktor have been on an absolute rampage ever since they joined forces to form The Ascension. They have decimated every team they’ve come across, and I believe they are the longest-reigning current champions in all of WWE, having won the titles early last year.
Kalisto has been an interesting man to watch for the last few months, initially teaming with El Local (who I assume we’re not supposed to mention anymore) and actually losing to The Ascension at the last NXT Takeover. But now that he’s found Sin Cara, he may be on his way to grasping his first championship within WWE.
I don’t like the idea of Sin Cara winning the NXT Tag-Team Titles with anyone, for the same reason that I don’t want to see Tyson Kidd win the NXT Championship. I think it’s stupid for an already established WWE Superstar to go backwards and try to gain success in the developmental territory.
Granted, Sin Cara’s initial run (as a different person) was unsuccessful to say the least, but I feel like he’s had his chance. That’s not to say he should give up, or even leave NXT, but like Tyson Kidd, I don’t mind him sticking around as long as he doesn’t take opportunities that should belong to other people.
This is kind of a tough one to call, considering it could be about time that Konnor and Viktor explode onto the main roster, because like Big Cass and Enzo amore, they’d truly bring something fresh to the division.
Then again, I always hoped it would go like it did for Paige, with The Ascension holding the titles from NXT and WWE, so they would have to be stripped of the NXT titles rather than lose to somebody. And since I don’t want Sin Cara to win the gold, I’ll have to go with that prediction.
Kalisto is going to be big in WWE, because WWE is infatuated with the idea that they always need at least one masked luchador to bring in the Mexican viewers. So expect him to achieve success in the future, but this Thursday belongs to The Ascension if you ask me.
Like I said, Konnor and Viktor have been on a path of destruction ever since they joined forces, and I’m sure it won’t be long until The Ascension rises up to the main WWE roster to deliver total utter annihilation.
Winners and still NXT Tag-Team Champions: The Ascension
NXT Women’s Championship: Charlotte (c) vs. Bayley
This is a really tough one to call. On one hand it could turn into a real Cinderella story with Bayley capturing the Women’s Championship, but on the other hand, I don’t think Charlotte has reached her full potential as the champion.
I think Charlotte is great, and I know I say this about pretty much every woman in NXT, but she could really take the Divas division by storm one day. Realistically, with Nikki Bella gearing up to rob fans of any hope for the division at Night of Champions, that’s probably never going to happen. But she can damn try!
These second-generation Divas are often the best as they have been raised differently than someone entering the industry for the first time in their late teens, or twenties. For example; Paige and Natalya are two of the best female wrestlers on the whole roster, and their parents were pivotal individuals in the wrestling industry.
So Charlotte should have no problem fitting in when it comes to making an impact on Raw. But with AJ Lee and Paige (some of the best wrestlers in WWE , including the men) even being edged further and further away from the Championship, maybe debuting now wouldn’t be such a good idea for Charlotte.
Bayley is one of the bubbliest personalities we’ve seen in WWE for quite some time. She’s fun, she’s actually good in the ring and she has proven over the last few weeks that when it comes to achieving her dreams, she can get serious when it’s necessary.
In fact, I think Bayley would be a perfect candidate to represent the women of NXT, but so is Charlotte so it’s such a tough decision to make. I know I wouldn’t want to be booking this match.
Since she’s only had the title since June, I think I’m going to stick with Charlotte here, but I would be happy if we saw Bayley win the title. Both women are fantastic talents, but this time, I think Ms. Flair has it in the bag.
Winner and still NXT Women’s Champion: Charlotte
NXT Championship: Adrian Neville (c) vs. Tyson Kidd vs. Tyler Breeze vs. Sami Zayn
And here we are. The one we’ve all been waiting for. To be honest, I’m surprised this didn’t happen sooner, but I’m happy it’s on a bigger stage like this. And quite frankly, it’s a very tough one to call. I think every man in this match has great ability, and I’d be happy with almost any outcome.
Adrian Neville has been one of my favourites to watch for the last year, putting on fantastic matches and inspiring awe every week with his Red Arrow, and living up to the name “the man that gravity forgot”.
In fact I think he’s been a great representative for the NXT roster as its Champion, due to his immense athleticism, experience and the argument that he is already one of the greatest high-flyers in wrestling history. Whether that talent will be recognized on Raw or Smackdown is another question, but he’s so good that he should have no problem getting over with the WWE Universe.
Despite my feelings about Tyson Kidd winning the main title in NXT, I feel like it’s as much of a possibility as Tyler Breeze or Sami Zayn winning it. Don’t get me wrong, he has tremendous ability, but I think a few main event title matches on NXT is enough before he either goes back up to the main roster or does something else in NXT.
Tyler Breeze is a phenomenal individual. His persona is great and he pulls it off unbelievably well, and better yet, he backs it up every night when he steps in the ring. The guy may not look tough, but based on recent months, I can guarantee that he is.
Personally I would say Breeze is the favourite to win, simply because he beat Zayn in May, and was screwed out of his championship match by Tyson Kidd. The guy deserves a one-on-one match, and I think the next time he gets one, he might just be the champion heading into it.
And last but not least, we have Sami Zayn. What can I say about this guy? He may just be my favourite wrestler in the world right now. He can talk, he’s a fantastic wrestler and he has the experience. He’s got the full package to make it in the WWE, and I think he’s going to be a major player in the years to come.
However, I’m not sure how I want to approach this. I want Zayn to debut on the main roster, but what’s the point if they don’t have anything for him? He could easily get straight into an Intercontinental Championship rivalry, but I’m not sure how it would work out for him.
If he’s not going to be brought up, soon, why not give him the NXT Title? It’s not like he hasn’t earned it. It’s hard to say, but I’m not sure he’s going to end up walking away from this with the gold. Whether he’s brought up soon or not, something tells me this isn’t his time, but I will be pleasantly surpised if it is.
I think I’m going to go with Tyler Breeze here. I will be sad to see Adrian Neville lose the NXT Championship, but that’s just the way it goes in the WWE. Tyler would be a much different champion for sure, but I think it would be interesting to see.
Whatever happens, I think each man is a great talent and could potentially make it big in the WWE, even Tyson Kidd, whose career has hit a rough patch to say the least. But still, there’s nothing shameful about competing on NXT, where I personally feel like the real wrestling takes place.
Winner and new NXT Champion: Tyler Breeze
That’ll do it, folks. I’ll do my best to have something written next week, but I start college tomorrow, so it’s really up in the air.
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Thanks for reading!
Self-Professed Conversational Wizard.
Admin, Editor and Writer for SLTD Wrestling.
Creator of 'Under the Spotlight'.
Studying Computing in Games Development.
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