#SLTDPredicts: NXT TakeOver – Vengeance Day (@callumowen98 | @MikeJC821 | @TheKantastic | @TomCallan16)

Hello everyone, we here at Team SLTD have got together for NXT Takeover: Vengeance Day which takes place this Sunday on the WWE Network from the Capitol Wrestling Center, we have five matches to dissect so let’s not waste any more time and get going with our first bout. 

Predicting today we have:
The Wrestling Brain: TWB
Mouthing Off: MO
Kantastic Wrestle Korner: KWK
War Talk: WT

Johnny Gargano (C) Vs Kushida
North American Championship

TWB: Johnny Gargano’s work as a heel has been extraordinary over the course of the last few months, his faction alongside wife Candice, Indi Hartwell, and Austin Theory have been improving week by week, and even though he was a beloved baby-face for the Black and Gold brand, he seems to suit the role of a heel even better.

It’s been great to see Kushida get featured more on NXT recently, for the majority of his time on the brand, we’d only see him sporadically, and it’s ridiculous to think that he’s been with the company for close to 2 years now and this is really his first proper feud. 

I think Kushida should win this one and become the North American Champion, Gargano is still a big name in NXT, with or without a title around his waist, whereas Kushida holding the championship would feel like a big deal and would ensure that he would remain a top star on the brand.
Winner (and new NXT North American Champion): Kushida

MO: There’s nothing left for Johnny Gargano to do in NXT.  That has been evident since his great feud with Adam Cole in 2019. The last two years Gargano has been just going through motions and not really living up to how good he is anymore. 

If he plans to stay in NXT forever his job is simple at this point, make everyone else look good. Kushida has been in NXT for two years and has needed a big win to solidify his place, this is that win, if Johnny won this match it would mean this feud was a waste of time because we get nothing out of Gargano keeping the belt. Gargano is great in any role but the right thing to do is to make Kushida not continue wasting time.
Winner (And New North American Champion): Kushida

KWK: Gargano as a heel during his third reign as North American Champ has been nothing short of amazing for the storied history of this rather newish title under the black and yellow brand. For years he was the babyface of NXT, but being the good guy was getting stale and a change was needed.

But Johnny Takeover wasn’t the only one who underwent a reinvention. After recovering from an injury, Kushida went through a brutal feud with Velveteen Dream and Tomasso Ciampa before being inserted into the North American title picture. When I say brutal, Kushida went from wrestling like a babyface to occasionally more like a heel, but still playing more of a face character.

Kushida is at that point where a singles title run can be envisioned and he and Gargano will have a stellar match at Takeover. They are most likely going to be the opening bout. However, I don’t get the sense that they want to take the title off Gargano yet; Dexter Lumis may be waiting in the wings and him having the belt would be way more interesting. I’m going to go with Gargano for now getting the win.
Winner (And Still North American Champion): Johnny Gargano

WT: This exchange could easily steal the show due to the superstar’s capabilities and ability to present a gripping story for the audience at home. Kushida’s NXT run has not been as explosive as imagined when he joined the black and gold brand, but this should be the catalyst for a bright future.

Logically Gargano should retain the title because of the recent exchanges of the title between Priest, Gargano, and Ruff- if NXT wants to bring stability and prestige to their mid-card title then Gargano needs to retain. Kushida looks to be a strong competitor to take the title away from Gargano but tonight will not be his night.
Winner (And Still North American Championship): Johnny Gargano

Dakota Kai and Raquel Gonzalez Vs Ember Moon and Shotzi Blackheart
Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic Women’s Final

TWB: Both Dusty Tag Team Classic finals, are really difficult to predict, in this one, you have Kai and Gonzalez who were my favourites as soon as this tournament was announced, and you have Moon and Blackheart, who feel like they’d be perfect winners but realistically in the long-term what is the benefit from them becoming the inaugural champions. 

It was confirmed on NXT this week that whoever wins this match will receive a future title shot for the Women’s Tag Team Championships, which is currently being held by Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler, on paper then you’d assume, the face team of Moon and Blackheart would make more sense, however, I think if you want to make that title match and this overall tournament mean something, you should have Kai and Gonzalez win and go onto to Wrestlemania to face Jax and Baszler and have them topple the champions and bring the Tag Titles to NXT and have them float between the three brands.
Winners: Dakota Kai and Raquel Gonzalez

MO: The finish of this match really comes down to who they want to challenge Io Shirai next, to me Raquel Gonzalez should be that person so for that reason I think Ember and Shotzi will win here, and go on to and hopefully beat Shayna and Nia. 

The Women’s tag titles should have been featured the most on NXT with the abundance of tag teams they have. They don’t like doing heel vs heel championship matches so if Raquel and Dakota did win this then they would have to challenge Naomi and Lana and as I said Raquel should be next to challenge Io.
Winners: Ember Moon & Shotzi Blackheart

KWK: The finals for the first-ever Women’s Dusty Cup look like a WarGames redux: Shotzi and Ember were on opposite sides facing the duo of Kai and Gonzalez last year, with Gonzalez getting the momentum by pinning NXT Women’s Champion Io Shirai in War Games.

Based on her doing that and subsequently putting down the equally powerful Rhea Ripley, Gonzalez seems primed to go for the Women’s title and I honestly believe she will do this year and become the next NXT Women’s Champion. But because Raquel seems destined for better things, I think Shotzi and Ember will win the finals, and it’s an acceptable 50/50 booking from the loss Shotzi’s team took at War Games.

Also, as with the men’s tournament, the winners get a shot at the WWE Women’s Tag Team titles, currently held by Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler, two heel competitors. Therefore, it’s a more natural progression for Shotzi and Ember, two women who have been beaten by Baszler in the past, to take her and Nia on; a small side story is that when Ember debuted on RAW, she was introduced by Nia Jax.
Winners: Shotzi Blackheart & Ember Moon

WT: The build towards this match has been thoroughly impressive and shows the talented women’s roster NXT has. Moon and Blackheart work well as a team but arguably to elevate their NXT careers (yes, I know Ember is a former NXT Women’s Champion) they are better alone.

Kai and Gonzalez seem like the closest thing we have got to a Women’s tag team in NXT and this plays a part in the result I am hoping for. Recently, it was announced that the winners of this matchup will gain a Women’s Tag Team Title opportunity in the future, this adds another motive for both teams to win.

I am going to go for Kai and Gonzalez due to the use NXT could get out of their win. Going on to face the Tag Team Champions could create possible storylines for this duo: the first being an Io Shirai interference costing the team the match. The second being they win the titles and move to the main roster, but Gonzalez never gets her match with Shirai and the Third is Kai costs them the match and Gonzalez goes into a feud with Shirai with Gonzalez winning the title.

Kai turns on Gonzalez and faces her at the SummerSlam Takeover and wins the title – all for it to build towards Dakota Kai vs a returning Teagan Nox for the women’s title. I know it is a stretch and multiple title changes but this win against Blackheart and Moon could plant the seeds for a possible split for the team.
Winners: Dakota Kai and Raquel Gonzalez

MSK Vs Grizzled Young Veterans
Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic Men’s Finals

TWB: In the other Tag finals match, we have two fairly new teams on the NXT brand taking each other, we have MSK (Wes Lee and Nash Carter) going up against Zack Gibson and James Drake aka The Grizzled Young Veterans (GYV)

GYV was in last year’s final of the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic but came up short to the duo of Pete Dunne and Matt Riddle, and I fully believe that if it wasn’t for the pandemic, GYV would’ve been regulars on the Black and Gold brand for the entirety of 2020. 

Lee and Carter have only been with WWE for a few months, but have been given an instant push towards the top of NXT tag team division. 

Looking at who is the NXT Tag Team Champions currently are (Danny Burch and Oney Lorcan) it’ll probably make more sense for the face team of Lee and Carter to win, and I think that’s what I’m going for, as for Gibson and Drake, they can feud with Undisputed Era, and then perhaps head back into the tag title picture once MSK have become champions. 
Winners: MSK

MO: This match is the most up in the air for me, if you go by the logic of the last match then MSK wins but since the winner isn’t going to a match overseen by Vince McMahon, that logic gets thrown out. GYV are in the finals for the second straight year and I just don’t see them losing it again. 

You can argue this would be a hell of a start for the MSK team of the badly named Nash Carter and Wes Lee (boy those names suck), but they got bright futures regardless of winning this tournament and GYV is ready now, also who doesn’t want to see GYV get the win here and face Danny Burch and Oney Lorcan?
Winners: Grizzled Young Veterans

KWK: This year’s Dusty Classic tournament on the men’s side is notable for the debut of the team known as MSK, consisting of Nash Carter and Wes Lee. For those of you unfamiliar with Impact Wrestling, they previously competed on that promotion as Zach Wentz and Desmond Xavier, part of a faction known as the Rascalz, along with Trey Michel.

With Trey going back to Impact after a short hiatus when the entire Rascalz team departed from the company, Dez and Wentz, now Lee and Carter, debuted on NXT during the Dusty Classic and made it to the finals. At the same time Grizzled Young Veterans, Zack Gibson, and James Drake, the first-ever NXT UK Tag Team Champions, have once again clinched their spot in the finals for the second year in a row.

It’s a tough one to call because both teams have unique yet similar styles and I wouldn’t be surprised if an hour is allocated for the match. Also, with the winners getting a title shot at Oney Lorcan and Danny Birch, the smart money would be on MSK as the fresh baby faces facing off against the villainous Pat McAfee running buddies.

But on the other hand, you could have Drake and Gibson finally pulling it off and taking on Lorcan and Birch, which I believe was previously done years back on NXT UK, so you could develop a program based on getting revenge for a prior loss that Lorcan and Birch sustained against GYV
Winners: Grizzled Young Veterans

WT: What an impact MSK has made on NXT’s tag division. They have impressed every fan and seem like a strong team to build a division around. Arguably, you could say the same about Grizzled Young Veterans and the idea of them going to win the cup and face Lorcan and Burch at the next Takeover excites me.

The story is already there with the NXT UK background for the teams and GYV have a motive in winning the Dusty Cup, this being their failure of winning against The Broserweights last year. MSK need to look strong in this exchange for them to maintain their form but GYV will overcome the new team with the NXT Tag Titles in their sights.
Winners: Grizzled Young Veterans

Io Shirai (C) Vs Mercedes Martinez Vs Toni Storm
NXT Women’s Championship 

TWB: It’s no secret that the NXT Women’s division is absolutely stacked with stars, and this match certainly proves that you have three of the best Women’s wrestlers not just in NXT but in the world fighting for the title. 

Io Shirai will enter as the champion, she has been the titleholder for 8 months, and yet it still doesn’t feel that she’s scratched the surface, and quite frankly I wouldn’t complain if she remains champion for another eight-months. 

Following a brief stint on Raw in the group Retribution, Mercedes Martinez would return to NXT immediately setting her sights on Io Shirai. It feels though that Mercedes could be in the position where she’ll be an NXT mainstay, so perhaps her time as champion will come later on. 

Much like the previously mentioned Grizzled Young Veterans, Toni Storm began to move across to NXT towards the start of 2020, but due to COVID, those plans were put on halt, however much like Mercedes when she would return to NXT she’d instantly put her name in the hat of contenders for Shirai. 

Both Storm and Martinez worked as a team in the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic, however, they were eliminated when Io would distract Martinez and cost them the opportunity to go further in the tournament. 

Personally, right now I don’t see any point in taking the title off Io, it still feels she’s got a lot more to give, and honestly, the person who should probably beat her is Raquel Gonzalez, who I’m assuming will be busy for a while with the Tag Team Titles.
Winner (And still NXT Women’s Champion): Io Shirai

MO: This match would be a lot less easy to call if the direction of this title didn’t seem so obvious. As I mentioned earlier, they are delaying the inevitable, Raquel Gonzalez needs to be the one to beat Io for this belt.

With that in mind, because that’s the only direction I see here, Toni and Mercedes seem to have been in the right place at the wrong time.  Both are tremendous talents good enough to beat Io, both should be champion at some point and I could see either won doing that in the future but not now.

Io is not the right champion for either of them to beat and this isn’t the right time for either of them. This should be a great match and both will have great performances but Io will retain.
Winner (And Still NXT Women’s Champion): Io Shirai

KWK: First off, thank goodness they got Martinez out of RAW and Retribution, she was going nowhere fast in that once-promising faction and it felt as though WWE moved her up to the main roster too soon anyways. Shirai hasn’t faced many challenges that looked threatening besides Ripley, who is most likely bound for the main roster.

I feel that the Toni Storm / Io Shirai dynamic was years in the making since it was Toni who beat Io in the finals of the Mae Young Classic some three years ago. But obviously, things have changed dramatically since then; both women have gone under massive changes and will not be playing respectfully to one another as before.

Martinez is a bit of a wild card in this mix, having been last seen on NXT as part of the Robert Stone Brand, so putting her back with the comedic duo of Stone and Aaliyah would have blunted some of Martinez’s momentum as this vicious heel coming for a championship she spent two decades working towards.

As I just mentioned, Raquel Gonzalez is likely the next challenger for Shirai’s title, so while this Triple Threat will be, I would say, “beautiful chaos” I still think Shirai will emerge victorious to continue her reign into the next Takeover closer to Wrestlemania season.
Winner (And Still NXT Women’s Champion): Io Shirai

WT: The reign of Io Shirai has been good given the circumstances and I believe she will retain the title in an excellent fast-paced matchup. Martinez will bring the powerhouse dynamic to this match and should work well with Shirai and Storms wrestling styles.

Martinez will eat the pin in this exchange because I believe she can afford to take it whereas Storm seems to be in NXT’s ‘bigger picture’ soon, so they need to protect her at all costs.
Winner (And Still NXT Women’s Championship): Io Shirai

Finn Balor (C) Vs Pete Dunne
NXT Championship

TWB: Balor’s title reign has felt a little bit disappointing for me, he beat Adam Cole for the vacant title five months ago and really has only feuded with Kyle O’Reilly and his opponent on Sunday night Pete Dunne since, I’m aware he was injured with broken jaw during that time, but him as champion hasn’t set the world on fire like it did back in 2015 and I believe it’s because he’s missing The Demon. 

The Demon Balor was a cool and unique extension to his character, and it made the matches he was in, have a big fight feel to it because he’d only do it for Takeovers. I highly doubt we’ll see the Demon character this Sunday but I really hope it’ll make its return soon. 

Pete Dunne was in the same position as the other group of wrestlers I’ve already mentioned, who were affected by the pandemic and the inability to travel. Last year he was the NXT Tag Team Champion alongside Matt Riddle, but due to COVID, we didn’t see the Bruiserweight until he came back in October and turned heel attacking Kyle O’Reilly and aligning himself with Pat McAfee, Danny Burch, and Oney Lorcan. 

This for me is the most predictable match on the card, I can’t see Finn losing at all, especially if rumours are to be believed that the NXT Title could be defended at Wrestlemania, then surely Balor, probably the most successful NXT Champion will enter the ‘Grandest Stage of Them All’ still with the belt around his waist.
Winner (And Still NXT Champion): Finn Balor

MO: Boy has this reign for Balor felt like a dud. That’s not Balor’s fault though, he shouldn’t be the champion anyway, it should be Karrion Kross.  With that in mind, I’ve hated Balor’s tweener-esque promos recently about forcing people to eat through a straw and all the cat analogies have just been bad. 

Then Pete Dunne who didn’t earn a title shot mind you, just claimed he deserved one because O’Reilly failed twice, let’s not forget who O’Reilly beat for opportunity number two, Pete Dunne. So this feud has meant nothing, the promos have sucked, and again that’s not either guy’s fault and both are great Balor is one of my favourite wrestlers and Dunne is just as good, but it’s obvious who the next champion is and his name is Karrion Kross.

This feud had meant nothing and that’s sad because it should feel more exciting and it doesn’t. If it was evident enough Balor retains.
Winner (And Still NXT Champion): Finn Balor

KWK: I’m not as astute in the professional wrestling scene in Europe, but as far as I know Balor and Dunne have never faced each other in any promotion. Balor was mostly wrestling in Japan while Dunne was doing the same in Europe.

Both men have storied title runs so are of experienced championship calibre. Finn was once the longest reigning NXT Champion before Adam Cole surpassed that record, while Dunne is (at this time) still the longest-reigning (WWE UK) champion in the modern era.

Balor’s two victories over Kyle O’Reilly were something out of that rough, British style wrestling which Dunne specializes in, so this should be something of a barnburner. I don’t think there has been much of a feud that’s developed with both men until recently, but even without a detailed storyline, the idea of Dunne and Balor beat the hell out of each other is a draw no matter the circumstances.

However, as Edge said recently, Balor is operating on a whole different level. I have no doubt Dunne would be in contention down the line later this year for the NXT title, but I’m not sure he’s going to take it off Balor this Sunday.
Winner (And Still NXT Champion): Finn Balor

WT: The hardest match to predict on the card as both superstars could easily walk away with the title. Dunne has been fantastic since returning last year and has ‘main- eventer’ written all over. Balor has been carrying NXT on his back and does not get the recognition he deserves in my opinion.

The exchanges with O’Reilly were a clinic for great storytelling and elevated both competitors. Dunne opens many possibilities for fresh matchups if he does become the King of NXT, but I believe these two won’t be finished after this matchup. Balor should pick up the win in a 20 minute plus matchup. These two in the ring is something fans (including myself) have been wanting for years so why not have it more than once?

Balor will pick up the win but should build towards another matchup with Dunne at Mania Takeover (if it happens) and could add O’Reilly or Cole if needed. That event will be where we see Dunne Crowned as the NXT Champion (hopefully) but for now, Balor will stay the Prince of NXT.
Winner (And Still NXT Champion): Finn Balor

So, there are Team SLTD’s NXT Takeover: Vengeance Day Predictions, nut what are yours? Let us know in the comments below or tweet us @SLTDWrestling.

Follow The Wrestling Brain: @callumowens98
Follow Mothing Off: @MikeJC821
Follow Kantasic Wrestle Korner: @TheKantastic
Follow War Talk: @TomCallan16

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