Hello, it’s me one half of TWB’s @callumowen98, and I am here with my NXT Takeover: Portland predictions. This will be the first Takeover show to take place on a Sunday night, and the first in a while that is a stand-alone PPV without a Raw or Smackdown PPV taking place during the same weekend. We have a great card to talk about so let’s not waste any more time and start with our first match.
Tegan Nox Vs Dakota Kai – Street Fight
If given enough time then this match between the two former best friends now enemies will be a barn burner. Dakota Kai attacked and turn heel on Nox during the WarGames match in November writing the Welsh wrestler off TV for over 2 months. Tegan would make a return in the Women’s Battle Royal Match on the 15th January but would end up being eliminated by her rival. On the 29th January episode, Nox would beat Kai with help from Candice LeRae, and the use of a knee brace, however this time around the two will meet in a street fight and I hope it’ll be a brutal affair that’ll put both names in the running for future NXT Women’s Championship title opportunities.
I think Kai needs the win more, her heel run has been decent, but she needs some wins under her belt to build momentum.
Winner – Dakota Kai
Broserweights Vs Undisputed Era (Kyle O’Reilly and Bobby Fish)
NXT Tag Team Championship Match
The pairing of Matt Riddle and Pete Dunne has seen some of the most entertaining segments on NXT in a while, the how much Fish could Bobby Fish fry if Bobby Fish could fry fish and the whole trip to Portland videos has gotten the challengers even more over, and it’s given Dunne more of a character.
Riddle and Dunne formed as a Tag Team last month in the Dusty Cup and would end up victorious with wins against Andrews and Webster, Imperium and Grizzled Young Veterans.
Fish and O’Reilly have been one of the best NXT Tag Team Champions we’ve seen on the Black and Gold brand, they’ve had countless great matches, and along with their fellow UE stablemates, they’ve been stalwarts for close to 3 years on the NXT roster
However, I think at the end of this Takeover, Undisputed Era will be no longer draped in gold so therefore my prediction is that the Broserweights become the new Tag Team Champions.
Winners (and new champions) – Broserweights
Finn Balor Vs Johnny Gargano
This will be the match of the night, Finn Balor and Johnny Gargano are two of the best wrestlers in the world right now, and seeing them clash against each other this Sunday is something a few years ago that could’ve been considered as a dream match. Balor has seen a career resurgence since returning to NXT and turning heel, he’s no longer the smiling Fonz wearing jacket face that he portrayed on Raw. Gargano became one of NXT’s top babyface almost as soon as Balor moved to Raw, so this is a match not just between two current rivals but also two of the biggest stars in NXT history.
I think Balor wins this one, he’s one of the top heels on the roster, and if Tommaso Ciampa becomes the new NXT Champion he’ll need readymade opponents straight away and a Balor Vs Ciampa feud is definitely something that’ll be worth watching.
Winner – Finn Balor
Keith Lee Vs Dominick Dijakovic
NXT North American Championship Match
The whole series of matches between Keith Lee and Dominick Dijakovic have revolutionised what big men can do inside the ring, they’ve had numerous classics in the past and this match on Sunday night will be yet another memorable one. Lee became an overnight star thanks to his performance at Survivor Series and his momentum has continued on from there, he defeated Roderick Strong on the 22nd January to become the new North American Champion.
Dijakovic defeated Damian Priest and Killian Dain in recent weeks, to become the number one contender for Lee’s title, and much like his opponent on Sunday he’s had great moments and matches in the last past few months.
I expect this match to be no different from there previous encounters, and it’ll get the crowd on their feet. I anticipate Lee will retain, he’s only held the championship for little under a month and it would be very surprising if he’d drop it so soon after just winning it.
Winner (and still champion) – Keith Lee
Rhea Ripley Vs Bianca Belair
NXT Women’s Championship Match
This match on paper seems very predictable, the expected route is that Ripley retains and then will take on Charlotte Flair at Wrestlemania. However, I am going to predict a DQ finish.
Bianca Belair had a great showing in last month’s Royal Rumble, lasting over 30 minutes and going on to eliminate 8 other competitors before being eliminated by the eventual winner Charlotte Flair, she’s already well known by the non-NXT fanbase because of that performance alone. So on Sunday night, I wouldn’t be shocked if Charlotte interferes and causes a DQ finish, and then she announces that she’ll be facing the NXT Women’s Champion Ripley at Wrestlemania.
Belair frustrated that her opportunity was taken away from her, gets a shot against Flair on an upcoming episode of NXT, where if she wins then the Mania match becomes a Triple Threat between still champion Ripley against Flair and Belair. Bianca defeats Charlotte and the triple threat is set.
No matter what happens at Wrestlemania, WWE has a great chance in making two new stars in Rhea Ripley and Bianca Belair and I believe a DQ finish this Sunday is the only way to give themselves that opportunity.
Winner – Rhea Ripley (via/ DQ finish after interference from Charlotte Flair)
Adam Cole Vs Tommaso Ciampa
NXT Championship Match
The whole story of Ciampa returning wanting Goldie back has been perfect, the vignette on Wednesday night’s episode with him looking back on the last year from having to vacate the title, to having neck surgery, to then being able to come back was one of the best segments NXT have produced in a while, and despite me being a Adam Cole fan, I’m rooting for Ciampa on Sunday night to reclaim the title that he never lost.
Adam Cole has been a fantastic champion over the past 8 months, he’s had countless great matches against the likes of Gargano, Pete Dunne and Matt Riddle, then being the flag bearer of the brand when NXT invaded Raw and Smackdown, saw him defeat Daniel Bryan in what in my opinion was the best non-NXT TV match of the year in WWE.
I’m expecting Cole to lose the title on Sunday, and we potentially head down the route of Undisputed Era joining Raw and them being booked as faces against the heel quartet of Seth Rollins, Murphy, Akam and Rezar as a big 8 man tag match at Wrestlemania.
Therefore my guess is Ciampa becomes the new NXT Champion and gets back the title he never lost, and he can either feud with Finn Balor or we can do Johnny Gargano Vs, Tommaso Ciampa, once again.
Winner (and new champion) – Tommaso Ciampa
I hope you all enjoy the show, I will be live-tweeting throughout so follow me @callumowen98, remember to follow @sltdwrestling for more great content. I’ll be back again in time for the Granddaddy Of Them All Wrestlemania
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