This Saturday is the fourth instalment of NXT Takeover: Brooklyn (4) and the marquee match was originally scheduled to be the NXT Champion Tommaso Ciampa defending against former champion Aleister Black and Ciampa’s former partner now bitter enemy Johnny Gargano.
But as this video from last week shows, Black was ‘attacked’ in the parking lot and thus unable to compete, giving us a one-on-one match between the former DIY team members for the NXT Championship.
The setup was the cover for Black’s legitimate injury that he sustained a few weeks ago, which required surgery. It is reminiscent of how Stone Cold Steve Austin was written off TV for a year back in 1999 when they had someone run down the Rattlesnake in the parking lot because Austin required rehab from several nagging injuries himself.
So with Black out of the picture, the championship match is now what is really the rubber match between Gargano and Ciampa for the title. And while no one is complaining about that, based on the previous two matches these two already have had, this has the makings of an additional player to be inserted at the last minute. Liam Hoofe from Sportskeeda speculates here on five potential replacements for the Dutch Destroyer.
The storyline with Austin’s injury took over a year to play out, with Rikishi revealing himself as the ‘assailant’ who ran the Rattlesnake over. In this instance, this is not only an opportunity for Black to rehab from his surgery but to give him time to repackage him for the main roster, most likely RAW.
Would it matter by then who attacked Aleister Black, thus depriving him of a chance to regain the ‘Devil on his Back’ as he calls the NXT Championship? Here are some suggestions on who could have attacked him:
Johnny Gargano
People may not like to hear it, but Gargano is the most likely suspect. He was the first one seen walking away from where Black was attacked as he passed by NXT General Manager William Regal. Gargano also stands to benefit the most; he has a better chance of accomplishing a long time goal of his, winning the NXT title, in a one on one match with Ciampa, whom he’s beaten before.
Johnny Wrestling already cost Aleister Black the title once, and he’s already been teetering on the dark side as of late. Why not go all the way and have Johnny Wrestling turn heel?
The Undisputed Era
The faction was seen driving away in a convertible just before Regal got to Black’s prone body, and sneak attacks are more fitting for the Era than someone like Gargano. Adam Cole himself has a tough title defence at Takeover: Brooklyn when he faces Ricochet, and odds are Cole is dropping the title to the newcomer.
It may be ridiculous to think that Cole could foresee himself possibly losing (in the storyline) but did they attack Black so the Era could insert their leader as a possible third man in the NXT Championship match?
Word is the Undisputed Era is getting moved to the main roster, but maybe that’s too soon. Perhaps there is one more program they could work on with Black after he returns before sending them on their way.
Lars Sullivan
Sullivan had a grueling match with Black at Takeover: Chicago, eating a last second black mass in falling to the then NXT champion. But if you go back and watch that match, Sullivan dominated Aleister like no other opponent before.
We have not seen the Leviathan since Chicago, so chances are he is being repackaged for an eventual main roster debut. I hope Sullivan goes to Smackdown; there is already a “Monster in the Bank” lurking on RAW and having two behemoths on one show might be too much. Smackdown currently lacks the big strong, intelligent monster type.
That being said, Sullivan attacking Black is an easy story to write as the tried and true getting revenge plot. But some sneak attack is surprisingly not something associated with Lars Sullivan; the guy will just take you out in full view of everybody when he wants to. So is there another “big man” who could have possibly done it?
Kassius Ohno
The ‘knockout artist’ and former Chris Hero’s time on NXT has had him stalled. Rumours circulated recently that he could be looking to hang up the boots in favour of a trainers shirt at the Performance Centre, but Ohno was back on NXT TV last week and looks as though he’s still hanging around a bit longer.
Might he be turning heel to feud with Black, just to give him something to do? If we’re to believe Gargano is edging closer to get in touch with his ‘dark side’, perhaps he recruited his friend Kassius to do a hit job on the former NXT champion….then conveniently insert him into the championship match, make it a Triple Threat,
From there, you can gang up on Ciampa and finally be rid of him..not to mention allowing Gargano to gain the title he has long coveted. Or just have Kassius run outside interference and cost Ciampa the title. Wouldn’t it be intriguing for NXT to have a ‘dark’ Gargano and Ohno partnership (reminds me of the current alliance between Dolph Ziggler and Drew McIntyre).
Bonus: new face or someone from the UK brand
There is also word of inserting someone into the Ciampa-Gargano match like the recently signed to NXT Matt Riddle, or Keith Lee. Perhaps even someone from the new NXT UK brand (Black previously competed as Tommy End in the UK wrestling scene).
It is highly likely that by the time Black returns, he’s returning on the RAW roster. But if they plan to keep Black around a bit longer, it would be interesting to see if WWE replicates what they did with that 1999 Austin storyline and reveal the man who attacked Aleister Black and where they go from there.
An average professional doing the 9-5 grind who really loves wrestling across all platforms. Here's hoping wrestlers finally get some basic workers rights in 2021.
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