It’s my favourite time of the year when I know I’m only a few days away from watching another NXT Takeover, this time around the “developmental” brand rolls back into Chicago. The same city that last year saw the Tyler Bate vs Pete Dunne classic and the shocking split of the beloved team DIY. Will we see another shock heel turn on this card? Will we see a match of the year contender? As I’m sure you know by now, I’m The Wrestling Brain and I’m the guru of predictions and I will give you my thoughts and most importantly my picks for NXT Takeover: Chicago.
Velveteen Dream vs Ricochet
This might be the match I’m most looking forward to on this card, as the “Future of Flight” Ricochet takes on the Velveteen Dream. For the past two months on NXT, both men have tried to one-up each other, whether it be Ricochet doing an insane flip over the ropes and landing on his feet or Dream costing him and Ricochet a victory over the monstrous Lars Sullivan. It’s no secret that Ricochet is an outstanding wrestler and his first singles match on a Takeover will be special, but Velveteen Dream is something else. At first, I was a bit against him but he’s come on leaps and bounds and the fact he’s 22 is mind-boggling. Both men were probably my MVP’s of the North American Championship Ladder match back at NXT Takeover: New Orleans and now seeing these two against each will be nothing short of phenomenal.
As for the result Ricochet should win, on paper, he has the most potential in NXT and after defeating Dream hopefully, he’ll either go after the NXT Champion or the North American Champion. Velveteen Dream can afford to lose as the reaction he gets from the crowd won’t change.
The Undisputed Era vs Oney Lorcan and Danny Burch (NXT Tag Team Championship Match)
At NXT Takeover: New Orleans, I rejoiced as Roderick Strong turned heel and aligned himself with The Undisputed Era, now this Saturday he teams up with Kyle O’Reily against Danny Burch and Oney Lorcan. Now I have a soft spot for Burch, probably because he’s British and I’ve always enjoyed Lorcan’s style of wrestling, so this could easily be the sleeper match of the night. Now sadly Adam Cole isn’t on the Takeover card which is heartbreaking for me and fellow Cole fans, but never fear Cole will almost certainly cause havoc in this match as manager of Strong and O’Reily.
My guess is Lorcan and Burch are merely opponents to fill up time for the War Raiders vs Undisputed Era match that will probably take place at the August Takeover in Brooklyn, so my prediction is Strong and Kyle will win in a back and forth match, but ultimately the extra man in Adam Cole will prove decisive, that isn’t just a guarantee, it is Undisputed!
Shayna Baszler vs Nikki Cross (NXT Women’s Championship Match)
When looking at this card, which is stacked, this is the weakest match on it and no discredit to Shayna or Nikki who are both solid in-ring workers, but this hasn’t gripped me in the same way that other matches have done. I think Cross not being included in Sanity’s call-up at first was a shame, but two months on from the shakeup and Sanity haven’t even debuted on Smackdown so in hindsight Cross remaining on NXT may be best for business. I must admit I skipped Baszler winning the title at NXT Takeover: New Orleans, just because I felt the result was predictable and I just wanted to get to the main event matches quicker.
I plan to watch this match as I’ll be tuning in live and my prediction is an easy one, Shayna Baszler retains.
Lars Sullivan vs Aleister Black (NXT Championship Match)
This is a match between the only two undefeated men in singles matches in NXT, as champion Aleister Black makes his first title defence against Lars Sullivan. Two weeks ago on NXT, Sullivan laid out his opponent with a Freak Of Nature after he countered Black Mass. Could it be the same result in Chicago? Aleister Black defeated Andrade “Cien” Almas at NXT Takeover: New Orleans to become NXT Champion whilst Sullivan fell short of winning the North American Championship in a ladder match. I wouldn’t mind seeing a title change here as I think a loss for Lars would hurt him more than a loss for Black would.
So that reason alone I’m picking Lars Sullivan to be the winner in Chicago and take home the NXT Championship
Johnny Gargano vs Tommasso Ciampa (Chicago Street Fight)
Just over a year ago in the same arena, Tommasso Ciampa brutally attacked and turned on his partner and his best friend Johnny Gargano, now they face off for the second Takeover in a row. This time in a street right where anything can and will happen. This feud has been outstanding and in my opinion the best in NXT history, but who will be able to come out on top? Will Gargano beat his nemesis for the 3rd time or will the despicable Ciampa beat Gargano to a bloody pulp, and the question I’m most interested in is what will Candice LeRae do? I think I have a shocking answer!
This is a huge long shot but I’m predicting that LeRae will turn on her husband and align herself with Ciampa, as in my opinion she’s been held back by being Gargano’s wife and she hasn’t been able to make an impression in NXT yet. As we saw a few weeks ago in NXT, Gargano fell back and knocked Candice out, and she now wants nothing to do with the match, so wrestling 101 dictates that a heel turn could be on its way and what a fantastic way for the show to go off the air with a dejected, beaten, bruised and bloody Gargano looking up at the ramp noticing he’s lost everything, not just the match but also his wife.
So there is my NXT Takeover: Chicago predictions, hope you all enjoy the show, follow SLTD Wrestling on Twitter and on Facebook and also follow me @callumowen98 on twitter as I plan to live tweet both Takeover and Sunday’s Money In The Bank PPV!
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