WWE/NXT News: New matches added to NXT TakeOver: WarGames

What's the story?

Two huge matches were added to the NXT TakeOver: Houston card last night, including a main event that has brought about a name change for the event. The Velveteen Dream and Aleister Black will go one-on-one, but it was the three-team WarGames match that drew the most attention.

SAnitY, The Undisputed ERA, and the unlikely trio of The Authors of Pain and Roderick Strong will go to war in the first WarGames match in almost 20 years.

In case you didn't know...

Almost three months after the shocking conclusion of NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn, WWE's developmental roster is scheduled to return with another WWE Network live special. Originally called NXT TakeOver: Houston, the show was originally expected to be headlined by Adam Cole's NXT Championship challenge against Drew McIntyre.

Cole and The Undisputed ERA have instead found themselves in a feud with SAnitY, leaving NXT Champion McIntyre without an obvious opponent. The show is also going to see a new NXT Women's Champion is crowned, following Asuka's vacating of the title back in August.

The heart of the matter

Aleister Black and The Velveteen Dream have been feuding since August, with Dream frequently trying to coax a reaction out of the notoriously calm and collected Black. The Dutchman has begun to acknowledge Dream in recent weeks however, and the two are officially going to collide at NXT TakeOver: WarGames.

The eponymous match came about following a chaotic end to last night's NXT Tag Team Championship match. The Authors of Pain were looking to wrestle the championships back from SAnitY, only for Cole, Fish and O'Reilly to get involved instead.

This led to Roderick Strong making his way out, shockingly siding with The Authors of Pain rather than join his former ROH colleagues in The Undisputed ERA. William Regal subsequently announced that three trios will do battle in Houston in the first WarGames match since September 2000.

What's next?

NXT TakeOver: WarGames takes place on November 18 in Houston, Texas, and will air live on the WWE Network. Along with the two matches announced last night, Drew McIntyre will defend the NXT Championship against Andrade Almas.

Kairi Sane, Ember Moon, Nikki Cross and Peyton Royce will vie for the vacant NXT Women's Championship, and Johnny Gargano and Shawn Michaels will compete in an 'Ab Contest'.

Author's take

The return of WarGames is undoubtedly huge news, but many seem to forget that the match often devolved into a convoluted mess. The nine men involved this year are supremely talented however, and the main event of the November 18 show will be one to remember.