'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
At NXT TakeOver: XXX, Karrion Kross faced his biggest challenge yet. Challenging for the NXT Championship, Kross had a hard time putting away the Limitless One, Keith Lee. However, after an incredible war between the two sluggers, Kross planted Lee with an avalanche Doomsday Saito for the win.
Unfortunately, Kross was injured early in the bout. Reportedly, he separated his shoulder and is looking to get an MRI this week. Hopefully, it's nothing too serious. We're looking to see what Karrion Kross can do as NXT Champion.
Several NXT Superstars could pose a serious threat to Kross if he's not injured. That's why we're looking at the top five prospects to take on Karrion Kross for his NXT Championship today.
#5 Tommaso Ciampa comes back for his NXT Championship
At NXT TakeOver: XXX, it was revealed that the Psycho Killer would be making his return to NXT on the next episode. Tommaso Ciampa hasn't been seen since Karrion Kross brutalized him at NXT TakeOver: In Your House.
What's the former NXT Champion have planned going forward? Hopefully, it's a rematch with Kross. Tommaso Ciampa is, if anything, incredibly crafty. We've seen him walk away from matches that seemed to be out of his reach, pulling out something last minute to pull out a win. Johnny Gargano, Aleister Black, Velveteen Dream and more struggled to tear Goldie away from Ciampa.
We all know just how obsessed Ciampa is with the NXT Championship. Now that Karrion Kross is holding it, Ciampa may have more motivation this time around. Post-Keith Lee, a return to Kross' first real feud in NXT is a great way to start his NXT Title run. Could we
#4 Bronson Reed looks to avenge his last loss on NXT TV
The Thicc Boi of NXT has really exploded in popularity as of late, hasn't he? Though he had an impressive showing in the Break Out Tournament in the summer of 2019, it took a while for Bronson Reed to really take off.
Now, though, partly thanks to his encounter with Karrion Kross back in June, fans have gotten behind the big man. Following that loss, Reed decided to shape up, refocus and get serious.
That's exactly what he did. In fact, aside from the ladder match for the NXT North American Championship, Bronson Reed has been on a roll. Since the match against Kross, Reed is 5-0 in singles action. That's definitely impressive, especially since he's faced the likes of Johnny Gargano, Damian Priest, Roderick Strong, and Tony Nese.
Bronson Reed was also a huge star in the NXT North American Championship Ladder Match, and had some star-making moments like the one below. Clearly, there are big plans for the Thicc Boi of NXT.
NXT is full of large men at this point, and the brand has become the prime location for Hoss Fights. With a reinvigorated Bronson Reed, we could get a serious slobber knocker between him and the newly-minted NXT Champion.
#3 Kevin Owens returns to NXT to make a statement
The Prizefighter genuinely loves NXT. Kevin Owens is all about wanting NXT to grow and flourish. KO has said this many times before, and even went as far as to say he would "jump at the chance" to go back to NXT.
We saw the former NXT Champion return to the brand at NXT TakeOver: WarGames 2019, when he joined Tommaso Ciampa, Dominik Dijakovic, and Keith Lee to wage war against the Undisputed Era. Owens has also showed his support for the brand, praising NXT Superstars heavily on social media.
Kevin Owens picked up a big win against Seth Rollins at WrestleMania 36, but since then has somewhat floundered. With nothing much for him to do on RAW, he's been relegated to host for the KO Show.
Now, with an apparent WWE Draft on the way in October, let's bring KO back to NXT. Kevin Owens, when pushed or motivated, is one of the best Superstars in WWE, and all of professional wrestling. Fans of Owens prior to his NXT debut saw what he was truly capable of in Ring of Honor.
As has been said throughout this article, Karrion Kross can only be beaten by someone who is willing to go as far as he has in the past, if not farther. Kevin Owens is that man. Owens has backstabbed close friends just to get ahead and capture whatever gold he wanted. He's someone that will be willing to do what must be done, and that's someone that Karrion Kross should be worried about.
#2 Adam Cole sets his sights on regaining the NXT Championship
It's a new day for Adam Cole, baybay! The Panama City Playboy seems to have turned a corner in his NXT career after taking down Pat McAfee "for the brand." Cole and McAfee put on one of the greatest wrestling matches for "outsiders" at NXT TakeOver: XXX, giving us yet another huge moment in the career of Cole.
With that taken care of, and the Undisputed Era still looking to take back over the Black an Gold brand once again, Adam Cole may need to face off against the horrifying Karrion Kross.
Considering the fact that Kross has absolutely demolished the majority of the competition that's come his way, including the giant Dominik Dijakovic, it's hard to believe that Cole could stand toe to toe with the NXT Champion. Still, wasn't that the whole crux behind his feud with McAfee? After all, their match sprang from a conflict on McAfee's podcast where the retired NFL punter went after Cole for his size.
Let's not forget the fact that Keith Lee, the man who took Kross to his limit, was also nearly beaten by Adam Cole back in July. Adam Cole claims that he's the best, not just in NXT, but in professional wrestling. If he truly is, maybe he has what it takes to topple Karrion Kross?
#1 The Demon King goes to war with Karrion Kross in NXT
It's been nearly a year and a half since we've seen the Demon King. After being demolished by "The Fiend" Bray Wyatt, Finn Balor returned to NXT, bringing back The Prince.
Since returning to NXT, Balor has been dead set on capturing gold. Over the course of the past eleven months, he's set his sights on the NXT Championship, the NXT North American Championship, and even WALTER's NXT UK Championship. Still, he's yet to accomplish that goal.
Balor is still picking up a hefty amount of victories on NXT. It's possible he may have even defeated WALTER had the COVID-19 pandemic not happened. He would've been in the NXT North American Championship bout at TakeOver: XXX if Timothy Thatcher hadn't interfered in his qualifying match.
If Karrion Kross is to truly reign over NXT like he and Scarlett have promised for the past several months, they're going to have to deal with the Prince. However, should Balor fail, where does he go from there?
If he can't reclaim his NXT Championship, what was this past year really for? Was it a waste of time? Balor would have a bit of a mental snap, leading to the return of the Demon King, something so malicious and other worldly that Karrion Kross would struggle to put away.
It's been over a year, and the WWE Universe definitely wants to see the Demon King Finn Balor return. What better opponent to do that against than the current NXT Champion?
