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On NXT this week, Isaiah "Swerve" Scott defeated Bronson Reed for the NXT North American Championship. Swerve challenged Reed in the middle of the show, not giving The Colossal One much chance to prepare.
Swerve and Hit Row have been a big, well, hit with NXT fans since the group debuted. Swerve's currently on top with a major prize around his waist. The question is, who will be the first to challenge him?
There are several match-ups that are definitely TakeOver worthy right now. Swerve will surely have to defend against Bronson Reed at least once before he moves on. Knowing that, we'll keep Reed off this list. Let's get started. Which five NXT Superstars will challenge the leader of Hit Row?
#5 Former NXT North American Champion Leon Ruff
Swerve and Leon Ruff have a lot of history with one another. Ruff was actually the one that broke Swerve initially and brought this side out of him. Swerve blindsided Ruff repeatedly for months, and their feud gave NXT fans some fantastic matches.
Hit Row even debuted during their leader's last match with Ruff. There's a lot of chemistry, and still a lot of anger between the duo. Should Swerve manage to put Reed behind him, a rematch between himself and Ruff would be fantastic.
#4 NXT Cruiserweight Champion Kushida
Last week, NXT Cruiserweight Champion Kushida was attacked by Roderick Strong and Diamond Mine. It seems that Kushida will be losing the title to the Messiah of the Backbreaker in the near future. If that's the case, Kushida shouldn't be put on the backburner.
Instead, Kushida should move onto another title, namely the NXT North American Championship. The Time Splitter could very well be one of the most challenging opponents Isaiah "Swerve" Scott would find on the brand.
A master technician, Kushida is someone that's faced off against the best the roster has to offer. His most recent match-up with Kyle O'Reilly was one of the best matches of the year, and one that Kushida could've won on any other day. He's also impressed with his matches against Timothy Thatcher, WALTER, Johnny Gargano and more.
Of course, we could see Kushida and Swerve clash while both are champions. It would set up both men with a chance to become the latest NXT dual champion since Keith Lee. Either way, this would be a must-watch match worthy of the main event of any show.
#3 Timothy Thatcher
Toothless Timmy has yet to win any gold since joining NXT. He helped defend the tag titles with Matt Riddle, of course, but he wasn't an official champion. Heading into the Great American Bash, Timothy Thatcher will team up with Tommaso Ciampa to challenge for the NXT Tag Team Titles.
Another group that's looked at MSK and their gold has been Hit Row. No matter who walks out of the Great American Bash, they'll more than likely be targeted by Top Dollah and Asante "Thee" Adonis.
With Swerve holding the title already, this sets up for some interesting matches. Both Ciampa and Thatcher could want a piece of Swerve. It's the only title that Ciampa's yet to win, but more importantly, it would be the first singles title for Thatcher if he were to win it.
The Thatch-as-Thatch-Can instructor could be a tough opponent for Swerve, as he'd be able to keep the NXT North American Champion grounded. With a series of nasty submission holds, he'd cut the legs out from under Swerve, forcing the champion to change up his game or rely a bit more on Hit Row.
That in itself would set up for a tag title match should Thatcher and Ciampa emerge victorious next week.
#2 Former NXT UK Champion Pete Dunne
NXT's Bruiserweight is a stellar combatant, and one who has continued to prove that he's the best wrestler on the roster. Pete Dunne has been at the top of the card since returning to the brand back in 2020.
The former NXT UK Champion was involved in a fantastic feud with the Undisputed Era, former NXT Champion Finn Balor, Cruiserweight Champion Kushida, and the current top dog of the brand Karrion Kross. Though he's not won every feud in the past year, Dunne's proven himself to be a dangerous competitor.
If Dunne truly believed himself to be the best on the roster, he'd have to go after the North American Champion at some point. Pete Dunne would be a great challenger for Isaiah "Swerve" Scott, and someone not afraid to run through Hit Row on the way to the gold. Dunne's gone toe-to-toe with WALTER, of all people. Top Dollah would be just another day at the office.
#1 Whoever NXT's new top prospect is
Isaiah "Swerve" Scott made his NXT debut when he competed in the Breakout Tournament back in 2019. Two years later, he's now holding a title on the black and gold brand.
Today, NXT revealed that they'd be bringing the tournament back this year. Not only that, but the winner will get a shot at any championship of their choosing. Whether they want to go after the Cruiserweight Championship, Tag Team Championship, North American Championship or the NXT Championship, it's all fair game.
If that's the case, set up the winner, whoever it may be, up with a shot against Swerve. It would be great to bring the tournament full circle by having one of its top competitors defending against the new winner.
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