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We know that a lot of you were disappointed with RAW as a go-home show before the Royal Rumble pay-per-view, this weekend. The same is true of SmackDown Live, which did not really advance any storylines, heading into the event.
Now, it's Wednesday night and that means we're only days away from NXT Takeover: Philadelphia. The Takeover event will kickstart Royal Rumble weekend, and one can imagine just how important it is for the NXT brand. Will it be able to overshadow the Royal Rumble?
We do not have a crystal ball to answer that question, but we do have access to the WWE Network, and therefore we've reviewed the go-home show right before Takeover: Philadelphia comes around. We've identified 5 points that we felt we should discuss, ahead of the big show.
So strap on your seatbelts, and let's travel into the exciting world we know as NXT.
#5 An intense face-off
Percy Watson sat down with Ember Moon and Shayna Baszler ahead of their big clash at NXT Takeover: Philadelphia. The air was thick with tension, as the two women stared at one another. We expected blows to break out at any minute. Thankfully, they did not.
Why do we say 'thankfully', you rightfully ask?! We believe that any clash is far more special if the first blows are exchanged on the day of the big fight. This was a money segment in every sense of the word, and really got us intrigued, before this weekend's match.
Ember Moon said that she believed that Shayna Baszler was a bully, and Baszler reiterated that while she did not have a story of perseverance like Moon, she had worked just as hard to be in her destined spot. She ended the promo by saying the NXT Universe had to get used to her.
Goosebumps...
#4 And still your #1 contender for Philadelphia is...
It's easy to forget that Johnny Gargano wasn't even scheduled to be in the match to determine the #1 Contender's spot for the NXT Championship. He only made it as a replacement for The Velveteen Dream, who suffered an unfortunate injury.
Gargano went on to win the match and was challenged by The Velveteen Dream who staked his claim for this spot. The two men took each other on, with the Number 1 Contender's spot up for grabs. A critical error cost The Velveteen Dream his big spot!
The Velveteen Dream used his right hand instead of his left (which had a nagging injury) to deliver the Purple Rainmaker Elbow drop. The momentary hesitation allowed Gargano to pick up a really huge win.
Kudos to The Velveteen Dream again, for his mind games, showing up in a Johnny Wrestling t-shirt.
#3 Raising the title before time
Following his win, Johnny Gargano was confronted by Andrade 'Cien' Almas and Zelina Vega, in the ring. The two men went to blows immediately. After much back and forth, Johnny Wrestling picked up the advantage. Johnny Gargano then picked up the Championship and held it aloft, ahead of NXT Takeover: Philadelphia!
Generally, when someone looks strong in the go-home show, he/she loses at the eventual Takeover. Is Gargano destined to fail again? Will a figure from his past return to haunt him (you guys all know who we're talking about!)?
#2 Huge return next week
If you read last week's edition of '5 Points To Note', you must be aware of the fact that we absolutely loved the 'Who Are They?' behind-the-scenes look at TM61! We also couldn't wait to catch the sequel to last week's spectacular edition.
This one dealt expressly with Shane Thorne's crippling injury. There was a positive feel to the whole thing, about how they've come back stronger since the injury. NXT would then share some pretty good news.
Yes, TM61 returns to action next week. We cannot wait to see one of our favourite tag teams in NXT, mix it up once again!
#1 A pretty big victory
Everyone knows No Way Jose. The NXT Universe loves his entrance too. There's always been something missing in the man's push, however. He's never reached the heights that one would imagine would be worthy of his incredible talent.
This week, he took on the gigantic Cezar Bononi. With a pop-up punch, Jose even picked up a big win. We wonder if this is the beginning of big things for the guy.
The sky is the limit if NXT does decide to invest in No Way Jose. Much like Andrade 'Cien' Almas, we feel that he could be salvaged, and made into a real superstar, with the right booking.
We'll see you, in a few days, for live coverage and a lot of post-show features on NXT Takeover: Philadelphia.
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Bayley gives us a HUGE update on a top Superstar's upcoming return RIGHT HERE.
