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Currently, Finn Balor is in his second reign as NXT Champion. After Karrion Kross had to vacate the title due to a shoulder injury, a Fatal Four-Way 60-minute Iron man Match was announced for the vacant championship that featured Adam Cole, Finn Balor, Johnny Gargano, and Tommaso Ciampa. The match ended in a tie between Cole and Balor, which resulted in a one-on-one bout, in which The Prince emerged victorious.
On this week's edition of NXT, General Manager William Regal announced that there was going to a Gauntlet Eliminator match to decide Finn Balor's first opponent for the NXT Championship. In the first-time-ever match, the Superstars of NXT will enter the ring every four minutes until there is one remaining. The performers will have to eliminate one another via pinfall or submission to be the last one standing.
At the moment, the NXT roster is stacked with talent. Kushida was the first star announced to be taking part in the battle to be the #1 contender for the NXT Championship. In this article, we present five more possible competitors who could be joining him in the NXT Gauntlet Eliminator match.
#5 Bronson Reed could be in the NXT Gauntlet Eliminator match
Bronson Reed has been one of the breakout stars in NXT over the last few months. The Australian Superstar has become a more prominent feature on The Black and Gold Brand during 2020, being involved in matches against top stars such as Karrion Kross.
Reed was pushed to the forefront in the build-up to NXT TakeOver: XXX. The Colossal One defeated prominent NXT Superstars -- Johnny Gargano and Roderick Strong -- to earn a spot in the ladder match that would determine the new NXT North American Champion. Damian Priest eventually won the match, but Reed was a standout in the battle and was involved in some huge moments.
Reed came close to winning multiple times but didn't quite manage the feat. However, he received praise for his performance at NXT TakeOver XXX. Bronson Reed has amazed fans with his unique move set lately, and it would be interesting to see him compete for a title shot again.
#4 Ridge Holland could be in the NXT Gauntlet Eliminator match
Ridge Holland is a fairly unseen face on NXT, having only appeared sporadically on the brand up until recently. Holland made his NXT debut in the summer of 2018, before appearing on NXT UK over a year later in a match against Oliver Carter. Holland later re-appeared on NXT this year to compete for a spot in the ladder match for the North American Championship.
Ridge Holland missed out on a spot in the NXT North American Championship ladder match, after eventual winner Damien Priest pinned Oney Lorcan in their qualifying bout. Holland has been praised by fans for his work in NXT in the build-up to TakeOver: XXX, although he hasn't had much television time since.
Bringing Ridge Holland in as a competitor in the Gauntlet Eliminator match would be a fantastic way to showcase the in-ring talent of the in-ring performer and further establish him and his unique character to the fans of NXT. It is currently uncertain when Holland will be making his NXT return, but it would be exciting to see him return to compete for the top championship on The Black and Gold Brand.
#3 Timothy Thatcher could be in the NXT Gauntlet Eliminator match
Timothy Thatcher is a relatively new addition to the NXT roster, making his first appearance on the Black and Gold Brand in April of this year. He replaced Pete Dunne as Matt Riddle's tag team partner while The Bruiserweight was on a break from NXT due to travel restrictions.
Despite only being on WWE TV for a few months, Thatcher has already caught the attention of fans. Thatcher caused The Broserweights to lose their NXT Tag Team Championship after he purposely left Matt Riddle mid-match. The star was also involved in Riddle's final match on NXT before his move to SmackDown.
Thatcher was also recently involved in a feud with Finn Balor in the build-up to NXT TakeOver: XXX, which ended in an intense battle between the pair at the pay-per-view event. The match between the two was highly praised by fans. There could be a possibility that Thatcher could appear in the match to re-ignite this rivalry.
If Timothy Thatcher was to be one of the names involved in the match, it would help to establish him as one of the biggest stars of NXT, and deservedly so.
#2 Johnny Gargano could be in the NXT Gauntlet Eliminator match
Johnny Gargano is one of the defining stars of The Black and Gold Brand, and is the first-ever NXT Triple Crown Champion, winning the NXT Championship, Tag Team Championship, and North American Championship. Gargano was one of four stars chosen to compete in the Iron man match for the NXT Championship after Karrion Kross was forced to relinquish the title due to injury.
Gargano, along with his wife Candice LeRae, has been a mainstay of NXT over the past few years. The former champion has been close to winning titles over the past few months, but has just missed out each time. He was praised by fans for his work in the recent ladder match for the vacant NXT North American Championship, which was eventually won by Damian Priest.
Since his turn on Tommaso Ciampa at NXT TakeOver: Portland, Gargano has developed into a much more villainous character. Before this turn, he was attacked by Finn Balor and The Undisputed Era. Since this, both Finn Balor and Johnny Gargano have altered, with Gargano transforming into someone rather sinister, where the then-heel Finn Balor is now slightly more of an ambiguous tweener. A championship rivalry between the two would have the potential to provide some great matches and solidify their current personas.
#1 Adam Cole could be in the NXT Gauntlet Eliminator match
Despite losing the NXT Championship to Keith Lee at TakeOver: In Your House, Adam Cole remains one of the biggest stars of The Black and Gold Brand. After Karrion Kross relinquished the title following a shoulder injury that he sustained in the very match where he became NXT Champion, Adam Cole was one of the four superstars involved in the Iron man match.
The match ended up in a draw between Cole and Finn Balor, who faced off again a week later, with Balor coming out on top. After Balor won, Cole showed his respect to the new champion, and the pair had a backstage moment where they did the "too sweet" gesture at one another, a reference to their stints in Bullet Club.
The short set of matches that Adam Cole and Finn Balor engaged in together recently on NXT has been met with praise by fans. The pair are very much two of the most defining stars of The Black and Gold Brand, and it would be great to see them face off one more time for the NXT Championship.
