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NXT TakeOver: In Your House was one of the best events from WWE so far this year. The NXT Championship match took the cake, as it included five of the top wrestlers in the industry today.
Karrion Kross put his title on the line against Kyle O’Reilly, Pete Dunne, Adam Cole, and Johnny Gargano. All four of Kross’s challengers were phenomenal throughout the contest, and each one of them outwrestled him on many occasions.
While The Herald of Doomsday spent nearly half of the match on the outside, his opponents were busy tearing the house down inside the ring. But in the end, Kross gained the upper hand over O'Reilly and made him pass out to the Kross Jacket to retain his title.
Now that this star-studded match is over, the NXT creative team will be looking to book new challengers for the dominant champion. Kross has already overcome Finn Balor twice, and he towill march ahead and aim to prove that no one can defeat him.
However, there are at least five superstars who deserve to get solo matches against Kross for the title. Here's a look at the five potential challengers for Karrion Kross’s NXT Championship.
#5 Kyle O’Reilly could demand another shot at Karrion Kross and his NXT Championship
All five men were extremely impressive during the Fatal 5-Way match at NXT TakeOver: In Your House. But Kyle O’Reilly was the shining star during the contest, and he once again proved that he deserves to be a main eventer.
O’Reilly gave Finn Balor a run for his money when the two men competed in a couple of matches for the NXT title. He then went on to defeat his long-time friend Adam Cole in one of the best matches in NXT history.
At TakeOver, KOR delivered some of the best moves and spots to make the match more memorable. He was on the verge of making Cole tap out before Kross choked him out instead.
O’Reilly never tapped out, and he nearly defeated Kross with a knee to the back of the head moments earlier. With that in mind, O’Reilly could demand one final shot at the NXT Championship. He could come out to confront the champion as early as this Tuesday.
A singles match between Kross and KOR could turn out to be gold because both men have completely different fighting styles. Like Balor, KOR could take Kross to the limit before the champion ultimately puts him down.
Many fans and NXT Superstars have endorsed KOR as a main eventer, and the brand could look to keep him in that role for some time before he is finally allowed to win singles gold in WWE.
#4 Pete Dunne could demand a one-on-one match with Karrion Kross for the NXT Championship
NXT TakeOver: in Your House was a great event. One of the men stood out the most during the show was none other than former NXT UK Champion Pete Dunne.
Dunne has always been a top performer for NXT. Even though he has lost a few matches recently, he was red-hot during the contest on Sunday night. Dunne looked comfortable working against Karrion Kross at a time when other heels seemed to be afraid of him.
The Bruiserweight even managed to hit The Bitter End on Kross and almost pinned him for the victory. During the match, Dunne also escaped the Kross Jacket and snapped Kross’s fingers to punish him.
While The Bruiserweight did not win the NXT title at TakeOver, he was the one who arguably came the closest to ending Kross’s dominant reign. With that in mind, WWE could look to give him another shot at the title.
The British Superstar could confront Kross and remind the champion that he nearly pinned him on Sunday. From there, he could demand a one-on-one match against the NXT Champion. Dunne is extremely physical in the ring, so he could have a great showdown against Kross on a big stage.
#3 Ridge Holland could return to target Karrion Kross and his NXT Championship
Ridge Holland was shelved after he went down with up a freak injury on WWE NXT in October 2020. Since then, the NXT Superstar has been counting the days until his return. It has been over seven months now, and Holland could make a comeback to the ring at some point soon.
Karrion Kross is a large individual who relies on his temper and size to overwhelem his opponent. Holland uses a similar game plan, and he could turn out to be a handful for the NXT Champion.
WWE could look to bring Holland back soon, and Pat McAfee could act as his manager. With such a good mouthpiece by his side, Holland could look to target the NXT Champion right away.
This pairing would allow NXT to book some big heavyweight matches and give Kross a chance to show another side of his game. Fans could end up watching the two men go at it a few times without Kross losing his title.
A major feud could help put Holland on the map right away once he returns from his injury. At the same time, this potential rivalry could give Kross a worthy opponent who would enable him to showcase his diverse skill set.
#2 Tommaso Ciampa could look to take back the NXT Championship from Karrion Kross
Former NXT Champion Tommaso Ciampa has been working alongside Timothy Thatcher for some time now. Once bitter enemies, Ciampa and Thatcher have found common ground, and they are working well together as a tag team.
Ciampa and Thatcher are currently engaged in a bitter rivalry against The Grizzled Young Veterans. But many fans still remember how, last year, The Blackheart lost to Karrion Kross at TakeOver: In Your House via technical knockout.
This defeat must still be playing on the former NXT Champion’s mind, as he has always worked hard to settle scores in WWE. With that in mind, Ciampa could step up and challenge Kross for the title he never lost.
With Thatcher by his side, Ciampa could stand a better chance of defeating The Herald of Doomsday this time around. Ciampa has also been working out and putting on a lot of muscle recently.
NXT has worked hard to protect Kross by giving him an impressive run thus far. Meanwhile, Ciampa’s recent physical transformation could help him realistically defeat Kross without damaging his credibility. For these reasons, The Blackheart could turn out to be a great opponent for Kross.
#1 Samoa Joe could return to challenge Karrion Kross for the NXT Championship
Samoa Joe was once the most dominant champion in WWE NXT. Joe was the man who dethroned Finn Balor as the NXT Champion after The Prince had a long reign during his first stint on the brand.
Joe was released by the company earlier this year, but recent reports have hinted toward his return to NXT.
"UPDATE: In an update on this story, officials in NXT have confirmed that Samoa Joe was briefly at the WWE Performance Center this week. We were not told why he was there. We did get confirmation there have been pitches within NXT to use Samoa Joe, however."
The Samoan Submission Machine could be returning for a backstage role in NXT. He could also take over as the General Manager of the black-and-gold brand. But there's also a chance that Joe will return to the ring and go on another dominant run.
With that in mind, Joe could come back to NXT and immediately challenge Karrion Kross for the title. The former WWE United States Champion could be the perfect contender to dethrone The Herald of Doomsday without denting his status as a legitimate star.
Joe’s return could add a lot of star power to NXT, and many fans would like to see the former RAW broadcaster reestablish himself as a force to be reckoned with. By defeating Kross, he would do just that.
Who do you want to see challenge Karrion Kross for the NXT Championship? Let us know in the comments below.
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