5 smart booking decisions for NXT Takeover: WarGames

NXT Takeover is WWE's most consistent event in terms of quality. While some editions were certainly better than others, not a single one has disappointed. Tonight should be no different, as NXT Takeover: WarGames comes live from the Toyota Center in Houston. Boasting three main event calibre matches and a strong undercard besides, it looks to be yet another good showing from the yellow brand.

To make the most out of the stacked card and to set NXT programming up for the coming year, the final TakeOver event of 2017 should end in the following ways.

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#1 Lars Sullivan's dominance continues

More of this should come.

It remains to be seen if NXT can transform Lars Sullivan, a man once called the new Brock Lesnar, into its own version of Braun Strowman, but surely a strong showing here will be required if the project is to be successful.

Kassius Ohno will certainly prove to be the monster's toughest challenge yet, but in the highest profile spot of his career, Sullivan should win the bout in fairly short order, say, around 7 minutes, to further cement him as NXT's top hoss.

#2 Black wins, but Dream shines

Both should be highlighted in this match.

This feud has been a smash hit and will go down as one of my top 10 of the year. The Velveteen Dream had a lot of doubters when he began, but his dispute with Aleister Black has highlighted just how good his character work is. The clash of polar opposites tonight in Houston has more than enough potential to steal the show.

It's probably still too soon to end Aleister Black's undefeated streak. The solitary, silent, and stoic Black seems like he'd be the ideal challenger to an arrogant Undisputed Era that's all set to rampage through NXT for the first half of 2018. A collision between him and Adam Cole for the NXT Championship screams a potential main event for Takeover: Brooklyn IV, and it's somewhere in that feud that his streak likely ends.

All the same, a strong showing from Velveteen Dream here is a must. He's got a great look, is charismatic with excellent character work, and is more than capable in the ring. With all these attributes at only 22 years old, he has more than enough potential to be a huge star for WWE in the long term. A showcase match here, where he brings Aleister Black closer to the edge of the cliff than anyone else before him, would be best for business.

Velveteen Dream also proves that NXT could really, really use a proper mid-card title.

#3 Nikki Cross or Peyton Royce to become NXT Women's Champion

One of the two in the back should be sent to the front of the division tonight.

Tonight, we'll see the first new NXT Women's Champion since April 1st, 2016. Whoever wins the title is going to have the tremendous shadow of Asuka looming over her, especially since she ended her reign unbeaten.

That's why it's very important that the next champion is as different from the Empress of Tomorrow as possible. In his classic The 48 Laws of Power, Robert Greene warns readers that what comes first will always seem greater, that if you find yourself succeeding someone who made a tremendous impact on the world, you have to differentiate yourself as much as possible or you'll be caught in your predecessor's shadow. You must slay that past at every opportunity, he warns. Does this sound familiar?

Kairi Sane will automatically be compared to Asuka simply because of their shared nationality, so it's important for her to be as different as possible. A win here would cement her place in the minds of fans that she's just the second, and therefore inferior, Asuka, the imitator, not the pioneer. That's a tremendous disservice to an immensely talented performer. The Pirate Princess' coronation is inevitable, but she's not ready for the throne yet. Takeover: New Orleans is the right time. A stint in the wilderness before that night is the best way to prepare her for her future responsibilities.

Similarly, an Ember Moon victory here would feel hollow, like she only won it because Asuka left, placing her in her rival's shadow as the inferior champion. Ember doesn't deserve that either. She's more than ready for the main roster, and SmackDown's women's division desperately needs a fresh face. It would be best if she's called up after tonight.

That leaves us with Peyton Royce and Nikki Cross. Either of them would be a very different champion than anything we've ever seen before.

Nikki Cross was Asuka's greatest threat besides Ember Moon, so she has that credibility behind her. Her character and matches would also be far different and very unpredictable. It would also add to Sanity's feud with the Undisputed Era, as the latter faction could potentially recruit numerous women to harass Nikki Cross, as seen recently with Taynara Conti. I'd certainly be interested in them attempting to corrupt the lovable Kairi Sane (and failing to do so, setting up a struggle to come with the future champion against their puppets).

Peyton Royce, in the meantime, would act as the perfect cowardly heel champion who, with the assistance of Billie Kay, keeps her title in undeserving fashion. It would be a straightforward path for Kairi Sane to chase into New Orleans and destiny on April 7th, 2018.

Either outcome would be more than satisfactory. Let's just hope it happens.

#4 Drew McIntyre retains

The champ should still be standing tall in Houston.

Zelina Vega has been the star of this feud and she'll certainly steal some of the spotlight in the match tonight. Yet unfortunately for her and her client, the likeliest outcome is for Drew McIntyre to retain. It would also be the right call.

Games of championship hot potato are a blissful rarity in NXT, as they usually devalue the title. It would be the case this time too. Furthermore, much as Andrade "Cien" Almas has improved and looked like a far bigger deal with the services of Vega, this feud feels more like a placeholder until an inevitable showdown between Drew McIntyre and Adam Cole (difficult as it is to suspend disbelief when seeing the two of them in the ring together). With the Undisputed Era set to dominate NXT, a title change here would detract from that long-term storyline.

Again, the success of Almas in recent months shows why NXT could use a true mid-card title. Seeing a program between him and Velveteen Dream down the line, and the interactions between Vega and the latter would be very entertaining.

#5 Roderick Strong turns heel, assists Undisputed Era for the win

It's time for a party of four.

The victory of the Undisputed Era in tonight's War Games match seems a near certainty, but to make the most of it, it should come through their true gift - guile.

Seeing the Undisputed Era in the ring with Sanity and the Authors of Pain, again, stretches suspension of disbelief. The physical mismatch is very apparent. Instead of defying this, the bookers at NXT should take advantage of it by having the Undisputed Era take out a smart insurance policy for this brutal match - in the form of Roderick Strong.

With seemingly little left to do in his babyface underdog incarnation, a heel turn has been teased for Strong, and even though he seemingly joined forces with the Authors of Pain, it's easy to set this up as having been a ruse all along. It would be smart, too.

This potential first of a future expanding roster for the Undisputed Era would cement their "shock to the NXT system" and make them into a much greater threat in the year to come. It could also potentially set up a rivalry between Adam Cole and Roderick Strong should he decide to come back to the light.

The Authors of Pain wouldn't be hurt by such a turn here, as Raw could really use their services right now. Meanwhile, Sanity would suddenly find itself outnumbered in the weeks to come.

Roderick Strong's assistance in the Undisputed Era's victory would help further to signal the dawn of a new age in NXT.

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