5 Superstars who could make a surprise appearance at NXT TakeOver: Blackpool II before Worlds Collide

NXT UK TakeOver: Blackpool II is scheduled to take place on January 12, 2020. The first TakeOver of the year is filled with some top matches which will give fans some memorable moments at the top of the year.

The NXT UK Championship, NXT UK Women’s Championship, and the NXT UK Tag Team Championships will all be on the line during the event along with a couple of other matches.

However, just like last year, the chances of a Superstars from another brand appearing at the event remains high and has been hinted during an interview with Gary Cassidy, Tripel H revealed:

“Knowing that Worlds Collide is around the corner, I think anything could happen and I think this will be an exciting weekend because of that. Never say never, and anything could happen at this show.”

Keeping that in mind, we will look at the 5 Superstars who could make a surprise appearance during NXT UK TakeOver: Blackpool II to make the event more exciting.

#5 Finn Balor

Last year at TakeOver: Blackpool, fans were treated to a pleasant surprise in the form of one of the biggest and hottest Superstars in WWE.

Jordan Devlin was scheduled to take on Travis Banks during the event, but a backstage attack rendered him unable to compete.

While Devlin was sure that he wouldn’t have to fight anyone during the night, Finn Balor’s music hit and The Extraordinary Man shocked the entire WWE Universe by appearing and defeating Devlin at the event.

This year, Balor is part of the NXT roster unlike last year and could be looking to make an even grander impact on the rest of the NXT locker room.

With that in mind, we could witness Balor appear once again during a match involving Devlin and Tyler Bate. However, instead of attacking Devlin, the now-heel Balor could go after Bate and attack him in order to hand Devlin the victory.

This would fit perfectly with his new character and also give TakeOver: Blackpool some more viewership as Balor is a huge name in wrestling.

Bate is somewhat like a Johnny Gargano type character on NXT UK, and we could watch Balor and Bate get in a rivalry once he is done with Gargano.

#4 Drew McIntyre

McIntyre knows how to make a lasting impression

The Scottish Psychopath is one of the most destructive forces in all of WWE today. Appearing on the RAW brand, Drew McIntyre has ripped through his opponents but failed to get even a single major Championship opportunity.

The former NXT Champion is looking to make an impact and has his eyes firmly set on the Royal Rumble which could grant him a guaranteed title match at WrestleMania.

At Survivor Series 2019, we watched McIntyre Claymore Kick NXT United Kingdom Champion WALTER and eliminate him from a match.

Fans have been wanting to watch more of the two go against each other, and WWE could use that perfectly by allowing McIntyre to appear in Blackpool and attack WALTER during his NXT UK Championship match against Joe Coffey.

We’ve recently seen McIntyre tease a face turn, and the attack could help him turn face as WALTER is one of the most ruthless heels in WWE today.

Along with that, if McIntyre does go on to win the Rumble, it’d open up speculations that he might end up going after the NXT UK Champion rather than the WWE or Universal Champion, making all brands relevant at the same time.

#3-2 Bobby Fish & Kyle O'Reilly

Worlds Collide will feature a match between two huge factions

Speaking of top-quality talent, no brand in WWE can match the strength of the NXT UK tag team division.

At TakeOver: Blackpool II, the NXT UK Tag Team Championships will be on the line in a Fatal 4-Way Ladder match. Gallus will defend their titles against Grizzled Young Veterans, Imperium, and Mark Andrews & Flash Morgan-Webster.

While it’s nearly impossible to predict who the winner might be, a surprise attack may be on the cards as The Undisputed Era’s Bobby Fish & Kyle O'Reilly have a few things at stake during the match too.

The two Superstars are part of the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic which is hosting several other NXT and NXT UK teams to crown the best tag team in the division. Fish and O’Reilly will definitely want to win that tournament and prove once again that no other faction in WWE can match Undisputed Era.

Other than that, the gold standard Undisputed Era will take on NXT UK’s Imperium during Worlds Collide. Undisputed Era will not want Imperium to win the Championships prior to the clash as they will want to come out as the superior team from the start.

Fish and O’Reilly’s interference in this huge match cannot be ruled out!

#1 Rhea Ripley

Will Rhea Ripley try to make a statement before Worlds Collide?

The new NXT Women’s Champion is one mean machine that can take down anyone in her path. Just like Shayna Baszler, Rhea Ripley is a tough competitor to beat or even intimidate.

This week on NXT, Toni Storm walked out to lay down a challenge to the new NXT Women’s Champion for Worlds Collide. NXT UK Women’s Champion Kay Lee Ray was also not far behind in coming out and proving that she’s an excellent Champion herself.

With tensions rising between the women, and a match for Worlds Collide on the card, Rhea Ripley could make an appearance in Blackpool in some way or the other.

With that NXT UK Women’s Championship on the line at the event, we will watch Lee Ray defend her title against Storm and Piper Niven.

Ripley could simply come into the arena to distract the women during the match, allowing one of them to take advantage and win the match and the Championship.

This will be the perfect way to start the build-up to the Championship match at Worlds Collide where Ripley will likely meet Storm. It will also be the most effective and simplest way to get the fans to pop during the TakeOver event as Ripley started off competing in NXT UK.