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NXT TakeOver: 31 was announced just a few weeks ago, and WWE has pulled out all the stops to build some big rivalries and top Championship matches for the event in a short span of time.
At least four titles will be defended by the WWE Superstars this Sunday with the NXT Champion, NXT Women's Champion, NXT Cruiserweight Champion, and NXT North American Champion putting their titles on the line. This will keep the fans interested in the matches, as some of the top WWE Superstars will be in action.
Finn Balor will defend his title against Kyle O'Reilly, while NXT Women's Champion Io Shirai will face off against Candice LeRae. Damian Priest will go head to head with Johnny Gargano, who will be looking to bag his second NXT North American Championship reign.
Isaiah "Swerve" Scott will challenge Santos Escobar for the NXT Cruiserweight Championship at the event, while KUSHIDA will take on The Velveteen Dream in singles action.
The Black & Gold could end up adding one or two matches to the event in the coming days, with Rhea Ripley vs. Raquel Gonzalez looking like a likely addition.
In this article, we will look at the five things that must happen at NXT TakeOver: 31 on October 4th.
#5 KUSHIDA picks up a victory over The Velveteen Dream at NXT TakeOver: 31
After Velveteen Dream attacked KUSHIDA on an episode of WWE NXT, the Japanese Superstar hasn't been the same. We've seen KUSHIDA's overall character take a major turn, and it seems like he is more aggressive and focused now.
After returning, KUSHIDA attacked Dream and almost ripped his arm off. KUSHIDA has since displayed his newfound aggressiveness and the new character seems to be suiting him. The two men will now meet in a singles match at NXT TakeOver: 31.
NXT seem to be getting big on KUSHIDA, and this could be his chance to rise up the roster once again. He hasn't had many top matches since his NXT UK Championship match.
At NXT TakeOver: 31, KUSHIDA should defeat Dream, and then beat him down to make a statement. This will allow KUSHIDA to score a victory over a former NXT North American Champion and possibly get in the picture for a shot at the Cruiserweight Championship match in the weeks to come.
#4 Santos Escobar beats Isaiah “Swerve” Scott with the help of Legado Del Fantasma at NXT TakeOver: 31
Isaiah “Swerve” Scott will have the opportunity to win his first title in WWE when he faces Santos Escobar at NXT TakeOver: 31 for the Cruiserweight Championship. Both men are equally talented, and while Escobar is playing a great heel character, Scott is on the rise as a babyface.
We’ve seen this story develop well over the past few months, with Scott teaming up with Breezango to take on Legado Del Fantasma in a winning effort. Even though he lost in his previous match against Escobar, he will have his hopes high heading into this match.
While Scott is well-deserving of a title run in the company, Escobar must keep his title at NXT TakeOver: 31. Escobar is doing well as the leader of a heel faction, and he needs the title around his waist to come across as a threat.
NXT can then look to build a top babyface in the cruiserweight division who can come in as an underdog and takedown Escobar and his faction. Someone like Jake Atlas, Drake Maverick, or KUSHIDA could do that exceptionally well in the months to come.
#3 Io Shirai retains the Women’s Championship at NXT TakeOver: 31
NXT booked a Battle Royal to determine who’d face Io Shirai for the Women’s Championship at NXT TakeOver: 31. While Battle Royal winners do not get much time to build a storyline against their opponent, NXT has done well to develop a story between Shirai and Candice LeRae.
On the go-home episode before NXT TakeOver: 31, LeRae and Johnny Gargano defeated the team of Shirai and Damian Priest. While The Garganos’ victory wasn’t clean, it has provided them with enough momentum heading into this match.
The Poison Pixie will likely resort to some more unfair means in this huge NXT Women’s Championship match, and this will probably make it a tough match for The Jodi Judas.
However, NXT must allow Shirai to outperform LeRae and retain her title after a hard-fought match. While LeRae is Championship material, WWE needs to continue building on Shirai’s reign and momentum as she is a megastar in the making.
A good performance against someone like LeRae at NXT TakeOver: 31 will help her gain a lot more credibility. NXT could even choose to continue the rivalry between Shirai and LeRae for a few more months.
#2 Kyle O’Reilly shows that he’s championship material at NXT TakeOver: 31
Kyle O’Reilly outlasted four other men in a Gauntlet Eliminator Match on NXT a week ago, and he showed that he’s more than just a tag team wrestler. O’Reilly is known as one of the best combatants in WWE, and he will have a huge singles match at NXT TakeOver: 31 against Finn Balor for the NXT Championship.
Balor is currently in his second reign as the NXT Champion, and this will be his first title defense in his current reign. O’Reilly, on the other hand, will be looking to score his first singles Championship in the company after having multiple Tag Team Championship reigns.
While KOR could prove to be a great NXT Champion, WWE will likely allow The Prince to go over in his first defense and extend his reign.
However, KOR should be able to put up a great fight, and the two men must have a long match at NXT TakeOver: 31. A great performance from KOR will help him stay in the singles championship picture, and he could turn his attention to the NXT North American Championship in the coming months. It will also help take off the tag team wrestler label from him as he is a phenomenal all-round performer.
#1 Adam Cole turns on Kyle O’Reilly following his match at NXT TakeOver: 31
Adam Cole was instrumental in bringing together the Undisputed ERA, and he has held the group together for almost three years now. Along with Bobby Fish, Kyle O’Reilly, and Roderick Strong, he has won all the titles in NXT. However, since losing the NXT Championship to Finn Balor, Cole has been away from the main event picture and will be looking to get up top again. Instead, KOR has progressed to the NXT Championship picture and will challenge Finn Balor for the title at NXT TakeOver: 31.
While The Undisputed ERA was reigning supreme earlier this year, they need to inject some drama into their faction to give the WWE Universe something new to look forward to and NXT TakeOver: 31 would be the perfect occasion to do so.
With that in mind, Cole and the rest of Undisputed ERA could attack KOR following his match against Balor at NXT TakeOver: 31. Even with O’Reilly losing, NXT could show Cole being jealous of KOR’s rise.
This will allow NXT to bring all four men of Undisputed ERA up top once again, and spark an exciting rivalry between the men of the faction. We’ve already seen the group achieve a lot in their careers. This storyline could prove to give them something fresh if WWE is planning to keep them in NXT for longer.
