7 major questions ahead of tonight's NXT tapings - August 23

By J.M. Carpenter
Modified Aug 24, 2018 01:05 IST
Tommaso Ciampa TakeOver: Brooklyn 4
The Black heart era begins

NXT returns to Full Sail University tonight for the first set of tapings on the heels of TakeOver: Brooklyn 4, an event which radically altered the landscape of WWE NXT. Tonight's tapings will get through the first few weeks of fallout from Saturday's super show, and begin to set the stage for NXT's next major event, NXT TakeOver: War Games II, in mid-November.

That's still three months away, so while we won't be getting any official matches tonight, the direction of the yellow brand for the next few months will start to become clearer. There are a number of questions tonight's tapings could begin answering. Here's what we should be on the lookout for.

#1 Who will step up to Tommaso Ciampa?

Tommaso Ciampa NXT Full Sail
Who will try to shut his mouth?

This is obviously the biggest question looming over the yellow brand. With Johnny Gargano now out of the picture for the foreseeable future, and Aleister Black still on the DL at the moment, the NXT Championship scene is wide open.

Who will be Tommaso Ciampa's next opponent? Who will stand up to feud with the Blackheart after he inevitably gloats tonight that he again beat Johnny Wrestling while handcuffed, and that this is indeed his NXT?

Will we see some title defenses in the books against jobbers beforehand? Will we see some kind of mini rivalry with a more legitimate threat to start his reign off? Will we see both? Will this perhaps be the catalyst that finally sends Johnny Gargano's friend, Kassius Ohno off the edge of the cliff he's been teetering on in recent weeks, forcing him to go full blown heel?

Either way, the Ciampa era begins in earnest tonight, and the champion is wasting no time in making sure that the NXT Universe knows it.

#2 Who will try to block Kairi Sane's ship?

Kairi Sane NXT Women's Championship
What waters lie ahead of Kairi Sane?

The other biggest development from TakeOver: Brooklyn 4 was the news that we had a new NXT Women's Champion. After a year long journey, Kairi Sane has now ascended to the top of the NXT women's division. It was the feel-good moment of SummerSlam weekend. Kairi Sane won't have long to enjoy the after-glow however. During this set of tapings, she'll inevitably have to deal with contenders.

Will Shayna Baszler demand a rematch after saying that her rival didn't actually prove herself the better fighter at TakeOver? Will Bianca Belair start positioning herself to be the next number one contender?

#3 What's next in the Aleister Black mystery?

Aleister Black parking lot.
Whodunit?

With the revelation that Nikki Cross might have witnessed the attack on Aleister Black, we may be getting closer to solving the mystery.

Will more clues emerge at this set of tapings? Will we possibly see a confession? If so, will it relate to the NXT Championship or something else entirely? Moreover, will Aleister Black be en route to a rematch with Tommaso Ciampa at War Games, or is a main roster call up already in the works?

Tonight's tapings may give us a lot more information.

#4 How will the road to War Games begin?

Ricochet and Pete Dunne
A tag team match has already been advertised

A tag team match between the four men pictured above has already been confirmed for next week. Will we see dissension between Ricochet and Pete Dunne, with the Undisputed Era taking advantage? Will War Raiders make their presence known once again?

It already seems obvious that the War Games match will consist of the Undisputed Era, British Strong Style, and the combination of War Raiders and Ricochet. How will we get there, and how will NXT enthrall us on the way to such a mouth-watering match up?

Let's look forward to finding out tonight!

#5 What will be the next Velveteen Dream experience?

Velveteen Dream TakeOver: Brooklyn 4
What will the Dream do next?

Hot off the heels of a much needed victory against EC3, Velveteen Dream proclaimed that the world would find out the next experience on the WWE Network on Wednesday. A wide number of possibilities await the Dream.

Will he find himself involved in the Aleister Black investigation? Will he start a rivalry with a new arrival? Perhaps he'll even find himself in the same lane as Tommaso Ciampa?

Whatever the case may be, the Dream should begin letting us know tonight. A Velveteen Dream match at a TakeOver is now tradition, so we'll have to see what War Games has in store for him.

#6 What will Keith Lee do?

Keith Lee NXT
Will the NXT Universe begin basking in his glory?

Fresh off a victory in NXT before TakeOver: Brooklyn, Keith Lee will want to make his mark. Who will it be against? Will he have a meaningful program - perhaps with a newly heel Kassius Ohno - or will he have a series of squash matches?

Or perhaps he'll set his sights even higher. Though it's unlikely he goes after Tommaso Ciampa right away, it's possible.

Either way, the sky is the limit.

#7 Will Matt Riddle and Io Shirai debut?

Matt Riddle NXT
What will happen with the King of the Bros?

While there are a number of debutantes set to arrive in NXT soon, Matt Riddle and Io Shirai are undoubtedly the biggest. Might we see Matt Riddle come face to face with the Velveteen Dream? Maybe it will be Kassius Ohno to get started? Whatever the case, there's a lot of intriguing possibilities awaiting him.

Io Shirai's arrival on the other hand, is set to radically shake up the NXT women's division. What will she do in her newbie period? Will she do her own thing or insert herself near her longtime friend and rival, the new NXT Women's Champion Kairi Sane immediately?

For her part, Io Shirai has implied she'll be there tonight. Fingers crossed!