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What's the story?
WWE usually hosts four NXT Takeovers during the year, coinciding with the Big Four pay-per-views. Dave Meltzer recently reported on the latest issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, that WWE is planning to host a fifth NXT Takeover in 2018, during the Money in the Bank pay-per-view weekend.
In case you didn't know...
WWE usually hosts four NXT Takeovers in the year on the Big Four pay-per-view weekends.
Chicago played host to its first NXT Takeover this past May, where DIY faced the Authors of Pain in a Ladder match, Asuka defended her NXT Women's title in a Triple Threat, Hideo Itami faced Roode in his quest for the NXT Championship, and Tyler Bate and Pete Dunne faced each other in a show-stealing match for the WWE United Kingdom Championship.
The heart of the matter
Dave Meltzer revealed that with WWE making Money in the Bank a dual brand pay-per-view, there were also plans for an NXT Takeover to take place in the Money in the Bank weekend. There may be five NXT Takeovers that are set to take place in 2018.
Earlier in the year, it was revealed that WWE would be hosting 14 pay-per-views in 2018, a much lighter schedule than they had in 2017. Money in the Bank was also set to be a dual brand pay-per-view, instead of being dedicated to a single brand. This inclusion of Money in the Bank in the dual brand pay-per-view category led rise to rumors that WWE was looking to make the Big Four pay-per-views into the Big Five. Having an NXT Takeover adds to the status of the pay-per-view.
The current pay-per-view schedule of 2018, as reported by Dave Meltzer, is as follows:
January 28th -- Royal Rumble (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
February 25th -- Elimination Chamber (Raw PPV in Las Vegas. Nevada)
March 11th -- Fastlane (SmackDown PPV in Columbus, Ohio)
April 8th -- WrestleMania 34 (New Orleans, Louisiana)
May 6th -- Backlash (Raw PPV in Newark, New Jersey)
May 27th -- Payback (SmackDown PPV in Baltimore, Maryland)
June 17th -- Money in the Bank (Chicago, Illinois)
July 15th -- Battleground (Raw PPV in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)
August 19th -- SummerSlam (Brooklyn, New York)
September 16th -- Extreme Rules (Raw PPV in San Antonio, Texas)
September 30th -- Hell in a Cell (SmackDown PPV in Nashville, Tennessee)
October 21st -- TLC (Raw PPV in Boston, Massachusetts)
November 18th -- Survivor Series (Los Angeles, California)
December 16th -- Clash of Champions (SmackDown PPV in San Jose, California)
What's next?
The Money in the Bank pay-per-view is set to take place in the Allstate Arena of Chicago on the 17th of June.
If the rumored NXT Takeover takes place, it will feature on the WWE Network on the 16th of June from Chicago, Illinois.
Author's take
The addition of the Takeover to the Money in the Bank weekend adds to the prestige of the pay-per-view. WWE's lighter pay-per-view schedule and Money in the Bank being dual branded gives WWE more creative options to work with as well.
