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There is a very strong chance that NXT TakeOver 36 resets a good part of the NXT structure. There were already rumors that big changes would be taking place soon.
The card for TakeOver 36 features five matches, four of which are for the Championships. The fifth being between Adam Cole and Kyle O'Reilly is a 2-out-of-3 falls, the biggest match on the PPV.
Will it be Cole who ends the rivalry with a definitive win over O'Reilly? Or will O'Reilly end the NXT chapter of Adam Cole's career in pro wrestling?
WALTER has reigned as NXT UK Champion for over 800 days. Will this be the match where his historic reign ends? Dakota Kai may not be the most imposing opponent Raquel Gonzalez has faced, but she may be the most cerebral.
Cameron Grimes started as a rich, obnoxious heel. But with the way this storyline with LA Knight and Ted DiBiase has progressed, he's now a heavy fan favorite.
NXT announced that Trey Baxter would face Ridge Holland on the TakeOver 36 pre-show. Since that match was literally announced two days before TakeOver 36, it seems like a tune-up match for Holland.
Holland will defeat Baxter since he's facing Timothy Thatcher on Tuesday's NXT. Other matches, however, offer up some pairings that could go either way. Here are the last-minute predictions for TakeOver 36.
#5. Can Cameron Grimes capture the Million Dollar Championship at TakeOver 36?
The forced partnership between Grimes and LA Knight has caused many hilarious moments. The time, however, is nearing for Grimes to get the upper hand. That should happen at TakeOver 36.
Ted DiBiase has been involved in many instances to encourage Grimes and tell him that he is better than being a butler.
Things all came to a head on the go-home NXT when Grimes beat Josh Briggs in action. Knight and DiBiase were out for commentary and made a bet around the match. He ended up losing $20,000 and attacked DiBiase. Knight then did the same to Grimes when he tried to intervene and save the WWE Legend.
Knight has had the upper hand throughout the storyline. Grimes has already lost to and been humiliated by LA Knight. For that reason, and the fact that the crowd wants it, Grimes must not lose again at TakeOver 36.
The whole angle has built him into one of the fan favorites and a potential future NXT Champion. TakeOver 36 could be the start of Grimes' ascent to the main event in NXT.
He was a part of the first Breakout Tournament and has yet to win a Championship in NXT. The Million Dollar title could be his first step up the NXT ladder.
PREDICTION - CAMERON GRIMES DEFEATS LA KNIGHT.
#4. WALTER vs. Ilya Dragunov could steal the show at TakeOver 36.
TakeOver 36 might be historic for a few reasons. WALTER is working on an NXT UK Championship run of over 800 days. That is unheard of in the modern day pro wrestling.
His first match with Ilya Dragunov was one of the best matches in WWE history. Both men brutalized each other to the point where it would be hard for either to make it to the locker room on their own.
Dragunov has been one of the top Superstars in NXT UK but is yet to win a title. With that in mind, and the fact that they're getting a spot on an NXT PPV, something huge needs to happen with their match at TakeOver 36.
The first thing that could happen would be that Dragunov dethrones the imposing WALTER. It would be a huge deal due to WALTER's dominance and how he has run through almost everyone.
If Dragunov defeats WALTER, it would reset things a bit in NXT UK since WALTER has been on top for two years. New challengers would emerge for Dragunov and have a shot at the NXT UK title.
Another thing that could happen would involve someone new showing up to confront WALTER at TakeOver 36.
Davey Boy Smith Jr. has been signed to WWE for a few months and was rumored to be a part of NXT UK. The COVID pandemic put a stop to that due to travel restrictions. With some restrictions lifted, perhaps that showdown could now take place in the U.S.A. at TakeOver 36.
PREDICTION - WALTER SURVIVES ANOTHER CHOP FEST TO REMAIN NXT UK CHAMPION.
#3. TakeOver 36 will be the first chapter between Raquel Gonzalez and Dakota Kai.
When Dakota Kai turned on Raquel Gonzalez before TakeOver 36, it set up the NXT Women's Championship match for the event. Most feuds in NXT are set up to end after one TakeOver.
However, when it comes to the feud between Kai and Gonzalez, the angle needs to continue past TakeOver 36. The two women have been allies for a year, and they won the NXT Women's Tag Team titles together. Feuds surrounding these types of partnerships need to be drawn out a bit.
Kai and Gonzalez have helped each other out at every turn, but it was only a matter of time before one turned on the other. Since Kai is a savvy veteran, it was more likely that she would turn on the bigger Gonzalez.
The crafty Kai has been one of the unsung heroes and backbone of NXT for her entire run. She's been both a heel and a face, and has been involved in angles with everyone from Candice LeRae to Shayna Baszler to Io Shirai.
Kai has helped Gonzalez learn on the job since Big Mami was pegged as a future star early in her career. Because she has given a lot to NXT and Gonzalez, this feud should last a few matches.
An easy way to keep it going is to have the Champion celebrate her win at TakeOver 36 in the ring on Tuesday. Kai could blindside her in the ring or attack her backstage during an interview.
There are a lot of new names working themselves into the NXT roster. Because of that, it would be a good idea to prolong the feud between Kai and Gonzalez. It wouldn't make sense to have Kai for another partnership since she's already betrayed two friends.
Gonzalez will probably win at TakeOver 36, but it should only be the first showdown between the former friends.
PREDICTION - RAQUEL GONZALEZ DEFEATS DAKOTA KAI.
#2. Samoa Joe could send Karrion Kross to RAW permanently after TakeOver 36.
TakeOver 36 could very well be the final TakeOver event for Karrion Kross. Kross started appearing on RAW following Money in the Bank. He wasn't hyped in vignettes and he didn't debut by blindsiding someone.
Instead, Kross lost to Jeff Hardy and then went on to beat Hardy twice. In between his matches with Hardy, he went 1-1 against the returning Keith Lee.
His tenure as a main-roster star has already begun. It's been a strange and slow introduction to the WWE Universe on the main roster. For that reason itself, his time in NXT is already nearing an end.
At TakeOver 36, Kross should be taking part in his final NXT event. He's already established on RAW and doesn't have much left to accomplish in NXT. If TakeOver 36 is his last showing in NXT, his match with Samoa Joe could go one of two ways.
The first way it could play out is if he defeats Joe and then relinquishes the title the following Tuesday. His mystique in NXT would still be maintained, and he can then move on to RAW. Having a vacant NXT Championship would set up an intriguing storyline to crown a new NXT Champion.
If WWE wants Kross to have a clean break from NXT, then it opens up several enticing feuds for the Samoan Submission Machine as NXT Champ. Joe already has had staredowns with Pete Dunne.
He also rubbed some people the wrong way as a special enforcer under NXT GM William Regal. If LA Knight loses to Cameron Grimes, he could be a good foil at some point for Joe. Kross has been on top of NXT for the better part of 2021, so a change is needed.
Whatever happens this weekend, Karrion Kross should be moving on from NXT after TakeOver 36. Joe came back to NXT for a reason. Winning the NXT Championship at TakeOver 36 could be one of the main reasons why he returned.
PREDICTION - SAMOA JOE DEFEATS KARRION KROSS.
#1. Will Kyle O'Reilly send Adam Cole packing at TakeOver 36?
TakeOver 36 will be a big deal in the wrestling industry. It will mark the end of Adam Cole's tenure in NXT. What is unknown, however, is whether it will also mark the end of his time in WWE.
As of this writing, Cole hasn't re-signed with WWE. Stars usually agree to new deals before their current ones expire if they plan on staying with a company. He did sign an extension to finish off his feud with O'Reilly.
He could also be in the middle of negotiating a main-roster deal. The possibility of moving to AEW after TakeOver 36 is also very high.
Whatever happens, only one person will come out on top. If Cole is staying in WWE, he should win as he heads to the main roster. While it would counter how NXT call-ups usually lose in their final match, Cole is one of the greatest stars in NXT history.
If Cole is leaving WWE, then O'Reilly needs to win. O'Reilly winning won't automatically mean that Cole is out the door. It will, however, continue the narrative that O'Reilly is a main-event guy in NXT.
NXT is set to undergo some changes in the near future. Those changes will harken back to the earlier days when it was more developmental and focused less on independent stars.
This feud will likely close TakeOver 36 because it will mark the end of Cole's time in NXT. It's 2-out-of-3 falls because of the importance of the rivalry.
The feud has gone on for most of the year and both men need to move on to other challenges. Since O'Reilly will still be in NXT come Tuesday, he will defeat Cole at TakeOver 36.
PREDICTION - KYLE O'REILLY DEFEATS ADAM COLE.
