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While WrestleMania 35 is on the horizon, many of us are equally excited for the NXT TakeOver: New York event. The reason for that is the top class matches NXT has been repeatedly dishing out thanks to their superior class of performers, and the way storylines have been built in very little time.
Many NXT stars have been performing extremely well on the main roster too, and that is sure to increase the fans’ attention towards NXT events.
A total of five championships from the brand will be defended at the event which will make the event as high profile as it ever has been. It will also crown a new NXT Champion at the end of the night as Tommaso Ciampa had to relinquish his title due to a much-needed surgery.
Keeping all that in mind, here are some early predictions for the event which will be held on April 5, 2019, in New York and feature matches from NXT and NXT UK. Take a look at 5 predictions for the event, and share your thoughts on the matches in the comments below.
#1 War Raiders (c) vs. Aleister Black and Ricochet - NXT Tag Team Championship Match
While Aleister Black and Ricochet have been making waves on the main roster, going as far as receiving Tag Team Championship matches from Raw, they are still in contention for the NXT Tag Team Championship. War Raiders have been extremely dominant on NXT, and they have been having a good time since beating The Undisputed Era for the titles.
War Raiders haven’t held the championships for two months, and it seems unlikely that they will be losing the titles so early without featuring in a few high-profile matches. Aleister Black and Ricochet, on the other hand, are having a great time on the main roster and it seems as though they will make a full transition to either Raw or SmackDown soon.
Therefore, it seems like they won the tournament just because of the injury to Tommaso Ciampa and are in the match to keep things rolling. Considering the current circumstances, War Raiders seem to be the favorites in the match and could well retain their titles at TakeOver.
Prediction: War Raiders will retain the NXT Tag Team Championship Match
#2 Velveteen Dream (c) vs. Matt Riddle - NXT North American Championship
Velveteen Dream and Matt Riddle both failed to win a chance to compete for the NXT Championship at the event but will be battling each other for the NXT North American Championship. Riddle has been quite dominant since his arrival on NXT and has become somewhat a crowd favorite in a very short time.
He will be getting his first major title opportunity on NXT and would want to cash in as far as possible. Velveteen Dream beat Johnny Gargano to win the championship and has been a class performer in the past year. Therefore, he deserved to win the NA Championship and deserves a long reign with it.
While Riddle has been on a dominant run, expect Velveteen to retain the title on this occasion as he is very early in his reign and would probably get a good run with it. A distraction or two could take place during the match which would give the advantage to Velveteen in the clash.
Prediction: Velveteen Dream will retain the NXT North American Championship
#3 Pete Dunne (c) vs. Walter - WWE United Kingdom Championship
Pete Dunne has been arguably the most dominant champion in WWE in the past decade. Even though the main roster champions get far more spotlight, Pete Dunne’s name is there with every other champion in the company.
Dunne has found many suitable challengers for his title, especially Tyler Bate in NXT but none have been as threatening as Walter. Walter has recently arrived in WWE, and have quickly risen up the ranks to get in contention for the United Kingdom Championship in almost no time.
While Dunne has held the title for over 660 days, the circumstances make it seem like Walter will be beating Dunne for the title on this occasion to keep the rivalry going for some time. If there’s anyone in the UK roster can step toe-to-toe with Pete Dunne, then it’s definitely Walter.
Prediction: Walter will win his first WWE United Kingdom Championship
#4 Shayna Baszler (c) vs. Io Shirai vs. Bianca Belair vs. Kairi Sane - NXT Women's Championship
What would have been a one-on-one match for the title was turned to a fatal four-way match after Shayna Baszler attacked Io Shirai and Bianca Belair during their #1 contenders match and end it in a no contest. Kairi Sane tried to make the save but was also laid to waste by the champion. Now the four women will battle it out at NXT TakeOver: New York, and there is a big chance that we will see a new NXT Women’s Champion at the end of the night.
Kairi Sane has already beaten Baszler for the title before, but her reign was shortlived. Therefore, it won’t make much sense for her to lift the title again, and could just be in the match to take the pin. Io Shirai has been teaming up with Sane, and the two could prove to be the next contenders for the WWE Women’s Championship after WrestleMania 35. If that will be the case, then Shirai won’t be holding the NXT Women’s Championship this early in her career.
This leaves Bianca Belair as the most likely winner in the contest. Baszler’s run as the Women’s Champion could be over soon as WWE is trying to build more female stars at the moment. Belair showed a lot of heart and fight in her match with Baszler some weeks ago. This shows that she is ready to lift one of the biggest titles in the company. Therefore, there is a high chance that we will have a new NXT Women’s Champion at the end of the night.
Prediction: Bianca Belair will become the NXT Women's Champion
#5 Johnny Gargano vs. Adam Cole - NXT Championship
One of the most awaited matches of the event will be between Johnny Gargano and Adam Cole for the vacant NXT Championship. The match will be a two out of three falls count match and will surely be a treat to watch. The match was originally supposed to be held between Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa, but an injury to Ciampa which required surgery has led to him vacating the title.
Gargano and Cole are arguably the most well-rounded performers in NXT at the moment. While a regular match between the two men would have been extremely good, a two out of three falls match will be absolutely thrilling! Both men have never held the title before, but have competed for it many times. This is the time that one of these two men can win their first NXT Championship and start a new reign.
While Gargano would have been the favorite if Ciampa was defending the title, the odds are in Cole’s favor thanks to his band The Undisputed Era. Gargano recently held the NXT North American Championship, and we could see Adam Cole getting a run with the NXT Championship after an eventful reign as the North American Champion in 2018.
Prediction: Adam Cole will win the NXT Championship
