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We are merely a few hours away from what will surely be an exciting and action-packed edition of NXT TakeOver. The show tonight will be the thirtieth TakeOver PPV from NXT, a monumental achievement from the Black & Gold brand of WWE, and as a result of the same, Triple H and the NXT team would like to deliver big.
As of the writing of this article, six matches have been announced for the show, with three top NXT titles on the line. There's so much that could go down at the show tonight at the Full Sail University and you can catch all the action at Sportskeeda's live coverage of the show.
So without further delay, let's take a look at six last-minute predictions for NXT TakeOver XXX. Be sure to comment down and let us know your predictions for the show tonight.
#6 Ladder Match for the Vacant NXT North American Championship
At NXT Great American Bash, Keith Lee became the first man in history to hold both the North American and NXT Championship at the same time. It was not long before he and William Regal announced that he will be relinquishing the North American Championship to give more opportunities to the roster, which was a massive babyface move
This led to William Regal announcing a ladder match for the "vacant" North American Championship at NXT TakeOver XXX. In the past few weeks, we saw many Superstars compete in qualifying matches to book a spot for themselves in the ladder match.
Finally, we have our five competitors of the match - Bronson Reed, Damian Priest, Johnny Gargano, Velveteen Dream, and Cameron Grimes. Dexter Lumis also qualified for the match but has been now removed due to an injury. If he was in the match, he would have been my pick to become the new North American Champion.
Now from all the five competitors, Gargano and Dream have already been North American Champions, so it's unlikely that they will win it again. Cameron Grimes has impressed recently, but he might not just be ready yet. That leaves us with "The Thick Boi of NXT" Bronson Reed and "The Archer of Infamy" Damian Priest, who are my picks to walk out as the new champion.
Prediction: Bronson Reed or Damian Priest become the NXT North American Champion
#5 Adam Cole vs Pat McAfee at NXT TakeOver XXX
A month ago, who would've thought that we will see NFL star Pat McAfee compete at NXT TakeOver against one of the best wrestlers on the brand, Adam Cole. But so much has gone down between the two in the last month that it has come down to them settling it in the ring.
It all started when Adam Cole appeared on the Pat McAfee show and lost his cool after the NFL star mocked him for his size. WWE tried to book it in a way so as to blur the line between kayfabe and reality. Ultimately, it led to Pat appearing on NXT, where he again took shots at Cole and later went on to punt kick him in the head.
WWE has been known to have cross-over stars to gather the attention of a larger audience for their shows, and this is yet another example of the same. Thankfully, Pat McAfee looks to be a decent wrestler, as seen on some of his training videos. But don't expect them to have a five-star match at NXT TakeOver XXX, even though Adam Cole is capable of carrying the match on his own.
As for the prediction, I have to go with the former NXT Champion as he is the proper face in this feud, who has retribution in his mind. There are also chances of this being Adam Cole's last NXT appearance if WWE decides to call him up to RAW or SmackDown after SummerSlam.
Prediction: Adam Cole wins
#4 Triple threat tag team match to determine the #1 contenders for the NXT Tag Team Championship
The pre-show of NXT TakeOver XXX will see three teams compete to become the #1 contenders for the NXT Tag Team Championships. The teams competing are Breezango (Tyler Breeze and Fandango), Oney Lorcan and Danny Burch, and Legado Del Fantasma (Joaquin Wilde and Raul Mendoza).
The NXT Tag Team titles are currently held by Marcel Barthel and Fabian Aichner of Imperium. While Breezango has been on the rise recently, they still have a score to settle with Santos Escobar and his cartel. I'll go with Oney Lorcan and Danny Burch for this one, as they are the perfect face team to take on the Imperium.
Prediction: Oney Lorcan and Danny Burch win
#3 Finn Balor vs Timothy Thatcher at NXT TakeOver XXX
Finn Balor vs Timothy Thatcher was a last-minute addition to the card of NXT TakeOver XXX. Both of them were part of the qualifying matches for the ladder match for the North American Championship but were unable to book a spot for themselves.
On the latest episode of NXT, Timothy Thatcher cost Finn Balor his match against The Velveteen Dream, which was a last-chance qualifier for the ladder match at TakeOver. As a result, the two will now be colliding at the pay-per-view in what should be a great match.
While this match could go either way, I'll go with Finn Balor here. There are huge chances that Balor might be next in line to challenge for the NXT Championship after TakeOver.
Prediction: Finn Balor wins
#2 Io Shirai vs Dakota Kai - NXT Women's Championship
The NXT Women's Champion Io Shirai has had a solid run with the title so far. At NXT TakeOver XXX, she will defend her Championship against Dakota Kai. It was on the July 15 episode of the Black & Gold brand of WWE, where Io Shirai successfully defended her title against Tegan Nox, only for Dakota Kai to attack her after the match.
Earlier this month, Dakota Kai took on Rhea Ripley to determine the #1 contender for the NXT Women's Championship. After interference from The Robert Stone Brand, she managed to defeat Ripley, thus earning herself a title shot at NXT TakeOver XXX.
Now, as much as Dakota Kai has impressed everyone, it might be too early for Io Shirai to lose her title. She has been a great champion and the fans love and support her. Nothing to take away from Dakota Kai, but my pick to walk out as the champion is Io Shirai. She has a massive roster of talented women to feud with, who all deserve a chance to fight for the NXT Women's title. Scarlett stepping up and challenging the Joshi Judas soon is also an exciting idea.
Prediction: Io Shirai retains her NXT Women's Championship
#1 Keith Lee vs Karrion Kross - NXT Championship
On the entire card of NXT TakeOver XXX, this is surely the toughest match to predict. The NXT Champion Keith Lee will defend his title against the man who has wreaked havoc on the entire roster of the Black & Gold brand of WWE, Karrion Kross.
Keith Lee won the NXT Championship by defeating Adam Cole at NXT Great American Bash and Karrion Kross has had eyes on his title ever since. Kross has been on a roll, destroying his opponents in quick fashion. His pairing with his real-life partner Scarlett on-screen has led to some interesting segments and one has to wonder if she could play a role in the outcome of the NXT Championship match at TakeOver XXX.
Honestly, it will be a tough decision to decide who goes over in this match. Keith Lee has recently won the title and fans want to see him have a long run, but at the same time, Karrion Kross might lose all his momentum and mystique if he loses. I won't mind any of them winning, but since I have to choose, I'll pick Karrion Kross to win, although I don't see Keith Lee losing clean. Can the Limitless One be on his way to the main roster soon?
Prediction: Karrion Kross becomes the new NXT Champion
