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NXT currently has an embarrassment of riches when it comes to their roster. The women's division is arguably just as good as or even better than that of RAW and SmackDown. For the men, there is so much talent that whoever faces Adam Cole on July 8th will have the chance to become a dual champion like Bayley.
That's just what happens when you have so many talented performers - they all can't be champions. It doesn't mean, however, that they cannot be successful. Getting weekly TV time is a sign of a push and/or move up the card for a star. Damian Priest has produced in his high-stakes matches despite losing most of them. Instead of maintaining his heel persona, it appears as if he is being turned to a face in NXT.
The stars that have been relegated to the Cruiserweight chase are also some of the top stars in NXT. The current NXT Cruiserweight champion, Santos Escobar, is easily one of the top stars of the brand. He just happens to be competing in a different division at the moment. The same goes for Kushida and Isaiah "Swerve" Scott. While those stars are just a few of the talented ones representing the brand, there are many other extremely talented stars throughout the brand.
Women Superstars like Shotzi Blackheart, Tegan Nox, Santana Garrett, Dakota Kai and Candice LeRae are current and future stars. The question is, however, which of those stars not currently holding a title will be holding one sooner rather than later?
Here are my predictions for which NXT stars will be the next respective champions of the yellow and black brand.
#5 Next NXT Cruiserweight Champion - Kushida
Kushida was not a part of the tournament to crown the Interim NXT Cruiserweight Champion. He was a huge signing a year or two ago but he hasn't been a fixture on programming like Matt Riddle, The Undisputed Era and Johnny Gargano have been.
Since Drake Maverick is likely to get the first shot at Santos Escobar, I cannot see the diminutive star taking the title from the newly-turned champ. Jake Atlas, who was a steadfast supporter of Maverick's, may also get a shot in order to stick up for his friend. While Atlas would be a good pick as a future Cruiserweight title holder, I still think it's too soon for his title reign.
Kushida has star power and an international presence like Escobar/Fantasma, so it would make loads of sense to eventually crown the Timesplitter. If he isn't currently chasing either the North American or NXT Championships, he should at the very least be in a program for the Cruiserweight Championship at some point this year.
#4 Next NXT North American Champion - Finn Balor
Finn Balor is a bigger star than Kushida due to being in WWE for at least the last five years and achieving a lot more than the Japanese Superstar. He was the face of NXT for the duration of his run with that brand and he had some success on the main roster.
His shock return to the yellow and black brand on NXT's debut on USA essentially reset the deck. Balor's name value alone signified that business was going to pick up greatly. After falling to defeat The Fiend at SummerSlam last year, he needed a different direction. That direction ended up being to add star power and name value to NXT.
It's been almost nine months and Balor has yet to capture any gold in his return to NXT. He's walking the line of anti-hero after attacking Johnny Gargano yet has maintained a serious edge. During his latest win, he looked into the camera and promised Keith Lee that he was coming for Lee and the North American Championship. That title wasn't around during Balor's run atop NXT so it would make sense that he would want to add another accolade to his resume.
Lee defends his title against Balor and Gargano on the next NXT with the winner getting a shot at Adam Cole in a Winner Takes All match on July 8th. I think Lee will win both of those matches, making him a double champ. When that happens, however, it's usually only a matter of time before the double champ drops a title. Since they never had a one-on-one for the North American title, I think Balor will win it when they do.
#3 Next NXT Tag Team Champions - Velveteen Dream and Dexter Lumis
NXT's tag team division is in a brief state of flux due to roster moves and the restrictions brought on by the global pandemic. Pete Dunne had to stay in England, leaving partner Matt Riddle to find another partner. It turned out to be Timothy Thatcher and that partnership imploded almost as fast as it was formed. That makeshift partnership led to new NXT Tag Team champs being crowned in Imperium.
The Undisputed Era has had enough runs with the titles and should hopefully be moving up to the main roster at some point this year. Oney Lorcan and Danny Burch are one of the other face teams on the roster but I don't see them dethroning the duo of Marcel Barthel and Fabian Aichner. Breezango had their shot and fell to Imperium. We also have James Drake and Zack Gibson, but they're a heel team and may be stuck across the pond.
That leaves two teams that make some sense. The first is Indus Sher, but they are still relatively new to NXT. They would make sense as the team that take the titles off of my pick here. Since the odd couple pairing of Dunne and Riddle worked out, it appears as if the same thing might be happening with Dexter Lumis and Velveteen Dream. Dream said he didn't need the help of Lumis but the two have aided each other in multiple bouts with the The Undisputed Era. In the picture above, the Tortured Artist even drew a picture of the duo with the titles.
With few face teams currently on the brand, it wouldn't be crazy if Dream/Lumis won the titles. It would give Dream another notch on his NXT resume if he isn't going to move up to RAW or SmackDown. It would also provide some good TV for the interactions between the two. Indus Sher will likely be champions within the next year but they probably will have to wait until Imperium drops the belts.
#4 Next NXT Women's Champion - Candice LeRae
With the way that Io Shirai has been handled in her NXT return, it seems like she's an anti-hero or a face. The "crowd" has cheered for her during her matches and she faced both Rhea Ripley and Charlotte Flair with the crowd chanting for her. Even though it would make sense, Ripley already had the title. She was also the one who was pinned in the Triple Threat match so she shouldn't be the one to take the title from Shirai.
The heel side of the NXT women's division needs to be built up a bit after Shayna Baszler moved to RAW. Dakota Kai looked into the camera and said she was coming for the title. Like other champions that just won their titles, it's too soon for Shirai to drop her title. So if Kai is the first to challenge the new champ, she's likely going to fall. Raquel Gonzalez may also get a shot and Mercedes Martinez is going to be featured soon.
Faces like Shotzi Blackheart and Tegan Nox could be future champs but they won't be beating Shirai either. There just aren't many other established female Superstars in NXT. There are talented performers but not a lot that have been built up as much as Candice LeRae. Her recent heel turn has refreshed her character while also allowing her to spread her creative wings.
Then we also have the fact that Shirai and LeRae's match last summer was one of the best matches of 2019. They have great chemistry and are both defined characters. When the Genius of the Sky does drop her title, it will be to her one-time ally, the Poison Pixie.
#1 Next NXT Champion - Keith Lee
Adam Cole has held the NXT Championship for over a year. His group has ruled over NXT for the better part of the last three years with every member holding gold at one point. They even all held gold at the same time earlier this year, but Cole is the last man standing with a title.
For that reason, it's more than past time that he drops the title. He's held every title in NXT, save for the NXT Cruiserweight Championship. Cole's one of the biggest stars not only in NXT but also in WWE. His matches against both Seth Rollins and Daniel Bryan during the build to Survivor Series proves that point.
If Finn Balor isn't going to wrest the title from Cole, then another man who had a strong end to 2019 and beginning to 2020 will take the belt. Keith Lee is set for the biggest month-long span of his WWE career. He first defends his NXT North American title against Balor and Gargano.
Since he had that moment with Roman Reigns at Survior Series and also a huge showing in the Royal Rumble, he has to be the one to beat Cole. He's battled The Undisputed Era for the better part of the last nine months, so a fitting end would be for Lee to dethrone the longest-reigning NXT Champion in NXT history.
