'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Last week on NXT programming, William Regal announced the creation of a new title for the brand. The NXT North American Championship was this title, and while a debuting EC3 thought the title should be awarded to him on the spot, Regal had other ideas.
Regal announced that at NXT TakeOver: New Orleans, there would be a six man ladder match to determine the inaugural champion. Competing in the match will be EC3, Adam Cole, Lars Sullivan, Velveteen Dream, Killian Dain and Ricochet.
Only one of the men will become the first NXT North American Champion, but who should it be?
#1 Killian Dain
Why he should win: Dain has been booked as the star of the SAnitY faction in recent months, overshadowing it's leader Eric Young. He was recently involved in the NXT championship picture before losing to Aleister Black and so is a credible force on the roster. Putting the title on Dain would allow him to regain his momentum and elevate whichever up-and-comer eventually takes the title away from him.
Why he should not: The loss to Aleister Black is the major reason Dain should not be crowned champion. While the Black is a dominant force in NXT and losing to him is by no means the end of the road for Dain's championship ambitions, if Dain were to rebound from that loss straight into a title victory here it would devalue the significance of the new title. While the NXT North American Championship is ultimately second fiddle to the NXT Championship, having a contender drop out of contention from the top prize and then claim the second choice would highlight this title's inferiority in comparison. This title needs to feel like more than a consolation prize and so Dain shouldn't be the one to lift gold at NXT TakeOver: New Orleans.
#2 Lars Sullivan
Why he should win: Lars Sullivan returned to NXT programming last week and picked up right where he left off by running over his opponent. Sullivan has all the makings of a monster heel but still needs to flesh out his character a little more in developmental. Putting the title on Sullivan could raise it's prestige as Sullivan could have a lengthy run with the title, defeating challenger after challenger and, hopefully, allowing the NXT universe to get to know the Sullivan character a little better.
Why he should not: A major problem with Sullivan winning the title is that he will eventually have to lose it and that could kill his momentum as an unstoppable force. Yes, WWE can get fancy with it's booking and have Sullivan drop the title in an undeserved manner, but in my mind, that would be fairly unusual for NXT. Sullivan pursuing or winning the title's secondary title doesn't seem the right fit and while him being in this match elevates the title's standing, if he were to win, I don't see a comfortable path for Sullivan to then pursue the NXT championship. WWE seems to be very high on Sullivan and I doubt it will be long before he is thrust into the NXT championship picture, so a win here makes limited sense.
#3 Velveteen Dream
Why he should win: Velveteen has been a standout in WWE's developmental for some time now and so finally rewarding him with a title makes a degree of sense. He is a great advert for NXT and having him as a champion on the brand could lead to us seeing a different side to his character.
Why he should not: One of the aspects of Dream's character that is so compelling is his role as the plucky upstart. He is young and talented, and I feel a part of his appeal is seeing him try and earn respect and make a name for himself. While it's true that if he won we could see a different side to Dream that would likely be very good, I think he is more compelling as a challenger and so he is not my ideal choice for champion at this time.
#3 Ricochet
Why he should win: What better way to introduce Ricochet to the WWE? Ricochet could fly in and snatch the title from one of the bigger competitors in the match before defending his title regularly against the likes of Dain and EC3 to showcase his heart and ability in the ring. Some WWE fans will not be familiar with his work so having Ricochet win the title could go a long way in establishing him as a major player in NXT.
Why he should not: Ricochet still hasn't even had a match on NXT. It's difficult to imagine WWE putting this new title on a man who has barely featured on the product at all bar some promo packages and a short segment and the end of last week's show. This move would suggest other promotions are on par or even above WWE's standards and I highly doubt that is something the WWE will do. For that reason, I don't think Ricochet will lift gold at NXT TakeOver: New Orleans.
#2 EC3
Why he should win: WWE did a good job of creating a bit of a story for EC3 in his segment that opened NXT last week. EC3 came down to the ring and expected the title to be awarded to him by William Regal, who announced he would have to win it in this match. As we've seen in Impact Wrestling, EC3 is a brilliant, arrogant heel who loves to remind every one of his superiority. What better way for him to do this than with the gold over his shoulder?
Why he should not: As with Ricochet, EC3 is still very new to the product. Having only appeared on the product on last week's NXT (excluding his previous run in the company as Derrick Bateman), it would be pretty surprising to see him win gold so fast. While his character would excel in the champion role, I just don't see WWE awarding the title to someone who has done little to prove himself to the NXT fans.
#1 Adam Cole
Why he should: Adam Cole is who I feel should become the first NXT North American Champion. Cole has quickly established himself as one of the top stars in NXT and has been excellent so far leading the Undisputed Era stable. Cole is a very credible champion, having proved himself to the NXT universe, as well as putting in a solid performance a surprise entry in the Royal Rumble match, and so him winning would be a very solid starting point for the title. Furthermore, while his friends O'Reilly and Fish own the tag team titles in NXT, Cole is currently without a belt. Putting the title on Cole would leave each member of the Undisputed Era carrying gold, cementing the group as the dominant faction in NXT.
Why he should not: -
