Tonight’s show comes our way from Houston, with matches taped before, highlights from during, and interviews filmed after, TakeOver: WarGames. Here's what to expect.
The Headliner(s)
Unfortunately that means we probably won’t get much on the wave of call-ups from the women’s ranks (other than a bout between one new Raw and one new SmackDown Superstar we’ll get to in a minute). Look for a video package recapping what we saw this past Monday and Tuesday to come our way soon, but as the ladies who moved up hadn’t done a whole lot on Wednesdays, the biggest impact on NXT is going to be more time for the wrestlers still here.
Don't miss the fallout of #NXTTakeOver: #WarGames plus a HUGE #UKChampionship Match tomorrow night on #WWENXT, only on @WWENetwork! pic.twitter.com/13drwkyI2Q
— WWE (@WWE) November 22, 2017
The real main event of this edition is a UK title match. Those happen rarely enough that any chance to see Pete Dunne defending his belt is worth seeking out. When he’s facing another of the best workers on the WWE roster in Johnny Gargano? Well, you’re gonna want to catch that, even if there’s next to no chance of a title change.
And just because Johnny Wrestling isn’t likely to leave this episode with that gorgeous strap doesn’t mean this is a throwaway match. Gargano has been struggling to find his footing as a singles competitor, and this is General Manager William Regal’s latest attempt to help him do just that. Will he be able to remain focused on the task at hand, or will setbacks and distractions continue to derail him at crucial moments?
The Title Scene
We got two new champs at WarGames, and those will be addressed tonight, even if nothing meaningful will happen for a couple week.
Look for Zelina Vega to crow about her associate Andrade “Cien” Almas’ NXT championship victory, even as we’re listening for an update on former titleholder Drew McIntyre’s injured arm.
Now that Ember Moon is finally Women’s champ, what’s next? How will the three women she defeated - Kairi Sane, Peyton Royce and Nikki Cross - begin to position themselves for one-on-on title shots?
The next challengers for the only belts that weren’t on the line in Houston are pretty clear, seeing as how Undisputed ERA defeated the tag team champions SAnitY.
Other stuff to keep an eye on:
- Before they formed some new alliances and started attacking people on the main roster, Ruby Riot and Sonya Deville made a date to finish some business in NXT. Riot was on the disabled list for a few weeks thanks to Deville’s ankle lock, and the MMA practicioner blames Ruby for the fact she wasn’t in last Saturday’s Fatal 4Way. They’ll settle things tonight.
- Expect to see the fallout interviews already available on YouTube from Velveteen Dream and Lars Sullivan.
- Next week’s episode is supposed to consist of footage shot last Friday in San Antonio. Look for reminders about the rivalries which could set-up some of those matches, like the continued issues between Tino Sabatelli and Riddick Moss and Street Profit.
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See you tonight for NXT, Cagesiders!