Tonight’s show finds us at Full Sail, for the first episode from a taping (spoilers from which are here) which starts us on the road to TakeOver: Philadelphia. Here's what to expect.
The Headliner(s)
After his shocking win over Drew McIntyre at WarGames, Andrade “Cien” Almas deserves the chance to celebrate his NXT championship. And seeing how many were ready to write Almas off a busted prospect or perennial mid-card gatekeeper prior to her arrival, so does his associate Zelina Vega.
The pair should party while they can. An injury to McIntyre has taken the usual contractually obligated rematch off the table, but General Manager William Regal already announced a defense for El Ídolo on Royal Rumble weekend. And Vega will want to get the champ focused, because the eight men who will fight for a chance to take the belt from Almas include past rivals, seasoned veterans and up-and-coming heavyweights.
Lars Sullivan vs. Roderick Strong and Adam Cole vs. Aleister Black, but the official preview for this episode says we’ll be getting Killian Dain vs. Trent Seven and Kassius Ohno vs. Velveteen Dream tonight to determine the first two competitors in a Fatal 4Way to determine the #1 contender.
While we wonder if the battle between British and Irish heavyweights will produce our first NXT champ from the UK since Neville, there are also very interesting questions about the Ohno/Dream affair - and they go beyond just whether or not KO is still a contender and how Black acknowledging him has changed Velveteen (for a spolier-y discussion of those questions, head here).
That’s a lot to think about. But first... tranquilo. It’s time to celebrate.
The Title Scene
Doesn’t sound like new Women’s champ Ember Moon is going to get a chance to throw herself a party. Maybe next week. Although by then, we might already know who’s coming for her belt (our money is on Kairi Sane, Nikki Cross or even Peyton Royce, although she may need to go to the back of the line after losing to Sane last week).
They still have the tag team titles, but SAnitY probably doesn’t feel like celebrating. Eric Young took the pin in the WarGames match, and Adam Cole won’t be the only member of Undisputed ERA gunning for gold. Plus, Authors of Pain STILL haven’t gotten a straight-up rematch from Brooklyn!
By virtue of their tag loss last week, he’s avoided owing Mark Andrews a title shot. But the Welsh high-flier probably still wants a piece of United Kingdom champion Pete Dunne after The Bruiserweight gave him a post-match beating. And while his partner is in the hunt for the main belt, Dunne’s rival Tyler Bate has a case for a rematch after pinning the champ last week.
Other stuff to keep an eye on:
- They’re (respectively) Raw and SmackDown stars now, but Sonya Deville and Ruby Riott have some unfinished business. The Punk Rock Ragdoll won their last one-on-one encounter despite spending a lot of time in an ankle lock. There will be no reason for the MMA practicioner to release her holds in their no disqualifications showdown on this episode. Will it be enough for Deville to take out The Riott Squad’s leader and head to the main roster on a win streak?
- The rise of Street Profits continued with another win over Tino Sabatelli and Riddick Moss. Who will next be placed in Angelo Dawkins and Montez Ford’s way?
- Can Johnny Gargano find his smile?
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See you tonight for NXT, Cagesiders!