Saturday will feature three big championship bouts on the WWE Network special. Thus far, seven matches are set for the card. As always, these are just our predictions with no insider knowledge. Let’s get started with the first match:
NXT Championship match: Keith Lee (c) vs. Karrion Kross w/Scarlett
Let’s scratch one result off the list; Karrion Kross is NOT losing this match clean. It’s too early for the NXT newcomer to suffer a big loss and while Lee would gain some nice credibility being the first man to beat Kross, he simply doesn’t need it.
Personally, I feel it was a mistake for Cole to drop the belt against Lee last month. This should’ve been Adam Cole vs. Karrion Kross; however, the bout would’ve been akin to Brock Lesnar/John Cena at Summerslam 2014. Booking the match-up in this matter would’ve accomplished two goals: 1) It would’ve strongly put over Kross as a dominant force and 2) This could’ve been the beginning of Adam Cole’s babyface turn.
I’ll dive into why Cole being a face is a problem later; however, my point is that this match is coming way too fast. This could’ve been the main event for WrestleMania weekend. I suspect that Lee is on his way up to the main roster as there’s not much for him to do once his feud with Kross ends. Plus, NXT officials are clearly giving Kross a monster push.
The placement of this match will be a very telling sign. It’s possible that the ladder match could main event the show, so if Lee/Kross does take place in the middle of TakeOver then expect some type of disqualification or countout finish. I don’t believe this is a one and done feud, so I expect another match or two down the road; however, all signs point to Karrion Kross winning the NXT Championship.
Winner: Karrion Kross
NXT Women’s Championship match: Io Shirai (c) vs. Dakota Kai
A filler feud for Io Shirai and nothing more. It is possible that Kai leaves the Amway Center as the new NXT Women’s Champion as there were whispers about Shirai being sent up to the main roster. With Triple H confirming a new draft later this year and Smackdown in dire need of new female talent, Shirai could easily feel the void as the top face (or preferably heel) of the blue brand.
However, I suspect that Shirai vs. Rhea Ripley is in the works for the next TakeOver show. Kai will most likely win the belt sometime in the future, but I just don’t think it will be on Saturday, August 22.
Winner: Io Shirai
Adam Cole vs. Pat McAfee
To me, Cole being a babyface right now is DOA. Why? Because I haven’t been given a reason to care about him in general. This is the problem with WWE style turns, there’s no build or slow burn for a heel or face turn these days, which is a huge detriment to the new character.
Cole has been an asshole since his NXT journey started in 2017. All of the sudden, I’m supposed to cheer the former NXT Champion because there’s a bigger asshole taking him on this Saturday. There’s been no character development for the 31-year-old since his turn began, so why should I care about either man winning at TakeOver?
Sorry. The wrestling fan in me took over. Anyways, WWE usually has celebrities walk out victorious, though McAfee is being positioned as the heel here. Cole winning seems like the obvious choice, but what’s next for Adam Cole following his match against McAfee? I do think that Cole is destined for the main roster soon; however, I don’t see the entire Undisputed Era faction coming up with him.
This is where I see the beginning of The Undisputed Era breaking up. Cole will likely dominate the match, but O’ Riley, Fish, and Strong will ultimately cost him the match. The story will most likely be that the trio is frustrated with Cole’s leadership, and have opted to kick him out of the group. Since Strong is the singles wrestler between the three then Rodrick Strong vs. Adam Cole will most likely be the destination at the next TakeOver show.
Winner: Pat McAfee
Ladder match for the vacant NXT North American Championship: Bronson Reed vs. Damian Priest vs. Cameron Grimes vs. Johnny Gargano vs. Velveteen Dream
I’m instantly eliminating both Velveteen Dream and Johnny Gargano. Both men are former NXT North American Champions and there just aren’t that many fresh opponents for either guy. In terms of Grimes, he can play the pest heel to perfection; however, I don’t get the sense that he’s a guy that NXT officials are looking to push too heavily at the moment.
That leaves Bronson Reed and Damian Priest. I don’t see the latter being in the black-and-gold brand a year from now; Hell, I wouldn’t be too surprised if Priest was switched over to Raw or Smackdown in the next draft. However, it feels too early to give Reed the title and the NXT newcomer should be built up more before finally winning the big championship. Reed got a win over Priest several weeks ago, so I can see these two feuding after TakeOver; however, Priest is my pick to become the new NXT North American Champion.
Winner: Damian Priest
Finn Balor vs. Timothy Thatcher
Balor has been directionless since the company was forced to drop his feud with WALTER. There’s not much else for him do on the black-and-gold brand, so I don’t expect this to be a one and done match. I see a dirty win for Thatcher here, with Balor getting his win back at a later date.
It’s also possible that Balor gets the win here, which could piss off Thatcher and make him even more dangerous. The 37-year-old would end up getting the victory in their next encounter. This is a hard one to pick, but I’m going with the NXT newcomer here.
Winner: Timothy Thatcher
NXT Tag Team Championship #1 Contenders Match (Pre-Show match): Legado Del Fantasma (Joaquin Wilde & Raul Mendoza) vs. Breezango (Tyler Breeze & Fandango) vs. Oney Lorcan & Danny Burch
Breezango just got their championship match against Marcel Barthel and Fabien Aichner, and I don’t see Joaquin Wilde and Raul Mendoza facing off against a fellow heel tag team unless officials are looking to put all the gold onto the Legado Del Fantasma faction. Honestly, there doesn’t seem to be much of a plan for Imperium at the moment so Wilde and Mendoza winning the tag belts wouldn’t be a surprise, though I’m going with the safe bet and choosing Lorcan and Burch as the next challengers.
Winner: Oney Lorcan & Danny Burch
That’s it! Thanks for reading and feel free to put your predictions in the comment section.