Kassius Ohno vs. Velveteen Dream
This match feels a little thrown together, but I’m not going to complain about a match between these two. Given the recent steam that has built up around Dream and The Knockout Artist’s already well-established popularity, they don’t really need a build for the crowd to be into it. I have no doubt this match is going to be a show stopper and put Velveteen over even more.
Winner: Velveteen Dream
Extreme Rules Match:
Aleister Black vs. Adam Cole
This match could really go either way; there are so many factors to consider, particularly the strong possibility of interference from the other members of Undisputed Era. That being said, the build was unquestionably dominated by Adam Cole, and Black taking a loss on top of that would cause him to lose a lot of the momentum and mystique that has surrounded him thus far. With that in mind, I think Aleister Black walks away with a victory against Adam Cole under his belt.
Winner: Aleister Black
NXT Championship Match:
Andrade “Cien” Almas (c) w/Zelina Vega vs. Johnny Gargano
Johnny Gargano, NXT’s most beloved underdog since Sami Zayn, always seems to fall just short of his goals and I don’t think he will break that trend in this championship match against Andrade Almas. I think he will get closer than ever before, overcoming interference from Zelina and almost beating the champ clean, when his ex-best friend and tag team partner, Tommaso Ciampa, returns from injury and costs him the match.
Winner: Andrade “Cien” Almas
NXT Women’s Championship:
Ember Moon (c) vs. Shayna Baszler
Ember has been a noble champion, but her time may be up. Shayna Baszler has quickly proven herself a force to be reckoned with and has picked up a lot of steam the last few weeks. I think she will be a little too much for Ember and The Queen of Spades’ reign over the women’s division will begin on Saturday.
Winner: Shayna Baszler
NXT Tag Team Championship Match
The Undisputed Era vs. The Authors of Pain
I don’t know how Undisputed Era are going to retain their titles, especially because I expect Adam Cole to be incapacitated after his Extreme Rules match with Aleister Black, but I also don’t see Undisputed losing both of their TakeOver matches. I doubt they will win clean, but I don’t think we see the tag titles switch hands this weekend.
Winner: The Undisputed Era
What are your predictions for TakeOver: Philly this weekend? Let us know on Twitter, @TheRumbleRamble.
