Velveteen Dream vs. EC3
EC3 has arrived in NXT, and he appears to be headed toward a heel run to kick off his second stint with the company.
In order to get over as a bad guy, you need a lovable good guy to beat up so fans have a reason to dislike you. While Velveteen Dream has been a bad guy himself so far, he’s quite possibly the most popular performer in NXT currently, so a babyface turn makes a ton of sense.
That would help set up this showdown, which seems like a fun bout on paper.
Winner: EC3
NXT Tag Team Championship:
The Undisputed Era vs. SAnitY
The stage is already set for this showdown, it’s simply a matter of when it will happen.
There’s a good chance that this goes down on a weekly episode of NXT, but I’d love to see this feud, and SAnitY’s run in NXT, end on the biggest stage possible.
Winner: The Undisputed Era
Johnny Gargano vs. Tommaso Ciampa
There is not a match that WWE has teased or announced this year that we’re anticipating more than this one.
These two have put on classic matches already, both as tag partners and opponents, so the hype is very real. There is no doubt that this match would be one of the best bouts of the year when the calendar rolls over to 2019.
Winner: Tommaso Ciampa
NXT Women’s Championship:
Ember Moon (c) vs. Shayna Baszler
Much like the previous two bouts listed, the story for this match has already been written.
Moon has one victory over Baszler already, but Baszler laid out the champion post-match, so the book is far from closed.
Another showdown between the two at NXT TakeOver NOLA, with Baszler snatching the title away from Moon, is the perfect chapter to close on, or to keep things rolling, depending on where things stand after the match.
Winner: Shayna Baszler
NXT Championship Match
Andrade “Cien” Almas vs. Aleister Black
Andrade “Cien” Almas established himself as the best that NXT has to offer after defeating Johnny Gargano in Philly to retain the NXT Championship. Aleister Black has tackled just about everything and everyone in his path so far, and is the clear no. 1 contender for the title.
These two met during WrestleMania weekend last year, at NXT TakeOver Orlando, but both are in far different places than they were at that time. On that night, Black was making his NXT debut, and Almas was in a slump and struggling to find success in the ring.
It feels somewhat poetic to have these two meet up again one year later, this time for the title, in what would no doubt be a fantastic match.
Winner: Andrade “Cien” Almas
What are your predictions for TakeOver: New Orleans? Let us know on Twitter, @TheRumbleRamble.
