WWE NXT Takeover: Philadelphia preview

On the same weekend as every major WWE PPV event, usually on the night before, is NXT Takeover. It's shorter, has way fewer matches, and usually features the best wrestling of the weekend. And so, we begin Rumble Week in earnest, with the preview of the next one, WWE NXT Takeover Philadelphia.

Kassius Ohno Vs. Velveteen Dream

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This is the battle of the guys who recently had great matches against Johnny Gargano on the Weekly NXT shows. Ohno's job right now appears to be putting over the young talent, and Dream is definitely both young AND a huge talent. This is likely to be the opener, and it is likely to be very solid.

Prediction: Dream wins

Undisputed Era Vs. Authors of Pain for the NXT Tag Team Title

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AOP have long ago put all doubts about them. They consistently have awesome Takeover matches that are much better than two dudes of their size should have any right to have. ReDragon, in their current incarnation as Undisputed or in any previous incarnation, are one of the best tag teams on the planet. These four guys will set out to steal the show, and they may just do it.

Prediction: Unidsputed Era win with shenanigans, and AOP go to the main roster.

Aleister Black vs. Adam Cole in a Extreme Rules match

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This is going to be a very, very good match. Black is an amazing worker, whereas Cole is a very good worker with outsized charisma.

Black has a win over Cole, so traditionally, Cole would get it back here. However, WWE may want to promote Black to the main roster with zero losses in singles matches. Cole also cost Black his shot at the title, so a revenge win makes sense. And in an Extreme Rules match, Cole is likely to get help from his Undisputed Era brethren.

But mostly, I expect this to be a match in which the two former indie stars find creative and incredible ways to make us think one of them has killed the other.

Prediction: Cole wins for the Undisputed sweep. He needs this more.

Ember Moon vs. Shayna Baszler for the NXT Women's title

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I have very mixed feelings about this match. Mostly because a part of me is always wondering how much of Baszler's booking is about her, and how much of it is about her friend Ronda Rousey. Because she has not been there long enough to merit this shot.

Still, she's very good, and Ember is great, so I expect a strong match.

Prediction: For both of their futures, Ember Moon has to go over here. She needs to solidify her position as the top woman in NXT, and the audience, already iffy on Baszler, may well turn on her, and not in the good "you're a great heel and we hate you way."

Andrade "Cien" Almas vs. Johnny Gargano for the NXT title

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This one has two kinds of storylines. There's the explicit one being told, and there's at least two than CAN be told, and can be mixed together. The explicit story is obvious: Ultimate underdog Johnny Wrestling could have beaten Almas twice before he got the title, but Almas' manager got in his head and he lost. Now that Andrade is the champ, they're doing it again with higher stakes than ever.

But I'm an internet mark, and of course I care more about the two potential x-factors. The first one is Gargano's former partner Tommaso Ciampa. Ciampa turned on Gargano with a brutal attack before heading off to recover from injury. At some point, the story will pick up. And what better stage than a title match?

The second potential x-factor could work with the first, or without it. WWE very recently signed Johnny Gargano's real life wife, Candice LeRae. While it is certainly possible that the signing is about the Rumble, or not even related to any event this weekend, she could also appear here, either to counter Vega or Ciampa, or both. Candice is one of the toughest people in wrestling, and despite her diminutive stature, has been a terrific intergender wrestler, both as one half of The World's Cutest Tag Team and in singles competition. She has, in fact, wrestled both Gargano and Ciampa in the past, in brutal matches.

Prediction: This is a tough one, but I'm going with my heart: Johnny Gargano, AKA Johnny Wrestling, wins in a pure feel good moment. Johnny and Candice kiss in the ring with the title to end the night.