NXT are building towards their annual WrestleMania weekend TakeOver event, this time with a mostly spur-of-the-moment card. Having just come off of a recent TakeOver event in Portland, where Adam Cole defended his NXT Championship against Tommaso Ciampa in the show’s main event, NXT are being forced into putting new feuds together in time for the start of April.
In order for TakeOver: Tampa to become the talking point of WrestleMania weekend , this particular event needs to have a card equivalent to that of the show of shows itself. Usually, NXT knock it out of the park with some huge attractions and satisfying pay-off to blood feuds and grudge matches, with the current landscape shaping up to pit the best of the best against one another, I’m sure this event will be no different.
Let’s run down 5 potential matches to be included on the TakeOver: Tampa card. We look at the championship scenes and predict who will be given the spotlight over one of the most important weekends across the entire industry.
Make sure you throw down your own predictions in the comments below.
Adam Cole vs Velveteen Dream – NXT Championship
In the most recent episode of NXT TV, Velveteen Dream reigned supreme over the Undisputed Era after a thrilling Cage match with Roderick Strong. Even though Roddy walked away with the victory, Dream made it clear that he had bigger ideas in mind for his pending future. Dream chose to lock himself in the cage with NXT Champion Adam Cole, and proceeded to show up the champ as well as the rest of UE, walking away with the title and staking a huge claim for TakeOver: Tampa.
Even though the match has yet to be confirmed, I’m pretty sure this will be the direction they go in. Velveteen Dream is a huge babyface draw for the black and gold brand, and is long overdue a run at the top of the mountain. With Tommaso Ciampa now occupied with a revived feud with Johnny Gargano, it makes perfect sense for Adam Cole to drop the title to the equally popular Dream.
Naturally these two will have an absolute belter of a title fight in Tampa, worthy of WrestleMania itself. There’s definitely a chance that these two could steal the weekend, and rightfully so, they have both consistently worked in some of NXT’s hottest feuds and deserve the almighty spotlight of WrestleMania weekend.
The Broserweights vs The Undisputed Era vs Grizzled Young Veterans – NXT Tag Team Championships
The Grizzled Young Veterans have arrived in NXT and have set their sights on the NXT Tag Team titles. After The Broserweights collided with Undisputed Era in a rematch for the Tag Titles, GYV made it clear that they weren’t waiting in line for a shot at Dunne and Riddle.
It’s kind of difficult to not book Kyle O’Reilly and Bobby Fish outside of the Tag division, so naturally we think this is going to build to a huge triple threat match at TakeOver: Tampa. It’s great to see so many NXT UK talents starting to crossover to OG NXT and being given some well-deserved attention on TakeOver cards. Gibson and Drake are phenomenal talents who will not walk away looking terrible after the upcoming title fight.
I’m not sure this is the time for GYV to win the titles, seeing as The Broserweights are on such a roll with their makeshift odd-couple shenanigans, but it should be a really fun attraction match to help put over how amazing the standards of tag wrestling are across all of NXT.
Keith Lee vs Dominik Dijakovic vs Damien Priest vs Cameron Grimes – North American Championship
The North American Championship scene has been absolutely buzzing since Keith Lee dethroned Roderick Strong and started to unpick UE’s monopoly over NXT. Lee’s last defence on a TakeOver card rightfully won over the last few fans who weren’t sold on hoss wrestlers being given 15+ minute matches at a big event. ‘The Limitless One’ now has a handful of NXT’s brightest stars pitching for a chance to usurp the 300 pounder.
With Damien Priest, Cameron Grimes and Dominik Dijakovic all hounding Lee for a chance at the North American title, it could make for a real exciting multi-man dance at TakeOver: Tampa. The outlier here is of course Grimes, who doesn’t quite size-up to the other three giants vying for the big red belt. Nevertheless, ‘The Technical Savage’ is an incredible star waiting to be made on NXT. His addition to the match should help tie the match together and keep up the flow throughout.
This should be a great match, highlighting Keith Lee’s rise to the top in recent months and helping build the rest of the mid-card for the rest of 2020.
Finn Balor vs WALTER – NXT United Kingdom Championship
I’m sure the majority of NXT fans are penning Finn Balor vs WALTER for the upcoming NXT UK TakeOver in Dublin. The Irishman is a natural selection for the main event of Ireland’s first mainstream pay-per-view, but quite frankly, it might be a little too big of a title fight to not take place at the WrestleMania weekend TakeOver.
Similar to last years UK title match in New York between Pete Dunne and WALTER, it’s a dream match worth putting on an NXT card to help showcase NXT UK and build towards the rematch in Dublin. WALTER is coming up on his first anniversary of being UK Champion, the huge match with Finn Balor should help promote him and his ability to work a high-profile match on the big stage.
The NXT UK title has always found itself in the middle of technically sound matches, I can’t see this particular affair being anything else but. Finn Balor would be an interesting choice to dethrone Imperium’s head-honcho on his 1-year anniversary, with TakeOver: Dublin on the horizon and NXT UK riding a wave of momentum since starting 2020, it could be a great excuse for the brand to poach another huge star for the next few tapings.
Jordan Devlin vs Jack Gallagher – NXT Cruiserweight Championship
‘The Irish Ace’ is currently out with a brief injury, but hopefully the NXT Cruiserweight Champion should be back in time for TakeOver: Tampa. Lio Rush has earned himself another shot at the title in the coming weeks, I’m not sure that’ll extend to ‘Mania weekend though. Devlin should carry on with his Cruiserweight title reign for at least a little while longer, he’s bringing a lot of new eyes to the NXT UK product and making waves throughout the industry.
With the resident gentlemen of 205 Live, Jack Gallagher, recently re-packaging himself as a less-refined street brawler, you’d imagine that it’s only a matter of time before Gallagher steps up to challenge for the Cruiserweight championship. Gallagher’s new look has made him the talking point of the Cruiserweight division, naturally poising him as the challenger for WrestleMania weekend.
Perhaps it’s a little too soon for Jack Gallagher to re-enter the title picture, but I personally would love to see these two technical wizards matched up against one another in a truly physical contest.
Chelsea Green vs Bianca Belair vs Dakota Kai vs Tegan Nox vs Shotzi Blackheart vs Kayden Carter – Ladder Match for a shot at NXT Women’s Championship
NXT confirmed on the latest TV episode that there will be a 6-way Ladder match to determine the next challenger to either Rhea Ripley or Charlotte Flair following their match at WrestleMania. Chelsea Green has already punched her ticket to the ladder match in Tampa, leaving 5 other spots to be claimed over the next few weeks.
We suspect the majority of the ‘headlining’ names of the Women’s division will find themselves involved, including: Tegan Nox, Dakota Kai and Bianca Belair with some dark horses being thrown into the mix to help boost up their own credibility; Shotzi Blackheart and Kayden Carter have come to mind to help add another layer of intrigue to the ladder match.
Perhaps now is the time to establish the leading member of the Robert Stone brand as a future NXT Women’s Champion. Either way, the winner of this match will have quite the challenge waiting for them after WrestleMania.
Johnny Gargano vs Tommaso Ciampa
Here we are once again reporting on the next chapter in the Gargano vs Ciampa rivalry. With Johnny Wrestling now acting as the antagonist, it should make for a fresh dynamic between the two former friends and partners at TakeOver: Tampa. Naturally, NXT are going to want to put this blockbuster match on their biggest show of the year. A feud this storied should certainly fit in with the rest of WrestleMania weekend.
I’m not sure exactly what route NXT are going to go down to make this instalment of the Gargano/Ciampa series different. With the two already tearing the house down in such hardcore affairs as the Unsanctioned match, there’s not much further they can go to put over just how much disdain there is between the two frenemies.
Maybe this will be more of an outright brawl, rather than a straight-up wrestling contest. Will we even see a match take place? Or will it simply be a means of breaking up the card and pencilling a bloody battle for a future card when things are slightly less stacked.
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