by Rob Goodwin @REALRobGoodwinI will be perfectly honest. After the draft, I completley lost interest in NXT. I just felt like the writing and the characters weren't captivating enough and gradually stopped watching. It didn't help of course that Ryan Ward, head writer during NXT's much lauded 'Golden Age' had been promoted to head writer on SmackDown Live during the draft, leaving NXT to flounder somewhat. However, since the last Takeover, based in San Antonio the night before The Royal Rumble, I've been dragged well and truly back into the product. With rumours of Shinsuke's imminent promotion to the main roster and Samoa Joe's elevation earlier on this year, it leaves NXT in an interesting predicament. Who will be the next breakout star of the brand? This, and the fact that some of the characters have progressed themselves so well, are the reasons I find myself genuinley excited to watch NXT once again. So with that, here we have it, my predictions for NXT Takeover Orlando! Side note: The second match is merely a rumoured match thus far, though it is heavily rumoured to feature on the card in some capacity. Whether it is broken down into a six man tag and then a stand alone women's bout, or left as an 8 person inter gender tag match is unclear. I've left it as an 8 person tag match; Match #1 - No Way Jose, Roderick Strong, Tye Dillinger & Ruby Riot vs. SAniTyWe have already seen an incarnation of this match and I must admit, the promise of a rematch hardly fills me with enthusiasm. I love Eric Young and all the other members of SAniTy, but they have been on top of Dillinger for too long now, and especially as the numbers game has been nullified with the addition of Ruby Riot to counteract the fantastic Nikki Cross, I can only see a face win and the team of DILLINGER, JOSE, STRONGand RUBY RIOT claiming the win to close the chapter on this feud. Match #2 - Aleister Black vs. Andrade ‘Cien’ AlmasI mentioned earlier in the blog post about how I was impressed with some of the character work that the NXT superstars were clearly putting in, and no where is this more clear than in Andrade Cien Almas. His work as an infuriatingly smug heel is fantastic and his squash of Ho Ho Lun and subsequent brilliant bout against Oney Lorcan on NXT 383 proves that he can certainly take the place of the brand's top heel, his Hammerlock DDT is also a thing of beauty. However, though not wrestling a match yet for the company, I am plumping for ALEISTER BLACK. The former Tommy End is an absolute beast of the highest order and his vignettes that have been airing for the past few weeks on the show have gotten me extremely excited to see him wrestle under the WWE banner. Match #3 - The Authors of Pain (c) vs. #DIY vs. The Revival |