NXT Takeover VENGEANCE DAY Predictions

 It has been a while since I wrote a prediction post but with NXT Takeover Vengeance Day just around the corner, I thought that I would bring back an old regular and make my predictions for this Sunday’s show. We have a stacked card ahead of us and could result in some major changes to the black and gold brand during Wrestlemania season, a PPV that is becoming more and more relevant for NXT talent. As always, I will be live-tweeting during Takeover Vengeance Day this weekend so make sure to drop me a follow over at @TezangiVictoria ahead of the show.

 

Io Shirai vs Toni Storm vs Mercedes Martinez

This weekend the NXT Women’s Championship will be defended in a triple threat match with champ Io Shirai defending the title against Mercedes Martinez and Toni Storm. All three women are of course, incredibly popular amongst the wrestling community have possesses different styles that could work as a standout and impressive match up. We have a mix of talent from a powerhouse to a highflyer to a technical talent all with differencing levels of experience.  The build to this match has been kept short and simple but is it enough to see a title change? Personally, I cant see Io dropping the NXT Women’s championship this weekend despite the numbers and odds being against here. I'm expecting we will have a fantastic showing from each woman, some close calls and career-changing performances for the two challengers. This night is extremely important for Mercedes who needs to make her mark in the black and gold brand show us who she is and what she is bringing to a stacked division. Her experience is sure to come into play here and how she performs will really indicate not only the role she will play on the roster but how high the WWE are on her. As for Storm, she remains a fan favourite and it will be interesting to see how she is booked. Expect impressive spots and neat sequences between Storm and Io in particular.

Overall, I’m hoping for a lengthy title bout that puts the two challengers in the spotlight but in the end, I predict Io will retain the title and keep hold of gold for a little longer.

Johnny Gargano vs Kushida (North American Championship)

While I may not personally be the biggest Kushida fan I am indeed looking forward to the up and coming North American championship match between the man himself and current champ, Johnny Gargano. These two men have been in each other’s way for the better part of a month now and a title match was something we all had predicted for a while and this weekend we will see them finally come face to face for the championship at Takeover Vengeance Day. These two incredible in-ring performers and the build to this match has been pretty decent. Again, I’m not expecting a title change here at all but I do believe this has the potential to be one of the surprising standout matches of the evening. Kushida has not truly made the impact so many were expecting him to since his arrival in the WWE and while he has worked great matches something is missing. Gargano’s character work has been on fire since his recent heel turn and working with a talent like Kushida could really be beneficial for everyone involved. Expect a standout wrestling contest here that again reminds of how good Kushida is and do not let this fade into the background on a night that has a very stacked card!

 

MSK VS Grizzled Young Veterans

I’m going to surprise a few people here and say that this match is the one I am most looking forward to this weekend. I have really enjoyed the men’s Dusty Rhodes tag team classic and the surprises we have seen throughout, and I could not be happier with the finals. Here we have two young teams with a lot to show for themselves and the end could really go either way! MSK has been dominant since they arrived on the black and gold brand and there is a lot of buzz around their name and their arrival in the WWE, could that give them an advantage? It sure would be very early on for them to pick up such a big win that could indicate new faces of the tag division. They would make for an exciting challenge to the current NXT Tag Team Champs and very well be a popular duo to dethrone Lorcan and Burch also. However, on the flip side I have to admit that it’s the Grizzled Young Veterans I’m going to be rooting for this Sunday. The pair came very close in a previous year to getting the win and I truly do believe 2021 is the year these two UK stars really breakout. I’ve been following Gibson and Drake for years and a big win like this is much deserved, they may not be the favourites in this final but this would be a huge deal and a victory that could change everything for this exciting and all-round strong talents.

Regardless of the end result fans can expect this to be an epic tag team collision between two very different teams!

Ember Moon & Shotzi Blackheart vs Dakota Kai & Raquel Gonzalez

The historic first-ever Women’s Dusty Rhodes tag team classic has certainly been fun to watch. The likes of Kayden Carter and Kacy Catanzaro has stood out massively and benefited from the tournament while momentum has been built for several talents who needed it and this weekend, we will see the finals take place when Ember Moon and Shotzi Blackheart taken on Dakota Kai and Raquel Gonzalez. In all honesty, I am not totally surprised with the finals line up. These two teams were early favourites from with Kai and Raquel working as a solid team for a year and Moon and Blackheart working as fan faves who needed momentum. Now, personally, I was hoping to see Kai and Gonzalez get the win but with this being one of the most unpredictable bouts on the card the result really could go either way. Two singles stars who were not working as a proper team prior to the tournament won the first men’s version of this tag team classic and considering their need for momentum and their role within the conversations of future women’s champions I would not be surprised to see Moon and Blackheart score the win. However, with that in mind, Raquel has been on fire for months now and if Kai doesn’t take the loss for them, I can certainly see her picking up yet another huge victory this weekend.

 

Finn Balor vs Pete Dunne (NXT Championship)

This right here is a dream match. Pete Dunne and Finn Balor are two men who know this industry inside out. They have their differences in terms of in-ring styles but their technical backgrounds, intense move sets and experience have set this up as a must-see match with very high expectations. We have seen both superstars work incredible bouts throughout their careers and while the build to this encounter hasn’t gripped me very much and the booking is a little random, I’m excited to see Dunne given the opportunity and fans are looking at a potential early match of the year candidate. Now, I do believe this is one of the more predictable matches of the evening; everyone and their mother is predicting Balor to face off against Karrion Kross in the near future where the former champ is most likely set to recapture gold however, this doesn’t take away from the fact that this up and coming takeover title bout is sure to be an epic main event that yet again highlights just how damn good Dunne is, his main event status and the unique feeling NXT has over the main roster shows.

 

And those are my predictions! As always I would love to know what you guys think so leave your predictions for NXT Takeover vengeance day bellow or tweet me over at @TezangiVictoria and remember I will be live tweeting during the show this Sunday.

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