6 NXT TakeOver: WarGames Predictions
Who'll make history in Houston?
NXT's breathtaking TakeOver specials have a long history of outclassing WWE's main roster pay-per-view offerings, particularly since moving to Saturday nights, when the comparison is much more instantaneous. They pulled it off back in August, when Brooklyn III destroyed a deeply mediocre SummerSlam, and they'll be out to continue the tradition this weekend, with WarGames on Saturday, and Survivor Series the night after.
Fans have been screaming for WWE to revive the titular stipulation since inheriting it from WCW, and we'll finally get it in Houston, with The Undisputed Era, Sanity, and Roderick Strong & The Authors Of Pain charged with upholding the gimmick's lofty stipulation. There's no telling how WarGames will look through WWE's lens, but that intrigue is part of what makes this such an exciting event, and the rest of the card looks strong too.
Drew McIntyre will defend his NXT Championship against Andrade Almas, four of NXT's brightest stars shall contest the vacant Women's Title, and big names like Kassius Ohno, UK Champion Pete Dunne, and Aleister Black are all in action. How will they fare at this potentially historic event? Let's take a look.
6. Pete Dunne Retains
There's no way that Johnny Gargano vs. Pete Dunne isn't going to rule. It'll pit the most naturally likeable babyface in the entire company against one of the most loathsome heels in the business, with Gargano's expert-level selling sure to draw bags of sympathy from the Houston crowd. He might be the only man in the company capable of compelling a building to boo Dunne these days, such his his mastery, and while Johnny will spend much of this bout getting bullied around the ring, he'll shine regardless.
It's a perfect clash of characters and styles, but there's only one problem with Dunne vs. Gargano: it's a dark match.
This UK Title bout is being advertised for the live crowd only, and that's a crying shame. On paper, it's a potential 'Match Of The Year' contender, but who knows? Perhaps if it lives up to its billing, and the fans make enough noise online, WWE will release it through the Network or YouTube after the show.
Booking-wise, 'The Bruiserweight' will almost certainly go over. Gargano's great, but Pete is still the ideal guy to build the UK project around, particularly with a TV show now in the works for early 2018.