6 Predictions For NXT TakeOver: Orlando
Can NXT steal WrestleMania 33's thunder?
WrestleMania 33 might be the biggest show of the year, but for many fans, it won't even be the highlight of the weekend. As has become tradition with WWE's biggest PPVs, NXT presents TakeOver: Orlando the night before the main roster's flagship event - and they're bringing a great card.
Tye Dillinger, Roderick Strong, No Way Jose, and newcomer Ruby Riot will face the dominant Sanity at the start of the night, and Andrade "Cien" Almas shall have the honour of welcoming the debuting Aleister Black to NXT. The Authors of Pain put their NXT Tag Team Championships on the line against DIY and The Revival, and later, Ember Moon challenges for Asuka's Women's Title.
An NXT Title match between Bobby Roode and Shinsuke Nakamura will close the show, and after losing the belt to Roode in January, The King of Strong Style couldn't have picked a bigger stage for his rematch.
Last year's pre-WrestleMania TakeOver (Dallas) was one of WWE's shows of 2016. Will Orlando meet the same standards? It's tough to tell, but as usual, NXT have done a great job of assembling a show that's both exciting and tough to predict...
6. Kassius Ohno Makes An Appearance
Kassius Ohno has wasted no time in reintroducing himself as a major NXT player since returning to WWE. Though unsuccessful in capturing Bobby Roode’s NXT Championship, Ohno has remained in the spotlight over the past few weeks, and had the honour of sending “The Drifter” Elias Samson packing in a Loser Leaves NXT contest earlier this week.
Despite this, Kassius finds himself without a match in Orlando. He has been used primarily as a high-level spot-filler since his comeback, and WWE are yet to give him a significant storyline. This is obviously disappointing, but we can definitely expect a more focused Ohno after TakeOver, and the writers could kickstart his next big move on the show itself.
Ohno is too talented and popular to be completely excluded from TakeOver, so expect him to make an appearance. It’s unlikely that he’ll involve himself in the title scene so soon after losing to Roode, but he has a long, storied history with the debuting Aleister Black. Perhaps NXT will incorporate this in an angle, or maybe they’ll try to insert Ohno into the rapidly expanding Sanity feud.
Either way, expect him to make an impact.