9 Things That Must Happen At NXT TakeOver: Philadelphia
Is Johnny Wrestling's dream about to come true?
It only feels like yesterday that Drew McIntyre’s biceps popped and Andrade Almas walked away with the NXT Championship, but another NXT TakeOver has arrived. WWE developmental takes its highly lauded series to Philadelphia, for a show that will almost certainly put the main roster in a tough position come Sunday night.
Expectations are sky-high for NXT TakeOvers at this point, and with good reason. When was the last time fans were disappointed by the special live event? The Philadelphia card may not be the most stacked in TakeOver history, but there is plenty to be excited about.
It is imperative that NXT starts 2018 on the right foot, and an efficient TakeOver will do just that. Will Almas prove to be little more than a transitional champion? Will Adam Cole hand Aleister Black his first singles defeat? Can Ember Moon survive Shayna Baszler? NXT has plenty of decisions to make before the opening bell on Saturday - will it make the right ones?
9. The Hottest Free Agent Is In The Crowd!
NXT has often introduced new signings to the roster at TakeOver shows, usually by showing them sitting in the crowd and acknowledging their presence. Tom Phillips, Corey Graves, Mauro Ranallo and the rest of the announcers will generally accompany the shot by spouting some nonsense about the ‘hottest free agent in sports entertainment today’. Weeks later, we’ll see them in the ring.
This is a fairly uninspired way to introduce someone to NXT, but the recent spate of signings means that it may well be a wise route to return to. WWE has recently signed Ricochet, Candice LeRae and War Machine, and the assumption is that all four will start in developmental. Not one of the quartet needs this of course, but these vastly experienced workers must learn how to perform in the WWE Universe. You can make your own questionable hand gestures at that claim.
This may well be the best way to debut Candice LeRae in NXT. Ricochet is the man to drag 205 Live back from its current miserable status, and War Machine will make an impact in a different way. Johnny Gargano’s spot in the main event also gives a solid reason for Candice to be in the crowd, and she could even get involved to nullify the impact of Zelina Vega. Either way, Candice should pop up on the show.