10 HUGE NXT TakeOver: Portland Predictions You Need To Know

5. Rhea Ripley (c) Vs. Bianca Belair

Randy Orton
WWE

Rhea Ripley and Bianca Belair's feud has been great in spells, but routinely found itself victim to weekly hijacking on Monday Night Raw following Charlotte Flair's Royal Rumble win.

When Belair won a thrilling Battle Royal on NXT television to earn her place in this very match, 'The EST' was a fascinating first challenger for Ripley following her own cathartic victory over Shayna Baszler. The sidelining she's experienced as result of Flair's involvement has been unfair, not least considering how hard the trio worked at rectifying during 'The Queen's brief trip to Full Sail a fortnight before the actual match.

It'd be nice to try and fantasy book (or...fantasy figure out) a way in which Belair makes it to WrestleMania alongside Ripley and Flair but it simply doesn't feel like that time, that place or that story. Here's hoping the predictability doesn't hamstring what should otherwise be yet another banger from the best division in wrestling.

Winner - Rhea Ripley

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation over 7 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back almost 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 60,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett