10 HUGE WWE NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver Predictions You Need To Know

9. Pete Dunne Vs. Kushida

Finn Bálor
WWE

Bare minimum stuff for a potentially show-stealing contest, Pete Dunne and Kushida's tussle over the right to call themselves the "best technical wrestler in NXT" is about all the pair can fight for having fallen short in major title matches of late.

Though the brand hardly relies on wins and losses (Dunne once lost a Number One contender's match to Kyle O'Reilly, waited for O'Reilly to lose, then just declared himself next in line anyway), the two are more than capable of making the result matter over the course of their allotted 15 minutes or so.

And running time is crucial here - the contest will almost immediately die if the pair outstay their welcome and miss the peak. Kushida is still gorgeously explosive in comebacks and Dunne remains expert at knowing when to break hearts at the same time as fingers, but anything longer that it needs to be will show up the booking as an excuse to wedge both onto the card. The wrestlers cannot afford the veneer of importance slipping from view.

Winner - Pete Dunne

 
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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 over 30 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz", Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 50,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, 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