5 HUGE NXT TakeOver: War Games 2018 Predictions You Need To Know

4. Shayna Baszler Vs. Kairi Sane

War Games
WWE

The challenge for Shayna Baszler and Kairi Sane here will be making these three falls as interesting as the prior trio from the last 18 months.

The imperfections of their Mae Young Classic 2017 final were washed away by the Pacific Ocean-size praise that washed over their TakeOver: Brooklyn 4 masterpiece. A stunning old school heel/babyface encounter, the vicious and violent Baszler was undone by not just by Sane's smooth skillset but her unshakeable guile. It took Baszler's Four Horsewomen cronies Marina Shafir and Jessamyn Duke to help her reclaim her prize - the need to utilise their presence was effectively Shayna's first show of weakness or fear since bursting onto the roster.

The stipulation here should allow the programme to reach its permanent end, but it perhaps won't be a particularly happy one for the 'Pirate Princess'. If Ronda Rousey's fellow 'Horsewomen' are to be firmly established and entrenched within NXT's relatively small universe, they'll require a win here to give themselves the necessary leg up. Shayna's the best thing to happen to this prestigious title since Asuka anyway - in that division, 'The Queen Of Spades' is the new Ace.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 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 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 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana 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