5 HUGE NXT TakeOver: WarGames 2019 Predictions You Need To Know
It's a Saturday in November and the NXT roster are going to war. But who will survive for Sunday?
Getting to WarGames this year has been...challenging.
NXT's involvement in the Survivor Series has enlivened a show that, on evidence from the last few years has barely even needed the help. It's objectively driven interest - both SmackDown and NXT were enhanced in both quality and ratings respectively during the first week of the build, but confusion had a tendency to overwhelm at points along the way, not least when this particular TakeOver was driven by two mutli-person matches.
Indeed, presumably before Triple H even knew his gang would be thrust into the 'Thanksgiving Classic', he'd mapped out a women's division so rich that it warranted all hell breaking loose in the famous double-ring double-cage extravaganza.
In the men's division, an injury to Johnny Gargano ruled out a dream match with Finn Bálor, but removed Matt Riddle from the WarGames clash in the process. Keen to tease out the fantasy bookers from their careful caves, 'The Game' used a media call to note that the final member of Team Ciampa wouldn't be announced until the day, but would be a welcome surprise.
In taking a closer look at the show itself, that feels like as good a place to start as anywhere...
5. The Fourth Man
Triple H's unique promotion of the mystery partner for Team Ciampa brought about echoes of 1990 and The Undertaker emerging alongside Ted Dibiase's Survivor Series team (rather than from a giant egg), mainly because 'The Deadman's reveal was one of the only times in wrestling history that expectations were met and/or exceeded.
Gargano's injury has forced a workaround, and in cases such as this in recent years, WWE have over-delivered hugely in their replacements. This allows for one of the most fun things about following wrestling altogether - wild, fantastical predictions.
Velveteen Dream was/is on the injured list but has gone suspiciously without mention since picking up a knock and has beef for days with The Undisputed Era. There's the possibility it's Kevin Owens, heeding the advice he heard on Monday and making his choice before Survivor Series itself. Isiah 'Swerve' Scott perhaps doesn't fit Hunter's call-in brief, but has been an explosive and exciting presence on television so far. Shawn Michaels is on speed dial and already knows the layout and probably wants to try and fix a legacy damaged by his Crown Jewel catastrophe.
Tl;dr - it's probably Velveteen Dream.