5 HUGE NXT TakeOver: XXV Predictions You Need To Know
5. Matt Riddle vs. Roderick Strong
From an in-ring perspective, this potential opener looks like an absolute banger.
Matt Riddle and Roderick Strong are two of the hardest hitting wrestlers in the company. One was earmarked as a potential main roster star from the moment he signed, and the other is among the most underrated performers in the business. They're going to stiff the hell out of each other for 15 minutes straight. It isn't the night's most heavily promoted bout, but it will be one of the most exciting, and would be a potential 'Match of the Night' candidate on almost any other show.
This is a shot at redemption for poor old Roddy, who has been painted as something of a putz at the heart of the Undisputed Era's newfound tension. Leader Adam Cole has chosen him as a scapegoat for things going wrong. Strong and the group's de facto leader have butted heads on several occasions over the past couple of months and with Riddle involving himself in the NXT Title challenger's business lately, this is a path to atonement.
Shenanigans aside, it's hard to see Strong coming away with the victory. Expect Riddle to triumph, particularly as he's expected to challenge Cole or Johnny Gargano in the next TakeOver main event.
Winner: Matt Riddle.