6 HUGE NXT TakeOver: New Orleans Predictions You Need To Know
1. The Black Parade
Aleister Black's tenure in NXT started with an Orlando crowd so obnoxiously wrapped up in themselves that they completely missed him polishing off Andrade 'Cien' Almas with his Black Mass finisher.
The conclusion was unfairly maligned, but the contest itself was understandably ignored. Almas was a dead issue on the developmental brand, and not remotely the 'right' performer to give 'The Ominous Man From Amsterdam' his strong first showing.
What a wonderful difference a year makes.
Freshly removed from a match-of-the-year candidate clash with Johnny Gargano, 'Cien' looks destined for a post-WrestleMania main roster debut in front of audiences keen to see his act with Zelina Vega make the leap. Failing upwards, his NXT Championship loss will (as usual) be a gain, going over as he goes out to give Black the best possible launching pad as the new brand leader.
He too has shone since the shaky start, with a star-making display against Velveteen Dream in November putting both on the map as the performers from NXT's new class to get excited about in the coming months. Slotting in as the brand's champion will make good on that scintillating Autumnal promise.