8 HUGE WWE NXT TakeOver: In Your House 2021 Predictions You Need To Know

6. Mercedes Martinez Vs. Xia Li

Indi Hartwell Dexter Lumis
WWE.com

Mercedes Martinez currently finds herself in quite an enviable position on an evolving NXT women's roster.

Thanks to WWE's institutional sexism and ageism, she'll almost certainly never be pushed as the division's top star, but as a 40-year-old female, the best she can hope for is a role as the experienced veteran rather than somebody that might still have a shred of ambition.

If the company have learned anything from losing Serena Deeb, it's not to relegate such prodigious talent to coaching roles when they've got sh*tloads still to offer. What Martinez offers here specifically is a chance for NXT to legitimise a supernatural act just enough that it might stand a chance of having a bright future.

Booking Xia Li as somebody who's become ten times the wrestler because of magic powers is infinitely preferable to her having them, and the quality brawl they had on the go-home teased a sh*tkicker of a fight that could and should tell that exact story.

Winner - Xia Li

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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