WWE NXT TakeOver The End: 5 Near-Guarantees & 5 Possible Surprises
4. Near-Guarantee: Austin Aries Will Lose And Turn Heel
Most fans will be going into this match knowing the result, especially the smarks who are well aware of how much stock WWE has invested in Shinsuke Nakamura. The company finally has a star that could bridge the gap between Japanese and American wrestling audiences and there's no way it will mess with that.
So where does that leave Nakamura's opponent, Austin Aries? Oddly enough, in a very favourable position. Although Samoa Joe is holding the fort at the top of the card, Baron Corbin left a gaping hole in NXT's midcard when he was promoted to the main roster. NXT is in desperate need of an established heel to work with its plethora of babyface talent that are one step away from breaking out.
Aries' heel turn has been setup perfectly, playing the part of the overlooked performer having debuted on the same TakeOver as Nakamura. A loss to Nakamura at The End, a man who is clearly the more over of the pair, will open the door for an Aries attack after the bell.
For those unfamiliar with Aries' work pre-NXT, his best by far was done as a heel. It should comes as no surprise that a man who refers to himself as "The Greatest Man That Ever Lived" is fantastic at making people hate him. Enjoy this piece of mastery as proof of what Aries can do as a jealous, arrogant bad guy.