Takeover: New Orleans preview time!
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NXT Tag Team Championship Triple Threat Match - The Authors of Pain vs. The Undisputed Era (c) vs. Pete Dunne and Roderick Strong
With Bobby Fish going down with injury, it appears that Adam Cole will be taking his place as O'Reilly's tag team partner. Or maybe not. He was given that option by Regal, but he as also given the option of letting O'Reilly fend for himself. I'm inclined to believe that Cole will just pull double duty. This should be a fun match. The AOP have been delivering in big matches for years now, but I think they're due for a call-up. I think the Undisputed Era retain, which will give Adam Cole something to do while he waits for his turn at the main title.
Winner: The Undisputed Era
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NXT Women's Championship Match - Ember Moon (c) vs. Shayna Baszler
These two had a solid but not spectacular match at the last Takeover. I expect something similar here. Ember seems in line for a call-up, as she's one of the most polished, athletic women in the entire company. My guess is they go with Baszler here and move on to a Kairi/Shayna program.
Winner: Shayna Baszler
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NXT North American Championship Ladder Match - Ethan Carter III vs. Adam Cole vs. Velveteen Dream vs. Ricochet vs. Lars Sullivan vs. Killain Dain
This should be a hell of a match. Ricochet was born to wrestle matches like this, and we get the in-ring debut of Carter as well. It's really damn tough to figure out who is going to win this one, as I don't think any of these guys are getting called up just yet and you could make a compelling case for all six of them. I think the smartest choice would be Ricochet. He's new, the crowd loves him, and he's a workhorse in the ring. Plus, if Black wins the NXT Title, Cole and ECIII would be the most fitting heel challengers.
Winner: Ricochet
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Unsanctioned Match - Johnny Gargano vs. Tommaso Ciampa
This has a pretty damn good chance of being the best match in a weekend where we'll get Aleister Black vs. Andrade Almas, Shinsuke Nakamura vs. AJ Styles, the in-ring return of Daniel Bryan, Charlotte vs. Asuka, and an awesome NXT ladder match. The last time these guys went one on one, it was in the first round of the Cruiserweight Classic, and it was one of the best matches of the entire tournament. This time, the build is there to make it so much more. Ciampa has been the best heel in the WWE since making his return a couple of months back. He just knows how to work a crowd and make them hate him. Gargano, in contrast, is the best pure babyface the WWE has had since Daniel Bryan. He connects with the crowd in a way no one has been able to since Bryan. This just has the makings of an incredible match. Two elite workers playing their roles to perfection, with the crowd fully invested in Gargano winning and getting his job in NXT back. Now, they could swerve us here and have Ciampa win, sending Gargano to the main roster. But I think it would be a damn shame if Gargano never holds the NXT Title (a Ciampa/Gargano title program would be incredible), so I'm picking him to win.
Winner: Johnny Gargano
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NXT Championship Match - Andrade Almas vs. Aleister Black
These guys meet for the NXT Championship a year after they met in Black's debut match. Needless to say, things have changed a great deal for Almas since then. He looked to be on his way out of WWE, unhappy with his role and essentially occupying the mid-card indie jobber/coach role with guys like Kassius Ohno. A year later, Almas has become one of the best parts of NXT. Pairing him up with Vega has worked masterfully, as she can cut the promos he's incapable of while also helping him get heat when she interferes in his matches. This is another match that is incredibly difficult to call, as both of these guys are basically ready to be called up. Given the role they gave Almas in the Royal Rumble, though, I'm inclined to believe it's his time, and we should be seeing him on either 205 Live or Raw/Smackdown next week. And 205 Live no longer feels like a death sentence.
Winner: Aleister Black
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This is just a damn good card. It's hard to see any of these matches being disappointing. I suspect we'll see NXT's streak of outperforming the main roster PPV it's paired with continue for at least another few months.
