411’s NXT Takeover: Brooklyn IV Preview

~THE STAFF~
* 411 Columnist, Mr. Mike Chin.
* 411 Contributor, Mr. Ken Hill.
* 411 Columnist, Mr. Justin Watry.
* 411 reviewer, Mr. Kevin Pantoja.
* 411 Contributor, Mr. Rob Stewart.

EC3 vs. Velveteen Dream

Rob Stewart: Dream can’t keep losing all of his biggest Takeover matches, can he? EC3 feels bulletproof enough to take this L, but after losing to Aleister Black and Ricochet, I feel like Dream is wading into dangerous territory should he succumb to another loss here. EC3, meanwhile, could eat the defeat and still easily and believably be built up to #1 contender status by next Takeover. So I do feel myself drifting into picking the guy who “needs” the win more, even if I might prefer to see EC3 go over (but it’s a slight preference; both guys are so damn enjoyable). Either way, these two HUGE personalities should make this whole encounter a lot of fun, even if it fails to match Dream/Black or Dream/Ricochet in terms of work.

WINNER: Velveteen Dream

Mike Chin: This is a clash between a guy who has felt underutilized, particularly in getting left off the last NXT TakeOver, and a guy long overdue for an NXT TakeOver victory. This could go either way, and should be fun. In the end, I’m picking EC3 to win here to set him up for a run at the North American or maybe the NXT Championship, and maybe we’ll see Dream called up sooner than later.

WINNER: EC3

Ken Hill: An interesting match-up here; it’s a heel-vs-heel dichotomy, which normally wouldn’t work so well in most cases, except here it also pits two of NXT’s popular, cocky superstars against one another, simply because one walked out on the other during a tag match. See Vince, booking a feud with certain wrestlers doesn’t always need to be so convoluted, unlike other feuds that have been stuck on “Rehash, Rinse, Repeat” for 4 years. Velveteen’s role as of late has been playing “gatekeeper” for NXT arrivals like Ricochet, Aleister Black and now EC3. His only real victory on the big stage came in the form of the comparatively lower Kassius Ohno at “Takeover: Philadelphia.” In my mind, he needs this more than EC3; it seems apparent he’s a long-term investment for NXT, and for that investment to pay off, he needs a substantial win here or there, not just to remain in title conversations, but to avoid having the stigma of being a “big match loser.”

WINNER: Velveteen Dream

Justin Watry: Two of the best NXT has to offer. Any moment now, Raw and Smackdown LIVE are going to be eyeing up some new talent for the Fall season. EC3 and Velveteen Dream may not be finished with NXT just yet but WWE may be ready for them. I tend to enjoy anything Dream does (huge Prince fan), so he gets a pass for the weird/weak pool scene with young Ethan last week. Still, it was one silly little interaction. The rest has been fun, entertaining and most importantly – different. Great balance to the card and one that will surely excite the live crowd on Saturday night. Good stuff all around. Give me the upset, and let’s go crazy!

WINNER: Dream

Kevin Pantoja: How good is the Velveteen Dream? This dude is special and everything he does is outstanding. I like EC3, but he hadn’t been too interesting in NXT until coming up against the Dream. It’s a tough match to call because I think Dream needs the win more, thanks to a poor TakeOver record, but EC3 hasn’t felt like a major deal yet. I guess I’ll say EC3, but Dream should win.

WINNER: EC3

NXT Women’s Title Match Champion Shayna Baszler vs. Kairi Sane

Rob Stewart: Kairi already feels a bit like she has been “TJP’ed”, winning an inaugural tournament but not amounting to too much in its wake. I don’t anticipate her having much chance here, as this should follow the Shayna/Ember Moon script of Baszler taking the initial loss, but having come back more prepared and having better scouted her foe for the rematch. The clash in styles should be fun with Kairi running around and doing her best to avoid Shayna’s grip, but the Queen of Spades is going to eventually ground her and retain her title. I’m not really sure where Kairi goes from here without taking the title–a battle of Mae Young tourney winners with Sane having the belt would be ideal–but Baszler is in the midst of a dominant run.

WINNER: Shayna Baszler
Mike Chin: Kairi Sane is a unique star, and Shayna Baszler is good enough that she seems to finally be winning over the haters who want to insist she’s only getting pushed for her connection onto Ronda Rousey. If their past encounters—particularly the Mae Young Classic final—are any indication, this could be quite good. I would be happy to see Sane win here, but I suspect there’s more mileage in Baszler carrying forward as champ, particularly with Candice LeRae demonstrating an excellent bully heel-underdog face dynamic opposite her in the original MYC, and the potential to revisit Baszler’s issue with Dakota Kai in a higher profile showdown.

WINNER: Shayna Baszler

Ken Hill: Now here’s a feud that’s had a nice, steady build over the past year; Sane notched a win over Baszler in the inaugural Mae Young Classic finals last year, and Shayna took a victory back from Kairi earlier this year in February, leaving the rubber match for this Sunday. Baszler’s steamrolled over the majority of the babyfaces on NXT’s female roster, so typically it wouldn’t be much of a surprise to see her go 2-1 over Sane here. However, there are a lot of different factors to take into consideration here:

— Like I pointed out, Shayna’s pretty much decimated the face side of the women’s roster. She beats Sane, then there’s literally no one left with any sort of positive momentum to stand up to her and dethrone her for the championship. Plus, Baszler’s already teased her move up to RAW, citing a lack of competition in NXT. Who wouldn’t be excited to see her pop up on the RAW after Summerslam? Maybe even at the PPV itself, perhaps to back up another Four Horsewoman…

— Brooklyn has always acted as the launching point for a babyface challenger, having them emerge triumphant against a near-indomitable opponent to cap off a wrestler’s rise in NXT, like Bayley overcoming a vicious Sasha Banks to win the NXT Women’s Title many thought she’d never hold, Nakamura cementing his arrival in NXT with a NXT Title victory, and McIntyre proving his mettle as a competitor with reinvigorated aggression and passion by winning the NXT Title last year.

— Io Shirai, one of the top-tier performers for this year’s Mae Young Classic, is bound to be in attendance. She and Sane have had an extended history as both friends and rivals, and the potential for a title feud between them would have a chance to not only be the best, intense NXT women’s feud since Bayley vs Sasha, but maybe even succeed it.

When taking all of that into account, I’ve got to go with the InSane one here. The potential’s just too good to pass up

WINNER: Kairi Sane

@JustinWatry: I am so tempted to predict a title change this coming Saturday night. The problem is where. If Shayna Baszler is getting the main roster call up (doubtful), then this will be Kairi Sane’s moment. Looking at the full picture of NXT and WWE, it makes sense. The Mae Young Classic is returning, and these two are the best to promote such a big tournament due to them being in the finals last year. I get the idea and even dig Sane being crowned champion. I get it…but Baszler is so good as the bully heel running all over the division. Keep her AWAY from Ronda Rousey for as long as possible. Best for both.

WINNER: Shayna

Kevin Pantoja: This is gonna be good and it’s still my least favorite match on the card. That’s saying something about this show. Their Mae Young Classic Finals match good and I think this will be better. Kairi has the one win over Shayna so far and, while she’d make a fine champion, I don’t think it’s time to end Shayna’s run.

WINNER: Shayna Baszler

NXT Tag Team Title Match: Champions The Undisputed Era vs. Moustache Mountain

Rob Stewart: Interesting rubber match for the NXT Tag Titles here, as these two have swapped title reigns since the last NXT special in Chicago. And like a certain main event of this show, if something was well done twice, why not try for the hat trick? Like pretty much every bout on this card save the Women’s Title Match, this could conceivably go either way, but I don’t think the Era is over yet (I mean… they’re OVER over. I was playing on, like, “the end of an era”. You know? Whoof, swing and a miss, Stewart). I look for them to retain here and keep going for a while longer.

WINNER: Undisputed Era

Mike Chin: This has all the makings of yet another great tag title match in the long history of them at NXT TakeOver shows. I foresee The Undisputed Era continuing to ride high for the months ahead, and this is the lower stakes place for them to continue to reign, whereas the North American Championship match feels like it’s in greater jeopardy to me.

WINNER: The Undisputed Era

Ken Hill: A straightforward, but equally entertaining and physical feud between these two teams. Both of their first two encounters were amazing, and I’ve got no reason to believe the third time will be any less of a charm. Barring the rare occurrence (Revival taking back the tag straps from American Alpha), back-and-forth hot shots with the straps don’t happen often, as it tends to take away from the titles, the feud and the wrestlers involved, not to mention that with their heavy involvement in NXT’s new UK program, Bate and Seven’s stateside title defenses would be rather infrequent. With the War Raiders on the rise as the next challengers, it seems very likely that Undisputed Era will notch the win here in what should be a phenomenal rubber match.

WINNER: The Undisputed Era

JUSTIN WATRY: Well, these two teams have certainly made me a believer. Originally, I pegged this as a placeholder story line with no real potential or interest. Through their great matches and raw emotion, I am officially all in. The Undisputed Era are my pick, but I am secretly going to be rooting for a title change just so we get another showdown with an added stipulation down the road. Yet another match of the night candidate. How does NXT constantly keep topping themselves? It’s incredible.

WINNER: Undisputed Era

Kevin Pantoja: What a series. Screw whatever is happening in any other tag team division (most aren’t any good in 2018). This has been spectacular. Their first two matches were awesome. The first gave us a feel good moment to cap a banger and the second was one of the best-told stories in a tag match ever. As great as Mustache Mountain is, I get the sense Undisputed retains. They’re around more consistently. This might be MOTN.

WINNER: The Undisputed Era

NXT North American Title Match: Champion Adam Cole vs. Ricochet

Rob Stewart: Cole has had a good run as the first ever North American champ in NXT, but this should be the show where the King gets crowned. At this point, Adam Cole could move up to either the actual NXT Title or the main roster, and it feels like he has done everything with the North American belt that he needs to. Ricochet, meanwhile, has the classic “secondary champ” feel to him, and could really grab this title and make it his own. Not a knock on Cole, who has been wonderful in NXT, but I see Ricochet being a guy who can elevate this title a bit more.

WINNER: Ricochet

Mike Chin: Man, this card is stacked. This is that oddball case of a secondary championship match out of which I anticipate the loser is going to go on to become the next challenger for the brand’s top championship. There’s certainly time to stretch out this story, and Ricochet is still new on the scene. However, between wanting to capitalize on Ricochets momentum, and my prediction for the main event, I’m picking him to take this match and the title.

WINNER: Ricochet

Ken Hill: How the hell do you call this one? On the one hand, Ricochet has been on the rise since his arrival on the NXT roster and a high-profile loss could very well knock him back down the proverbial ladder. On the other hand, you have Adam Cole (BAY BAY!), who’s yet to have a truly defining defense of his North American championship since winning it in the inaugural ladder match at New Orleans, and having him drop it in the first high-profile match featuring the NA Title since its introduction would prove to be under whelming for both Cole and the championship. I can only imagine something screwy will go down here (perhaps a returning Bobby Fish) to keep the title on Cole and somewhat protect Ricochet in defeat. With War Games around the corner, Ricochet’s feud with Cole and the Gang will most probably continue onward, regardless of who comes out on top, but I’m going with Cole, and only by a rather slim margin.

WINNER: Adam Cole (BAY BAY!)

Justin Watry: All five matches have the potential to steal the show. That is just ridiculous, even by NXT standards. This has not been a well-hyped live special if you ask me. However, the talent is so strong that none of that will matter come Saturday night. Adam Cole and Ricochet are perfect examples of that. Who cares what they are even feuding about? Does anyone care? Nope, didn’t think so. Just give them twenty minutes in front of a hot Brooklyn crowd and boom. There is your magic. Adam Cole with the North American Title feels like a nice fit right now. Ricochet winning wouldn’t shock me but isn’t my prediction…

WINNER: Adam Cole

Kevin Pantoja: Two guys who I thought were good, but nothing special during their runs on the indies. Since coming to NXT, Adam Cole has improved dramatically and has become a weekly highlight. Ricochet has also been great, so I’m excited for a match that wouldn’t have given me that feeling a year ago. I’m going to say Ricochet wins.

WINNER: Ricochet

NXT Title – Last Man Standing Match: Champion Tommaso Ciampa vs. Johnny Gargano

Rob Stewart: Not that this is some unheard of opinion, but I am really down over the loss of Aleister Black for this match. I was really interested in his Gives-No-F’s attitude being squeezed in the middle of the Gargano/Ciampa death war. Ah well, spilled milk and all that. The Unsanctioned and Street Fight matches between these two are two of my top five matches of the year so far (obviously; they are both great, dramatic affairs AND I’m way behind on the G1 Climax this year to see if anything there squeezed them out), so I’m positive this will be another instant classic. My early feelings have been that Gargano has better potential matchups down the road than Ciampa does (since Gargano matches up well with almost EVERYONE due to his nature, but Ciampa vs EC3 or Adam Cole wouldn’t work, for example), but Ciampa as a despised champ who keeps escaping with his title has some serious legs. Coin flip for me…

WINNER: Johnny Gargano

Mike Chin: As this match was originally booked, I was in the camp that predicted Ciampa would retain, and Gargano would chase him all the way to WrestleMania weekend to finally win the big one. Things have changed however, with Aleister Black’s unfortunate injury. There’s certainly still a chance of this all-time great feud stretching forward, and the most obvious way to do that is a win for Ciampa. There’s a risk there, however, of squandering the impassioned support fans are feeling now for Gargano, not to mention the specter of another injury derailing this feud before WWE can realize any grander plans. In the end, TakeOver Brooklyn has felt a lot like NXT’s biggest show of the year, at least on a consistent basis over the years, so I’m going to call them offering the ultimate feel good moment here, with Gargano finally winning that elusive NXT Championship.

WINNER: Johnny Gargano

Ken Hill: Talk about rotten timing. With Black’s injury taking him out as the intermediary between Ciampa and Gargano, Trips was forced to reshuffle this into a straight up one-on-one rather than have what would’ve been a very fascinating, thrilling triple threat. As it is, there’s still a great amount of intrigue in this feud. Ciampa just won the championship; him losing it this soon would be an anticlimactic payoff to the feud with Gargano, so he can’t afford to lose. From a booking standpoint, Gargano winning wouldn’t work because of his descent into madness and having the crowd turned against him. In order for this feud to reach the ultimate peak, Gargano would have to rediscover and re-embrace the “Johnny Wrestling” character the NXT audience came to love him for before his unfortunate spiral ended up benefiting his worst rival. So how do you book a match where neither man can truly afford to lose? Well, it’s a good (i.e. convenient) thing that Last Man Standing matches have the opening for a non-finish, and even better, it’s not an unprecedented notion when it comes to a war between bitter ex-friends…

Have Gargano and Ciampa destroy each other for 25-30 minutes, with neither man making the ten count, stretcher them both out out of Barclay’s with the record standing at 1-1, then set the stage for their rubber match at the next Takeover, this time inside the only structure that could truly bring a finite conclusion to their war in NXT: Hell In A Cell.

WINNER: Double Countout (Ciampa retains)

JUSTIN WATRY: Truth be told, I was not really looking forward to see a triple threat main event. Nothing against any of the three, but the entire thing was getting off the rails a bit. Nine times out of ten, NXT nails it. In this case, I was not a fan of where things were going. I mean, the fan favorite cost the other fan favorite the title. Ladies and gentlemen, the NXT faithful in Orlando were booing Johnny Gargano! I don’t care if he snapped or what the story was; that should NOT have happened. Luckily for us fans but unluckily for Aleister Black, fate has reared its’ ugly head. I am fine with the Last Man Standing match as a replacement, and I am fine with the Tommaso Ciampa/Gargano feud getting another chapter at a Takeover. Since this was not the original plan, my gut says nothing will change. The chase shall continue…

WINNER: Champ retains

Kevin Pantoja: Their two matches have gotten ****3/4 and ***** from me. That’s insane. The only combination of singles matches to get that across a six-month stretch from me was Hart/Austin in 1996-1997. It’s so hard to call this. I’ve never seen Gargano as a long reigning champion (as great as he is, it doesn’t really fit his character), so I just can’t see Ciampa having a short reign before his. I also have trouble-seeing Ciampa beating him again. It’s tough. I’m going with Ciampa.

WINNER: Tommaso Ciampa

MAKE SURE TO JOIN 411 TONIGHT AT 6PM ET FOR OUR LIVE COVERAGE OF THE SHOW!