This Saturday (November 18), NXT kicks off Survivor Series weekend with its first TakeOver special since Brooklyn. NXT TakeOver: War Games is named for the return of the War Games match, made famous in WCW for involving two adjacent rings surrounded by a huge steel cage. Three of the top teams in WWE’s developmental brand square off in the brutal match. On top of that, the NXT Championship will be defended and there will be a new NXT Women’s Champion for the first time in over a year and a half.
Lars Sullivan vs. Kassius Ohno
Over the past few months, Lars Sullivan and Kassius Ohno have had two very different runs. Sullivan has dominated everyone who has entered his path, including his own tag team partners and the likes of Oney Lorcan and Danny Burch. Ohno had a hard-hitting feud with his former friend Hideo Itami which he ended up winning, but with every great match, he seemingly has weeks on the sidelines.
A couple weeks ago, Ohno approached William Regal and asked for a chance to be the first man to stop Sullivan on his path of destruction. He hopes that a win here can get him back in the NXT Championship picture.
Prediction:
While Sullivan has been unstoppable as of late, a win for Ohno here can help both men by adding depth to their characters and by keeping things interesting going forward. Winner: Kassius Ohno
Aleister Black vs. Velveteen Dream
When Aleister Black debuted, he stood out by his presence. He is very reserved, but when the bell rings, he will strike faster than almost anybody. Velveteen Dream hates the fact that Black keeps to himself and has made it his mission for Black to “say his name.” Velveteen Dream has certainly gotten Black’s attention, but a match against NXT’s best pure striker is probably not the attention he wanted.
Prediction:
There is some great work from Velveteen Dream in this story and a win here could be his big break. However, Black’s push seems to be steady and it doesn’t seem to slow down anytime soon. Winner: Aleister Black
The Undisputed Era vs. The Authors of Pain & Roderick Strong vs. SAnitY – War Games
At NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn III, SAnitY became the only team to defeat the Authors of Pain while also capturing the NXT Tag Team Championships. During their celebration, The Undisputed Era first appeared, attacking both teams. Since then, all three teams have been fighting each other with Roderick Strong getting thrown into the mix. Their last brawl was the straw that broke the camel’s back, leading to William Regal announcing the return of a match that hasn’t been seen in 20 years: War Games.
Prediction:
Since this match is not for the NXT Tag Team Championships, SAnitY can lose without losing momentum. It seems like the Authors of Pain won’t be sticking around for too much longer either, which means this is the perfect opportunity to give the Undisputed Era their first big win. Winner: The Undisputed Era
Drew McIntyre (c) vs. Andrade “Cien” Almas – NXT Championship
After debuting last year, Andrade “Cien” Almas saw a steady decline in his success rate. He kept losing focus on the matches and more on being “tranquilo,” which even led to him losing to Cezar Bononi. He then found a business associate/manager in Zelina Vega, who has increased Almas’ aggressiveness and led him to several consecutive victories. Drew McIntyre has only been NXT Champion for a couple months, but this could be his biggest challenge yet.
Prediction:
Almas is definitely improving every week, but this would be one of the shortest title runs in NXT history if McIntyre loses here. He still needs to come into his own as champion, and it won’t kill Almas’ momentum at all. Winner, and STILL NXT Champion: Drew McIntyre
Kairi Sane vs. Ember Moon vs. Peyton Royce vs. Nikki Cross – NXT Women’s Championship
For 523 days, Asuka reigned supreme over the women’s division as the undefeated NXT Women’s Champion. With no room to improve, Asuka got called up to Raw, leaving a gap for a new woman to step up as the new champion. Over the past month, Ember Moon, Peyton Royce, and Nikki Cross won respective matches to earn their spots. Kairi Sane earned her spot by winning the first-ever Mae Young Classic in September, where defeated Shayna Baszler in the finals.
Prediction:
Any of these women are good choices for the next champion, but it is hard to go against the woman who won a whole tournament and is the only undefeated woman in this match. Winner, and NEW NXT Women’s Champion: Kairi Sane
