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At NXT TakeOver: WarGames, Finn Balor warned the NXT locker room that once WarGames was over, the focus would be back on "The Prince of NXT."
Balor wasn’t wrong at all. He opened this week's episode of NXT to address the fans and the locker room. But Balor was interrupted by multiple Superstars who tried to talk the NXT Champion into giving them a title shot.
Balor left the choice up to NXT general manager William Regal, who will have to pick the challenger for NXT New Year’s Evil. This show will be a special episode of NXT which will be held on January 6, 2021.
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The NXT roster is loaded with some top competitors, and fans already saw at least four men lay their claim to a title opportunity. This depth shows that Balor’s hands will be full, as he'll have several challenges waiting for him next year.
With that in mind, here's a look at five Superstars who could be given the chance to compete against "The Prince" at NXT New Year’s Evil.
#5 NXT Superstar Damian Priest
Damian Priest had a short run with the WWE NXT North American Championship earlier this year. While his reign only lasted just over two months, he managed to show that he’s championship material.
On the latest episode of NXT, Priest was one of the men who interrupted the NXT Champion, hoping to make his case for a title match. Later in the night, "The Archer of Infamy" was attacked by Karrion Kross. The vicious assault left Priest injured.
While Priest may be down, he will likely come back to take his revenge in the weeks to come. Fans could wee the two big men trade blows, leaving Regal no choice but to give Priest the chance to become Balor’s next challenger.
While several competitors have far more experience than Priest, Regal could make the easy choice of giving Priest a chance. He probably wouldn't walk away with the title, so Balor's title reign would be safe.
From there, Balor could have some dream matches against Dunne and Kross at NXT TakeOver shows next year.
#4 NXT Superstar Tommaso Ciampa
Tommaso Ciampa wasn’t involved in the bickering that took place at the beginning of the show on Wednesday. But Regal could still call on the former NXT Champion.
Regal has been a great general manager who often refuses to give in to pressure. The NXT Universe could watch him do something similar in the weeks leading up to NXT New Year’s Evil.
Long ago, Ciampa had to relinquish his title due to injury. "The Blackheart" had been away for some time before he recently started a rivalry with Timothy Thatcher.
Regal could use this feud to his advantage and give the two men a chance to prove themselves in a big match. He could offer the winner of the contest a shot at Balor’s title.
While Dunne, Kross, and others already have their eyes on the NXT Championship, Regal could look to give someone else a chance at the special show in January. In doing so, he could hold off on these dream matches until a TakeOver event. On a bigger stage, NXT fans could see Balor take on other top stars.
#3 NXT Superstar Kyle O’Reilly
Kyle O’Reilly gave Balor arguably his best match since his return to WWE NXT. While Balor has already competed against Adam Cole, Johnny Gargano, and several other top Superstars, it was O’Reilly who brought the best out of Balor at NXT TakeOver 31.
O’Reilly’s stock has risen a lot since he returned to win the Gauntlet Match for an NXT Championship opportunity earlier this fall. He hasn’t looked back ever since he got that opportunity. He was the one who won the WarGames match for the Undisputed ERA at NXT TakeOver: WarGames.
Now that O’Reilly is at the forefront of NXT's best stable, he could easily take on "The Prince of NXT." Since NXT New Year’s Evil won’t be as grand as a TakeOver event, we could end up getting a rematch between these two talented athletes.
NXT might choose to save the likely match between Balor and Kross for a later date and give O’Reilly one more shot at the title.
The Undisputed ERA seems to be without any challengers again, so keeping the group involved in a major storyline could help them stay relevant.
#2 NXT Superstar Pete Dunne
Pete Dunne had a great run as the NXT Tag Team Champions with Riddle before the COVID-19 pandemic forced him out of contention for some time. Dunne has since returned to align himself with Pat McAfee, Oney Lorcan, and Danny Burch on NXT. While Lorcan and Burch are now holding the NXT Tag Team Championship, Dunne is a frontrunner for the NXT Championship.
At last year’s WWE Survivor Series, Dunne had a great match against Cole for the NXT Championship. Dunne was also the top performer for NXT UK, and he was the brand's greatest champion until WALTER arrived.
"The Bruiserweight" clearly has his eyes set on the NXT Championship. He was the first man to confront Balor on NXT this week. Now that he is in the fray, fans could watch William Regal set up a Fatal 4-Way match between the men who interrupted Balor, along with Kross.
Fans could end up seeing Dunne pin someone like O’Reilly or Priest during the match. If he does, he could get a shot at "The Prince" next month.
#1 NXT Superstar Karrion Kross
You can’t spell ‘evil’ in NXT without Karrion Kross. The man who never lost the NXT Championship returned to the brand the same night Balor issued an open challenge. Kross was quick to leave a mark on Balor by sending Scarlett out to deliver a warning to The Prince of NXT.
If that wasn’t enough, Kross appeared later in the show to beat down Damian Priest and left him battered and bruised. Kross has delivered a violent warning, and he'll do whatever it takes do take his title back.
As mentioned earlier, Regal could end up setting up a Fatal 4-Way match on NXT in the coming weeks to determine the challenger for Balor’s title.
With that in mind, fans could watch Kross easily run through his opponents and pin Priest or Dunne to pick up the victory. The match will also provide Kross an opportunity to show that he’s fitter and stronger than before. NXT could even book him to dominate the other three men.
Balor vs. Kross is a dream match for many, and NXT could look to give the fans what they want as early as the beginning of next month.
