We are all set for the final NXT pay-per-view of the year. The match card of TakeOver: WarGames is quite promising despite the fact that neither the NXT Championship nor the NXT Women’s title will be on the line. In fact, the only title match of the evening will see three Superstars battling it out for the NXT North American Championship.
We have two huge WarGames match scheduled for the pay-per-view. The men’s match will feature The Undisputed Era as they take on Pat McAfee’s team. The women’s match will see Candice LeRae and Shotzi Blackheart lead their respective teams in a brutal fight that will also feature the likes of NXT Women’s Champion Io Shirai and Rhea Ripley.
In this article, we will take a look at things that can happen at WWE NXT TakeOver: WarGames. So, without further ado, let’s begin.
#1 NXT WarGames Match I: (Adam Cole, Kyle O'Reilly, Roderick Strong, and Bobby Fish) vs. (Pat McAfee, Pete Dunne, Danny Burch, and Oney Lorcan)
Remember when Pat McAfee fought and lost against Adam Cole? As it turns out, Cole didn’t see the last of his unpredictable opponent. A few weeks later, we saw Ridge Holland carrying a brutalized Adam Cole on his shoulders when Kyle O’Reilly challenged Finn Balor for the NXT Championship back at TakeOver: 31. As it was revealed later on, McAfee paid Holland to do his dirty work. Following that, he started devising a plan to attack each member of The Undisputed Era.
Later, Danny Burch and Oney Lorcan forged their way into the NXT Tag Team Championship match. McAfee then helped both of them to cheat their way into a victory over Breezango. Soon after that, Pete Dunne returned and revealed his alliance with McAfee. It was now almost confirmed that the rivalry between the four Superstars and The Undisputed Era will head towards NXT TakeOver: WarGames.
Tonight, at the pay-per-view, we will see Adam Cole, Kyle O'Reilly, Roderick Strong, and Bobby Fish avenge the beatdown at the hands of Pat McAfee and co. McAfee and his WarGames teammates have outsmarted The Undisputed Era and even ran rampage through the roster in the absence of Cole and his brothers.
Even though Adam Cole, Kyle O'Reilly, Roderick Strong, and Bobby Fish mostly act as heels, they have managed to gain a soft spot in the hearts of the NXT viewers. Being outdone in their own game by a group whose strings are being pulled by a newcomer must have bruised their ego. This match looks like a must-win for one of the most popular WWE stables, and it will be interesting to see who will walk out with a victory at NXT TakeOver: WarGames.
#2 NXT WarGames Match II: Team Shotzi (Shotzi Blackheart, Ember Moon, Rhea Ripley, and Io Shirai) vs. Team Candice (Candice LeRae, Dakota Kai, Raquel González, and Toni Storm)
The feud between Shotzi Blackheart and Candice LeRae started back at Halloween Havoc when the latter was scheduled to challenge Io Shirai for the NXT Women's Championship match. Candice LeRae had helped from a masked individual and Blackheart, who was hosting the show, was sick of LeRae taking advantage by unfair means. Hence, she walked and neutralized that threat.
In the weeks that followed, we saw both Superstars engage in a compelling rivalry. Their respective WarGames teams also started shaping up, and it was indeed dramatic. From Toni Storm betraying Ember Moon, to Rhea Ripley siding with Blackheart, we finally saw a great set of babyfaces and heels giving their all in this feud.
Ahead of tonight’s pay-per-view, Blackheart has the advantage for her team. It is very rare that we see the heroes of a storyline get an advantage in the WarGames match, but we can be sure that there are a few surprises in store. Additionally, we might also see how this match will reveal the next challenger for Io Shirai’s NXT Women’s Championship.
#3 North American Championship match at NXT TakeOver: WarGames
On the November 11, 2020 episode of WWE NXT, Johnny Gargano ended up losing his North American Championship to Leon Ruff. No one expected the latter to pull off such a huge win, but he surprised everyone by stealing the match in the last moment. Now, he is set to defend his championship against Gargano and Damian Priest at NXT TakeOver: WarGames.
In the weeks leading up to NXT TakeOver: WarGames, Ruff proved that he doesn’t want to be a WWE textbook champion. He is not the favorite to walk away with the title, but at least he has managed to earn everyone’s respect. His willingness to fight both his competitors in one of the toughest matches of his career so far is certainly impressive.
While Damian Priest is expected to hold off on his own, we could see Gargano’s masked friends make an appearance. They have helped him in the past and could prove to be influential in the upcoming match. It will be interesting to see which of the three Superstars will turn the math in their favor at NXT TakeOver: WarGames.
#4 Dexter Lumis vs. Cameron Grimes at NXT TakeOver: WarGames
The feud between Dexter Lumis and Cameron Grimes has been stretched for quite some time. Both Superstars cannot stand the way they have been disrespected in the past and want to pick a good win at NXT TakeOver: WarGames to gain momentum for the coming months. They are now set to lock horns at TakeOver once again in hopes to find a satisfactory conclusion to their rivalry.
The interesting thing about this match is the completely different type of strengths possessed by Grimes and Lumis. While one depends largely on his ability to play mind games, the other trusts his physical strength. Thus, it will be exciting to see both of them go toe-to-toe in a match that could possibly mark the end of their ongoing feud.
On paper, both Superstars look like they need to win this match. However, a loss would not affect their position a lot in reality. If anything, it will only prove that they are both capable of being booked in a long-term rivalry, something that NXT is famous for. We hope to see them lock horns ins a good match at NXT TakeOver: WarGames.
#5 Timothy Thatcher vs. Tommaso Ciampa at NXT TakeOver: WarGames
Tommaso Ciampa is set to face Timothy Thatcher at NXT TakeOver: WarGames. Ciampa has been doing his bit ever since he turned babyface on NXT. He might not be targeting the coveted prize of the Black and Gold brand, but that has not stopped him from making keen observations about the locker room. In fact, he believes that NXT Superstars think of themselves as ‘tough guys’ but are not really the same when it comes to real life.
However, this particular statement did not sit well with Timothy Thatcher, who is slowly clawing his way to the top of the roster. He is quite intense in his matches and wants his colleagues to respect him for his inherent toughness. Thus, the two different ideologies will compete inside the ring at NXT TakeOver: WarGames with Ciampa and Thatcher’s match at the upcoming pay-per-view.
The fans can be certain that this is going to be a brutal encounter between the two Superstars. It will be interesting to see whether WWE will continue their rivalry following NXT TakeOver: WarGames. Overall, the pay-per-view looks interesting, and we hope to see a handful of jaw-dropping moments as the NXT Superstars prepare for another memorable edition of TakeOver: WarGames.