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At this weekend's NXT TakeOver 31, Io Shirai is set to defend her NXT Women's Championship against Candice LeRae. The pair are no strangers to one another in the ring and have faced one another numerous times. Most notably, at NXT TakeOver: Toronto, where Io Shirai was the winner via submission.
Candice LeRae won a shot at the NXT Women's Championship by fending off her rivals in a battle royal. LeRae was able to fend off competition from top NXT talent including former Women's Champion Rhea Ripley and fan favourite, Shotzi Blackheart.
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As Candice LeRae and Io Shirai prepare to go head-to-head at NXT TakeOver, there seems to be no clear outcome to their bout. Here are five possible finishes for the title match between the Genius of the Sky and the Poison Pixie.
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#5 Io Shirai retains at NXT Takeover 31 with help from another Superstar
Io Shirai is a Superstar that has numerous allies in WWE. Over her time as champion, many fellow performers have stood by her side, including Rhea Ripley.
She saved her from a post-match beatdown from Raquel Gonzalez at NXT TakeOver XXX, and Shotzi Blackheart has also expressed her respect for the Genius of the Sky.
Currently, Candice LeRae has her fair share of enemies on the NXT roster, especially since her transformation to become the Poison Pixie. Could one of LeRae's rivals help Io Shirai retain her NXT Women's Championship on Sunday?
At NXT TakeOver: The Great American Bash, Io Shirai was helped by Asuka in her non-title match against Sasha Banks. The RAW Women's Champion made an unexpected appearance to assist Shirai, hitting The Boss with green mist to aid Shirai's win.
As Shirai goes head-to-head with LeRae this weekend, there could be a possibility of one her known allies, or even someone new, coming to help her retain her title and remain NXT Women's Champion.
While it's unlikely a main roster star such as Asuka will show up, the names that could help Shirai defeat the Poison Pixie this weekend are seemingly endless.
However, the reason this is low down on the list is because being helped by a fellow roster member could make Shirai look weak. A clean win against her challenger would be the much better decision.
#4 Candice LeRae wins clean at NXT TakeOver
Before her WWE career, Candice LeRae was a huge star of the independent wrestling scene. She worked alongside many huge WWE names such as Seth Rollins, Kevin Owens, and Adam Cole, spending much of her career in intergender competition. Now she helps headline an NXT TakeOver.
Since joining NXT in 2017, Candice LeRae has gone from strength to strength. LeRae has had shots at the NXT Women's Championship in the past, but this time feels somewhat more significant. LeRae is three years into her WWE career and is yet to win a championship in the company.
Time and time again, Candice LeRae has been able to prove that she is a top star of the NXT Women's Division. She has been involved in some brilliant NXT TakeOver matches over the past few years.
The Poison Pixie is more than ready to become NXT Women's Champion, and winning the belt would open up multiple feuds with other women on the roster. If Shirai lost the championship to LeRae, it could point to the Genius of the Sky making the move to RAW or SmackDown in the upcoming WWE Draft.
#3 The match ends in disqualification at NXT Takeover
As NXT TakeOver 31 approaches, there still seems to be no clear outcome to the title match between Candice LeRae and defending champion Io Shirai. It appears as though LeRae would do anything to win the NXT Women's Championship, and Shirai will do whatever it takes to keep hold of it.
The pair have an intense rivalry that has recently been reignited over the championship. Since then, the dynamic between the two has changed.
Previously, LeRae was a plucky babyface and Io Shirai had recently turned heel on her former ally. Now the roles are somewhat reversed. LeRae is showcasing a more villainous persona, whereas Shirai is somewhat of a tweener.
If Shirai sensed that LeRae could take her championship, she could cause a disqualification on purpose to retain, or LeRae could even let her anger get the better of her at NXT TakeOver.
If the match did indeed end in disqualification on either end, it would draw out the rivalry. It could even potentially set up a rematch between the two, potentially with a stipulation added, adding higher stakes to their feud.
#2 Candice LaRae wins at NXT TakeOver with help from Johnny Gargano
The Garganos are currently the power couple of NXT and have become more involved with one anothers matches over the past few months, ahead of NXT TakeOver 31.
The pair recently had a feud with Keith Lee and Mia Yim, and teamed up against Io Shirai and Damien Priest on the most recent edition of NXT, in anticipation of their matches at TakeOver this weekend.
The pair are going into NXT TakeOver 31 with a lot of momentum, as they managed to pick up the win against Shirai and Priest. Afterwards, they stood tall, wearing the NXT Women's Championship and North American Championship belts as the show closed.
Mr and Mrs Wrestling are well known for their ability to work together. Their teamwork this past Wednesday was no expectation. Fans have also seen Candice LeRae involve herself in a handful of Johnny Gargano's big bouts.
Most recently, she became entangled in the action during the North American Championship Ladder match at TakeOver XXX. Is it now time for Johnny Gargano to return the favour and help his wife become the new NXT Women's Champion?
#1 Io Shirai retains at NXT TakeOver
Io Shirai has had a strong showing since winning the NXT Women's Championship at NXT TakeOver: In Your House, where she defeated former champions Charlotte Flair and Rhea Ripley in a triple threat match.
The Genius of the Sky has very much been a fighting champion since her win, defending the title against Tegan Nox and Dakota Kai so far.
Since becoming champion, Shirai has had a series of brief rivalries, but hasn't been a part of a big title feud. Shirai is a strong champion, but no one has felt much of threat to her so far, apart from Candice LeRae.
There hasn't been a long time for their feud to develop, apart from callbacks to their first fallout following Io Shirai's loss to Shayna Baszler, where she lashed out at LeRae.
Having Io Shirai retain the NXT Women's Championship at NXT TakeOver would allow the rivalry to be extended and build up more resentment, as well as momentum between the pair.
