NXT HITS & MISSES + TAKEOVER PREDICTIONS 4/4: Andrade “Cien” Almas vs. Aleister Black, Moon Baezler, Gargano vs. Ciampa, Ladder Match

This week’s episode was the going home show before this Saturday’s NXT Takeover: New Orleans.  There was not that much action as the show mainly consisted of promos and segments that set up for the matches this weekend.  With only 3 matches, there were not any misses, but not that many hits either, basically only one.  For an added bonus I am adding my predictions for this weekend’s event, I hope you enjoy!

Hits: 

Authors of Pain vs. Pete Dunne & Roderick Strong (Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic Finals Match): This match was definitely exciting as last year’s winners, the Authors of Pain, looked to repeat this feat and gain a shot to reclaim the NXT Tag Team titles from the Undisputed Era.  The only thing standing in their way was the newly formed team of the UK Champion Pete Dunne and Roderick Strong.  For the most part, AoP controlled the match with brute strength and relentless force, forcing Strong and Dunne to give it everything they had, and they did.  With great continuity and in the ring skills, the new tag team managed to hang in there with AoP until the very end.  That is when the Undisputed Era, sans Bobby Fish due to injury, ran to the ring and cleaned house of both teams in an attempt to not have a winner to face.  Due to this, the match resulted in a double disqualification to the delight of the spoilers.  They thought they had it in a bag when William Regal came out to announce that they will not only face the team of Dunne and Strong, but also AoP to where the winner will be both the recipients of the Dusty Rhodes Classic Cup as well as the tag team titles.  This is a great set up for the upcoming Takeover Event as there will be three teams vying for the prize.  It will also be interesting to see how Adam Cole performs while replacing Bobby Fish as well as having to compete in the North American Championship Ladder Match. All in all, this is going to be a very good match with not knowing exactly what to expect but guaranteed that all teams will pull out every move and trick in there bag to gain the high stakes victory.

Misses: None (all other matches were just mediocre)

Predictions for NXT Takeover: New Orleans

Andrade “Cien” Almas vs. Aleister Black (NXT Championship Match): Black will get retribution and pick up the win and the title.  Almas and Vega will move onto the main roster.

Ember Moon vs. Shayna Baezler (NXT Women’s Championship Match): Baezler will continue being the bully of the Women’s division and pick up the win.  Moon will move onto the main roster as well.

Johnny Gargano vs. Tomasso Ciampa (Unsanctioned Match): This will be one of the highlights of the night as Gargano gets revenge against Ciampa.  He will decline to stay in NXT and move onto the main roster.

Velveteen Dream vs. Adam Cole vs. EC3 vs. Killian Dain vs. Lars Sullivan vs. Ricochet (6 Man Ladder Match for the North American Championship):  This will be the other highlight match of the night as every wrestler will have a spectacular showing.  The winner though will be the Velveteen Dream, a long awaited feat that one could not argue that he does not deserve.

Undisputed Era vs. Authors of Pain vs. Roderick Strong & Pete Dunne (Three Way Tag Team Title/Dusty Rhodes Classic Match):  The match will be very entertaining, but in the end it will be the Undisputed Era retaining the titles, possibly through nefarious actions.

NOW CHECK OUT LAST WEEK’S COLUMN: NXT HITS & MISSES 3/28: Ciampa vs. Gargano announcement, New Championship title announced, Andrade-Aleister altercation, AOP vs. Profits