On Friday, Saturday 20th, the WWE Network presents NXT Takeover: Brooklyn II! The event features several potentially show-stealing matches along with Bobby Roode’s TV/special event in-ring debut. Below is each match set for the event while Brock Allen and myself give our opinions on what we’ll see and who will win.
No Way Jose vs. Austin Aries
Brock Allen: Before I get started I want to take the time to thank Steve Coulson and Jon Potter for once again allowing me the opportunity to participate in covering what should be a tremendous Takeover event. Now, let’s get down to business.
There’s something about this angle I really like, an old school sort of feel that is just fun to watch. Though I was skeptical of No Way Jose when he first debuted in NXT I’ve grown to enjoy his work quite a bit. Austin Aries, meanwhile, is, for my money, as close to a Randy Savage style wrestler/personality that WWE has seen in many, many years. I’m looking forward to seeing just how well these two work together and to see if Aries can pull what he needs to from this match to bounce back from the big loss to Nakamura at Takeover: The End. As for No Way Jose, he needs to show he’s not just a goofy gimmick, which he’s done quite well lately, and prove that he’s on the same level with Aries. Jose can ill afford a bad match here. While I can honestly see it going either way, I’m going with Austin Aries to pick up the win and get a little bit of momentum rolling towards bigger and better things, like (hopefully) an NXT Championship match. I will say, though, that I would not be shocked to see Jose pick up a flash pin for the win.
Prediction: Austin Aries
Steve Coulson: I’m looking forward to this. Interestingly, I think this might be the worst match on the card, but I still suspect it will deliver. Austin Aries worked hard (and in my eyes, out performed Nakamura) in his last Takeover match, and I suspect he’ll work hard here too. No Way Jose is relatively unproven in the ring, but with Aries, I think something good could happen here.
As for who wins, I have a few schools of thought here. The first is that No Way Jose would get the win because it would benefit him most. The second is that Aries could be a top heel for Nakamura so a win would make sense for him. But then the third thought is that despite Jose being green and newish, I don’t think he’ll be on NXT for long. His gimmick is tailor-made for the main roster, and I think he gets called up sooner than later. As a result, I’m going with Aries for the win.
Prediction: Austin Aries
Andrade Almas vs. Bobby Roode
Brock Allen: First things first, Bobby Roode’s music is anything but “Glorious”. I’m hoping it’s just a temporary thing because I cringe at the idea of Bobby Roode walking out on SmackDown Live or RAW to that song.
Almas got a lot of hype when he entered NXT in April, but he’s cooled off considerably. His job in this match is to look good losing and draw a great showing out of Roode. Anyone who knows Roode’s history knows he’s one of the most talented workers anywhere in the world. Roode has “It” in spades. I expect this to be competitive and maybe even compete for match of the night honors, but the outcome has never been in doubt. Bobby Roode takes it.
Prediction: Bobby Roode
Steve Coulson: I originally voted for Roode, and realistically, I see him winning, however there is just something inside of me that says Almas wins instead. Sure, his booking has been quite poor, but I think they cooled off on him because they overpushed him initially. Too many matches and against a crowd favorite like Tye made for a rough start.
Besides, how perfect would it be for Roode to lose? After months of negotiations, a GLORIOUS (sorry, Brock, but I adore his theme) debut, and a giant ego, it would be hilarious for a Roode loss. Almas wins, Roode can then either beat him down or be furious, and we have a program that we can still use going forward. Roode winning is the more realistic option, but I don’t know. I’m going with my gut here.
Prediction: Andrade Almas
Ember Moon vs. Billie Kay
Brock Allen: I don’t expect much from this match. It being Ember Moon’s debut means she’s going to win, that’s not even a question. The real question is whether Billie Kay is going to be competitive or be blown out. While i can go either way, I think it will resemble the Asuka/Emma match from Takeover: London, which was, in the end, a high quality match despite the predictable outcome.
Prediction: Ember Moon
Steve Coulson: I’m enjoying this Billie Kay mini push. At the very least, it puts her in a stronger position going forward. Instead of being in the Liv Morgan role, she is now in the Alexa Bliss and Carmella role. She might not be on the top of the list of women in the division, but now she’s in the upper middle of the pack.
And yeah, she’s going to lose. And Ember Moon is great, so I’m excited for her return. But more than anything, with Bayley likely going up, I like that they are debuting and pushing different women to freshen up the division. Ember Moon gets a big win here, and an Asuka battle isn’t too distant, I’d say.
Prediction: Ember Moon
NXT Tag Team Championship
The Revival (Dash and Dawson) vs. Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa
Brock Allen: This is going to be an incredible match for sure. I differ with Steve, however, on there being a title change. Anyone who watches the Cruiserweight Classic saw Gargano & Ciampa put on arguably the best match of the opening round of the tournament and saw, after Gargano won the match, Ciampa fighting the urge to turn his back on his NXT brother. With that in mind, I’m going out on a limb and predict that Ciampa will turn on Gargano either during the match, enabling The Revival to retain, or after Gargano gives up the fall. We’ve seen a lot more of Gargano/Ciampa on NXT lately than The Revival. And outside of the number one contenders angle, this match really doesn’t have a story outside of Gargano/Ciampa.
Revival are the hottest tag team in WWE right now and, for my money, the best. I personally don’t see them dropping the straps to Gargano/Ciampa right now. If there was a chance The Revival were to be called up I would go with Gargano/Ciampa, but that doesn’t seem to be in the cards at the moment. So I’m picking Revival to win and for Ciampa to stab Gargano in the back and strike out on his own. The story practically writes itself and would be just the kind of angle Gargano needs to establish himself as a singles star in NXT.
Prediction: The Revival (Still Champions)
Steve Coulson: I can totally see a heel turn, but I just don’t think it’ll happen yet. Plus, unlike Brock, I actually do see a Revival call up soon. They could fit in on either brand, though I’d prefer them to go to Smackdown and feud with the Usos while Breezango and Alpha feud over the tag titles. That would be one strong division.
Anyway, I see Gargano and Ciampa getting the win here. If for nothing else, than to be the transitional team between the Revival and the Authors of Pain. That doesn’t mean that the reign has to end quickly, but I kind of see it ending quickly and the feud between Gargano and Ciampa occurring. This allows Ciampa to be a top heel on the brand, while Gargano can eventually go up to the RAW Cruiserweight Division.
Prediction: Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa (New Champions)
NXT Women’s Championship
Asuka vs. Bayley
Brock Allen: This one is going to be incredible. This is the kind of match where I could care less who wins and who loses, I’m just looking forward to seeing two of the best wrestlers in the world do what they do best and tear the Barclays Center down in the process. If you’re not up for this match I’d suggest you check your pulse.
As for the match itself, I do not see any way Bayley walks out the champion. With her “test run” at Battleground going as well as it could have gone, I can’t see WWE holding off on calling Bayley much longer. A title win would mean at least two more months in NXT, and that’s something that just doesn’t make sense. Bayley is nearly to the point where being in NXT is a determent. It’s starting to not look good. Which is a shame since Bayley is every bit as good as Sasha or Charlotte. What Bayley needs to do is make Asuka look like a million bucks, come as close as she can to winning, slip on the banana peel, and shake Asuka’s hand on the way out. In a perfect world this would be Bayley’s final NXT match.
Prediction: Asuka (Still Champion)
Steve Coulson: Yep, this is going to be great. The winner isn’t much in doubt, in my eyes. Bayley loses her then goes up to the main roster either Monday or Tuesday. If I had to guess, I’d say after an impressive showing, Bayley shows up on RAW still in the same building to a loud applause.
The match itself will rule, and Asuka will be a little less dominant because Bayley knows what to expect, but ultimately Bayley will lose. What does Asuka do from here? I’m not entirely sure. Ember Moon is a feud we’ll see, but will it be this quickly? I’m unsure.
Prediction: Asuka (Still Champion)
NXT Championship
Samoa Joe vs. Shinsuke Nakamura
Brock Allen: This has match of the year written all over it. That being said, I have a few issues with it, but I’ll stick the biggest two. Firstly, is Nakamura truly ready for this match? More importantly, is Nakamura prepared, creatively, for a victory? Nakamura has had classic matches with Sami Zayn and Austin Aries, yes, but he has yet to have a single program. In fact, this angle with Samoa Joe is the closest Nakamura has come to a real program in NXT. I was hoping the Austin Aries match would lead to a longer program but it didn’t really go anywhere. Nakamura runs the risk, as talented as he is, of getting too much too soon, which could derail his WWE career before it even truly gets started. The lack of any real ring time on NXT TV (in respect to angles) and the lack of traditional programs for Nakamura leads to the other issue I have with this match, which is the devaluing of the NXT Championship.
It’s no secret Samoa Joe is headed for big things in WWE, but he’s only just won the title after fighting like hell, in one of NXT’s (and WWE’s) most bitter and personal feuds, to get it. The former champ, Finn Balor, the man Joe went to war with, looks primed to win the Universal title on Sunday. A Nakamura win on Saturday night, by hook or by crook, could make Joe and the title look weak. There’s no reason why Joe should drop the title to anyone after winning the title nearly 4 months ago, no matter how good that man is. WWE has to be careful how often they switch the NXT title or else they’ll wind up diluting its significance. In other words, if Joe was so close to being called up, which no one has reported that I am aware of, why put the title on him at all? Just to get it off Finn? That makes the title look small. Besides, who has Joe had a chance to work with since winning the title? This is Joe’s first true program after disposing of Balor. He hasn’t had a chance to really show his true potential the way past NXT Champions have been able to do.
So, turning my attention to the match, I see the end result focusing on showing a new side of Nakamura’s character, and using sympathy to do it. Therefore, I’m picking Samoa Joe to win and retain the title by either making Nakamura pass out in the Coquina Clutch or by outright cheating. Getting the unbeaten streak out of the way would allow for a very unique rematch story, the kind we haven’t seen in a long time in WWE.
Prediction: Samoa Joe (Still Champion)
Steve Coulson: This is going to be great. And the truth is, I could see this going either way. However, I also see whoever loses this as the next big Smackdown star. With Del Rio suspended and Cena not making Backlash, the brand will need a shot in the arm for the event, and a match like Dolph Ziggler versus Samoa Joe would do quite nicely in that regard.
Another reason I see Nakamura winning is that it just seems like there are more heel challengers than babyface challengers. We have Hideo Itami, but that seems to be it. I wouldn’t expect No Way Jose or Andrade Almas to be headlining a NXT Takeover. But Roode or Aries taking on Nakamura, or even a babyface battle with Hideo? That definitely feels possible. Either way, I expect this to deliver.
Prediction: Shinsuke Nakamura (New Champion)
Closing Thoughts
Brock Allen: I’m very excited for this card. You never know what to expect from a Takeover event, except a great show. The Women’s title match and the main event are going to be epic matches for sure, but I’m really looking forward to seeing what the other undercard matches will produce. Often it’s the matches we don’t expect to shine that end up being the most satisfying at these Takeover events. Either way, this is going to be a fun night of wrestling that I’m eagerly looking forward to watching.
Thanks again to Steve and Jon for allowing me the opportunity to cover this event for the site. If any of you are curious you can check out my weekly Throwback Thursday articles over at WrestlingDVDNetwork.com as well as my Kayfabe Commentaries DVD reviews. Thanks again!
Steve Coulson: Thanks to Brock for another great session of thoughts. We definitely have some different opinions going into this one, but that’s what makes it fun. One thing we do agree on though, is that this show looks excellent. I can’t wait to watch, and I hope the crowd is electric for it.
There you go! Who do you predict will win the big ones? Be sure to let us know in the comments section. Don’t forget we will have quick results available at the conclusion of the show and a more detailed review of the event later on Sunday!