War Games: Aftermath
NXT comes to us tonight from Houston, Texas in the aftermath. Wrestling wise, this episode should be pretty light, with a fair share of video packages, backstage interviews and a few vignettes. Here’s what I (@Parkman15love) expect from tonight’s episode.
What we Know:
There were two pre-taped matches that will air tonight, and both should be solid.The first features two recent call ups: Sonya Deville vs Ruby Riot. There is some bad blood between the two: Sonya put Ruby on the IR with an extended Ankle Lock, and Sonya believes the former Heidi Lovelace cost her a shot at the Title at War Games. Expect a fairly solid match between the two but nothing exceptional with the call ups to the main rosters.
The other match should be great: Johnny Wrestling vs Pete Dunne.
*Disclaimer: How the UK division isn’t featured whatsoever on WWE programming is beyond me. Most already have established characters and all are great workers. If you haven’t had the chance to watch the UK Tournament, stop reading now, and continue after watching a few of the matches. I’ll wait. *
Or watch this and remember: the rematch is even better.
Even with a .01% chance of a title change, this should be a fantastic match. Gargano is an amazing face in peril, while Dunne is fantastic at inflicting as much pain as possible onto his opponents. Expect Dunne to win after a solid match, and Gargano to continue along his recent losing streak. This character development has been fantastic, and one of the more enjoyable builds. Hopefully it continues to grow as we wait for Tomasso Ciampa to return.
What to Expect:
With only two matches, expect a few video packages outlining the matches: Expect to see a package putting over the Undisputed Era’s win (along with an interview) and the - SPOILER ALERT - two title changes at War Games. Will we hear from Aleister Black after his impressive match with Velveteen Dream? What will Dream say after Black said his name? I expect at least one of them to give some sort of acknowledgement to their fantastic match, paired with a video package. As well, I do expect a brief follow up from the Sullivan-Ohno extended squash match. Who will Lars go after next?
The Title Scene:
As touched upon earlier, Andrade Cien Almas won his first NXT Championship in a shocking turn of events. If rumors are to be true, this was even the case before Myintryre was hurt (?) in the championship match. This writer is also hoping for an update on Drew as well. Expect seeds to be planted for a new challenger in the coming weeks: As well as plenty of bragging from Almas and Zelina Vega about putting “The Chosen One” on the shelf.
“What do you mean ‘Chosen One’? Roman is fine?” - Vincent
The women’s division is looking quite different after RAW and Smackdown, along with a new champion. I have no real problem with Ember Moon winning the title, as she is a great in ring worker. Call me crazy, but I do prefer to see faces chase the title. Small potatoes though. I would expect to see an interview with Moon, hopefully explaining her motivation to help drive her character.
The Tag Teams Championship is probably the easiest to predict. As I said in my predictions for TakeOver (Read that here), I expect a SAniTy vs Undisputed feud to unfold from War Games. With Undisputed TECHNICALLY pinning SAniTy to win their match, this gives Undisputed a reason to go after the tag belts. Would anyone really complain about this feud? I know I wouldn’t.
Did you see anything you think I missed? Let me know by either tweeting me @Parkman15Love , by smokescreen, carrier pigeon, or a message written in blood. I love surprises!