by Rob Goodwin @REALRobGoodwinIt is not often in a wrestling year that I can say I look forward to a show as much as the Royal Rumble. However once again, as they are so prone to do, NXT have pulled a card together that gets the wrestling fan inside me incredibly excited! Looking deeper into the matches, there are 2 matches that are quite literally impossible to call, such is the backstory of the characters and the implications that a victory for either would bring to the brand. After NXT Takeover: War Games, NXT completley waylayed any possible residual fears I could have over the persistent revolving door of talent that the brand is solely used for, and how it could effect later Takeovers by putting on showcase matches with rising in house talent such as Velveteen Dream and Lars Sullivan, and once again, this show promises to be a barnstormer. The elevation of Johnny Gargano to a main event player has been met with much fanfare, and proves that through their storytelling and booking, NXT know how to create a star! Let’s look at some of my predictions for the much anticipated NXT: Takeover Philadelphia! Match #1 - Kassius Ohno vs. The Velveteen DreamWith Ohno having be unofficial and quite unfortunate title of ‘Gatekeeper of NXT,’ it is his job to put over young and upcoming talent whilst still defeating jobbers at NXT takings to keep up momentum (take note Dolph Ziggler.) This does however mean that VELVETEEN DREAM is almost a lock to win this match. The man was catapulted into stardom during his outstanding match with Aleister Black at Takeover: War Games, and has run with a gimmick many of us would thought would fail and us instead created a character we, as fans, simply cannot get enough of. Dream needs to win this match to capitalise on the aforementioned momentum, and it needs to be over a legitimate opponent. Ohno, as proved by his loss to Lars Sullivan, might well be that opponent! Match #2 - REDragon (c) vs. The Authors of Pain |