The first Takeover of the year looks set to be overshadowed by the speculation about which performers are going to get called up to the main roster at the Royal Rumble. Nakamura, Joe and Dillinger have all been rumoured. I can't see Nakamura going just yet but Joe doesn't have a match at Takeover which suggests that something big is planned for him. Don't expect to see him in an NXT ring again.
Tye Dillinger v Eric Young
With the rumours of Dillinger's call up for the Royal Rumble circulating, and the crowd pleasing possibility of having him enter at number 10 being cheesy and yet at the same time awesome, he needs a victory to stunt his recent losing streak. I'd expect him to do a lot to help get over how terrifying Young is but to eventually come out victorious.
Prediction: Dillinger
Roderick Strong v Andrade Cien Almas
I'm going for Almas here. I don't know too much about either of these guys but he seems like the most likely victor.
Prediction: Almas
NXT Tag Team Championship:
DIY (c) v The Authors of Pain
DIY really struggled to get their hands on the belts and when they finally did, they had two convincing victories over the almost invincible Revival. I don't think they will drop here as that would undo all the good work to get them over. The Authors of Pain are badasses and are quite terrifying. A victory over them would help cement DIY as solid champions.
Prediction; DIY
NXT Women's Championship:
Asuka (c) v Peyton Royce v Billie Kay v Nikki Cross
A fatal 4-way looks like the perfect way to take the belt from Asuka without having to get her to take a loss. She has been unstoppable and will be moving up to one of the main brands before long. I think she'd probably suit Raw best as Charlotte needs a really viable challenger. I don't think Billie Kay or Peyton Royce are at the stage to hold the belt as yet, so it seems that Nikki Cross is the obvious choice to walk out victorious, having pinned either Royce or Kay.
Prediction: Nikki Cross
NXT Championship:
Shinsuke Nakamura (c) v Bobby Roode
Bobby Roode fits the profile of the recent NXT champions. Someone who has been a big name elsewhere before coming to the WWE. See also: Nakamura, Samoa Joe, Finn Balor. The NXT champion hasn't been someone who has come through their own talent development system for quite some time. So I can see Roode being the champion at some point. I don't think Shinsuke is being called up for the Royal Rumble, and would be entitled to a title rematch if he loses this anyway. Therefore, I think he'll actually retain the belt on this occasion for Roode to take it off him at a later date. This way he will keep his profile on the rise for a bit longer before going to the big leagues.
Prediction: Shinsuke Nakamura
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