2) “If Tommaso Ciampa fails to win Goldie back, who should be the next in line to challenge Adam Cole for the NXT Championship?”
MANGO: In order to get everyone on the card, I still feel like there may be a Fatal 4-Way of Cole vs. Ciampa vs. Balor vs. Gargano. However, if it has to be someone new, I’d vote Velveteen Dream.
BALAZ: If Ciampa fails, the next challenger should be the winner of Balor and Gargano. Which I have penciled in as Balor, since he didn’t really lose super clean last time. Perhaps, it’s Demon time?
MITCHELL: That is a big “If,” but if it happens, I feel like Velveteen Dream or Finn Balor should be set up next. Both men are over, especially with the fans, and just saying “Cole VS Dream” or “Cole VS Balor” would get fans pumped.
ABSLER: If Ciampa doesn’t win the NXT title, I think Matt Riddle should be next in line. Riddle has always done great work in the ring, and his character is finally starting to get over comedically with fans. Riddle has been one of NXT’s most consistent performers over the last year and definitely deserves a title shot.
JAY: Finn Balor, but only if he beats Gargano at Takeover: Portland
BONNETTE: Keith Lee, or Velveteen Dream. Gargano had his shot, so has Pete Dunne. Finn Balor can wait for whoever dethrones Cole to get another shot.
SCAFIDE: Dream is in a precarious position. Him coming back looks like a great setup for the main event push he rightfully deserves. However, him getting back to the grove of things with Strong also looks like a good pairing. I expect this feud to last relatively quick, and Dream goes after Cole soon thereafter.
STAPLE: This is actually a pretty interesting question, because Cole has beaten pretty much all of the top names that have challenged for his title. Gargano, Balor, Riddle, Dunne and now Ciampa have challenged for that title. The one major face that you see missing from that list is Keith Lee is currently occupied with the North American Championship. That leaves one major face, and to me, I think it’s likely Cole’s next challenger is the Velveteen Dream.
COOK: There are a number of good choices for this position. Velveteen Dream’s just come back and is pretty hot with the crowd. Keith Lee is always a good idea. But I think it’s going to come down to the winner of the match between Finn Balor & Johnny Gargano on the very same evening as Ciampa’s shot at Adam Cole. Both Balor & Gargano are perpetually in the NXT Championship picture, and one would think that a victory by one over the other would be enough for the championship committee to put the winner at the front of the line. If it does end up being Ciampa as champion, that could add another layer to the story, but if it is Adam Cole, we’ve seen Cole barely skate by both of these guys in the past. It wouldn’t be surprising to see either man dethrone him.
JEANNINE: Johnny Gargano or Velveteen Dream. Mainly because the promos and matches would be of great quality.
DEMARCO: There are several answers, like Velveteen Dream, Pete Dunne, Matt Riddle, and Finn Balor. Even Roddy Strong is a great option. But the best answer is probably Tommaso Ciampa. This is a feud that has been brewing for so long, you can get multiple matches out of it. We got Cole vs Gargano three times, there’s no reason we can’t get Cole vs Ciampa at least 2.
