Match Predictions and Heat Index Anticipation Levels
Temperature Scale = Scorching > Hot > Lukewarm > Temperate > Chilly > Cold > Freezing
Heat Index is my assessment of how interesting the segment is, including how excited I am for the match and how intriguing the feud has been. The hotter, the better. Scorching translates to not being able to wait to see it, while Freezing means I couldn’t possibly care less and think it will be awful.
NXT CHAMPIONSHIP TRIPLE THREAT MATCH:
Bron Breakker (c) vs. Ilja Dragunov vs. JD McDonagh
Heat Index = Hot
Prediction: Bron Breakker wins.
Thoughts: I am FAR more interested in the potential Austin Theory Money in the Bank cash-in that was teased than anything else, to be honest. But even that would have worked better if they just surprised and didn’t telegraph it. Granted, don’t get me wrong, I still think this match will be good. In fact, it will likely be the best of the night. But that extra Theory cash-in idea tipped the scale to making it a full-blown Hot instead of what was previously a Lukewarm.
NXT WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH:
Mandy Rose (c) vs. Alba Fyre
Heat Index = Cold
Prediction: Mandy Rose wins.
Thoughts: No gimmick for this one. Boo. I can’t imagine it being a classic by any means. If Fyre wins the title, I’ll be disappointed. Continuing with Rose as champion isn’t my preferred idea going forward, but it is the better alternative. I’m just not feeling this feud whatsoever.
NXT NORTH AMERICAN CHAMPIONSHIP LADDER MATCH:
Carmelo Hayes vs. Nathan Frazer vs. Oro Mensah vs. Von Wagner vs. Wes Lee
Heat Index = Lukewarm
Prediction: Wes Lee wins.
Thoughts: This is easily the weakest group of challengers fighting in an NXT ladder match for a title. No one seems ready to be champion except just to give it back to Carmelo Hayes, which I don’t want to see. That’s not a dig at Hayes. It’s a dig at how they’ve already had the whole “Hayes loses it just to win it back” before. Swapping a few names out like Tyler Bate instead of Nathan Frazer would have helped bump up my excitement. Or, maybe just building some of them up better. Anyway, I think this will be fine, but nowhere near as good as other ladder matches we’ve seen. Hopefully, they prove me wrong. I’ll go with Wes Lee winning just for something different in a transitional reign before a new heel comes along to make a bigger splash.
WEAPONS WILD MATCH:
Cora Jade vs. Roxanne Perez
Heat Index = Temperate
Prediction: Roxanne Perez wins.
Thoughts: This is a Weapons Wild Match, but let’s be honest. It’ll be a kendo stick match and not much more. Maybe a skateboard will collapse before it even gets used. That should be the finish, with Perez nailing Jade with a skateboard to pin her. At least, that’s how I’d book it. But I have my suspicions this will be on the sloppy side.
AMBULANCE MATCH:
Damon Kemp vs. Julius Creed
* Bonus Stipulation: If Damon Kemp wins, Brutus Creed must leave NXT *
Heat Index = Lukewarm
Prediction: Damon Kemp wins.
Thoughts: I’m curious about this stipulation that Brutus Creed would leave NXT, rather than Julius. While I don’t think that will end up happening, it does pique my interest for a “what if” situation. It’s not like there’s NXT UK to go to, and I can’t see just one of The Creed Brothers moving to Raw or SmackDown without the other. Nor can I see Brutus turning on Julius for any reason. Roderick Strong could still cost Julius the match and have it be that he and Damon were in on it together from the start, but then, how does Brutus come back? In any fashion, this has me wondering what the outcome will be, so that boosts it up to a Lukewarm. Since it is the most interesting scenario, I’ll go with Kemp winning.
(SPIN THE WHEEL, MAKE THE DEAL) MATCH:
Apollo Crews vs. Grayson Waller
Heat Index = Temperate
Prediction: Apollo Crews wins.
Thoughts: We still don’t know what type of match this will be, as they’ll spin the wheel on the show itself. That could make a big difference for its potential. Right now, as it is, this feud hasn’t been great for my tastes, so it definitely needs something to spice it up. I’ll go with Apollo Crews winning just to round out the story.
OVERALL PPV:
How excited am I for the event as a whole?
Heat Index = Lukewarm
Thoughts: There’s some potential here, but also, the risk of it being a messy and disappointing show. In this era, these events aren’t anywhere near as good as what they used to be. If this were a TakeOver from the past, we’d all look at it as super weak. Now, it’s meh. I hope it isn’t just a show of a few lame gimmicks that aren’t as good as they think they are, with the commentary team tasked with pumping it up as a spectacle. I don’t want to hear that Perez and Jade had an “epic fight” if they just smack each other with kendo sticks a few times, for instance. We’ll see. For now, I’m in that middle range, but just slightly more optimistic by a tad, if not just because I’m curious if they want to make this special to compensate for not doing WarGames next month.
What do you think is going to happen at WWE NXT Halloween Havoc? Which matches are you most excited to see? Keep the discussion going in the comments below!
