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 MATCH:
Dolph Ziggler (c) vs. Bron Breakker
Heat Index = Hot
Prediction: Bron Breakker wins.
Thoughts: There are only two options here. I think this was all a plan from WWE to take the belt off Breakker so he could win it back on a bigger stage and use that footage in future video packages, rather than when he won the belt at New Year’s Evil, as it’s a much bigger deal. In the meantime, putting the belt on Ziggler was shocking and allowed a main roster Superstar and notable name to be in NXT for a few weeks, while giving Ziggler something of value to do so he doesn’t feel bored and lost in the shuffle. The only other alternative is that it was just a means to get the belt off Breakker so he could come up to the main roster, but I don’t think that’s the case. I’m fully expecting Breakker to win the title back here, and I’m interested to see how these two work together on a bigger stage with that pressure and hype.
NXT NORTH AMERICAN CHAMPIONSHIP LADDER MATCH:
Carmelo Hayes (c) vs. Cameron Grimes vs. Grayson Waller vs. Santos Escobar vs. Solo Sikoa
Heat Index = Scorching
Prediction: Carmelo Hayes retains.
Thoughts: All parties in this match are talented, ladder matches are fun, and there’s a chance a new champion is crowned. That’s a great recipe for an entertaining segment. Grimes may win the belt after all this talk about winning a title to fulfill a promise to his father who has passed away, but that’s not a guarantee. WWE loves Hayes. He could very well retain here. I can’t imagine the others are going to win, but I’m going back and forth between Hayes and Grimes. At the moment I’m posting this, I’m more on the Hayes side.
NXT WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP FATAL 4-WAY MATCH:
Mandy Rose (c) vs. Cora Jade vs. Io Shirai vs. Kay Lee Ray
Heat Index = Temperate
Prediction: Mandy Rose retains.
Thoughts: WWE waits a few weeks to do the women’s Dusty Cup because the division is in shambles and has no tag teams. They decide to just pair off people randomly, do a half-assed tournament, and throw it all out by having Shirai and Ray change the consequences of their win. All this to have a Fatal 4-Way with people who have already fought Rose. Bleh. If this is the best NXT has to offer, this may be the worst the women’s division has been on this brand. Don’t get me wrong; all four have their positives. But they’ve all lost to Rose and this feels more about quantity than quality. Just give the belt to Jade as she’d be something different. But with Nikkita Lyons waiting in the wings, she could be the next champion, rather than Jade. I’m 50/50 on this.
NXT TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP TRIPLE THREAT MATCH:
Imperium (c) vs. MSK vs. The Creed Brothers
Heat Index = Hot
Prediction: The Creed Brothers win.
Thoughts: For my tastes, I would have preferred Imperium against The Creed Brothers without the addition of MSK. I understand why WWE did that, though, as they want MSK to be the de facto babyfaces to offset two other heel teams. But I’m sticking to my guns that this is about The Creed Brothers winning the titles more than anything else.
SINGLES MATCH:
Tommaso Ciampa vs. Tony D’Angelo
Heat Index = Temperate
Prediction: Tommaso Ciampa wins.
Thoughts: I know the story here is that Tony D’Angelo is going to beat Tommaso Ciampa and make a name for himself. It doesn’t matter. I still think Ciampa is going to win so that he can go out with something positive and go to the main roster, rather than that he’s leaving WWE entirely and is going to job as a result. This feud/storyline has been lackluster, so I’m more interested in what happens after than what is going to happen during this segment itself.
SINGLES MATCH:
GUNTHER vs. LA Knight
Heat Index = Temperate
Prediction: GUNTHER wins.
Thoughts: As I expect Bron Breakker to win back the NXT Championship, the biggest possible threat for him after that would have to be GUNTHER. In order for that to stay a reality, he has to win as often as possible. LA Knight won’t gain much by beating GUNTHER, but GUNTHER will lose a lot if he fails to beat Knight.
NXT WOMEN’S TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH:
Toxic Attraction (c) vs. Raquel Gonzalez and Dakota Kai
Heat Index = Lukewarm
Prediction: Toxic Attraction wins.
Thoughts: Let me get this straight. Wendy Choo and Dakota Kai lose the finals of the Dusty Cup to Io Shirai and Kay Lee Ray, who opt out of their tag title match and get put in the NXT Women’s Championship match instead, and then with a hug, Kai and Gonzalez are back together and fighting for the titles while Choo is out of the mix? Wha? Logic aside, I’m hoping this is the final match for Gonzalez and Kai on NXT and that they transition to the main roster after WrestleMania, so I’m rooting for Toxic Attraction, but it’s another 50/50 deal. Gonzalez and Kai as tag team champions with a proper run would make a lot of sense, too.
OVERALL PPV:
How excited am I for the event as a whole?
Heat Index = Lukewarm
Thoughts: To be perfectly honest, I don’t know where I’m going to land on this. The work of covering these shows makes it harder to just outright enjoy them as a fan, and knowing how hard this weekend will be makes me wish this wasn’t happening a few hours prior to night 1 of WrestleMania and after the Hall of Fame and SmackDown the previous night, among other things. For this card to have some filler and some kind of duds on it makes me resentful of having to dedicate that much time and passion into it. On top of NXT 2.0 just not being as good as what NXT used to be, that makes it hard to get into Scorching or Hot territory overall. But there is still some potential here to be a rock solid show, so I’m not NOT looking forward to it. I just need it to be actually good and not just “good enough” from WWE’s standpoint as of late. It feels like a better, more important card could have been crafted with a little more effort, but I have faith in the performers themselves even if WWE Creative dropped the ball.
What do you think is going to happen at WWE NXT Stand & Deliver? Which matches are you most excited to see? Keep the discussion going in the comments below!
