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:
Finn Balor (c) vs. Pete Dunne
Heat Index = Hot
Prediction: Finn Balor wins.
Thoughts: This is going to be a great match, for sure. There’s no way these two don’t beat the living hell out of each other. They’re both capable of putting on a show-stealer and a potential Match of the Year candidate. I’m not super invested in the feud, to be honest, though. This feels like a stop-gap before Karrion Kross wins the title from Balor at WrestleMania. However, that only keeps this from being Scorching. There’s no way it isn’t Hot.
NXT WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP TRIPLE THREAT MATCH:
Io Shirai (c) vs. Mercedes Martinez vs. Toni Storm
Heat Index = Lukewarm
Prediction: Io Shirai wins.
Thoughts: I’m a fan of all three of these women. So why is it only Lukewarm? Well, mostly because I think WWE had two ideas and instead of going with Martinez first, then Toni Storm later down the line, I think they wanted to rush things. That makes me partially think Shirai drops the title and they just want to put it on Storm ASAP. The other, bigger part of me, though, thinks WWE is going to use this as another stop-gap. Storm will not take the pin, but she’ll still lose. Shirai will pin Martinez and then, Storm will say she wasn’t pinned, get a rematch and win the title then. If that happens, it’ll make this match kind of pointless in the grand scheme of things, as Storm could have just gotten a singles match with Shirai here and Martinez could have fought Shirai on NXT beforehand. I guess we’ll see.
NXT NORTH AMERICAN CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH:
Johnny Gargano (c) vs. Kushida
Heat Index = Temperate
Prediction: Johnny Gargano wins.
Thoughts: Not only do I not think Gargano is going to lose the title, I think WWE has blatantly broadcast that by showing Dexter Lumis hovering over this feud. He’s the next in line, clearly, unless that’s entirely just to swerve us. Kushida’s great and all, but he doesn’t strike me as the next champion. Technically speaking, neither does Lumis, but at least he seems like someone they’re building up to as a bigger threat in the grand scheme of things. Stop-gap #3.
MEN’S DUSTY RHODES TAG TEAM CLASSIC TOURNAMENT FINAL:
Grizzled Young Veterans (c) vs. MSK
Heat Index = Lukewarm
Prediction: MSK wins.
Thoughts: I haven’t seen much of MSK yet, but I’ve enjoyed what I’ve seen. Grizzled Young Veterans are rock solid, too. This should be a good match. I think since Oney Lorcan and Danny Burch are heels, MSK should be the obvious winners, but maybe there’s a surprise down the line I’m not seeing coming.
WOMEN’S DUSTY RHODES TAG TEAM CLASSIC TOURNAMENT FINAL:
Dakota Kai and Raquel Gonzalez vs. Ember Moon and Shotzi Blackheart
Heat Index = Lukewarm
Prediction: Dakota Kai and Raquel Gonzalez win.
Thoughts: Now that they’ve announced the winners of this tournament will also get a tag title shot, I’m less inclined to believe Kai and Gonzalez are the far above and beyond obvious winners. I do still think they make more sense to win, overall, despite how the current tag team champions (Jax and Baszler) are heels, but that’s mostly because Kai and Gonzalez are a more legitimate tag team. Either way, I’m good. The match isn’t the most exciting on the card, but I’m still looking forward to it.
OVERALL PPV:
How excited am I for the event as a whole?
Heat Index = Lukewarm
Thoughts: Admittedly, this isn’t an event that I feel as pumped about as some of the other TakeOver events we’ve had in the past. This feels a bit bland and, like I’ve said numerous times, a holdover to some more important matches. It should still be a good show, though. They rarely ever aren’t.
What do you think is going to happen at WWE NXT TakeOver: Vengeance Day? Which matches are you most excited to see? Keep the discussion going in the comments below!
