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:
Bron Breakker (c) vs. Cameron Grimes
Heat Index = Lukewarm
Prediction: Bron Breakker wins.
Thoughts: I didn’t expect this to be the direction WWE would go for Breakker’s next opponent following Joe Gacy. Grimes had been so wrapped up in the North American Championship that it made no sense he’d suddenly challenge for the main title right after. It’s also babyface versus babyface, which is somewhat rare. Grimes is playing heel a bit, and he’s going to come up short. No way he beats Breakker. Hopefully, this is the sendoff for him and we see Grimes show up on Raw or SmackDown soon, while Breakker moves on to a match against Apollo Crews at the next event.
NXT NORTH AMERICAN CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH:
Carmelo Hayes (c) vs. Grayson Waller
Heat Index = Hot
Prediction: Carmelo Hayes wins.
Thoughts: Hayes and Waller are among the best this brand has to offer these days. While they aren’t on the level of Johnny Gargano and Adam Cole from previous eras, they can still get the job done in the ring. It is interesting they’re going with face/face and heel/heel for these titles, but that at least switches up the dynamic a bit. Thankfully, there isn’t just Hayes against Solo Sikoa, instead. Hayes is going to retain here. Waller is in contention for being the one to beat Breakker, in my mind. Granted, so is Hayes, but I can’t see why WWE would take the North American title off Hayes, give it to Grimes, give it back to Hayes and then give it to Waller in such a short time frame.
NXT WOMEN’S TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH:
Gigi Dolin and Jacy Jayne (c) vs. Cora Jade and Roxanne Perez
Heat Index =Lukewarm
Prediction: Cora Jade and Roxanne Perez win.
Thoughts: Now is the absolute best time to take the tag titles off Toxic Attraction. Jade and Perez make perfect sense to hold those belts going forward. They’re the embodiment of the youth movement, look like they are actually friends who get along and would be a proper tag team (minus how they don’t have a true team name yet) and we’ve already seen everything Dolin and Jayne have to offer as champs. To be honest, I think it’s time for Toxic Attraction as a whole to move up to the main roster, and I’m hoping Mandy Rose drops her title soon, too. This should be the first step, and while I don’t think the match will be great, I’m excited to potentially see the title change.
NXT TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH:
The Creed Brothers (c) vs. Damon Kemp and Roderick Strong
Heat Index = Hot
Prediction: The Creed Brothers win.
Thoughts: While I don’t think this will be Match of the Year quality, I do think it could steal the show. There’s also a chance this is Roderick Strong’s last match in WWE. He’s wanted out for a while, but keeps showing back up. Maybe there could have been some sort of agreement that he would stick around a little bit longer until they can boot him out of Diamond Mine, and this could be when that happens. I don’t expect a title change, by any means, but I could see Strong’s excommunication being on the menu.
SINGLES MATCH:
Trick Williams vs. Wes Lee
Heat Index = Temperate
Prediction: Wes Lee wins.
Thoughts: This is one of those filler matches that doesn’t really mean all that much. I’m assuming Wes Lee wins so he can be built up for a potential North American Championship title shot against Hayes down the line.
SINGLES MATCH:
Tiffany Stratton vs. Wendy Choo
Heat Index = Cold
Prediction: Tiffany Stratton wins.
Thoughts: They’ll wrestle. It’ll be fine enough, I guess, but not anything worth checking out if you missed it. The feud’s nothing to write home about. Stratton wins so that she can build more steam and eventually challenge whoever beats Mandy Rose for the title (ie, Nikkita Lyons, most likely) at some point in the future.
OVERALL PPV:
How excited am I for the event as a whole?
Heat Index = Lukewarm
Thoughts: As a regular episode of NXT, this is above the norm. When comparing it to what the TakeOver pay-per-views used to be, this is subpar. Since I’m grading this within a bubble, I’ll give it a slightly above average anticipation overall. A few matches should be worth checking out and there might be a title change. I could ask for more, but I know I’m not getting it, so I’ll try to be happy with what we’ve got. Sometimes, that’s too hard to do, but with this show, it’ll do.
What do you think is going to happen at WWE NXT Great American Bash? Which matches are you most excited to see? Keep the discussion going in the comments below!
