Card looks awesome; this deserves its own thread. This is a lock to be better than Summerslam.

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NXT Tag Team Championship: Undisputed Era (c) vs Mustache Mountain



Note to whoever is booking this show: Lead with this match. In terms of strictly in-ring work, this should easily be the best match of the night. These two teams have traded the belt back and forth over the last few months. First, Bate and Seven scored a shocking win in the UK. Then, the Undisputed Era got their revenge a few weeks ago on NXT TV in a Meltzer 5-star instant classic.

Prediction: Undisputed Era retains. If they wanted to keep the titles on the Brits, I feel they would have done so without turning them back over to Strong and O'Reilly. Plus I feel like War Raiders match up more compellingly with Undisputed Era than with Mustache Mountain.

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Singles Match: Velveteen Dream vs. EC3



The sole match on the card not for a title, two of NXT most entertaining characters go one on ones in a match that neither can really afford to lose. EC3 has done almost nothing of note in the ring since debuting, while Velveteen Dream has been in high profile Takeover matches, but losing them all.

Prediction: Velveteen Dream. It's beyond time for a high profile win at a Takeover event (no I don't count Kassius Ohno as "high profile"). Dream is enough of a star to survive another big loss, but really shouldn't suffer that fate.

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NXT North American championship: Adam Cole (c) vs Ricochet



I'm still not exactly clear why this title is a thing. It just doesn't seem prestigious and no matter who wins this match, I don't see that changing. I know a fair amount of people in this forum are negative on Adam Cole, but I think his mannerisms are great. Combine that with the pure athleticism of Ricochet, and you have a recipe for a match that could stand out even among this set of great matches.

Prediction: Ricochet wins the title. This seems so obvious that I'm very tempted to go the other way, but I'll stick with the title change. Something fresh needs to happen with this title; it's gotten a little stale.

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NXT Women's Championship: Shayna Baszler vs Kairi Sane



Going to be blunt here: the NXT women's division completely sucks right now. It never recovered from the loss of Charlotte, Sasha, Becky and Bayley. And now with Asuka gone, the talent just isn't there right now. This match will easily be the worst of the card, but should be decent enough to not completely lose your interest after you flush the toilet.

Prediction: Baszler retains. In a way this match almost doesn't matter, because Io Sharai is a) winning the Mae Young Classic; and b) winning the NXT championship at Evolution. Kairi Sane is easily the better wrestler, but Baszler will make the better foe for Shairi in October.

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Last Man Standing match for the NXT championship: Tommaso Ciampa (c) vs Johnny Gargano



This clearly isn't what WWE wanted right now. Everything pointed to another one on one encounter between these two, but not at this event. Unfortunately, Aleister Black's injury has forced their hand a bit and made this match the only thing that really makes any sense. Expect a white-hot Brooklyn crowd to be nuts for this encounter.

Prediction: Ciampa retains. Oh, don't worry. Gargano will take the title of Ciampa, just not right now. So how does this happen? Look no further than the go home show of NXT TV, where they turned Black's legit injury into a "whodunit". They listed of a slew of names including pretty much the entire roster, even including jobbers like Steve Cutler, Fabian Aichner and Jaxson Ryker (who?). I did notice one named not mentioned: the one who did it. A man who has a main event look and is ready for a monster push. The man who did Ciampa's dirty work and is set to be a major player in NXT over the next year. That man's name? Dominik Dijakovic. Much to everyone's dismay, Dijakovic will help Ciampa win the Last Man Standing match, closing another elite Takeover special.

Thanks for the primer eb; certainly helpful for those of us who don’t track the weekly product.

What LKJ said.

I'm in. Gotta double check the start time though.

Looks like it starts at 7 PM Eastern (LKJ can edit that into the title if he wants).

Countdown T minus 5:00 minutes

I just poured a double vodka, let's do this.

In.

I'll keep the bourbon in the cupboard for at least the first hour.

I hate the Undisputed Era.

Related-- I thought it was a cool move to have two tag guys have a one on one match in the go home show-- builds the feud without just doing the same match before the PPV.

Already starting off properly.

I was going to institute a drinking game of taking a drink every time the NXT crowd annoys me, but that seems irresponsible when I haven't gotten around to drafting a living will for myself.

The orange ref.

Also, Fed/Goffin at the same time in the tennis thread. I don't know what to do!

Did not know that Neidhart was a trainer.

Lotta contrived **** so far.

Good God that clothesline spot.

There are undoubtedly many fans in the crowd who are chanting all of the words to that purported "UNDISPUTED - MUSTACHE MOUNTAIN" back-and-forth.

Mauro as the announcer is light years above the main show as far as adding legit excitement vs sounding like a planted shill.

Yeah +1, Mauro sounding great again here.

I loved that spot to break up the dualing submissions.

👍👍👍

That kickout sucks.

Okay, that kickout was absurd.

1) that was the fattest fat boy top leg drop in recent (if not ever) memory.

2) all of WWE is in a suicide dive craze. It's a dumb move and nearly always looks stupid.

Agree.

Joe's suicide dive is . Only guy who should be allowed.

Opening match was fine, though I couldn't shake the feeling throughout that many people like that type of match more than I do.

A few cool spots for sure.