03/30/19

By (mostly) Michael Klink and (kind of) Matt Klink

@michael_klink

The river’s been navigated, the mountain ascended, the end of the NXT year is upon us: Takeover New York is mere days away, and the Brothers of Discussion are here to prime you for every match on the card.  Without further adieu, here come our predictions for who should win, who will win, and the moments that will make the matchups stand out in the history of NXT.

NXT Takeover: New York Preview - Adam Cole vs. Johnny Gargano, 2 out of 3 Falls

Mike’s Pick: ADAM COLE BAY BAY!

Who Will Win: Adam Cole
Who Should Win: Adam Cole
What to watch for: Johnny Takeover vs Adam Takeover

We finally make it to the main event, where the leader of the Undisputed Era takes on the disenfranchised survivor of DIY.  With the former holder of the belt suddenly on the shelf with a neck injury, Cole and Gargano will battle in a best of 3 falls match to determine who holds the vacated title.  

Both of these indie darlings have been warmly adopted by the NXT faithful and come into this match as former NXT North American champions with less than stellar Takeover records.  

While both performers have captured gold at Takeover events, their win-loss records have been less than impressive, 2-9 for Johnny in his last 11, versus 3-3 for Adam Cole, making the title of “Mr. Takeover” seem a little tongue in cheek, to say the least.  

As far as who goes over?  

The company would be in good hands with either performer on top.  Gargano on top would mean that there’s a final NXT showdown planned for Gargano that ends with him having a Dragonball Z-esque match against Tommaso Ciampa after he recovers from surgery.  

With Cole on top, we’d be looking at a Hogan leading NWO situation where the leader of the top faction gets the top prize.

Ultimately, because we need something to do while Ciampa is on the mend, this feud smells like a seesaw situation that leaves Gargano on top.  If we’re leaving it with Gargano on top, that means we’re starting with Cole the victor this Friday (BAY BAY).

Matt’s Pick: Johnny Champion Returns

Who Will Win: Johnny Gargano
Who Should Win: Johnny Gargano

Johnny Gargano will become Johnny Champion again. Gargano has been linked to Tomasso Ciampa since walking into the NXT Performance Center. Now that Gargano has stripped himself of any Ciampa connection (for the time being) the story feels destined to prove that the good guy prevails.

In steps the leader of the Undisputed Era and the 2nd most cunning and conniving champion NXT has to offer. 2nd, of course, to Tommaso Ciampa. That relationship makes Adam Cole the perfect substitute for, what would have been, the ultimate (possibly best) wrestling story ever told.

Gargano was in the middle of overcoming the monster inside. Something we all relate to. I certainly do! Just go back and see how many blog posts we’ve had this year. Why? My own laziness and commitment to video games.

But for Gargano, after he lost himself in the fire of Ciampa’s reign, he found himself again. And he became Johnny Wrestling! And now, he needs to prove to himself and to everyone watching that staying true to yourself is the key to greatness.

Having Gargano lose this match...would have us all lose hope for ourselves.

The Rest of NXT TakeOver New York:

NXT Championship 2-out-of-3 Falls Match
Johnny Gargano vs. Adam Cole

NXT Women’s Championship Fatal 4-Way Match
Shayna Baszler (c) vs. Kairi Sane vs. Io Shirai vs. Bianca Belair

WWE United Kingdom Championship Match
Pete Dunne (c) vs. WALTER

NXT Tag Team Championship Match
The War Raiders (c) vs. Aleister Black & Ricochet

NXT North American Championship Match
Velveteen Dream (c) vs. Matt Riddle

Friday, April 5, at 7 ET/4 PT. Coverage begins with the Pre-Show at 6 ET/3 PT, streaming on WWE Network, WWE.com, the WWE App, YouTube, Facebook and Twitter.

Full Brothers of Discussion Coverage for WrestleMania Weekend continues with Episode 73 of the Podcast! And Don’t forget to check out the BOD, WrestleMania 35 Drinking Game!

Enjoy the article? Every weekend the Brothers of Discussion offer more thoughts and opinions through the podcast! Listen, Subscribe and Review the Podcast on SoundCloud and iTunes!