03/29/19

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 - War Raiders vs. Aleister Black and Ricochet

Mikes take: Time to go to War!

Who Will Win: War Raiders
Who Should Win: War Raiders
What to watch for: The future of NXT tag division vs the future of WWE’s main event scene.

The War Raiders begin their title defense tour against a superstar team of Black and Ricochet, two men whose union has been brief but successful.  The Raiders have put on impressive showings in War Games and at Royal Rumble weekend when they were able to conquer Undisputed Era to capture the belts.  

This, however, will be their first time playing defense to a challenger. They combine chest hair powered belly to belly suplexes with cartwheels that Creed Bratton would be proud of, and they should be the pick in this match.

For Black and Ricochet, it’s tough to see them overcoming the Viking themed monsters because of their presence on Raw and Smackdown.  With Black and Ricochet’s strong showings on the main roster, does it make sense for the NXT tag division’s standard-bearers to succumb to NXT part-timers?  

Also, what would it say for the NXT tag division if a haphazard pairing can topple the kings in their first attempt?

The bearded Viking cosplayers go over here.

Matt’s Pick: The Raid Continues in the NXT Tag Division

Who Will Win: War Raiders
Who Should Win: War Raiders

In a “not-so-fun” turn of events, I agree with my brother wholeheartedly. The War Raiders, while I love them, are not quite in that realm of universal believability.

Hear me out!

It’s not always about the indie scene or what a group may have accomplished in Ring of Honor. For the War Raiders, that helped earn this position. But for NXT Creative to be able to fully utilize what they have, in this incredibly intimidating tag team, they have to let them retain.

For Aleister Black and the “One and Only” Ricochet, they are playing a game they can’t lose. Ricochet and Black have already been making their presence felt on the main roster and haven’t even flirted with futility. Its obvious that with the wins they have accumulated and the shoulders they’ve been bumping in the last two months, Black and Ricochet are ascending to the main roster, full-time.

Getting back to the War Raiders, there is still plenty for them to prove on NXT. They’ve been somewhat absent, mainly due to an opportunity to let injuries heal, but I think they need to navigate their way through another feud. Whether we want to keep them as faces or test them as heels, the Forgotten Sons and Mustache Mountain will prove to be worthy opponents.

Granted...losing opponents...but definitely worthy!

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!