NXT Women’s Championship: Shayna Baszler (c) vs. Kairi Sane vs. Bianca Belair vs. Io Shirai

Shayna Baszler defends her Women’s Championship at NXT TakeOver New York against Bianca Belair, Io Shirai, and Kairi Sane. Photo courtesy of the WWE.

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 - Shayna Baszler (c) vs. Kairi Sane vs. Bianca Belair vs. Io Shirai

Mike’s Take: Baszler Continues Brutal Reign

Who Will Win: Shayna Baszler
Who Should Win: Bianca Belair
What to watch for: A fitting heiress to Shayna’s throne.

Which (if any) of the women not named Shayna is ready to step up and watch the throne?  Since her debut at the Mae Young Classic, Shayna has owned the NXT women’s division.

She’s won championships, dominated feuds against Ember Moon and Kairi Sane, and continued to improve her mic work with blossoming confidence.  With a thrilling moveset that blurs the line between sports entertainment and legitimate violence, it’s time for her to start headlining Wrestlemanias.

The problem with a Shayna call-up is the vacancy she’d be leaving in her wake.  Charlotte had Sasha, Sasha had Bayley, Bayley had Asuka, and Asuka had Ember Moon.  Would the company turn to Kairi or Io to run its women’s division?

The two upstarts (in the States at least) have dazzling in-ring abilities with jaw-dropping top rope finishers but are lacking in the promo department.  The company attempted a trial run with Kairi on top, but apparently wasn’t sold, transitioning Kairi into more of a tag team role with her Japanese counterpart in Io.

The likeliest title change would involve Bianca being given the strap.  What she lacks in experience she makes up for with sheer determination. She had an excellent showing against Shayna at Royal Rumble weekend where she was able to showcase her weaponized ponytail whipping, gorilla press strength, and athletic dexterity.  

While some might argue that Bianca’s too green to win the championship, those folks may be forgetting that the person she’d be defeating also became champion with some vibrant viridian shades. Shayna wasn’t polished when she was crowned champion, and based on her physical tools, Belair also has a fair shot at succeeding.  

Bianca’s stumbled on her words a few times, but her power and confidence at such a young age could make for a compelling Beth Phoenix-y monster heel going forward.

Matt’s Picks: Baszlers Breaking Arms

Who Will Win: Shayna Baszler
Who Should Win: Io Shirai

I agree with a lot of what my Brother of Discussion counterpart had to say, but I don’t think Bianca Belair proved interesting enough during her feud with Shayna Baszler. I’ve seen the crowd reactions, so I know I’m in the minority in judging her talents, but I’m not seeing a polished product yet.

When I am looking across the NXT Women’s Division, I see the future in Io Shirai. I think, unfortunately, her downfall will be the communication boundary. Her intensity in her promos is enough for me, because you can hear the sincerity, even while she forces her way through our dumb language.

That being said, Baszler is still going to win this thing. I think there’s still some assistance she’ll need to provide to her UFC faction, with Jessamyn Duke and Marina Shafir. It might be unfair to hold her back, to ensure those two find their own journey to a polished product, but I’m sure Shayna wants to see them find success.

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

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!

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.

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