Jimmy Hayes
WHAT?!?!?!??!?!?!? Takeover time all READY??? Hey, don’t take it for granted, just know that more of 2020 is in the record books and we’re closer to the awesomeness that 2021 holds. When we look back on 2020 in wrestling, it’s gonna be just as different as it was in regard to everything else. But, let’s talk about the present. NXT Takeover 31 takes place on Sunday, October 3rd at……we’s assuming the performance center, but we’ve been lead to believe there’s a 50% chance that it’s not. Either way, it’s the wrestling that everyone wants to see, right? First I have to say that I’m a little bit surprised that this card only has 5 matches on it. Usually, Takeovers have a few more than that, but nowhere near the number that a WWE PPV has on it. I wouldn’t be surprised if they sneak one onto the kickoff show.
OK, so some of us Wrestling Watchers sat down and made out best attempt to predict the future. Sarah, Brian, and I all sat down and made our best predictions based on our knowledge of the athletes, the wrestling business, and our gut feelings, Without further ado, here we go:
NXT Cruiserweight Champion Santos Escobar vs. Isiah “Swerve” Scott
Sarah’s pick:
Brian’s pick: Santos Escobar. “I like seeing Santos with the belt, but honestly not sure if he will retain, but that’s who I am going to go for.”
Jimmy’s pick: Isiah “Swerve” Scott: Scott has been in NXT for a really long time. I’m afraid that if his time isn’t now, it might never ben his time. Plus, I think Escobar’s entourage might actually hurt him in this case.
Kushida vs. The Velveteen Dream
Sarah’s pick: The Velveteen Dream. “A nice grudge match this evening. Don’t expect too much here. Kushida is a babyface people love, and in order to make Dream more heel, he will get a cheap win. Possibly cheat.”
Brian pick: Kushida. “I am honestly just not a fan of Dream, I will take any over Dream.”
Jimmy’s pick: The Velveteen Dream “I am a HUGE mark for The Dream and I don’t hide it. Bluntly, I think Kushida is a better wrestler, but I think the Dream is gonna have something up his sleeve that’s gonna swing the match his way.”
Damien Preist (c) vs. Johnny Gargano
Sarah’s pick: Priest. ” Johnny Takeover vs the Archer of Infamy. This match could be the one to steal the show. Gargano and Priest will both lay it all on the line for this title but I believe Priest will just edge out Gargano.”
Brian’s pick Gargano. : “I think Gargano is going to take the W. It’s his time.”
Jimmy’s pick: Priest. “Gargano seems to be on a losing streak since his change of attitude. That plus Priest’s much bigger size makes me think the champ is gonna stay the champ. “
Io Shirai (c) vs, Candice LaRae
Sarah’s pick: Io Shirai “While in the sense of booking Larae has never been taken as a big player. Is Io living up to expectations as champ? Either way, I don’t believe they will book Io to lose yet and beat Candice.”
Brian’s pick: Candice LaRae “I love my girl Io, but I think Candice may take the belt from her. If she does I hope my girl Shotzi takes it from Candice. However, this match is going to be action-packed, high flying. It’s going to be a match we talk about for a while.”
Jimmy’s pick: Candice LaRae. “Shirai is a great wrestler, but I think when you put her up against Candice and her new “anything to win” attitude, it’s gonna be a little too much for Io.”
Finn Balor (c) vs. Kyle O’Reilly
Sarah’s pick: Balor ” A match that can be billed as 2 underdogs, a match that sees one of the greatest nxt champs of all time vs potentially one of the most unexpected. You can’t sleep on Kyle, he’s got great skill, is he ready for a title run? Not quite. Finn will retain.”
Brian’s pick: Balor “I would love to see Kyle, I think Finn just got the title, he will probably hold on to it for a while. I think the matchup is going to be exciting. ”
Jimmy’s pick: O’Reilly “Finn doesn’t need the strap. He’s a superstar with or without it, and I’m willing to bet that after the draft, he’s gonna be on Smackdown. Plus, O’Reilly is crazy talented and is overdue for a singles run. Also, if WWE is worried about coming in second place to Dynamite, this might be the kind of “WHAT?!?!?!” shocker that might give them a bump in the ratings for a couple of weeks.
There you have it folks, print this out and play along!! No matter who gets the most predictions right, I think we’ll ALL win because I believe we’re in for a fantastic night of wrestling!!
