NXT’s TakeOver WarGames is officially in the books, and it more than delivered in every way. Two phenomenal WarGames matches bookended the night with several memorable moments happening in between, and after all the action there are plenty of interesting directions to go in as we move forward in the remainder of 2020 and to 2021’s New Year’s Evil. After processing everything we saw happen tonight, we’ve already got a few ideas on what we could see there and perhaps what we hope to see there, and you can check out all of our predictions and hopes for NXT‘s next big feuds starting on the next slide.
Videos by ComicBook.com
Several stars were made to look strong tonight, so if WWE plans on keeping up that momentum we’ll likely see them in the spotlight moving forward in NXT’s weekly episodes and the next major event. Some matches did not go the way we expected, and even the ones that delivered clean wins left plenty of room for new rivalries and continuations of current ones.
To get you up to speed, here is who won at TakeOver WarGames:
Dexter Lumis defeated Cameron Grimes (Strap Match)
Tommaso Ciampa defeated Timothy Thatcher
Johnny Gargano defeated Leon Ruff and Damian Priest (Triple Threat Match)
Team Candice defeated Team Shotzi (WarGames Match)
The Undisputed ERA defeated Pat McAfee, Pete Dunne, Oney Lorcan, and Danny Burch (WarGames Match)
Hit the next slide to see what we think will happen at New Year’s Evil, and let us know what you want to see in the comments or on Twitter @MattAguilarCB!
Kyle O’Reilly vs Pat McAfee
The last match of the night featured the bitter rivalry between Team McAfee and Undisputed ERA, and while the whole match was epic, there was a memorable moment between O’Reilly and McAfee that seemed to tease a bit of added anger between them, and we could end up seeing a one on one match between the two as a result.
O’Reilly’s last singles match against Finn Balor was one of the best of the year, and while McAfee’s still gaining experience in the ring, O’Reilly can more than carry what he needs to. That said, McAfee looked great once again tonight, so he wouldn’t have to do all the heavy lifting.
Io Shirai vs Raquel Gonzalez
Tonight’s Women’s WarGames match had several standout moments, but it was a big one from Raquel Gonzalez that put Team LeRae over Team Shotzi. Specifically, Gonzalez is the one that put the current NXT Women’s Champion through a ladder in a brutal spot that earned the win for the team and combined with the huge smile on her face that Shirai will likely hate seeing, this could very well setup the next challenger for Shirai.
Gonzalez has been on the outside of the title picture since Shirai has held the title, involved mostly because Dakota Kai was challenging for the Championship. Now, they could go with Gonzalez and Rhea Ripley again, but with Gonzalez making such a big statement against Shirai, this seems like the next big step for both stars, and their contrasting styles could make for a great matchup.
Pete Dunne vs Adam Cole
Another match emanating from the final WarGames match of the night is one between Pete Dunne and Adam Cole. The group is very much in the babyface camp now, and while odds are we’ll get another throwdown between the groups as a whole, going the singles route between the two biggest threats in either camp would be a way to keep things fresh and keep from overdoing the group matches until the next TakeOver.
Dunne and Cole had some great back and forth throughout the match, and we’d love to see both stars get some renewed shine with McAfee adding an element of chaos to the whole thing.
Rhea Ripley vs Toni Storm
This is a matchup that stateside fans have waited for for a minute, but now that both stars are actually on opposing sides, it now makes sense to kick this into gear. This is especially true after the WarGames match, as it was Storm who not only unloaded multiple Kendo Stick shots on Ripley and the entire Shotzi team, but also kept the door closed and Shirai out of the action for so long.
Ripley and Storm have already had some classics against each other during their time in NXT UK, but that was a while ago and both stars have become even better in the ring since. This also allows Storm to get her heel persona over even more with connections to LeRae, and would easily steal the show in just about any event it’s featured in.
Finn Balor vs Karrion Kross
Tonight’s NXT featured the tease of a much-anticpatedย return in former Champion Karrion Kross, who has been recovering from his surgery he had to have right after he won the NXT Championship from Keith Lee. Since then Finn Balor has become Champion, and now that Balor is also back after surgery on his jaw, it seems like the perfect time to get these two in the ring.
Both will be at peak strength since neither has wrestled yet after their injuries and before Kross left he was at the top of his game. The same can be said for Balor, whose last match was a classic against Kyle O’Reilly. With Kross back in action, it’s only a matter of time before they cross paths, and I for one cannot wait to see what they can do in the ring.
Dexter Lumis vs Johnny Gargano
Johnny Gargano ended the night by once again becoming the North American Champion, though he did use some help to make it happen. NXT could very well go forward with Damian Priest vs Gargano once more after what Gargano pulled, but the more interesting thing is to have Priest move another way and then bring in a new challenger to the North American Championship picture, and after his win tonight, that could very well be Dexter Lumis.
Lumis won his match with authority against Cameron Grimes, and since we don’t see another match between those two happening right away, it would be great to move Lumis to another feud with a contrasting personality, which has made his feud with Grimes so entertaining. Lumis and Gargano should work extremely well together, especially with the more supernatural elements to Lumis’ character that LeRae and Gargano will have a field day with.
Damian Priest vs Leon Ruff
Remember how we said Priest might be moved somewhere else? After tonight’s Triple Threat match, Ruff has more than earned his place in NXT, and has done some great work in the ring and regarding his character since he became Champion. He might’ve lost the belt, but after the back and forth between him and Priest tonight, especially after all the story told early in the match between them.ย
There’s an interesting story to tell between these two, as Priest can be an enemy for Ruff to challenge and prove himself further against but Priest doesn’t have to go full heel either, and the two can put on some dazzling matches in the ring before Priest inevitably moves back to Gargano. Since Gargano will be taking on Lumis for a bit, that gives us some room to breathe in the feud so it doesn’t get overdone.
Everyone gets to shine and we don’t lose much momentum, so it’s a win-win.
