WWE NXT TakeOver Brooklyn 4 Preview

WWE's main roster has Wrestlemania, the biggest card of the year. For NXT, it's TakeOver Brooklyn, which takes place the day before SummerSlam. NXT TakeOvers always set a bar the main roster's main event has a hard time clearing, and it is never more the case than it is when the best NXT has to offer comes 24 hours before WWE's second biggest event of the year.

I'm excited for some matches in SummerSlam, as I'll discuss in tomorrow's preview of that event. In TakeOver? I am excited for every single match.

Velveteen Dream vs. EC3

This will likely be the opener, as the only match on the card that's not for a title. Well, it's not technically for a title. Unofficially, this is pretty much the "Future Face Of The Company" match. Every other male competitor in TakeOver is somewhat undersized by main roster standards, which makes it hard (though not impossible, as Daniel Bryan proved) to become the biggest star in a company where the CEO loves big, muscular bodies. But here's the thing: These guys don't just look the part. In the words of The Miz, they are the part. EC3 is a very good wrestler. Velveteen Dream is a super good wrestler, and he's going to be 23 on Sunday. He is a child prodigy at this point. How good can he get? This is the guy John Cena described as "the one." But EC3 is more polished, and has extensive main event experience from TNA/Impact. Both of these guys have all the upside, and they're gonna show us everything they have. Let's have a look at WWE's promo video for the match:

Prediction: Dream has to win a truly important match at some point, and I think this may be it.

Adam Cole vs. Ricochet for the NXT North American Championship

If Cole and Ricochet were a little bit taller, Dream and EC3 would have a much harder time laying claim to the "future face" mantle. Because Adam Cole is what his heel persona says he is: Special. And Ricochet is the most incredible athlete on the entire roster. Cole's the - much - better talker. Ricochet's the - somewhat - better wrestler. In the ring, they are amazing. And I suspect they're going to make magic together. If it weren't for the main event being what it is, I would say this match had a great shot at stealing the show.
Prediction: Ricochet takes the title.

The Undisputed Era (Kyle O'Reilly and Roderick Strong) vs. Moustache Mountain (Tyler Bate and Trent Seven) for the NXT Tag Team Championship

So much of what I've said about the talents in the previous two matches can be said about those in this one, except we've already seen what magic these four can make together. But we haven't seen it on a TakeOver, where everybody raises their game. Remember how I marveled at Dream's age? Tyler Bate is 21. And if he was taller, he'd be a lock for main event status for years to come. But here's the thing, O'Reilly and Strong are just as crisp, just as sharp, just as good. And Trent Seven, while obviously the weakest worker in the match, is still pretty great. This is going to be awesome.
Prediction: Era retains. The War Raiders are waiting.

Shayna Baszler vs. Kairi Sane for the NXT Women's Championship

There's only one women's match on the show, but it's gonna be a barn burner. This is their third televised match, and I expect it to be the best one. In the first two matches, Sane was the plucky underdog fighting the monstrous Baszler. She overcame the monster in the first one, and lost in the second. But now, she's got an edge. Now she's got a submission move. Now she doesn't feel so much like an underdog. I also feel like she bulked up a bit. She's obviously still the smaller wrestler, but she looks more powerful. I think it's time for Shayna to move to the main roster, where she's likely to betray Ronda.
Prediction: Good triumphs. Only doubting that because of the next match.

Tommaso Ciampa vs. Johnny Gargano Last Man Standing match for the NXT Championship

WWE wanted this to be a triple threat, but fate intervened and sent Aleister Black to surgery. I wish him a speedy recovery. I think he's great. But this is the match it should have been. These guys... I am still amazed that these two small indie guys (though Ciampa's not as small anymore, having bulked up significantly) have been the story of NXT this entire year. In fact, they've been the enduring story for the past few years, as a makeshift tag team, as Cruiserweight Classic opponents, as the scrappy tag team that could, and did. And then, the betrayal. Both out with injuries. And then, their dramatic returns. Now, let's pause for a video, as WWE released this excellent promo video for the match:

Watched it? Good. Now, let's talk about the fact that their first match was the match of the year, so far. Let's talk about the fact that their second match was an epic war. And now? Last Man Standing. NXT's last match of this type was the incredible Last Woman Standing match between Asua and Nikki Cross, so the bar is set high in multiple ways. And I think they're going to meet it, and exceed it. This is the rubber match. This should be the end of the story (for now). One man wins, the other goes to the main roster. And, to me, that means Johnny has to win.