NXT TakeOver 31 takes place on Sunday night, representing a reasonably fast turnaround between TakeOver occasions with TakeOver XXX having simply gone down on the finish of August. The occasion ought to, as is the case with all TakeOver playing cards, be full of loads of high-octane motion and a few memorable matches with 4 of 5 deliberate bouts being contested for a title.
In the principle occasion, NXT champion Finn Balor is ready to defend his belt towards Kyle O'Reilly in a match that would rank among the many finest NXT bouts of 2020. Also, girls's champ Io Shirai can even defend her title on the occasion when she faces off with challenger Candice LeRae.
The motion is ready to stream Sunday starting at 6:30 p.m. ET with a kickoff present on WWE Network. The essential card will go down beginning at 7 p.m. as WWE has moved NXT from Full Sail University again to the WWE Performance Center with a venue setup now generally known as the Capitol Wrestling Center.
NXT TakeOver 31 card, predictions
NXT Championship -- Finn Balor (c) vs. Kyle O'Reilly: This must be an incredible match bell-to-bell, however it does not include a lot drama when it comes to who's going to stroll out of the occasion as NXT champion. Balor remains to be younger in his reign and O'Reilly is the final word regular hand, however not the man you hitch your promotion to given how he has been offered over his time in NXT. Lack of drama on a winner apart, this could reside as much as the legacy of nice NXT championship matches at TakeOvers previous. Pick: Finn Balor retains the title.
NXT Women's Championship -- Io Shirai (c) vs. Candice LeRae: LeRae may nicely go away TakeOver with the NXT girls's title, however this end result feels immediately tied to the results of the NXT North American title match. Can Gargano and LeRae stroll out of TakeOver 31 as champions? All that stated, I do not see Priest dropping the title (extra on that in a second) and that feels prefer it takes a piece out of LeRae's odds of profitable the belt right here. Pick: Io Shirai retains the title.
NXT North American Championship -- Damian Priest (c) vs. Johnny Gargano: Gargano is all the time a menace to seize a title in NXT, however it merely does not make sense to maneuver the belt off Priest but. Priest received the title in August, so taking it off him so early into his reign would appear to do extra hurt than good for somebody on which the promotion appears excessive. Gargano is bulletproof in NXT. He may go on a 200-match dropping skid and would nonetheless really feel vital and related given all he is carried out for the model. Pick: Damian Priest retains the title.
NXT Cruiserweight Championship -- Santos Escobar (c) vs. Isaiah "Swerve" Scott: Had Scott and Breezango not picked up a win over Legado Del Fantasma in a avenue battle the week earlier than TakeOver, I might be going with a title change right here. That momentum swing modifications issues, nonetheless, by feeling prefer it gave the babyface the seen, significant win that you just usually give with the PPV title change. Now, it feels prefer it's Escobar's flip to choose up an inexpensive win and see if they will stretch out this feud a bit of bit longer, or just to maneuver alongside to a feud with Kushida. Pick: Santos Escobar retains the title
Kushida vs. Velveteen Dream: The hope right here is that Dream's refusal to maneuver on from his points with Kushida is solely to get Kushida a pleasant, high-profile win on TakeOver to place him for a run on the cruiserweight title. They may, in fact, make a mistake and have Dream come out with the win, however I'll financial institution on the proper choice being made. Pick: Kushida wins.
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