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WWE presents War Games on 12/5, the first special event since they changed the brand from NXT to NXT 2.0. Here are our takes on what will happen on the show.
WarGames match: Tommaso Ciampa, Johnny Gargano, Pete Dunne and LA Knight vs. Bron Breakker, Carmelo Hayes, Tony D’Angelo and Grayson Waller
Dave: It’s no secret that I am not a fan of what WWE has done to the once proud NXT. This brand was the salvation for me in the WWE Universe, pun intended. This brand was pro wrestling, not sports entertainment. But WWE couldn’t stand having that under their umbrella anymore, so here we are. We have an old guard vs. new guard match here. Given that it seems pretty obvious that Bron will be winning the NXT Title fairly soon, I expect his team to go over and him to go over Ciampa.
Mike: I wonder if they'll have Triple H make his return appearance at the show, since they have had a few people tease there would be a surprise in media appearances. There is no way the new breed isn't unleashed here so the new blood can reign supreme. I can see a situation where Knight turns on his team, since well, he isn't really old school NXT anyway. My guess is they make it, like Dave said, about Bron.
Richard: Before I start talking about this match, I do want to say how happy I am to cover December to Dismember 2.0. They have set up this match through a number of feuds so it isn't shocking at all of the participants. Will Gargano and Ciampa be able to work together in this battle for generational supremacy or will they turn on each other like they have done many times before? Ciampa and Gargano starting off would give their team the best advantage since they were a team in the past. With the advantage for the Young Ones, it will be a way to see if they are the Not Ready for Prime Time Players or not. I would start off with Breakker since he will be the one to face Ciampa again and should be the star of this match. Hayes should also have a good showing so he can back up his promos. Waller and D'Angelo need to have good performances but they are not the focus of this match. I would have LA Knight take the loss but that doesn't do anything for future storylines. Breakker puts Ciampa in the Nephew of Steiner Recliner. What if the Millionaire's Club is led to the ring by the man who brought them into the company . . . HHH?
WarGames match: Io Shirai, Raquel González, Cora Jade & Kay Lee Ray vs. Mandy Rose, Gigi Dolin, Jacy Jayne & Dakota Kai
Dave: Since the heels have all of the gold I see the faces getting the win here and setting up Title matches coming out of the match.
Mike: The right finish here is to Mandy lose to set up the next challenger. Raquel having her big moment of revenge with Dakota will obviously be the sequence they tease and finally get to, but that doesnn't mean Gonzalez gets the big win. I can see them trying to go all the way with Cora Jade since she's the new youngest takent in the match.
Richard: Is Kai doing this because she wants to make Raquel's life miserable again or is this a way to get a title match if her team wins the match? What if there is a segment that is 'filmed' where Kai and Rose talk about the 'future' and then Kai leaves the room and Mandy tells Gigi and Jacy that she won't honor anything she said. However, Kai finds out about this and screws over Mandy (It isn't like she has a history of this). You have three women on the other team who can make a claim for a future title match. I would let Kay Lee Ray start the match so people who did not see her in NXT UK know why we are so high on her. I hope we don't have tension between Io, Raquel, and Kay Lee over who eventually gets the win. Dakota and Gigi will have to be the workers for their team, but just like with Waller and D'Angelo in this match, Cora and Jacy will need to show that they belong at this level. Kay Lee beats Mandy and we have our next title match.
NXT Tag Team championship match: Imperium (Marcel Barthel and Fabian Aichner) vs. Kyle O’Reilly and Von Wagner
Dave: They really like Van Hammer, I mean Von Wagner. They have never really shown Imperium the love that they deserve, and that goes back to the days of HHH running it. I could definitely see the belts switching here.
Mike: As I've reported, Kyle's WWE deal is expected to end this month. Unless he's locked into a new deal, I don't see him winning here.
Richard: Remember when the NXT Men's Tag Team Division was so strong? Now we have strange bedfellow teams and the established teams are stuck in stupid vignettes. I would rather see the Grizzled Young Veterans in this match but we know how much WWE listens to me. For some reason, I expect to see a title change so we can have Von Von Erich Wagner tell us Titles Good . . . FIRE BAD!!!!!!! in the post match promo. Then on Tuesday during the "Tag Title Celebration", Kyle and Von can perform Putting on the Ritz.
Roderick Strong vs. Joe Gacy for the NXT Cruiserweight championship
Dave: This will be interesting to see direction. I like Gacy and there’s something there. I think it’s a little soon to put the belt on him but if they are going 100 percent NEW DIRECTION then they will switch it here.
Mike: Strong should have been the center of a division and in the middle of storylines but he's just been a guy instead of THE GUY in Diamond Mine. I don't feel he's given anywhere near the support or care in 2.0. I totally expect Gacy to win here.
Richard: Since it is now a title match even though Gacy is not a member of the Cruiserweight Division. Other than the first and most recent segments, I have liked the Gacy character. It is a shame that Roddy has been marginalized a little in Diamond Mine since he has needed help to win a few of his matches when it should not be necessary. Gacy and Strong should be a very good match and should be the match of the night. Will Harland get involved? Will the Diamond Mine get involved? If Gacy wins, does he make it an 'openweight' title, but you already have the North American title. Do they merge the title with the North American Title or does it get retired?
Hair vs. Hair match: Cameron Grimes vs. Duke Hudson
Dave: Given Bruce Prichard’s love of “comedy”, I just get the feeling that Grimes will lose, probably via cheating by Duke, and then played for the fool on TV for the next month. That is main roster style booking.
Mike: God, I hope not. Grimes' shorter beard and haircut gave him more likable "serious" look but making him a cueball screams Red Rooster to me. No way he should be completely buried.
Richard: Grimes has more hair than Duke so you would assume Grimes is losing. He had a very good promo where he talked about how much the long hair and beard meant to him and now it is gone. I like Hudson when he is wrestling, but he isn't wrestling that much. He is another of the new characters whose gimmick makes me dislike the product even though there is a lot of talent on the roster. Is Ed Leslie going to be there to do the shearing?
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