[COLUMN] NXT Takeover Rival: What to Watch For

It is time for another highly anticipated NXT special. Tonight NXT Takeover Rival is on the WWE Network at 8:00 PM EST and fans could not be more excited. With five matches announced for tonight’s show here are a few things to watch for.

NXT Woman’s Championship Fatal Four way:

The big question in this match is who leaves with the title. With four women competing it would be safe to say each woman has a 25% chance. In this case though I believe Becky Lynch, Bayley, and Sasha Banks all have a 31% chance of leaving with the title, and Charlotte the reigning champion about a 7% chance. This seems like to the right time to move Charlotte to the main roster and if that is the case who do they put the belt on. The fan favorite will certainly be Bayley who has shown a new attitude these past few weeks. Sasha Banks though has had some great matches and is deserving of a chance to be the champion. Becky Lynch is relatively new to most fans but is very talented as a in ring performer. I am not sure who will be the new NXT Woman’s Champion but defiantly look for the title to change hands tonight.

Bull Dempsey vs. Baron Corbin:

Of all the matches this is the least of the five on the card. Baron Corbin has convincingly beat Bull Dempsey twice and I am not overwhelmed to see this match a third time. Last week Corbin had a great match with Adrian Neville and seemed to take a step forward in his progression. Tonight’s match seems like a step backwards, I hope I am wrong and they put on a great match.

Blake& Murphy vs. The Lucha Dragons:

With word quickly spreading that creative wants to break up the Lucha Dragons it does not leave much to the imagination on who might win. What I am really hoping to see tonight is what these four gifted athletes can do with more time. The night Blake & Murphy won the titles the match was short and limited. I look forward to seeing the Lucha Dragons put on a show this evening wanting to go out on a high note.

Adrian Neville vs. Finn Balor:

No need to hype this match the competitors names do that all by themselves. NXT fans know what kind of show Adrian Neville can put on. He has been on the big stage before with Bo Dallas, Tyson Kidd, and Sami Zayn and every time he has left the fans satisfied and in some cases in disbelief of what they just saw. Then you have Finn Balor who has gained fame all over the world with his in ring ability. Tonight will be his first one-on-one match on a NXT special. I have no doubt they will put on a show the real question tonight will be does HHH and the NXT staff think Finn Balor is ready for a shot at the championship.

Kevin Owens vs. Sami Zayn for the NXT Championship:

This is Kevin Owens shot on the big stage. He has made a name for himself on the independent circuit and in ROH. The question is can he do it here in the biggest company in the world. For every fan that thinks he is deserving of this opportunity you will find one that thinks he isn’t. He is one of the most controversial signings in NXT history, and tonight he faces arguably the most popular wrestler in NXT history in Sami Zayn. This is one match I am excited to just sit back and watch. The two have history from ROH and know each other very well. They will be the last match of the night so they will undoubtedly have some tough acts to follow. Owens and Zayn will not want to be out done so look for some great things from these two.

Please follow WNS tonight for live coverage of the event as the action unfolds and tweet me your prediction @WNS_Jason