NXT TakeOver: Vengeance Day takes place on Sunday night at the Capital Wrestling Center in Orlando. The event should – as is the case with all TakeOver cards – be filled with lots of high-octane action and some memorable games with three title fights and the finals of the men’s and women’s Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic tournaments.
In the main event, NXT champion Finn Balor is set to defend his belt against former NXT UK champion Pete Dunne in a fight with the potential to rank among the best of the year. The women’s NXT championship will also be the line, with champion Io Shirai facing Toni Storm and Mercedes Martinez.
Watch NXT TakeOver: Vengeance Day
Meeting: Sunday, February 14
Localization: Capitol Wrestling Center – Orlando, Florida
Start time: 7 pm ET (the show starts at 6:30 pm)
Watch live: WWE Network
WWE Network: Web | Apple TV | Roku | Amazon Fire | PlayStation | Xbox | iOS | Android
NXT TakeOver: Vengeance Day card, predictions
NXT Championship – Finn Balor (c) vs. Pete Dunne: Dunne, with Oney Lorcan and Danny Burch at his side, has demanded a title dispute, including the execution of several attacks that forced Balor into an alliance with Undisputed Era. These multiple ties leave many external factors that can come into play during the confrontation of the championship. It seems like it’s only a matter of time before Dunne has his time as an NXT champion, especially with Triple H as one of his biggest supporters. It is difficult to see Sunday night serving as the culmination, however. Choose: Finn Ballor to retain the title
NXT Championship Women – Io Shirai (c) vs. Toni Storm and Mercedes Martinez: Shirai was a great champion in the ring, but her title reign lacked solid stories. Storm and Martinez have been looking at the championship, leading them to form a team for the Dusty Classic because of the bond of hunting Shirai and the belt. The shot would backfire when Shirai interfered in the first round match, costing them their place in the tournament and further increasing their opponents’ ire. They still share the same goal, though now as opponents in the next triple threat match. Martinez and Storm feel like future champions, although none of them seem to be ready to be elevated yet, leading the champion to stay in what must be a fantastic match. Choose: Io Shirai to retain the title
North American NXT Championship – Johnny Gargano (c) vs. Kushida: After playing with the idea that Gargano had fractured his arm – which left him in a wheelchair because his gait is so strong that he cannot swing his arms – and he would not be able to defend his title, the ruse was exposed and the match is back. Gargano emerged as a fantastic leap, contradicting the idea that he was an “eternal face” at NXT. With the addition of The Way in its corner, it appears that a little interference from Austin Theory will help Gargano hold on to the belt against Kushida’s fierce challenge. Choice: Johnny Gargano to retain the title
Men’s Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Finals – MSK (Wes Lee and Nash Carter) vs. Young gray-haired veterans (James Drake and Zack Gibson): MSK was introduced to the NXT audience in a very strong way with the experienced team making way for the finals to face former NXT UK champions Drake and Gibson. Either way, it seems like the right approach to let MSK take the win to establish them entirely as a new force in the tag division with Drake and Gibson already caught up as a talented and dangerous team. Choice: MSK wins
Women’s Dusty Rhodes Tag Team – Classic Finals – Dakota Kai and Raquel González vs. Ember Moon and Shotzi Blackheart: WWE spent a lot of time with Moon and Blackheart, with the latter especially emerging in the past six months as someone who the promotion trusts as a key face for events. The duo Moon and Blackheart having a brief rivalry with WWE female champions Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler also seems like an appropriate reward after they finish navigating the field in the Dusty Classic. Choice: Moon and Blackheart win