Smark Out Moment

Welcome to another edition of Triple Threat from Smark Out Moment, where three of us get together to discuss three questions based on one big topic going down in the week of professional wrestling.

This week, Dallas Allsopp, Ben Williams and Bodeen Green will be previewing NXT TakeOver: In Your House.

This weekend marks the return of the In Your House moniker, with NXT TakeOver playing host to the event. Will the show be able to live up to the hype, or will the weight of nostalgia be too much to handle? Charlotte Flair will be defending her NXT Women's Championship in an eagerly anticipated triple threat match, whilst Karrion Kross makes his NXT TakeOver debut. The biggest question on many lips though is who will come out on top in the NXT Championship Backlot Brawl? Here is what we have to say about this exciting event.


ALLSOPP: I cannot see past a resurgent Rhea Ripley regaining the NXT Women’s Championship, primarily because it doesn’t feel like she should have lost the belt in the first place. Charlotte Flair has somewhat added to the prestige of the title, but Ripley is the wrestler who can truly elevate it. Io Shirai would be a wise pick for the victory, notwithstanding the fact this seems unlikely as she is believed to be returning to Japan soon. Flair’s presence in NXT may not have been as big as I hoped, but she has worked well with talent to make them look a million times better than they are.

WILLIAMS: No, I most certainly do not think Charlotte Flair has had a positive impact on NXT whatsoever. She’s spent the past month chasing after titles and opponents on other brands which has completely devalued the NXT Women’s Championship, rendering her reign totally meaningless. Look at the NXT women’s division as recently as January, where it was widely regarded as the best wrestling division in the world, with consistently great matches and fully developed characters. Now look at the division post WrestleMania 36. Completely uninspired! Bafflingly, watching Vince McMahon’s favourite blonde steamroll through everyone on the roster isn’t as entertaining as he seems to think it is. I hope Io Shirai wins as she’s a fucking phenomenal wrestler, and absolutely deserves the win.

GREEN: I can get what WWE were trying to do with Charlotte Flair in NXT in having her be the torch bearer for when we get crowds back, but when you have your NXT Women's Champion appearing on other shows and competing for other titles, it just makes everything a fucking mess and does nothing to promote NXT. Even if you looked at the ratings, Flair's reign has done absolutely nothing for the yellow brand. Rant aside, this should be a good match with all three women involved being extremely talented. When Flair originally won the title I thought she'd drop the belt at the first NXT TakeOver with a crowd, however given the worsening circumstances I can only see Rhea Ripley winning the title.


WILLIAMS: I have a feeling we may see Tommaso Ciampa on the main roster by the end of 2020. He seems to have fulfilled his NXT goals, therefore I can’t see what more there is for him to do on the yellow brand. In terms of Karrion Kross, he’s been fairly impressive so far, but I think he’d benefit from beating Ciampa and then moving onto someone like Finn Balor, so as to give audiences more time to get on board with the character.

GREEN: Karrion Kross has entered NXT with a level of hype and anticipation that can only be compared to The Fiend. Tommaso Ciampa is the perfect opponent for Kross to face on his NXT TakeOver debut, with Ciampa's experience and status sure to elevate Kross. I expect Kross will win against Ciampa, but I do expect Ciampa to show a lot of fight in what is sure to be a great, brutal, hard hitting contest. Whilst a win will do a lot to elevate Kross, I don't see him challenging for the NXT Championship yet. However, I can see him dominating the rest of the roster, possibly challenging for the NXT North American Championship.

ALLSOPP: Karrion Kross is the shiniest new toy at Triple H’s disposal, which means there is no doubt he will defeat Tommaso Ciampa. His aura is still intriguing, and if pushed correctly, he could dominate NXT for the remainder of 2020. I expect Kross to win in quite dominant fashion, with Ciampa hopefully taking some time to rest and heal a few nagging injuries in order to extend his NXT career. This would ideally lead to Kross becoming the de facto number one contender to the NXT Championship, which could allow for Kross vs Ciampa for the title at a future NXT TakeOver.


GREEN: This is the hardest match on the card to predict with all of the circumstances that are occurring, plus Velveteen Dream's recent scandal casts doubt over the result. However, my gut is telling me that this is Dream's night. Adam Cole's title reign has been brilliant, with him elevating what was already an extremely prestigious title. Having said that, it's time for a changing of the guard as there's only so much Cole can do as NXT Champion. I am extremely excited to see the style of this match, and how much it will follow the recent style of cinematic matches.

ALLSOPP: Velveteen Dream is stuck in NXT purgatory, as he is too big for the midcard but not big enough for the NXT Championship. He is also unlikely to be promoted to the main roster as his character would be eaten alive by the casual WWE universe. This means he is ultimately doomed to lose this match, as it should take something special to defeat Adam Cole. Dream could be used to further build Karrion Kross as a viable challenger, but perhaps it would benefit Dream to take some time off to deal with personal issues and retool his admittedly ailing character.

WILLIAMS: It feels to me like Adam Cole has been NXT Champion forever! Velveteen Dream was once a red hot act in NXT, and I think WWE may be willing to give him a short run on top to see what he could do as the face of the NXT brand.