3 Possible North American Championship Matches for NXT TakeOver: Tampa Bay
NXT North American Champion Keith Lee faced off against Dominik Dijakovic at NXT Takeover: Portland last Sunday in what was a stellar match to kick off the show. The two big men took each other to the limit, but it was the Limitless One who came out victorious as both men stood tall together at the end of the match.
As we continue to bask in Lee's glory, there are a couple of NXT Superstars who will look to take the North American Championship from his grasp come NXT Takeover: Tampa in April. The Limitless One has faced off against the likes of Dominik Dijakovic and Roderick Strong in recent weeks, but there are several fresh matchups for Lee to have soon. Let's take a look at three possible matches for the NXT North American Championship for TakeOver: Tampa Bay during WrestleMania 36 weekend.
#3 Keith Lee vs Cesaro
Lee was on WWE Backstage this week and spoke about his dream match. It belongs to none other than Cesaro. The Limitless One described the Swiss Cyborg as a machine and a beast. This is a match that the NXT crowd would love to see given how much Cesaro has done for the Black and Gold brand.
Cesaro is currently feuding with Elias and Braun Strowman on Friday Night SmackDown, but that will likely not have WrestleMania implications as reports suggest that the Drifter is slated to face John Cena at WrestleMania 36 this year.
Cesaro is likely to compete in the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal, a match he has already won before, therefore it could benefit all parties involved to have this match.
This would not be the first time that the Swiss Cyborg would be returning to NXT, as he had an excellent match against Ilja Dragunov at NXT UK TakeOver: Cardiff last August.
Cesaro defeated Dragunov on that particular night, but that match had no championship implications. With the North American Championship on the line, The Limitless One would be expected to go over in this bout.
Cesaro would also be facing a much larger opponent in Lee, but his strength and athletic abilities will mesh well alongside the Swiss Superman, who is considered to be pound-for-pound one of the strongest athletes in all of WWE. A dream match, indeed.
#2 Ladder Match
The first and only time we saw a ladder match for the NXT North American Championship was in 2018 at NXT TakeOver: New Orleans, to crown its inaugural winner. That match featured the likes of Lars Sullivan, Ricochet, EC3, Velveteen Dream, Killian Dain, and the winner of the match, Adam Cole.
NXT could tell the story that no Superstar on the roster can defeat The Limitless One in one-on-one matches, as was the case when Lee quickly defeated Kona Reeves on NXT TV this past Wednesday. That would force NXT General Manager William Regal to book a multi-man match at NXT TakeOver: Tampa. A six-man ladder match.
The North American Championship match at TakeOver: New Orleans told the story of the two big men in Sullivan and Dain, who wreaked havoc on the more athletic men in the match. Adam Cole was pulling double duty as he had a tag-team title match later on that night, and we also saw the in-ring debut of Ricochet.
This match could include a plethora of big men such as The Beast of Belfast himself, Dijakovic and Damian Priest, but it can also feature Superstars such as Cameron Grimes, Austin Theory and KUSHIDA.
There is no doubt that this match would steal the show at Tampa Bay. It allows them to get some Superstars on the card at TakeOver on WrestleMania weekend, steal the show and give the raucous NXT crowd a match they will not forget for a long time.
#1 Keith Lee vs Finn Balor
The Prinxe has been on a tear as of late, with victories over the likes of Matt Riddle, Trent Seven, and the big scalp of Johnny Gargano at NXT TakeOver: Portland last Sunday. Balor has re-established himself as one of the top heels in all of WWE, and winning championship gold will be on his mind soon.
In terms of a heel-babyface match, this is the best possible that they could put together. The Undisputed Era is currently feuding with the Velveteen Dream. Gargano recently turned heel against Ciampa when he struck him with the NXT Championship last Sunday, and that could result in a Ciampa-Gargano match at NXT TakeOver: Tampa Bay.
That leaves Finn Balor. While Lee has impressed when facing big men in his time on NXT, a match against smaller opponents he can toss around will be a breath of fresh air. This match will not only showcase Lee at his best, but it allows him the opportunity to tell a different story in the match. Balor will bring a slow and methodical pace to the match.
Lee's assertion to being The Limitless One will be tested against the man who is 10-1 in TakeOver matches and still holds the record for being the longest-reigning NXT Champion in the brand's history. This would set up a mouth-watering encounter that would leave the NXT Universe wanting more.