6 bold predictions for SummerSlam and NXT Takeover: Brooklyn IV
WWE has done a commendable job in the last few weeks to really make SummerSlam weekend feel like a big deal. Coming into August, there was a feeling of uncertainty regarding the general excitement levels of SummerSlam, However, WWE has built up the biggest matches on the show in a good enough way to leave us excited and intrigued heading into the Biggest Party of the Summer. Also, we have the small matter of NXT Takeover: Brooklyn, a show which is more or less guaranteed to be good.
NXT is always top-notch with their weekly programming and really does make every Takeover match feel special. While there are some duds on the card, SummerSlam is also looking to be a promising show that should deliver in a positive way. One of the best things about this year's SummerSlam is that there are lots of feasible possibilities in most of the matches on the card. The level of interest and consequence is also pretty high as all nine main roster titles are on the line, along with the Men's Money in the Bank briefcase.
The show is unpredictable in so many ways and along with the usual brilliance of Takeover, this could be one of the most memorable WWE weekends in a while. Add in the fact that this is Brooklyn's SummerSlam finale, and you've got to believe that this weekend will be a good one. There may be some inevitabilities, but the general core of both cards is unpredictable. Here are six things you should expect to see at Takeover Brooklyn IV and the 31st edition of SummerSlam.
#6 No title changes on the Takeover undercard
It may not be such a bold prediction, but there will likely be no title changes in the undercard of NXT Takeover: Brooklyn IV. There are certain possibilities that WWE may want to shock viewers, but there is honestly no reason for any of the current champions to lose their titles.
Roderick Strong and Kyle O'Reilly regained their NXT Tag Team Championships from Moustache Mountain on NXT TV are certainly going to retain the titles in the rematch, as the shocking title change at Royal Albert Hall was a one-time moment for the UK fans. The Undisputed Era is running NXT and it will continue, from O'Reilly and Strong keeping the tag titles to Adam Cole retaining his North American Championship.
The leader of the Era is set to defend his title against Ricochet in a match which is sure to be a minor classic, at the very least. These two could realistically produce magic together and should do so at Brooklyn on Saturday. However, it has to be Cole who comes out on top. Ever since he won the North American title at Takeover New Orleans, the title has not been given much importance. The Panama City Playboy has hardly defended it in televised matches and a win here, along with a few more title defenses, would make NXT's upper mid-card belt feel like the big deal it should.
Elsewhere, NXT Women's Champion Shayna Baszler will face Kairi Sane at Brooklyn in what will be a rematch of the final last year's Mae Young Classic. Sane won that match but her chances of repeating it here are not looking good. Baszler is a dominant, no-nonsense heel and her title reign is one of the best things on NXT at the moment. She should retain her title here and drop it later in a big moment that would be wildly celebrated, possibly at Evolution.