Hey everybody! It’s @TheMagnumDA with Part One of THE GREATEST PICK’EM OF ALL TIME. Tonight, the NEW WOPC Champion MagnumDA (that’s me) will put his title on the line against Colin in a two-part PPV aggregate series. Since WWE is touting their Backlash main event as being “the greatest match of all time”, I figured we’d copy that and FINALLY decide, once and for all, who the real pick’em king is.
For Part One, we’re focused on NXT: In Your House. No bonuses, no fancy stuff, just straight up “Who Ya Got?” Tonight’s scores will be combined with next week’s scores (from Backlash), and whoever has the best cumulative score will be the Undisputed WOPC Champion. With that, good luck Colin!
ON WITH THE SHOW!
Finn Bálor vs. Damian Priest
Magnum: I see Damian Priest’s stock on the rise, and to put him on the map, he needs a gigantic victory. This has a long-term program feel to it, so I’ll give Damian the win for tonight.
Colin: I thought Finn would have a bigger impact in NXT when he returned. It’s not a failure like Charlotte’s return mind you, but I was expecting more. This feud will probably continue and for that to happen, Damien Priest has to pick up the victory.
Mia Yim, Shotzi Blackheart and Tegan Nox vs. Candice LeRae, Dakota Kai and Raquel González
Magnum: This feels like the kind of thing where we could see a rematch or a follow-up to this contest, so give me LeRae, Kai, and Gonzalez to get the victory tonight.
Colin: The heels have been getting the upper hand lately which leads me to believe it’s time for some babyface payback. So Yim/Blackheart/Nox get the W.
Tommaso Ciampa vs. Karrion Kross (with Scarlett)
Magnum: I believe that there are big plans for Karrion Kross, so look for him to get a big win tonight and make his mark on the NXT brand.
Colin: Kross and Scarlett look fantastic together. I still think Scarlett would look even better by my side, but that’s another story. Hah! The two seem to be getting a killer push, pun intended, so I am predicting that Kross will get the win over Ciampa.
NXT North American Championship
Keith Lee (c) vs. Johnny Gargano
Magnum: I’m looking forward to this match very much. Gargano’s going to have some moments where he gets dangerously close to the North American title, but look for Keith Lee to get one of the biggest wins of his career tonight.
Colin: This should be a great match. For his size, Lee can really work and Gargano is always top notch when it comes to Takeover matches. I can’t recall a bad Gargano match at a Takeover. But Keith Lee will reign supreme this time.
NXT Women’s Championship – Triple Threat Match
Charlotte Flair (c) vs. Rhea Ripley vs. Io Shirai
Magnum: I think Bayley and Sasha Banks winning the tag titles is going to start a long-term program where Charlotte gets back in the mix for the Women’s Championship on Smackdown. That means we should see a new champion tonight. I think it’s finally Io’s time. I will take Io Shirai to win the NXT Women’s Championship.
Colin: The “Charlotte Flair to NXT experiment” has failed in my opinion. Leave her on the main roster. Her return did zero for NXT. I’m hoping that finally Io Shirai gets her moment. She’s one of the best wrestlers in the world and that title has been evading her for a long time. Time to pull the trigger and let her run with the title. Io Shirai is the new champion.
NXT Championship – Last Chance Backlot Brawl
Adam Cole (c) vs. The Velveteen Dream
Magnum: Any time you hear “Last Chance”, you can’t help but think that the Dream is going to finally do it. I am not sure what Adam Cole’s future holds, but if he’s on his way to AEW, this is the time to drop that strap…or is it? I could absolutely see a scenario where Cole wins this match, and then drops the title Wednesday on NXT to someone else. Hmm…this is a tricky situation. Eh, screw it. I’ll take the Dream – he deserves it. Cole’s title reign is OVER.
Colin: I love Adam Cole as champion, I really do. He and The Undisputed Era are awesome. But how many times can Dream lose? It becomes ineffective at the end of the day and for that reason I’m picking Velveteen Dream to become the new NXT champion. Cole’s run with the title lasted over a year and I think it’s time to get into a program with another individual.
Well, there you have it for Part One of THE GREATEST PICK’EM OF ALL TIME. We will see you next Sunday for Backlash. Edge vs. Orton – looking forward to it!! @TheMagnumDA signing off.
