I Will Touch The Sun, Or I Will Die Trying – NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn III Predictions

For the third year in a row, though we know now not for the final time, NXT takes over Summerslam weekend in Brooklyn for another installment of NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn.  For all the talk over the last year of NXT lacking the star power that it had for last year’s event, they’ve assembled a pretty damn good card with the incredibly talented roster that they do, in fact, have, and even did so without getting No Way Jose, Chris Hero (Kassius Ohno), Ruby Riot or The Iconic Duo on the card.  But without any further adieu, The Dark Match predicts the NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn III card.

Aleister Black vs Hideo Itami

Matt:  I don’t see any scenario in which they don’t just let Itami’s losing streak continue in the every growing push of Aleister Black. The only way Aleister doesn’t challenge (still undefeated) for the NXT title at TakeOver: New Orleans is if he’s already on the main roster.  Black Mass, Aleister continues his dominance.

Jeremy: Word on the street is that Black will have a special entrance tonight. To me, that just seems like a coronation. Itami’s NXT/WWE career has been an interesting one so far. I’m not really sure where they go from here. But yes, Black Mass for the win.

Johnny Gargano vs Andrade ‘Cien’ Almas

Matt:  This one is actually sort of hard to predict.  Johnny Wrestling is on the warpath to reclaiming his singles glory, but Almas now has the management of Zelina Vega who seems to have him more focused on his in ring savvy than his after hours extracurriculars.  Both of these guys are damn fine athletes in the ring, too.  My heart says Gargano, but something about this says Almas to me.  No real reason, but knowing that Johnny Gargano is Jeremy’s Spirit Animal, I’ll simply play the contrarian since I don’t really know how this one will go down.

Jeremy: Considering I almost got a tattoo of that weird Gargano emoji thing, you can probably guess that I’m throughly in Johnny Wrestling’s corner. The only way I see this going south is if Vega runs some sort of interference. Vega should secure a front row seat for that bastard Ciampa to throw Gargano off his game. That’s what I’d do if I was her. Anyway, Gargano is going to win with whatever his finisher is. For someone that’s my favorite wrestler, you’d think I’d know a little more about him.

NXT Tag Team Championship: Authors of Pain vs Sanity

Matt:  Something tells me AOP retains here, but mostly because I think there is some path to an NXT TakeOver where Sanity could claim all the belts, possibly in Houston or Philadelphia.  Sanity will end up with the titles down the line, all of them, but this is not their weekend.  Authors of Pain.

Jeremy: I think this is the only title that doesn’t change hands tonight. I hate to 100% agree with Matt but I also believe that SAnitY is the one that takes the titles eventually, just not tonight. The Authors could face reDRagon (O’Reily and Fish) in Houston, but I don’t like their chances. While Akam and Rezar might seal victory with The Last Chapter, you can guarantee that this won’t be the actual last chapter of this feud.

NXT Women’s Championship:  Asuka vs Ember Moon

Matt:  The Empress will be dethroned tonight in Brooklyn.  If we’re looking at this logically, Asuka has held the title too long, which is detrimental to the rest of the roster as its hard to build anybody when they’re all constantly losing to a single person, plus there’s no sense in getting us right back to Asuka-Ember unless this is Ember’s moment.  Eclipse, title change, Ember Moon is your new NXT Women’s Champion.

Jeremy: I have a feeling that they wanted to do this match back in Orlando and they didn’t really expect to have Asuka champion this long. I think Asuka takes a loss here, disappears for a bit, and starts to come back by eating the new wrestlers signed during the Mae Young Classic. And commentary can make lame Total Eclipse references when Ember Moon hits the eclipse for the pinfall. Moon is your new NXT Women’s Champion.

NXT Championship: Bobby Roode vs Drew McIntyre

Matt:  We all know that I’m pretty high on McIntyre, mostly because he’s what I imagine Vince McMahon wishes Big Cass was.  That being said, there was far too much work put into the Bobby Roode-Roderick Strong feud for McIntyre to take the belt out of the equation there.  Since technically Roddy got the win Wednesday night and will have a guaranteed match against Roode in the future, Bobby Roode will retain the NXT Championship in Brooklyn and drop it to Roddy in Houston.

Jeremy:Drew McIntyre is going to win the Championship while Adam Cole watches from the front row. Even if they trade it back at a live event, I think Drew is going to win tonight. It isn’t going to make sense, but that’s what is happening.