#NXTTakeOver: New Orleans discussion: Will Aleister Black find his devil in The Big Easy?

[Kross Rhodes]

NXT TakeOver: New Orleans preview: Will Aleister Black find his devil in The Big Easy?

NXT TakeOver: New Orleans marches into the sold-out Smoothie King Center on the eve of WrestleMania 34. Featuring NXT Champion Andrade "Cien" Almas vs. Aleister Black, an all-or-nothing Unsanctioned Match between Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa, Ember Moon and Shayna Baszler's clash for the NXT Women's Title, a Six-Man Ladder Match to determine the first-ever NXT North American Champion and more, TakeOver: New Orleans is guaranteed to go down as one of the most explosive events in NXT history.

NXT Champion Andrade “Cien” Almas vs. Aleister Black

Aleister Black will look to shed the devil on his back and replace it with the NXT Championship around his waist when he challenges Andrade “Cien” Almas for the title at NXT TakeOver: New Orleans tonight on WWE Network.

The TakeOver title bout was made official by NXT General Manager William Regal on March 7, moments after Black defeated the monstrous Killian Dain.

With the title bout just days away, El Idolo must prepare for arguably his toughest challenger to date. Since making his debut on the black-and-yellow brand at last year’s WrestleMania Week (against Almas no less), Black has only been pinned once, by Johnny Gargano during a wild Fatal 4-Way Matchin December. In the process, The Dutch Destroyer created an aura of near-invincibility and established one of NXT's most astounding win-loss records.

Almas, however, can be counted on to have a game plan in place once the bell rings in New Orleans. With the help of his toughminded business manager Zelina Vega, Almas has maintained a sturdy grip on the NXT Title, even if he and Vega have had to rely on underhanded tactics to do so. El Idolo has already sought to weaken his challenger, too, unleashing a heinous ambush on Black in retaliation for the “disrespect” Black showed Vega during the championship matchcontract signing.

Will Almas & Vega’s plotting pay off again on the eve of WrestleMania? Or will Black remain unbeaten in one-on-one competition and make Almas’ title reign fade to black? Find out when NXT TakeOver: New Orleans streams live on WWE Network tonight at 8 ET/5 PT.

NXT North American Championship Six-Man Ladder Match

History will be made at NXT TakeOver: New Orleans when six of the black-and-yellow brand’s most riveting Superstars, including two acclaimed newcomers, vie to become the first-ever NXT North American Champion in an every-man-for-himself Ladder Match.

The lineup for the inaugural NXT North American Title bout is nothing short of jaw-dropping. Featuring Adam Cole, Velveteen Dream, Killian Dain, Lars Sullivan and new NXT Superstars EC3 and Ricochet, the star-studded field underscores NXT General Manager William Regal’s promise that the new title would be contested for by the globe’s most elite competitors. It also brings into conflict six uniquely gifted Superstars in an utterly dangerous environment, where the only way to win is by scaling the ladder and retrieving the championship from high above the ring.

As the irreverent leader of Undisputed ERA, Cole has shaken the system of NXT since the triumvirate formed last year, but The Panama City Playboy has yet to win a title between the yellow ropes. The same is true of Velveteen Dream, who is coming off one of the most successful rookie years in recent memory. Could either controversial Superstar snare his first NXT championship in New Orleans?

With The Freak and The Beast of Belfast in the mix, the NXT North American Title Ladder Match has no shortage of raw hoss power. How will Sullivan’s rage-fueled brawn and Dain’s full-force attack be amplified by the presence of steel ladders?

Rounding out the incredible lineup are arguably the match’s two biggest X-factors, EC3 and Ricochet. EC3, the self-proclaimed “Top One Percent,” has the power and moxie to go the distance in his first match in WWE in five years, while Ricochet, a world-renowned high-flyer who possesses one of sports-entertainment’s most innovative arsenals, will look to soar to new heights in his TakeOver debut.

The stakes are momentous, yet so are the risks. Which Superstar will overcome the pack and climb into the history books? Watch the crowning of the first NXT North American Champion when TakeOver: New Orleans streams live tonight on the award-winning WWE Network.

Johnny Gargano vs. Tommaso Ciampa (Unsanctioned Match)

After nearly a year of anticipation, one of the most bitter rivalries in NXT history will come to a head at TakeOver: New Orleans when Johnny Gargano faces former tag team partner and best friend Tommaso Ciampa in an Unsanctioned Match.

If Johnny Wrestling prevails, he will be reinstated as an NXT Superstar, a status he lost in February after Ciampa cost Gargano his job in an all-or-nothing NXT Title Match against Andrade “Cien” Almas. If Ciampa is victorious, Gargano will be banished from NXT forever.

Not only is Gargano fighting for his chance to return to the black-and-yellow brand, but the beloved competitor is also hunting for retribution against The Blackheart, who has committed countless injustices against Gargano since cruelly betraying him last May at TakeOver: Chicago. Ciampa, meanwhile, is desperate to get rid of Gargano once and for all. From disguising himself as a fan and springing a sneak attack from the crowd, to coming to Ciampa’s house in the middle of the night, Gargano has gone to extreme lengths to get his hands on his onetime #DIY teammate.

Driven mad by Gargano’s unrelenting pursuit, Ciampa finally appealed to NXT General Manager William Regal for a solution. Conceding that Gargano’s out-of-ring attacks must stop, Regal ruled that an Unsanctioned Match was in order, bringing into focus what is sure to be a fierce brawl in The Big Easy.

Can Gargano overcome his onetime ally and secure his return to NXT? Or will Ciampa send Johnny Wrestling packing for good from the black-and-yellow brand? Given the unique unsanctioned circumstances, there’s no telling how far Gargano and Ciampa will go to settle the score. The only thing for certain is that this grudge match will be a can’t-miss conflict.

NXT Women’s Champion Ember Moon vs. Shayna Baszler

NXT Women’s Champion Ember Moon and Shayna Baszler’s war continues tonight at TakeOver: New Orleans as The War Goddess puts her title on the line against her ruthless rival.

Ever since arriving to NXT, The Queen of Spades has had her sights set on Moon’s NXT Women’s Title. At TakeOver: Philadelphia, Baszler brutalized Moon’s arm to the point where it seemed like the match would have to be stopped. That was, until Moon craftily turned the tables and stunned Baszler with a sudden roll-up to retain her championship.

The loss only added fuel to the fire that is Baszler’s brutality, as The Submission Magician has tormented Moon and the rest of the NXT Women’s division ever since. In a Feb. 14 rematch, Baszler used the steel barricade to further damage The Shenom’s arm in a vicious barrage until Kairi Saneintervened.

Baszler then reigned supreme in her Mae Young Classic Finals rematch against Sane, forcing The Pirate Princess to tap out to her Kirifuda Clutch. On the March 14 episode of NXT, Baszler attacked Dakota Kai, prompting the NXT Women’s Champion to confront her rival and pave the way for what will be the NXT Women’s division’s version of the Battle on the Bayou. More recently, The Queen of Spades went so far as to attack WWE Performance Center coach Serena Deeb, which set off yet another brawl with Moon.

See who walks out of the sold-out TakeOver: New Orleans as the NXT Women’s Champion when Moon and Baszler battle tonight at 8 ET/5 PT, exclusively on the award-winning WWE Network.

NXT Tag Team Champions Undisputed ERA vs. Roderick Strong & Pete Dunne vs. Authors of Pain (Triple Threat Match)

By interfering in the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic Final between Roderick Strong & WWE U.K. Champion Pete Dunne and The Authors of Pain, Undisputed ERA may have thought they had schemed their way out of defending the NXT Tag Team Titles at TakeOver: New Orleans.

They were wrong.

With Bobby Fish forced to sit out of TakeOver due to injury, some form of Undisputed ERA — either Kyle O’Reilly & Adam Cole as a unit or O’Reilly by himself — will face both Strong & Dunne and AOP in an NXT Tag Team Title Triple Threat Match that will also determine the winners of the 2018 Dusty Cup.

The unique predicament is the result of Cole & O’Reilly’s interference in the Dusty Cup Final on Wednesday’s NXT, which left the tournament without definitive victors. In response to their skullduggery, NXT General Manager William Regal ruled that Undisputed ERA would have to compete in a Triple Threat Match instead of the originally scheduled traditional tag team match.

Cole is already slated to compete in another TakeOver bout, the historic NXT North American Title Six-Man Ladder Match. When Cole & O’Reilly confronted Regal about his decision to fill up The Panama City Playboy’s dance card, the NXT GM offered Cole three options: Either wrestle in both championship tilts, leave O’Reilly to fend for himself against Strong & Dunne and AOP, or forfeit his spot in the Ladder Match.

Whatever choice The Panama City Playboy makes, Undisputed ERA’s path to title retention remains daunting. The Authors of Pain are one of the most dominant tandems to ever compete on the black-and-yellow brand, and though Strong & Dunne are a brand-new pairing, their remarkable performances in the Dusty Rhodes Classic prove they’re ready to compete with NXT’s elite teams.

Don't miss the huge NXT Tag Team Title Triple Threat Match, with the Dusty Cup at stake, tonight at NXT TakeOver: New Orleans.

 

[Dale]

Haven't watched NXT for quite a while so gonna try catch this live tonight if things go well.

 

[Kross Rhodes]

It's nice seeing Candice on TakeOver supporting her mans.

 

[Kross Rhodes]

Candice makes Johnny sound broken. 2018 is the year of broken superstars.

 

[Kross Rhodes]

Candice sounds like a battered girl in a horror movie screaming: "I want my HUSBAND back!"

 

[Kross Rhodes]

Did Drake just say there wouldn't be submissions and then say he's only there to count the pin or call the submission?

 

[Kross Rhodes]

He hesitated before saying he'd officiate unbiased.

 

[Kross Rhodes]

Zelina brings out the monster behind this man.

 

[Kross Rhodes]

I might be the only person supporting Cien tonight. I want to see the Cien/McIntyre rematch.

 

[Vegeta]

I am here!!!!!!!

 

[Kross Rhodes]

I can't even explain how pumped I am to see EC3 in a WWE/NXT ring. I will mark so hard if he wins the NXT NA Title.

 

[Kross Rhodes]

The only other guy I want to win the title as much as I do EC3 is Dream. He has just earned it. He's just the GOAT.

 

[Vegeta]

This match should be fucking great.


Can I say fucking?

Fuck it I'm saying it.

THIS IS GOING TO BE FUCKING GREAT.

 

[Apoho Creed]

Ricochet with the Strobe Light though, that must be Trips idea.

 

[Kross Rhodes]

Damn uncooperative ladder.