Credit goes to Bleacher Report for the information.
Last week threw a monkey wrench into the normal schedule by mixing matches that were taped at Full Sail University with matches that were taped for the Arnold Sports Festival.
Normally, the spoiler reports are pretty accurate for which bouts will be shown on which dates, but that won’t be the case for the next few weeks.
The biggest evidence of this is that a match that was taped for a show in April will be broadcast as this week’s main event.
As always, WWE.com has a video preview available that highlights the events leading up to the showdown, and this week will definitely be a show you won’t want to miss.
Kevin Owens vs. Finn Balor
It’s been six weeks since Finn Balor won the right to challenge Kevin Owens for the NXT Championship, and they will finally have their big encounter Wednesday.
Owens and Balor have had little contact in the weeks leading up to this match, but their feud was kicked into high gear last week when Balor came to Alex Riley’s rescue.
Owens defeated Riley and then decided to continue beating on him relentlessly until Balor made the save. They didn’t need a personal angle to sell this storyline, but it certainly helps.
Until last week, there was virtually no build for this match. Ever since TakeOver: Rival, Owens has been facing guys like Riley and Adrian Neville.
Having Balor and Owens have a short brawl to hype this match was smart. The popularity of both wrestlers is enough to get the hardcore fans invested, but it takes more to get casual fans to care, especially if they are not familiar with the two wrestlers’ work from before they signed with WWE.
Owens and Balor wrestle with different styles, but they are both performers who leave everything in the ring to give the fans a night to remember. Even if every other match is boring, this one will make the show worth seeing.
Alexa Bliss vs. Sasha Banks
We got to see Alexa Bliss and Sasha Banks fight last week, but this time, the title will be on the line.
Bliss managed to pick up a countout victory during last Wednesday’s show, but she won’t be able to win the title that way. She will have to actually pin or submit Banks.
While it would be exciting to see a new champion crowned, it doesn’t feel like the right time for several reasons.
Banks hasn’t been champion very long, so dropping the belt makes very little sense. The biggest reason Bliss likely won’t end up with the title is that there are other women who deserve to climb that mountain first.
Regardless of the outcome, they should be able to produce a fun match that makes Banks look like a strong champion and Bliss look like a worthy challenger.
Other Matches
The next few weeks are going to be a confusing time for people who like to know what will be shown on NXT before deciding if they want to watch the program.
As stated earlier, WWE conducted their usual round of NXT tapings at Full Sail University for weeks in March and April, but the Arnold Sports Festival forced WWE to mix things up a bit.
What we know for sure is that several matches were taped that have yet to air, and some of them will have major repercussions on certain storylines.
One bout that we could see would feature Bayley, Charlotte and Becky Lynch fighting for a chance to face Sasha Banks for the Women’s Championship.
If this match is anything like the others we have seen from these three women, it will be an instant classic. The toughest part is picking the one who would make the best challenger for Banks’ title.
Charlotte is the only former champion of the bunch, and her history with Banks is well-documented. They have churned out several amazing performances, and it would be great to see them add one more to the list.
Bayley is everyone’s favorite underdog. She has been chasing the title for many months but keeps coming up short. She also has quite a history with the champion, making her a perfect opponent.
Becky Lynch was aligned with Banks for a few months, but she has gone her own way. She is the newest to the scene out of the three possible No. 1 contenders, but she has the most overall experience in the business.
Lynch getting her own solo title shot would help her solidify her status as one of the top women in the division. When it comes down to it, any one of these women would make an excellent No. 1 contender.
It will be interesting to see what other matches are peppered into the show from the recent block of tapings. Considering this is also the week before WrestleMania, we may see some footage from Axxess included.
WWE’s developmental system always manages to produce something entertaining, and Wednesday’s main event almost ensures that trend will continue.
What are you looking forward to on this week’s NXT?
