WWE: NXT Takeover II ‘Fatal 4 Way’

Live at 8PM Eastern on the WWE Network is NXT Takeover II subtitled ‘Fatal 4Way’ due to the main event. This is the third NXT live special, but it has the potential to be the biggest. For the first time in months, fans have no idea what to expect because the show is not pre-taped like every other episode.

We have a packed card ahead of us. Not only will every title in NXT be on the line, but we will also see two Superstars battle in a Hair vs. Hair match.

On top of all the great matches scheduled to take place, this will be the first time the WWE Universe will hear from recent signee Kenta.

As of right now, there is no plan in place for Kenta to wrestle, but that doesn’t mean we won’t see him mix it up in some way. A big debut like this is the perfect opportunity to start a feud, but that is something we will have to wait to see.

Adrian Neville (c) vs. Sami Zayn vs. Tyson Kidd vs. Tyler Breeze – Fatal 4Way for the NXT Championship

The main event, and the match type that finally gave the second Takeover a subtitle. All four men got a chance to show what they can do on this past Monday night’s Raw, and impressed in the few minutes they were given.

That appearance, and perhaps tonight’s match as well, were clearly designed as showcases for Neville. The Man that Gravity Forgot won the NXT title at the first live program ever aired on WWE Network, and has been a fighting champion in the six-plus months since, defeating all comers.  Despite that and the flat out amazing things he can do in a wrestling ring, he’s never had the best match on an NXT live special.  Tonight may be his last shot, as the accolades being thrown his way by Michael Cole and JBL sure sounded like they were designed to get audiences used to seeing him on national TV.

At least a couple of Adrian’s successful defenses have come against Tyson Kidd.  The former WWE Tag champ has reinvented himself as a veteran heel on Thursday nights, but his claim to a title shot is dubious given those loses – even with devious victories over the other two men in tonight’s bout.  Natalya’s husband (or “wife”, as the Full Sail Live crowd loves to taunt him) will definitely raise the level of in-ring performance, though, so he’s a welcome addition to the match, even if new General Manager William Regal’s rationale for placing him there is suspect.  FACT.

MTV Euro-award winning director/producer/gorgeous person Tyler Breeze defeated Zayn to become #1 contender at the last live show.  He also has technically never had his shot at that belt, first delayed by a vicious hand modeling injury and then by inteference by Kidd (he was seconds away from taking Neville’s corkscrew shooting star press finisher – the Red Arrow, but who’s counting?).  The short shrift given him on Raw wouldn’t indicate that it’s Prince Pretty’s time to rule over NXT just yet, but he has impressed at every turn thus far in his career, and he crowning him tonight would be a handsome decision.

Fan favorite Zayn has been this close to winning the NXT title for most of the time that he’s been in WWE’s employ.  Since earning Cesaro’s respect in their epic feud, it’s also been his sole focus.  The frustration of not being able to capture the belt has really shown on the usually unflappable Superstar’s face.  And in a tag match on NXT a few weeks back where the contestants were paired up the same way they were on Raw, a seemingly stray Helluva Kick knocked the champ cold.  That allowed Kidd to pick up a pin on Neville, and lead to a heel-ish post-match attack by Sami.  A conflicted but unremorseful Likeable One then ended the show clutching the championship he’s been kept from over the past year.

Given that all four men are fantastic performers who have had good matches with each other in the past, AND that any outcome would make storyline sense, AND that the match type allows Neville to lose in a way that protects him for a call-up…the only concern with Takeover‘s Fatal 4Way is that the stipulation will cut into the action.