The third incarnation of WarGames event under the NXT brand will be held this Saturday, Nov. 23 at NXT TakeOver: Wargames 2019 at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois.
This is the first WarGames have to a Women’s WarGames match and it’s also the first to have two WarGames matches scheduled on the same night. The match will see multiple teams face off in two rings enclosed in an extra-large cage, which has historically been one of the most brutal and violent matches the NXT brand puts on. Suffice to say, a momentous and violent evening awaits us.
Men’s WarGames Match: The Undisputed Era (Adam Cole, Roderick Strong, Kyle O’Reilly, Bobby Fish) vs. Tommaso Ciampa, Keith Lee, Dominik Dijakovic and TBA
WWE
Tommaso Ciampa has been a man on a mission to recapture the NXT Championship (aka Goldie) since his surprise return from a scary neck injury. But his quest to reclaim what’s rightfully his is being put on hold because Ciampa is going to war with a new mission to destroy The Undisputed ERA.
The Blackheart will lead Keith Lee, Dominik Dijakovic and a yet to be named fourth partner into WAR against Undisputed Era members: NXT Champion Adam Cole, NXT North American Champion Roderick Strong and NXT Tag Team Champions Kyle O’Reilly & Bobby Fish. The Original Bro of NXT, Matt Riddle, was initially the team’s fourth member, but his issues with Finn Bálor have taken precedent.
Jason: I think it’s going to be a bad couple of days for the Undisputed Era. Adam Cole will totally retain his belt over Pete Dunne (oh…uh, spoiler for that pick, I guess?), but Roddy and ReDragon are going down hard on Sunday – which is only going to feel worse after they taste defeat in this match. Realistically this is a toss up, but I think Chompy and the giants need this win more. Of course that’s all contingent on who the “Mystery” partner is, but I suppose we’ll see on that.
Winner: Cap’n Chompers and his Merry Men
Brian: The mystery partner is the real wildcard in this match. To be honest, Dijak feels like a “I’ve hit the bottom” kind of add on, so they need someone big to round out the team. Undisputed Era has been in every War Games match and I think a win here cements them as the true Top Guys heading into the next quarter and even to Takeover: Tampa in April.
Winner: The Undisputed Era
Women’s WarGames Match: Rhea Ripley, Candice LeRae, Teagan Nox and Mia Yim vs. Shayna Baszler, Io Shirai, Bianca Belair and Kay Lee Ray
WWE
The women of NXT will make history on Saturday night by competing in the first ever Women’s WarGames match. Leading the charge are the two team captains for the match, NXT Women’s Champion Shayna Baszler and Rhea Ripley. Both women are known for being utterly ruthless and brutal to their opponents, which make each of them the perfect pick for team captain.
Each team is made up of some of the finest female wrestlers on the planet and all of these women are sure to be looking to show the world why Women’s wrestling deserves their undivided attention. Expect these women to tear the f–cking house down.
Jason: This is another one where I have to go with the face team. Unless we get an ill-advised heel turn from Dakota Kai (which would be an awesome moment and all, but how do you boo someone that cute? She’s like a wrestling puppy), I think NXT has eyes on giving Rhea a signature win so I expect her to Riptide Bianca Belair to score the win for the faces after my girl Dakota saves the blonde ladies (and Mia) from the lesser Horsewomen’s interference.
Winner: Rhea, Mia and the Blondes
Brian: The hype for this match is REAL. Rhea Ripley is legit, Shayna’s team is unreal, and there’s the 9th wheel, Dakota Kai to contend with. I think Rhea is the one to finally take down Baszler and a signature win here for the Aussie brawler – after Candace and Io do some truly stupid moves off the top of the cage – will get her a fight for the title.
Winner: Team Rhea
Finn Balor vs. Matt Riddle
WWE
We all know this match was supposed to be between Finn Balor and Johnny Gargano, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t going to be any less amazing. This will be Balor’s first match in the gold and black brand since returning last month.
After Balor forced Gargano out-of-action with a neck injury he turned his attention to the rest of the NXT roster and began picking fights. It didn’t take long for Matt Riddle to put himself front and center in Balor’s crosshairs and the tension between the two quickly ignited.
The Prince of NXT and The Original Bro will go head-to-head Saturday night in what’s sure to be one hell of a slugfest.
Jason: This spot was clearly intended for Johnny Gargano, but it never really mattered who it was going to be on the other side of this match – Finn’s winning this one. I’m more excited to see if the Prince changes up his moveset as a part of this new (old) mentality. I’d love to see a more aggressive Balor not bothering with a lot of the showier offense and leaning heavily into his most cold, heelish mannerisms. Still, it could be all sling blades and shotgun dropkicks, but nothing’s stopping Finn from marching his newly tattoed ass all over Riddle’s corpse.
Winner: Prince Devitt
Brian: Could Finn Bálor (respect the fada) possibly get any sexier? New tats, new haircut, new attitude…dude has got it going on. Whether we’re on a refresh or whether this is where Finn truly belongs long-term, the Prince is back and it’s good. While beating up on Johnny Wrestling would draw some mad heat, a brutal contest against Matt Riddle might be just what Bálor needs to get himself in the groove and strike fear into the hearts of the black and gold brand.
Winner: Bálor with a vicious Coup de Grâce
NXT Championship #1 Contender match: Pete Dunne vs Damian Priest vs Killian Dain
WWE
Pete Dunne, Killian Dain, and Damian Priest have had bad blood stewing between them for some time now and NXT Chairman Triple H just set it to a boil. The Game added an irresistible price to this triple threat match, the winner will go on to challenge Adam Cole for the NXT Championship the following night at Survivor Series.
What else is there to say?
Jason: The stipulation makes the winner in this one obvious. They’re not going to put Killian Dain or Punishment Martinez out there for the casuals just yet. There’s only one option for the SS card that makes any sense, and that’s Pete “Well” Dunne. It’s a shame too, because I totally could’ve seen NXT throwing a bone to either of the other two guys if the consequences weren’t so obvious. Alas, the Bruiserweight is rolling onto Survivor Series…where he’s going to lose to Adam Cole.
Winner: Pete Fun
Brian: The long term play on folks like Pete Dunne is going to be something we write about before his Hall of Fame induction. While a spot in the Royal Rumble was good, this match will lead to his true coming out party at Survivor Series. I am looking forward to seeing what kind of nastiness will come out of three brawlers with the speed and viciousness of Dunne, Dain, and Priest. Dunne wins after breaking the fingers of both Dain and Priest, shrugging his way into the NXT title on Sunday.
Winner: The Bruiserweight
Do you love wrestling? Do you have strong opinions on AEW, WWE, NJPW, Impact, ROH, and the independent scene? Do you like to write about wrestling? Then we want you on our team. AIPT is currently recruiting wrestling writers. Apply to write for AIPT today!
Join the AIPT Patreon
Want to take our relationship to the next level? Become a patron today to gain access to exclusive perks, such as:
- ❌ Remove all ads on the website
- 💬 Join our Discord community, where we chat about the latest news and releases from everything we cover on AIPT
- 📗 Access to our monthly book club
- 📦 Get a physical trade paperback shipped to you every month
- 💥 And more!
You must be logged in to post a comment.