‘NXT TakeOver: Unstoppable’ Preview – Growing Pains
Does NXT have your attention now?
After Kevin Owens’ shocking appearance on Raw – which concluded with him standing over 15-time world champion John Cena, arm raised high (and boot on the U.S. title) – and Sami Zayn’s gallant, gutty effort on the show two weeks prior, it’s clear WWE is pulling out all the stops to promote Wednesday night’s NXT TakeOver: Unstoppable, and they’ve done a masterful job of it, raising the profile of both the promotion and the men who will meet in the main event.
But while this TakeOver (live at 8 p.m. ET on the WWE Network) will no doubt benefit from the increased exposure, advance hype was never an issue – not with the backstory Owens and Zayn bring to their feud, the expected fireworks between NXT Women’s Champ Sasha Banks and challenger Becky Lynch, or the triple-threat match between Finn Bálor, Hideo Itami and Tyler Breeze. Rather, it was an unfortunate run of injuries that threatened to throw a wrench into the proceedings.
First, Owens underwent knee surgery, and though he’s since healed, Zayn will be working their match tonight with a shoulder injury, one suffered during his appearance on Raw and subsequently (and, somewhat miraculously) folded into the storyline damage he suffered at the hands of Owens at TakeOver: Rival. That real-life injury cast this match in doubt, though during a confrontation with K.O. on last week’s pre-taped episode of NXT, Zayn let it be known (via some, uh, interesting voiceover work) that he’s good to go, a point NXT mastermind Triple H reiterated during a conference call yesterday.
The extent to which Sami will be able to take bumps remains to be seen, though it only adds another layer to the match…as if this one needed it. The history between the two men goes back years and spans promotions, and Owens’ brutal assault on Zayn at Rival definitely felt personal. There’s genuine psychology and physicality here, and seemingly everything is in play (as evidenced by Sami’s comments about Owens’ son during their aforementioned face-to-face), making this arguably the top feud in all of wrestling. Of course, given Zayn’s condition, Owens’ destruction of Cena on Raw and the fact K.O. meets the Face of the Franchise at WWE’s Elimination Chamber special on May 31, an appearance from Mr. Hustle, Loyalty, Respect might be in the cards.
An injury to Itami – he, too, reportedly hurt his shoulder, though his impairment might keep on the shelf for 6-8 months – has him out of the triple-threat against Bálor and Itami, which is a shame, considering the Japanese star had really found his footing in the WWE Universe, and had worked memorable matches with both men. Who will replace him? Well, Triple H wouldn’t tip his hand, though he did say Itami would be “represented” in the match (which will determine the No. 1 contender for the NXT Championship), officially kicking off speculation that recent WWE signee Sesugh Uhaa – or even indie star Samoa Joe, who has been linked to the promotion for months – could debut in his stead.
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