NXT TakeOver: New Orleans predictions

If WrestleMania 34 on Sunday night at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome is chicken cordon bleu served with veggies and mash, then NXT TakeOver: New Orleans is the golden calamari with dipping sauce you'd order as a starter to tide you over.

Like some meals, however, there are times when the appetizer is actually the most satisfying part, and by the time you get to the entree, you're already feeling full.

TakeOver events in years past have arguably surpassed WrestleMania in both in-ring quality and overall enjoyment. This year's card for Saturday at the Smoothie King Center is stacked from top to bottom, meaning "The Showcase of the Immortals" could once again have a tough act to follow.

NXT Tag Team Championship & Dusty Rhodes Classic Finals: The Undisputed Era (c) vs. The Authors of Pain vs. Pete Dunne & Roderick Strong

It looks like Adam Cole (Bay Bay) will be doing double duty Saturday as a result of fellow Undisputed Era member Bobby Fish apparently tearing his ACL in his left knee. Without "The Panama City Playboy," Kyle O'Reilly would have been forced to go solo in defense of the NXT Tag Team Championship, or work with a random partner outside of the heel faction.

Akam and Rezar emerged victorious in the Dusty Rhodes Classic tournament in 2017, so it's hard to imagine them repeating, especially since they feel like a lock to crack the main roster in the yearly post-WrestleMania call-ups. The Undisputed Era weren't even involved in this year's tournament, so to give them the distinction of being the third-ever winners without having competed would be rather cheap, although it can't be ruled out entirely.

That leaves the thrown-together tandem of Dunne and Strong. Dunne, the reigning United Kingdom Champion, is the standout of this duo, and having him appear more on NXT programming would be welcome. Strong had a respectable run in 205 Live's tournament for a WrestleMania title shot, and doesn't have much on the horizon.

Winners: Pete Dunne and Roderick Strong

NXT Women's Championship: Ember Moon (c) vs. Shayna Baszler

Whoever carried the NXT Women's Championship in the post-Asuka era was always going to have huge shoes to fill. "The Empress of Tomorrow" was an undefeated wrecking machine, and only gave up the strap because of a broken collarbone. Moon has done a commendable job as the next in line, and carried the division as best she can, but her and Asuka are on two different wavelengths.

Moon barely eked out a pinfall win over Baszler at NXT TakeOver: Philadelphia in January, spending most of the match selling her elbow and arm before stacking up her opponent for the surprise victory. All that did was delay the inevitable.

It's not fun being labelled as a "transitional champion," but if Moon fails Saturday, that's probably how she'll come across. There's nothing left for her to accomplish down in Florida, while Baszler and her storied MMA background will make her a real force to be reckoned with as the new titleholder. Lest we forget that Baszler is 37 years old, so it's time to pull the trigger and shoot her to the top of the food chain.

Winner: Shayna Baszler

Unsanctioned match: Johnny Gargano vs. Tommaso Ciampa

It's the confrontation over one year in the making, originally postponed after Ciampa underwent surgery to repair a ruptured ACL in late 2016.

Usually, such a delay would diminish one's interest in a feud, but that's not the case with these ex-#DIY members. Their unsanctioned, head-to-head showdown could end up being the match of the entire weekend, and that includes WrestleMania and all of the independent promotions putting on shows in The Big Easy.

The stipulation here is that if Gargano wins, he'll be reinstated to NXT. Should he lose, however, fans probably won't see him again on Wednesday nights barring some sort of farewell segment. Gargano is garnering levels of support similar to that of Sami Zayn during his tenure with the brand, and is looking more and more like a Daniel Bryan clone, which is a massive compliment.

Like Zayn, Gargano won't have the last laugh against his former best friend before making his way up to either Monday Night Raw or SmackDown Live. This one could get pretty violent with there being no disqualifications or count-outs, so there's no need to have an immediate sequel at the next TakeOver. Save that for the main roster. This program has the legs to get there.

Winner: Tommaso Ciampa

Ladder match for inaugural NXT North American Championship: Lars Sullivan vs. Velveteen Dream vs. EC3 vs. Ricochet vs. Adam Cole vs. Killian Dain

Recent history has shown us that babyface characters are terrific options as inaugural champions:

If that holds up here, then you can automatically rule out five of the six participants in this hotly-anticipated ladder match. That would leave the acrobatic Ricochet as the one true face, and therefore safest pick to become the first-ever NXT North American Champion.

This is sports entertainment, though, meaning the moment you have it all figured out, you'll get swerved and everything you thought you knew will be for nothing. EC3 was predominantly featured when this match was first announced, so he's certainly a favorite, and Velveteen Dream's stock is higher than it's ever been.

Cole's odds will depend greatly on the outcome of the Tag Team Championship bout earlier in the evening, and Dain and Sullivan will likely cancel each other out.

Winner: Ricochet

NXT Championship: Andrade "Cien" Almas (c) w/ Zelina Vega vs. Aleister Black

The feisty Vega is the greatest thing that ever happened to Almas in NXT. It provided the former La Sombra a mouthpiece to accentuate his elite ability inside the squared circle, while hiding his weak promos.

His NXT title defense against Gargano at the last TakeOver was rated five stars by the Wrestling Observer's Dave Meltzer, and deservedly so. It was a 32-minute classic that vaulted Almas into another stratosphere, giving his reign all the more credibility. The consensus was that Almas was just keeping the seat warm until Black overtook him, but after that Match of the Year candidate, his reign means so much more.

Black is NXT's franchise player, and has yet to be pinned or submitted in singles competition. It makes you wonder why he was pinned in the Fatal 4-Way for the TakeOver: Philadelphia title shot, but that's neither here nor there.

Like the Authors of Pain and maybe Moon, Almas, too, should find himself on WWE television the week after 'Mania. Black, meanwhile, will carry the NXT torch into the summer, with a slew of heels coming out of the ladder match ready to provide him fresh matchups.

Fade to Black.

Winner: Aleister Black