NXT huge part of WWE Survivor Series weekend in Chicago
By Mike Pankow
November 22, 2019
Chicago will be the epicenter of the WWE Universe this weekend when the company storms into town with four live shows during Survivor Series weekend.
Allstate Arena, in Northwest suburban Rosemont, will host SmackDown on Friday, NXT TakeOver War Games on Saturday, WWE Survivor Series on Sunday and Raw on Monday.
This weekend will mark the first time one of WWE’s “Big 4” pay-per-views will be in the Chicago since WrestleMania 22 in April 2006. The “Big 4” consists of WrestleMania, Survivor Series, SummerSlam and Royal Rumble. It is the first Survivor Series in the area since 1989.
Tommaso Ciampa, with crutch, and NXT Champion Adam Cole, right, will have huge roles in Survivor Series weekend at Allstate Arena. (Photo by Mike Pankow)
This year’s Survivior Series is poised to make history with NXT being included for the first time ever. The Black and Yellow Brand has broadcasting live every Wednesday night from Full Sail University in suburban Orlando since mid-September and has been gaining serious momentum in recent years with its dynamic TakeOver events.
NXT will be involved in nearly every Survivor Series match in some way.
There will be 15-man and 15-woman elimination matches with five members from Raw facing five members from SmackDown and five members from NXT.
On the men’s side, Team Raw (Seth Rollins, Randy Orton, Kevin Owens, Ricochet & Drew McIntyre) against Team SmackDown (Roman Reigns, Braun Strowman, King Corbin, Chicago’s Mustafa Ali & Shorty G) and Team NXT, which still hasn’t been determined as of Friday afternoon.
On the women’s side, Team Raw (Charlotte Flair, Natalya, Asuka, Kairi Sane & Sarah Logan) vs. Team SmackDown (Sasha Banks, Lacey Evans, Carmella, Dana Brooke and Nikki Cross) vs. Team NXT, which still hasn’t been determined as of Friday afternoon.
It should be interesting which NXT stars will be selected to perform with the main roster superstars. Barring injury from the night before, expect Tommaso Ciampa and Finn Balor in the men’s match and Io Shirai and Rhea Ripley in the women’s match.
In a match of each brand’s secondary champion, NXT North American Champion Roderick Strong faces U.S. Champion AJ Styles (Raw) and Intercontinental Champion Shinsuke Nakamura (SmackDown) in what should a worker fan’s dream.
The top women’s champion from each brand will square with NXT Champion Shayna Baszler facing Raw Champion Becky Lynch and SmackDown Champion Bayley in what should be an electric battle of personalities.
Tag team champions will also face off in triple-threat action as NXT Champions Kyle O’Reilly and Bobby Fish of Undisputed Era take on Raw’s Viking Raiders (Ivar and Erik) and SmackDown’s New Day (former WWE Champion Kofi Kingston and Big E).
In a singles match, the NXT Championship will be defended for the first time on a WWE main roster pay-per-view with NXT Champion Adam Cole facing the winner of a triple-threat from Saturday’s NXT TakeOver show among Pete Dunne, Damian Priest and Killian Dain.
Keith Lee, left, tries to power out of Kyle O’Reilly’s submission during NXT TV at Full Sail Live in Winter Park, Fla., on Oct. 30, 2019. They will face off as part of the men’s War Games match Saturday at NXT TakeOver at Allstate Arena.(Photo by Mike Pankow)
Also, WWE Champion Brock Lesnar defends his title against Rey Mysterio in a grudge match. Lesnar has beaten Rey’s friend Cain Velasquez and beaten up Rey’s son, Dominick. For those believing Mysterio has no chance, just remember the 5-foot-6, 175-pound superstar won his first World Champion in the same arena at WrestleMania 22 by besting Randy Orton and Kurt Angle in a triple-threat match.
SmackDown’s top championship will on the line as well as “The Fiend” Bray Wyatt faces Daniel Bryan. “The Fiend” recently won the title from Seth Rollins at Crown Jewel and took the belt from Raw to SmackDown. Bryan lost the WWE Championship to Kofi Kingston at WrestleMania 35 and is now back in the world title picture.
The night before Survivor Series, NXT’s own show, TakeOver War Games, will take place with two War Games-style matches, including the first-ever women’s version of the match.
In the women’s bout, Baszler captains a squad including Bianca Belair, Shirai and NXT UK Women’s Champion Kay Lee Ray against the team led by Ripley with Mia Yim, Candice LeRae and Tegan Nox.
In the men’s War Games, the team of the Undisputed Era led by Cole with Strong, O’Reilly and Fish faces the unit led by former NXT Champion and Milwaukee native Ciampa with Keith Lee, Dominik Dijakovic and a mystery partner.
In his first TakeOver since returning to the NXT brand, Balor takes on Matt Riddle. Balor, has received a boost since leaving the Raw brand, was originally supposed to face Johnny Gargano, but he is not cleared to compete. And then there will be the aforementioned triple-threat match for the No. 1 contender spot.
With four shows and the boundless energy of the Chicago crowd, it should be a fun and historic weekend from WWE – and NXT.
Catch Windy City Slam editor Mike Pankow talking local and national pro wrestling every other week on The Broadcast Basement, available wherever you download podcasts or at https://broadcastbasement.podbean.com/.
