The Royal Rumble event on Sunday will get us all started down the Road to WrestleMania, but on Saturday night in Phoenix. the superstars of NXT will again -- take over. NXT TakeOver: Phoenix goes down this weekend with five incredible matches that will no doubt leave the pro wrestling world in awe on one of the biggest weekends of the entire year.
NXT TakeOver: Phoenix begins live at 7 p.m. ET, and it should last for about three hours, with the kickoff show beginning one hour earlier on WWE Network. So with NXT TakeOver: Phoenix nearly here to get Royal Rumble weekend kickstarted, let's now take a look at our predictions and picks ahead of the big night from our CBS Sports experts.
Listen to our audio preview of NXT TakeOver: Phoenix from the State of Combat with Brian Campbell podcast, and be sure to subscribe at the link in the player below.
NXT TakeOver: Phoenix predictions
Matt Riddle vs. Kassius Ohno
Brian, Campbell, Jack Crosby, Adam Silverstein: With his introductory squash match over Survivor Series weekend notwithstanding, consider this Riddle's real TakeOver debut. Also consider this the perfect platform (against the perfect opponent in a stiff, veteran worker like Ohno) to showcase Riddle's unique skill set and athleticism. It will be hard for WWE to keep the "King of Bros" from the main roster once he finds momentum within NXT and spreads his wings. Make sure to enjoy each step of the journey. Pick: Matt Riddle wins
NXT North American Championship -- Ricochet (c) vs. Johnny Gargano
AS, BC: If Gargano is going to enter New York as a challenger to Tomasso Ciampa's NXT title as I expect, it would make little sense for him to win the North American title here. Ricochet is a solid champion, and it appears Velveteen Dream may be the next challenger. That match WrestleMania weekend is the perfect way for Dream to get some rub. Pick: Ricochet retains the title
JC: Babyface Gargano just could never seem to get his hands on championship gold, but it'll be a different story for heel Johnny Wrestling. We may not like the means that he uses to claim the North American title from one of the most exciting performers in the entire company right now, but he'll stand tall with that title one way or another. What this means for the future of Ricochet -- who has the potential to be a massive star on the main roster right now -- is anyone's guess, but Gargano will get his first run with a singles title in NXT to kickoff 2019. Pick: Johnny Gargano wins the title
NXT Tag Team Championship -- Undisputed Era (c) vs. War Raiders
BC: For as loaded as this card has been universally regarded, this tag team title match has slipped under the radar just a bit. This one has all the makings to be fun, with the power of the War Raiders contrasting nicely with the speed and precision of Kyle O'Reilly and Roderick Strong. There will come a time when the Undisputed Era will be booked into giving up their titles to make way for a promotion to the main roster. It's just difficult to imagine that scenario happening now, especially with SmackDown falling to properly utilize Sanity up to this point before them. Pick: Undisputed Era retain the titles
AS, JC: This prediction was made before Undisputed Era and Velveteen Dream got into it on the go-home show. I expected UE to be either written off or move on to something more substantial with the War Raiders taking the titles. While that seems less likely now, I'll stick with that call. UE doesn't need the titles, but putting them on War Raiders opens up a wide variety of possibilities. Pick: War Raiders win the titles
NXT Women's Championship -- Shayna Baszler (c) vs. Bianca Belair
BC: Belair's athleticism and swagger are off the charts despite the fact that she still has plenty of room to grow as a performer. But sometimes when a star-in-the-making shows this much potential, there simply isn't a wrong time to roll the dice and find out what you've got. Belair has all the makings to be special and someone who should thrive physically on the main roster against the best in the company. Look for her first NXT title reign to begin now, setting up a rematch WrestleMania weekend that signals the end for Baszler on the yellow brand and the beginning of her new role as the Diesel-to-Shawn Michaels opposite real-life friend Ronda Rousey on the main roster. Pick: Bianca Belair wins the title
AS, JC: It's a contrast of styles in this one, but also a match in which two still-green workers are squaring off. As such, I am not as hyped for this bout as others on the show. While a win over Baszler would result in a great push for Belair, she just does not seem ready for such a spot at this time. Plus, Baszler and Co. just came together, so they should get a stronger, longer run on top. Pick: Shayna Baszler retains the title
NXT Championship -- Tommaso Ciampa (c) vs. Aleister Black
JC, BC, AS: Quite frankly, I see Black making a move to the main roster sooner rather than later, as he's been more than ready for quite some time now for that big stage. Still, he does deserve another shot at the title that was essentially stolen from him, and we'll get that out of the way on Saturday night. Ciampa will keep his run going, though, likely will some more help from Gargano as both DIY members exit Phoenix with singles titles in their possession. Pick: Tommaso Ciampa retains the title