NXT TakeOver Philadelphia: Match Card, Full Preview and Predictions

At NXT TakeOver: Philadelphia, the WWE year will kick off in earnest with its third brand in position to flourish.

Understandably, much of the buzz leading up to Royal Rumble has been about that pay-per-view. Two Royal Rumble matches, including the first to feature all women, will do that. But NXT's first major show of 2018 has a robust card and has all the ingredients to steal the show.

Johnny Gargano's pursuit of Andrade "Cien" Almas, the NXT Championship and redemption promises to be excellent. 

Shayna Baszler is ready to jump into the spotlight. Velveteen Dream is set to build on his breakout match at TakeOver: WarGames. And The Undisputed Era will look to establish its dominance, with Kyle O'Reilly and Bobby Fish holding the NXT Tag Team Championships, while Adam Cole looks to cut down the seemingly unstoppable Aleister Black.

Saturday's event's lineup suggests NXT's run of stirring TakeOver events isn't ready to stop.

Match Card

• Kassius Ohno vs. Velveteen Dream
• The Undisputed Era vs. The Authors of Pain (NXT Tag Team Championships)
• Aleister Black vs. Adam Cole (Extreme Rules)
• Ember Moon vs. Shayna Baszler (NXT Women's Championship)
• Andrade "Cien" Almas vs. Johnny Gargano (NXT Championship)

Predictions

• Dream over Ohno.
• The Undisputed Era over The Authors of Pain.
• Black over Cole.
• Moon vs. Baszler ends in a no-contest.
• Almas over Gargano.

The Undisputed Era vs. The Authors of Pain

In a matchup of skill versus size, O'Reilly and Fish will look to hang on to the NXT tag titles against the former champs.

Near the close of 2017, The Undisputed Era dethroned Sanity. But the powerhouses who carried the titles for over 200 days last year want their belts back.

If The Undisputed Era retains, there's a good chance this is among the last NXT bouts we see from Akam and Rezar. The two hosses look ready to the make the jump to the main roster and may do that as WrestleMania season kicks off.

Moon vs. Baszler

The Ember Moon era may not last long.

Moon won the title in Houston in a Fatal 4-way bout in November. She, like everyone else, had been unable to take down Asuka for the gold. But when Asuka left for Raw, Moon pushed her way past the rest of the women's division to become its new queen.

She's set to face former MMA fighter and Mae Young Classic finalist Shayna Baszler Saturday. 

WWE has presented The Queen of Spades as a submission specialist and all-around badass. She's spent her early NXT tenure choking out folks at the WWE Performance Center.

At NXT TakeOver: Philadelphia, she is poised to have quite the match against Moon. Baszler is still raw but has shown big-time promise. A quality opponent like Moon should allow her to shine.

Almas vs. Gargano

The next great NXT story appears to be in the works.

Gargano is poised to finish a dramatic climb. After Tommaso Ciampa ended his friendship and tag team alliance with him, Johnny Wrestling fell into a funk. He shook off the losses that came his way and earned the No. 1 contender's spot just in time for NXT's first TakeOver event of the year.

In a poetic scenario, the man standing in his way is Almas, whose championship rise began with a win over Gargano at TakeOver: Brooklyn III last year.

The combination of the dynamic Almas and the super-smooth Gargano is going to make for an early Match of the Year candidate. And as Johnny Wrestling draws closer to the NXT title, Ciampa's presence will lurk. This would be a fine time to resume that rivalry should Ciampa break his friend's heart all over again in Philly.