Bleacher Report's WWE Staff Predictions for NXT TakeOver and Survivor Series

WWE holds 12 or more pay-per-views every year, but we only get NXT TakeOver events every few months, so they tend to feel more special.

This weekend will not only feature NXT TakeOver: WarGames on Saturday, but we will also see Raw vs. SmackDown vs. NXT at Survivor Series on Sunday. For the first time ever, all three brands will fight for supremacy.

Here is a look at the card for WarGames on Saturday:

• Matt Riddle vs. Finn Balor
• Killian Dain vs. Pete Dunne vs. Damian Priest (Winner gets NXT title shot at Survivor Series)
• Candice LeRae, Tegan Nox, Rhea Ripley and Mia Yim vs. Shayna Baszler, Bianca Belair, Kay Lee Ray and Io Shirai (WarGames)
• The Undisputed Era vs. Tomasso Ciampa, Dominik Dijakovic, Keith Lee and a mystery partner (WarGames)

Here is a look at the card for Survivor Series on Sunday. 

• Bray Wyatt vs. Daniel Bryan (Universal Championship)
• Brock Lesnar vs. Rey Mysterio (WWE Championship)
• Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Roderick Strong vs. AJ Styles
• Bayley vs. Shayna Baszler vs. Becky Lynch
• The New Day vs. Viking Raiders vs. Bobby Fish and Kyle O'Reilly
• Adam Cole vs. Winner of Dunne vs. Dain vs. Priest (NXT Championship)
• Team Raw vs. Team SmackDown vs. Team NXT (Men)
• Team Raw vs. Team SmackDown vs. Team NXT (Women)
• Team Raw vs. Team SmackDown vs. Team NXT (Tag Teams)

Let's see how the Bleacher Report staff thinks everything will go down this weekend. Here's a look at our lineup of contributors:

• Anthony Mango (AM) (@ToeKneeManGo)
• Graham Matthews (GM) (@WrestleRant)
• Donald Wood (DW) (@Donald_Wood)
• Erik Beaston (EB) (@ErikBeaston)
• Chris Mueller (CM) (@BR_Doctor)
• Jeff J (JJ) (@JeffJSays)
• Aaron Bower (AB) (@AaronBower)
• Kevin Berge (KB) (@KevinBerge)

Men's Elimination Match

Q: Using only the Superstars on the current roster, build your perfect five-man Survivor Series team. You can mix and match from NXT and the main roster. 

Tommaso Ciampa, Johnny Gargano, Roman Reigns, Daniel Bryan and Seth Rollins.

Women's Elimination Match

Q: Using only the Superstars on the current roster, build your perfect five-woman Survivor Series team. You can mix and match from NXT and the main roster.

Becky Lynch, Charlotte Flair, Dakota Kai, Tegan Nox, and Toni Storm.

Brock Lesnar vs. Rey Mysterio

Q: What scenario would create a better future storyline, Cain Velasquez helping Rey Mysterio win the title or Dominic turning on his father to cost him the match? 

The better long-term storyline would be Dominic betraying his father for allowing him to suffer the beating he did at the hands of Brock Lesnar, thus sparking a feud in which Mysterio would work with his son to develop him as a wrestler in a highly emotional program.

The son betraying the father has much more potential than Mysterio fluking his way to a title because of Velasquez, though that particular outcome would not surprise me given WWE's booking tendencies.

Women's WarGames Match

Q: Baszler has defeated almost everyone in NXT. If you could pick one of the other seven women to dethrone her as champion, who would it be and why?

Dakota Kai. The seeds have already been planted. She has been injured, showed real fear when in Shayna Baszler's presence and came within seconds of defeating The Queen of Spades in a non-title match. Her overcoming her fear, proving she does belong as one of the top-tier NXT stars and winning the title is the most suitable conclusion to her story.

Men's Elimination Match

Q: Using only the Superstars on the current roster, build your perfect five-man Survivor Series team. You can mix and match from NXT and the main roster. 

Reigns, Rollins, Lesnar, Bryan and AJ Styles.

Women's Elimination Match

Q: Using only the Superstars on the current roster, build your perfect five-woman Survivor Series team. You can mix and match from NXT and the main roster. 

Lynch, Flair, Bayley, Sasha Banks, Asuka.

Becky Lynch vs. Bayley vs. Shayna Baszler

Q: All three of these women are being booked strong heading into this match. Who would suffer the most from a loss?

I honestly don't see anyone losing anything in this match. However, Lynch is the one who has built her story around being unstoppable. She has challenged everyone to step up to her and overcome the challenge.

As the fiery babyface, she would look the worst coming out with a loss. She will likely be protected either way, though. Bayley has not been that well-protected, and Shayna Baszler will remain unstoppable in NXT whether she loses to the Raw or SmackDown champion.

Matt Riddle vs. Finn Balor

Q: Finn Balor has been booked as a top star in NXT since his return. What star from the main roster would benefit the most from going to NXT?

It seems too obvious for Cesaro to go to NXT. In WWE, he is a talented wrestler, who will never be a top star. In NXT, he is instantly a top act. Much like his former tag team partner Kassius Ohno's role in NXT UK, The Swiss Superman can be a final boss in NXT for young stars to overcome.

His power is completely unique on the NXT roster. He has proved he can work well with anyone. Triple H has always done better by him than Vince McMahon. It's honestly surprising he did not already make the switch.

Men's Elimination Match

Q: Using only the Superstars on the current roster, build your perfect five-man Survivor Series team. You can mix and match NXT and main roster. No need to elaborate, just list names.

Styles, Luke Gallows, Karl Anderson, Adam Cole and Balor.

Women's Elimination Match

Q: Using only the Superstars on the current roster, build your perfect five-woman Survivor Series team. You can mix and match NXT and main roster. No need to elaborate, just list names.

Io Shirai, Asuka, Kairi Sane, Banks and Bayley.

Bray Wyatt vs. Daniel Bryan

Q: Let's say Bryan and Wyatt were going to change alignments during this match. How would you book the double turn so Wyatt leaves as the babyface?

Ideally, booking Bryan to get himself disqualified after relentlessly attacking Wyatt with a chair would make the most sense, but we saw something similar to that at Hell in a Cell with Wyatt and Rollins. Instead, I'd have Wyatt beat Bryan clean before Bryan snaps afterward and officially aligns himself with Nakamura and Sami Zayn, who join in on the post-match assault.

Women's WarGames Match

Q: Baszler has defeated almost everyone in NXT. If you could pick one of the other seven women to dethrone her as champion, who would it be and why?

Rhea Ripley seems to be a popular choice, and while that would be completely logical, I think Nox being the one to take the title from Baszler would make for a better moment.

Ripley had her time to shine when she won the NXT UK Women's Championship last year, whereas Nox has yet to win anything of importance on either brand. She's overcome injuries in recent years, and her attempting to defeat the dominant Baszler is a story worth telling.

Men's Elimination Match

Q: Using only the Superstars on the current roster, build your perfect five-man Survivor Series team. You can mix and match from NXT and the main roster. 

Reigns, Bryan, Balor, Samoa Joe and Cesaro.

Women's Elimination Match

Q: Using only the Superstars on the current roster, build your perfect five-woman Survivor Series team. You can mix and match from NXT and the main roster.

Charlotte, Bianca Belair, Shirai, Asuka and Lynch.

AJ Styles vs. Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Roderick Strong

Q: All three of these competitors are heels. Should WWE have tried to book a babyface in this match by having a title change hands? 

Not really. In this instance, the match itself is a draw. Fans know these three are poised for a galaxy's worth of stars in their match. Plus, these three aren't despised heels like Corbin, so fans will choose and root for their faves.

Men's WarGames Match

Q: Who do you think would be the best mystery partner for Ciampa, Keith Lee and Dominik Dijakovic? Why would they be a good partner in this match?

There's only one answer to compensate for the myriad injuries to the NXT top guys (Velveteen Dream, Gargano, Kushida, etc.): Walter. You get NXT UK involved and he's the only champion not actively involved in War Games or Survivor Series. Get the biggest weapon NXT has left to use, Ciampa.

Men's Elimination Match

Q: Using only the Superstars on the current roster, build your perfect five-man Survivor Series team. You can mix and match from NXT and the main roster. 

Styles, Lesnar, Undertaker, Bryan and Kofi Kingston.

Women's Elimination Match

Q: Using only the Superstars on the current roster, build your perfect five-woman Survivor Series team. You can mix and match from NXT and the main roster.

Asuka, Lynch, Belair, Ronda Rousey and Baszler.

Bray Wyatt vs. Daniel Bryan

Q: Let's say Bryan and Wyatt were going to change alignments during this match. How would you book the double turn so Wyatt leaves as the babyface?

Both men come into this match as tweeners. Daniel Bryan is teasing a face turn and The Fiend is cheered by the WWE Universe no matter who he is fighting. As a result, I don't believe this is the place for a double turn.

Wyatt and Bryan should put on an incredible match that gets the fans 100 percent behind them, and then Bryan can lose in heartbreaking fashion, forcing fans to like him even more. The Fiend also comes out as popular as ever if he shows Bryan some mercy.

Matt Riddle vs. Finn Balor

Q: Finn Balor has been booked as a top star in NXT since his return. What other star from the main roster would benefit the most from going to NXT and why?

Kevin Owens. There are few WWE Superstars as popular as Owens, but he has been booked poorly for too long. With Team NXT needing bodies, having Owens join Triple H and the NXT Superstars in the men's match would open the door for KO to become a regular fixture on Wednesdays.

Men's Elimination Match

Q: Using only the Superstars on the current roster, build your perfect five-man Survivor Series team. You can mix and match from NXT and the main roster. 

Cole, Ricochet, Samoa Joe, Styles and Balor.

Women's Elimination Match

Q: Using only the Superstars on the current roster, build your perfect five-woman Survivor Series team. You can mix and match from NXT and the main roster. 

Lynch, Asuka, Ripley, Banks and Charlotte.

The Viking Raiders vs. New Day vs. Fish and O'Reilly

Q: Based on personal opinion, which team do you want to see leave Survivor Series with a win and why?

Fish and O'Reilly. They are probably the most over tag team in WWE right now, and while most of my picks will lean towards NXT stars getting the win, Fish and O'Reilly are the no-brainers in the equation. They're a legitimate force, as influenced by their victory over The Revival in a great match on NXT this past Wednesday. They're the standout team on paper, and they should be in the ring, too.

Men's WarGames Match

Q: Who do you think would be the best mystery partner for Ciampa, Keith Lee and Dominik Dijakovic? Why would they be a good partner in this match?

CM Pu.. sorry. Couldn't resist. I'm going to pick Owens for a couple of reasons. Triple H really seemed to pull on his strings on Raw when he tried to persuade him to return home to NXT, and the beatdown from Undisputed Era shortly after gives him a legitimate reason to team up with Ciampa's guys. Plus, imagine the pop if Owens walks out as the mystery guy.

Men's Elimination Match

Q: Using only the Superstars on the current roster, build your perfect five-man Survivor Series team. You can mix and match from NXT and the main roster. 

Braun Strowman, Bryan, Gargano, Owens and Velveteen Dream.

Women's Elimination Match

Q: Using only the Superstars on the current roster, build your perfect five-woman Survivor Series team. You can mix and match from NXT and the main roster. 

Lynch, Charlotte, Banks, Baszler and Belair.

Adam Cole vs. TBD

Q: With NXT now acting as a third brand on USA, should WWE have its champions defend their titles at normal PPVs regularly or should they stick to defending at TakeOver events? Why?

If WWE treats NXT the same as Raw and SmackDown, it will kill any unique atmosphere to it. NXT has to remain special, and if it is lumped in all the time, it will quickly become the kickoff match like 205 Live's cruiserweight title was, which will only tarnish the brand. At most, NXT stars should only cross over at Royal Rumble and the WrestleMania battle royals.

Pete Dunne vs. Damien Priest vs. Killian Dain

Q: Dunne's reign as UK champion proved how good he is. Between Priest and Dain, which Superstar do you think has the most potential as a future star?

I've already seen what Dain has to offer and he still managed to have to head back down to NXT, where he isn't even in the top 10 on the roster. While I'm not sold on Priest, he's more of an unknown, so I'd bank on him surprising me with a better progression than for Dain to be able to turn things around that drastically. To be fair, though, I don't think either has much of a chance to be the next big thing.

Men's Elimination Match

Q: Using only the Superstars on the current roster, build your perfect five-man Survivor Series team. You can mix and match from NXT and the main roster. 

Bryan, Ricochet, Mustafa Ali, Randy Orton and Ciampa.

Women's Elimination Match

Q: Using only the Superstars on the current roster, build your perfect five-woman Survivor Series team. You can mix and match from NXT and the main roster. 

Lynch, Storm, Asuka, Mia Yim and Naomi.

Brock Lesnar vs. Rey Mysterio

Q: What scenario would create the better future storyline, Cain Velasquez helping Mysterio win the title or Dominic turning on his father to cost him the match? 

Both options would be predictable, but Dominic turning on his dad would be the better story. Family drama, when done well, usually leads to the best feuds in wrestling. 

Pete Dunne vs. Damien Priest vs. Killian Dain

Q: Dunne's reign as UK champion proved how good he is. Between Priest and Dain, which Superstar do you think has the most potential as a future star?

Priest has a unique look, good physicality and is young enough to be around for a long time. Killian Dain would be a solid heel in any division but Priest has more upside potential. 

Each person's prediction will be represented by their initials next to their choice. Winners for the Tag Team Turmoil and Battle Royal will be listed below. 

NXT WarGames Predictions

• Pete Dunne (EB, KB, GM, JJ, DW, AB, AM, CM) vs. Damien Priest vs. Killian Dain 
• Matt Riddle vs. Finn Balor (EB, KB, GM, JJ, DW, AB, AM, CM)
• Undisputed Era (KB, AB, CM) vs. Ciampa, Lee, Dijakovic and TBD (EB, GM, JJ, DW, AM)
• Team Ripley (KB, CM) vs. Team Baszler (EB, GM, JJ, DW, AB, AM)

Survivor Series Predictions

• Brock Lesnar (EB, KB, GM, JJ, DW, AB, CM) vs. Rey Mysterio (AM)
• Bray Wyatt (EB, KB, GM, JJ, DW, AB, AM, CM) vs. Daniel Bryan
• Becky Lynch (KB, AB) vs. Bayley (EB, JJ, AM) vs. Shayna Baszler (GM, DW, CM)
• AJ Styles (KB, GM, JJ, DW, AB) vs. Shinsuke Nakamura (CM) vs. Roderick Strong (EB, AM)
• The Viking Raiders (EB, GM, DW, AM) vs. New Day (KB, CM) vs. Fish and O’Reilly (JJ, AB)
• NXT (DW, AB, AM, CM) vs. Raw (JJ) vs. SmackDown (EB, KB, GM) (Men)
• NXT (EB, KB, AB, CM) vs. Raw (GM) vs. SmackDown (JJ, DW, AM) (Women) 
• Adam Cole (EB, KB, GM, JJ, DW, AB, AM, CM) vs. Winner of Dunne vs. Priest vs. Dain