Like they say, “All’s fair in love and war.”

NXT will hold NXT Takeover: WarGames II live from the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Saturday night. There will only be four matches on the card, allowing the competitors plenty of time to shine and give Survivor Series a run for its money.

Our WWE Lead Writer, Shalene Hixon, gives her predictions for the four matches and her thoughts on what to expect from each!

Aleister Black vs. Johnny Gargano

The best way to describe this match is rather simple: Never make Aleister Black angry.

Back in August, after an NXT TV taping, someone left Black lying unconscious backstage. This sparked a huge investigation into who attacked the former champion. To the surprise of many, Nikki Cross had seemingly known the identity of the assailant and toyed with the entire roster for weeks.

Black made his return in October and Cross revealed her big secret, sending him into a fit of rage. The following week he demanded that the attacker show himself, and it was none other than Johnny Gargano.

Gargano said that his motive was simple: he wanted Tommaso Ciampa and Black was just in the way.

But I don’t think that upsetting Black was the smartest idea.

Now these two are set to face off at WarGames and I won’t be surprised if this match steals the show. They are going to tear the house down and push each other to their limits. Once it’s all said and done, I think that Black will emerge victorious.

He will finally get his revenge and Johnny Wrestling will fade to black.

Winner: Aleister Black

WarGames Match: War Raiders, Pete Dunne, & Ricochet vs. The Undisputed Era

If you thought last year’s match was fun to watch, just wait until this year.

Over the past several months, the Undisputed Era, War Raiders, Pete Dunne and Ricochet have been at each other’s throats. War Raiders have had their sights on Kyle O’Reilly and Roderick Strong’s tag titles, while Adam Cole is still looking to get his North American Championship back from Ricochet.

They all come to blows on Saturday night, in a match that will more than likely close out the show. This has something to entertain just about any wrestling fan, with strikes, high-flying and brute strength galore!

While I think their competitors will give them all they can handle, the Undisputed Era will emerge victorious. Their opponents will quite possibly reign supreme down the line, but they won’t on Saturday.

That, boys and girls, is undisputed!

Winners: The Undisputed Era

Two-out-of-Three Falls Match for the NXT Women’s Championship: Shayna Baszler (c.) vs. Kairi Sane

Next is another chapter in one of NXT’s best rivalries in the women’s division.

Baszler reclaimed the NXT Women’s Championship at WWE Evolution, defeating Sane with a little help from her friends, Jessamyn Duke and Marina Shafir.

Since General Manager William Regal didn’t ban Baszler’s fellow Four Horsewomen from ringside for this match, it’s likely they’ll interfere once again. Maybe Sane will have some friends come to her aid?

Regardless, I don’t think Baszler drops the belt here. She one of the best heels in the company right now, and they would be crazy not to keep her reign going.

I expect there to be a ton of shenanigans in this one, but it will definitely be their best clash yet. Baszler is the first to two-out-of-three falls and retains her championship.

All hail the Queen of Spades!

Winner: Shayna Baszler

NXT Championship: Tommaso Ciampa (c.) vs. Velveteen Dream

Did anyone expect this to be a championship match in 2018?

Well fans are getting it — and no one is complaining at all!

Ever since Dream’s rivalry with Aleister Black, he’s been growing in popularity and has backed it up in the ring time and time again. Now the biggest match of his career is in front of him.

Both men couldn’t be more different from each other, but I think that’s what’s going to make this match such a success. I have no doubt they’re going to tear the house down and Dream is going to become a star because of it.

However, I still think he is going to come up just short. Ciampa continues to have nuclear heat wherever he goes and NXT probably has other plans on who will take the belt from him. So, for now, Ciampa retains while Dream is catapulted into super stardom.

Winner: Tommaso Ciampa

Photos: Courtesy of WWE.

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