– With WrestleMania weekend and NXT Takeover: Orlando fast approaching, the Wrestling Observer reported this week that Shinsuke Nakamura is getting called up to the main roster “very shortly” and will most likely be joining the RAW brand. Nakamura is scheduled to face Bobby Roode for the NXT Championship at Takeover, so Roode’s title reign is most likely safe for the foreseeable. Earlier this week WWE announced that NXT is returning to the UK in June and Nakamura was conspicuously absent from the tour’s promotional artwork.

– During last month’s WWE investor conference call, WWE Chairman & CEO Vince McMahon acknowledged that the reported  attendance for WrestleMania 32 (101,763) was not all paid fans, but the total number of people in the building. While that number is still overinflated, Brandon Howard of Fightful.com reached out to the Arlington police department and uncovered that there were actually 80,709 fans who went through the turnstiles at AT&T Stadium that day.

– WWE producer Brian “Road Dogg” James has addressed the rumor going around that WWE officials are not entirely happy with Alexa Bliss’ ring work as of late. James shot down the notion and stated that Bliss is adored by everyone in WWE.

hell no! She is adored by EVERYONE. She's a star dude and everyone knows it. This is what's wrong w/the internet lol #bull💩

— Brian G. James (@BrianRDJames) March 17, 2017

The top 3 championship matches are now official for NXT TakeOver: Orlando next month. The current card looks like this:

– Bobby Roode defends the NXT Championship against Shinsuke Nakamura

– Asuka defends the NXT Women’s Championship against Ember Moon

– The Authors of Pain defend the NXT Tag Team Championships in a Triple Threat against DIY and The Revival

TakeOver takes place on 4/1 from the Amway Center in Orlando during WrestleMania 33 weekend.

JUST ANNOUNCED: #AOP @Akam_WWE & @Rezar_WWE will defend the #NXTTagTitles against #DIY & #TheRevival at #NXTTakeOver: Orlando! #WWENXT pic.twitter.com/HAteCkf9vE

— WWE NXT (@WWENXT) March 16, 2017

Two of #WWENXT's most dominant Superstars go head-to-head at #NXTTakeOver: Orlando as @WWEEmberMoon challenges @WWEAsuka for the title! pic.twitter.com/MqLvQlWZcu

— WWE NXT (@WWENXT) March 16, 2017

Last night on NXT, William Regal confirmed the participants for the women’s championship match at Takeover: Orlando, and who will be the challenger for the NXT championship.

As per @RealKingRegal, @WWEEmberMoon will challenge @WWEAsuka for the #NXTWomensChampionship at #NXTTakeOver: Orlando! #WWENXT pic.twitter.com/skF8tc1b0l

— WWE (@WWE) March 9, 2017

Ember Moon vs. Asuka

Asuka has been NXT women’s championship for over 14 months, and has successfully defended the title on NXT television or PPV on 6 occasions. She’s never been defeated in NXT, though she did once enter a battle royal that she didn’t win.

Ember Moon has never been defeated in a singles match in NXT. She lost a triple threat match (wasn’t pinned) and was on the losing end of a tag match before, but Moon has never been pinned or submitted on NXT television. It will be the two most protected women wrestlers on the roster that will meet for the title at Takeover.

JUST ANNOUNCED by @RealKingRegal: The winner of @REALBobbyRoode vs. @KassiusOhno will go on to face @ShinsukeN at #NXTTakeOver! #WWENXT pic.twitter.com/wpovvX0Cyc

— WWE (@WWE) March 9, 2017

Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Ohno/Roode

Last night on NXT, William Regal also announced that the winner of next week’s title match between Kassius Ohno and Bobby Roode at Takeover: Orlando will defend the title against Nakamura at Takeover: Orlando. Ohno and Roode have been building up a short feud which has spanned the last couple of weeks.

The interesting part of NXT title matches is that it is generally the loser who gets called up to the main roster. If Nakamura is to lose at Takeover, it perhaps opens the door for him to debut on Raw or Smackdown after WrestleMania.

NXT
University of Central Florida
Air date: March 9th 2017
Taped: February 22nd 2017

1. Tye Dellinger vs. Eric Young
This match ended up a no-contest as the other members of Sanity appeared on the entrance ramp before the match could start and presented a beaten up Roderick Strong. Dillinger went to help Strong, then No Way Jose came out and the two of them tried to take on Sanity. Jose and Tye were outnumbered though and Sanity left everyone laying.
Result: No Contest

2. Andrade “Cien” Almas vs. HoHo Lun
Standard squash match for the much more serious Almas.
Winner: Almas

3. Ember Moon vs. Billie Kay
Kay’s tag partner, Peyton Royce, lost a recent title match to Asuka, but this was a chance for her to get into the title picture. Moon won with a diving stunner from the top rope. Billie Kay needed to be helped to the back. Later in the show Regal would announce that Ember Moon would face Asuka for the NXT women’s championship at Takeover: Orlando
Winner: Ember Moon

4. the Revival vs. the Ealy Brothers
It looked like we were going to get a new tag team in the division, but before the match could start the Authors of Pain came out and beat up the Ealys during their entrance. Revival just kind of left.
Result: No contest

5. Shinsuke Nakamura vs. TJ Perkins
Perkins got a surprising amount of offence in this match. He worked the leg quite a bit as Nakamura is just coming back from a storyline leg injury. Perkins had him locked in many submissions but Nakamura always managed to get to the ropes or counter. Eventually Nakamura hit him with the Kinshasa for the pin. After the match Regal announced that at Takeover Nakamura would face the winner of the Kasius Ohno vs. Bobby Roode title match scheduled for next week.
Winner: Shinsuke Nakamura

NXT taped TV episodes for March last night from the University of Central Florida. Below are full spoilers that are set to air in March for the lead-in to TakeOver: Orlando during Wrestlemania 33 weekend.

– Elias Samson came out to sing a song but Kassius Ohno interrupted him. They traded promos and Ohno challenged him to a Loser Leaves NXT match. Samson accepted for later.

– Tye Dillinger vs. Eric Young never happened as the rest of SAnitY came dragging Roderick Strong out to ringside. Dillinger went to check on him as No Way Jose joined them. Officials carried Strong to the back and Jose hit the ring with Tye. SAnitY beat them down and left the ring.

– Andrade “Cien” Almas defeated Hoho Lun with the DDT.

– Kassius Ohno defeated Elias Samson in a Loser Leaves NXT match. Ohno destroyed Samson’s guitar after the match as the crowd sang goodbye.

– Ember Moon defeated Billie Kay with the Eclipse. Billie may have injured herself on Ember’s finisher. Trainers came to check on her but she left on her own.

– The Ealy Twins vs. The Revival never happens as NXT Tag Team Champions The Authors Of Pain attack the twins. They go after The Revival next but they get away. They go back to the twins and hit one of them with the Last Chapter.

– Heavy Machinery defeated two local enhancement wrestlers in a squash.

– Nikki Cross defeated Macey Estrella. Tye and Jose attack SAnitY after the match but get beat up.

– Andrade “Cien” Almas defeated Oney Lorcan.

– Asuka defeated Priscilla Zuniga. Asuka cut promos before and after the match to send a message to Ember Moon.

– The Ealy Twins call out The Authors of Pain but get squashed in a quick match. After, DIY interrupts and want a fair rematch this time. The Revival interrupts next but NXT GM William Regal comes out and makes The AOP vs. The Revival vs. DIY for the championships at TakeOver.

– Tye Dillinger, Roderick Strong and No Way Jose vs. SAnitY ends in a No Contest after a big brawl breaks out. Nikki Cross attacks Dillinger until Heidi Lovelace makes the save, now using the name Ruby Riot. The babyfaces clear the ring and celebrate.

– Dash Wilder defeated Akam and Johnny Gargano in a Triple Threat.

– Bobby Roode defeated Kassius Ohno to retain the NXT Championship.

– Shinsuke Nakamura defeated TJ Perkins.

There was a dark segment after the match where Bobby Roode and Andrade Almas double-teamed Nakamura until Finn Balor made the save. Balor and Nakamura cleared the ring, hitting a Slingblade and a Kinshasa on Roode. Balor cut a promo about how he was coming back for what’s his. He said he’s not cleared to return yet but he will be back soon. He wished Nakamura a happy birthday before ending the show.

– One of the big stories of the day NXT star Shinsuke Nakamura stating that he’s interested in facing AJ Styles at WrestleMania 33. The former WWE Champion caught wind of Nakamura’s comments and had this to say in response:

@ShinsukeN how's this? Sorry, but I do have a match at Wrestlemania. N fact, I'll be headlining Wrestlemania after tonight.

— AJ Styles (@AJStylesOrg) February 21, 2017

AJ Styles will participate in tonight’s #1 Contender’s Battle Royal on SmackDown Live.

– By now you’ve probably seen the video of The Rock calling CM Punk from the middle of the ring last night after RAW. The Rock calling Punk in front of the live crowd was completely unscripted, according to PWInsider. Fans were chanting CM Punk’s name throughout the evening and The Rock made the impromptu call.

According to sources who were backstage at the Staples Center, WWE management was none too pleased about The Rock acknowledging CM Punk in such a brash way. At one point somebody at ringside was instructed to get The Rock to end the segment. The Rock saw he was getting some pushback for the phone call and even told the crowd, “They better not turn off my mic!”

Shinsuke Nakamura gave a recent interview to the Japanese media and expressed an interest in working with AJ Styles at WrestleMania 33.  Chris Charlton, author of “Lion’s Pride, translated part of the interview recently on social media.

The full interview (in Japanese) can be read here. 

https://t.co/PFqPvTfmjz Nakamura on his first year in wwe. pic.twitter.com/QZuzCk9w7A

— chris charlton (@reasonjp) February 21, 2017

When Will Nakamura Make His Main Roster Debut?

Nakamura and AJ Styles last wrestled each other on January 4th 2016, at WrestleKingdom 10. Neither would be with NJPW very much longer afterwards. Their careers went on very different paths once arriving in WWE however. AJ went straight to the main roster, debuting at the 2016 Royal Rumble. From there Styles became a major player immediately, while Nakamura was sent to NXT.

After having well-received matches with Sami Zayn, Finn Balor and Samoa Joe, Nakamura is still in NXT a year after signing with the company. He will need to finish up his feud with Bobby Roode before being called-up at the very least as well. At this point it seems likely that we will not see Nakamura on Raw or Smackdown until at least after WrestleMania.

New Japan have announced the dates of this year’s New Japan Cup:

• The First round matches will be taking place on March 11th/12th.
• The Second round matches will be split between 4 shows from March 13th through to March 17th
• The Semi-Final bouts will be taking place on March 19th
• The Final will take place March 20th

The winner of the annual tournament will then decide to challenge for either the IWGP Heavyweight, IWGP Intercontinental or NEVER Openweight title at the company’s April 9th show at the Ryogoku Kokugikan.

The tournament has a very prestigious history, previous winners include Hiroshi Tanahashi, Yuji Nagata, Kazuchika Okada, Shinsuke Nakamura, Kota Ibushi and the 2016 winner Tetsuya Naito.

The winner of this year’s tournament is likely to challenge for the IWGP Heavyweight title as the current champion Kazuchika Okada does not yet have a clear feud going forward. After his bout at New Beginning with Minoru Suzuki he hinted at Tiger Mask W as a possible challenger for his belt, this may lead to Tiger Mask finally being unmasked as Kota Ibushi and leading to a program for the title.

????NEW JAPAN CUP??????“???”????????
1???3.11???3.12 ???
2???3.13???3.14???3.15???3.17??? ????3.19???https://t.co/RmKNNoW4CM #njcup #njpw pic.twitter.com/TDa1nqy1AN

— ?????????????? (@njpw1972) February 6, 2017

– WWE announced on Tuesday that Shinsuke Nakamura will not require knee surgery after a recent injury scare. The former NXT Champion did not appear at the most recent NXT television tapings and he hasn’t wrestled since dropping the NXT title to Bobby Roode at Takeover: San Antonio. The next round of NXT tapings take place on 2/22 from the University of Central Florida. These are the last tapings before TakeOver in Orlando.

BREAKING: @WWEPerformCtr staff have evaluated @ShinsukeN and have found no tear in his knee; will not require surgery. pic.twitter.com/DoAGWSYNVO

— WWE NXT (@WWENXT) February 7, 2017

– The “Seth Rollins: Building the Architect” DVD from WWE is scheduled to be released in May. There will be no Blu-ray version of this release, as the company is cutting back on Blu-ray versions in the UK and North America.

– We’ve reported how new WWE recruits Dori Prange (Heidi Lovelace), Kimberly Frankele (Kimber Lee) and Mary Kate Duignan Glidewell (Andrea) recently reported to the WWE Performance Center. Below is footage of the ladies discussing what it means to finally make to the biggest pro wrestling promotion in the world:

– NXT Champion Shinsuke Nakamura and Bobby Roode will sign their contract for TakeOver: San Antonio on next Wednesday’s episode.

– Below are backstage videos from this week’s NXT episode with DIY talking about how they will retain the NXT Tag Team Championships over The Authors of Pain at Takeover and NXT Women’s Champion Asuka going on the hunt for Billie Kay and Peyton Royce after an earlier beatdown from Billie, Peyton and Nikki Cross. Asuka told NXT GM William Regal that she wants all three at TakeOver. The match has not been made official as of this writing.

– Akira Tozawa will be coming to WWE 205 Live soon. He previously competed in the Cruiserweight Classic and has made some NXT appearances.

https://twitter.com/WWE205Live/status/819022079123025921

The Wrestling Observer has revealed which NXT Superstars are in the “Terry Taylor Class” at the WWE Performance Center, which is the class that grooms wrestlers currently being considered for somewhat imminent call-ups to the main roster.

The main class features NXT Champion Shinsuke Nakamura, Tag Team Champions DIY, Kassius Ohno, the injured Hideo Itami, TM-61, Tye Dillinger, Elias Samson, Alexander Wolfe and Andrade Almas.

The second group, which aren’t considered for near imminent call-ups but will be moved to the next class when top talents get called up, are Oney Lorcan, Roderick Strong, The Revival, The Authors of Pain, Riddick Moss, Tino Sabbatelli, Wesley Blake, Buddy Murphy, Dan Matha, Aleister Black and Killian Dain.

The Observer notes that Bobby Roode has a different contract and does not train at the WWE PC, which means he would not be in the class. This also likely applies for Samoa Joe, Austin Aries and Eric Young.

NXT taped the following at Full Sail University tonight, the final tapings before TakeOver: San Antonio during Royal Rumble weekend:

1/11:

* They show video of Billie Kay & Peyton Royce attacking Asuka earlier in the day.

* Billie & Peyton defeated Sarah Bridges and Macey Estrella. After, the called out Asuka. She ran to the ring but got double teamed. Nikki Cross made the save to a big pop and cleared the ring. Cross then dropkicked Asuka and stood over her. Cross left and Asuka flipped out.

* Elias Samson defeated Jonathan Cruz in a quick match.

* Andrade Cien Almas defeated Oney Lorcan. Almas cut a heel promo in Spanish after the match when Dasha Fuentes tried interviewing him.

* DIY retained the NXT Tag Team Championships over The Revival. After, The Authors of Pain came from behind and left DIY laying.

1/18:

* Nikki Cross defeated Kennadi Brink, who was working as the local jobber.

* Roderick Strong defeated Steve Cutler. After, Dasha asked Strong about the recent threat from Andrade Almas. Strong doesn’t care about Almas, he’s only focused on the NXT Championship.

* Tye Dillinger came to the ring and was interrupted by Sanity. Eric Young tried to get Tye to join the group but he refused and they started fighting. Big Damo came from the crowd and destroyed Tye. Young gave Damo the Sanity jacket and he accepted it, then posed with the group.

* Ember Moon defeated Liv Morgan.

1/25:

* William Regal brought Bobby Roode and Shinsuke Nakamura to the ring for their TakeOver contract signing. It ended with Nakamura mocking Roode’s pose and a face off between the two.

* Aliyah defeated Mandy Rose in what was said to be a sloppy match.

* No Way Jose defeated Kona Reeves. Elias Samson interrupted a post-match interview and the two had words but Jose sent him running with a punch.

* Eric Young defeated Chris Atkins. After, Young cut a promo on Tye Dillinger as they apparently have a match at TakeOver. It ended with Big Damo destroying Atkins.

* TM-61 defeated The Revival in a quick match. The Revival attacks as soon as the match is over. Officials chase The Revival off while Shane Thorne is helped away by trainers.

* Regal and Dasha are in the ring to announce Asuka vs. Billie Kay vs. Peyton Royce vs. Nikki Cross for the Women’s Championship at TakeOver. They’re all brought to the ring but Asuka runs down and chases Billie & Peyton off. Nikki and Asuka face off until Peyton & Billie attack from behind. Asuka and Cross take them out and go to face off again but security runs in. Security gets taken out as well, then Asuka kicks Cross in the head. Asuka is pulled out by security but Cross jumps off the top rope and lands on them all.

* Shinsuke Nakamura and Tajiri defeated Samoa Joe and Bobby Roode. After, Chris Hero’s music hit for his return. Hero came out in a suit and entered the ring, tapping Nakamura’s title on his shoulder before leaving.

Chris Hero made his NXT return at Thursday night’s TV tapings from Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida. (Full Results). He’s back using his old NXT ring name, Kassius Ohno.

After a match for the 1/25 episode that saw Tajiri and Shinsuke Nakamura take on Samoa Joe and Bobby Roode, Ohno’s entrance video played and he came out wearing a suit. He entered the ring, signaled that he wants Nakamura’s NXT Championship and left the ring.

Our live correspondent was under the impression that the tag team match was a dark match, so we’ll see if this airs on the show. Either way, Ohno is a big addition to the NXT roster and has done tremendous work on the independent scene since his last run back in 2013.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BO6Cl8NgzRQ/

Welcome back… #KassiusOhno @WWENXT pic.twitter.com/9FUjNfZgDf

— Triple H (@TripleH) January 6, 2017

– For the second consecutive week, there were no RAW or SmackDown Live pre-shows on the WWE Network. The shows were recently cut from 30 to 15 minutes, so WWE might have pulled the plug.

– Tonight’s NXT episode will be another two-hour episode with footage from the recent NXT house show in Melbourne, Australia. Matches confirmed to air include:

-Steel Cage: Samoa Joe vs. NXT Champion Shinsuke Nakamura
-TM-61 vs. NXT Tag Team Champions DIY
-Ember Moon vs. Billie Kay vs. Liv Morgan
-Murphy & Tye Dillinger vs. Elias Samson & Bobby Roode

– Below are previews for tonight’s Total Divas with The Bella Twins discussing the wine business and Nikki reconnecting with John Cena for date night:

The WWE website has announced the top 25 matches of 2016, which you can see below. The top 2 matches are from NXT – DIY vs. The Revival at TakeOver: Toronto and Sami Zayn vs. Shinsuke Nakamura at TakeOver: Dallas. There are a total of 4 NXT matches and 2 CWC matches in the top 25.

What were your top 5 matches of 2016? Leave your list in the comments section.

25. Triple H vs. Dean Ambrose — WWE Championship Match (WWE Roadblock)

24. Team Raw (Kevin Owens, Roman Reigns, Chris Jericho, Seth Rollins & Braun Strowman) vs. Team SmackDown LIVE (AJ Styles, Dean Ambrose, Shane McMahon, Bray Wyatt & Randy Orton) — 5-on-5 Traditional Survivor Series Men’s Elimination Match (Survivor Series)

23. The New Day vs. Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson — Raw Tag Team Championship Match (Raw, Sept. 26)

22. Dean Ambrose vs. Kevin Owens vs. Chris Jericho vs. Cesaro vs. Sami Zayn vs. Alberto Del Rio — Money in the Bank Ladder Match (Money in the Bank)

21. Chris Jericho vs. AJ Styles (Fastlane)

20. Asuka vs. Bayley — NXT Women’s Championship Match (NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn II)

19. The New Day vs. Y2AJ — WWE Tag Team Championship Match (Raw, March 7)

18. Dolph Ziggler vs. Triple H (Raw, March 14)

17. Roman Reigns vs. Seth Rollins — WWE Championship Match (Money in the Bank)

16. The Miz vs. Sami Zayn vs. Cesaro vs. Kevin Owens — Fatal 4-Way Intercontinental Championship Match (Extreme Rules)

15. Sasha Banks vs. Charlotte Flair — Hell in a Cell Raw Women’s Championship Match (Hell in a Cell)

14. Finn Bálor vs. Seth Rollins — WWE Universal Championship Match (SummerSlam)

13. The Revival vs. American Alpha — NXT Tag Team Championship Match (NXT TakeOver: Dallas)

12. Roman Reigns vs. AJ Styles — Extreme Rules WWE Championship Match (Extreme Rules)

11. Johnny Gargano vs. Tommaso Ciampa (Cruiserweight Classic, Aug. 3)

10. The Miz vs. Dolph Ziggler — Title vs. Career Intercontinental Championship Match (No Mercy)

9. John Cena vs. AJ Styles (SummerSlam)

8. Charlotte Flair vs. Sasha Banks vs. Becky Lynch — Triple Threat WWE Women’s Championship Match (WrestleMania 32)

7. Kevin Owens vs. Seth Rollins – No Disqualification WWE Universal Title Match (Raw, Nov. 21)

6. AJ Styles vs. Dean Ambrose vs. John Cena — Triple Threat WWE Championship Match (No Mercy)

5. Kota Ibushi vs. Cedric Alexander (Cruiserweight Classic; Aug. 10)

4. Sami Zayn vs. Kevin Owens (WWE Battleground)

3. Charlotte Flair vs. Sasha Banks — WWE Women’s Championship Match (Raw; July 25)

2. Sami Zayn vs. Shinsuke Nakamura (NXT TakeOver: Dallas)

1. The Revival vs. #DIY — 2-out-of-3-Falls NXT Tag Team Championship Match (NXT TakeOver: Toronto)

Next Wednesday’s NXT on the WWE Network will be a two-hour special with the matches from this month’s NXT house show in Osaka, Japan. WWE announced the following details today:

If you weren’t able to make it to Osaka, Japan, earlier this month for NXT’s debut in the Land of the Rising Sun, there’s no need to fret! Tune into WWE Network this Wednesday at 8/7 C for a special two-hour edition of NXT featuring incredible matches from the Edion Arena, including Shinsuke Nakamura’s incredible NXT Championship victory over Samoa Joe.

The night of action will feature:
-Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Samoa Joe (NXT Championship Match)
-Asuka vs. Nia Jax (NXT Women’s Championship Match)
-#DIY vs. Tajiri & Akira Tozawa (NXT Tag Team Championship Match)
-Liv Morgan & Aliyah vs. Billie Kay & Peyton Royce
-Oney Lorcan vs. Andrade “Cien” Almas

Don’t miss your chance to see NXT’s Japan debut for the first time ever on WWE Network, this Wednesday at 8/7 C. Plus, on January 4, WWE Network subscribers will get the opportunity to watch NXT’s action-packed event from Melbourne, Australia, featuring Nakamura and Joe in a Steel Cage Match for the NXT Championship, and much more!

Bobby Roode vs. NXT Champion Shinsuke Nakamura is now official for the 1/28 TakeOver: San Antonio event during Royal Rumble weekend.

Roode, seen below in his post-match celebration, won a Fatal 4 Way Elimination match over Tye Dillinger, Andrade Almas and Roderick Strong last night to earn the championship shot.

Roode vs. Nakamura joins The Authors of Pain vs. NXT Tag Team Champions DIY as the only two confirmed TakeOver matches as of this writing.

.@REALBobbyRoode is one step closer to making the #NXTChampionship #GLORIOUS as he celebrates becoming the new #1 Contender! #WWENXT pic.twitter.com/TRvFejpr0m

— WWE (@WWE) December 22, 2016

.@ShinsukeN vs. @REALBobbyRoode for the @WWENXT Championship at #NXTTakeOver in San Antonio. #YeaOh….it will be #Glorious. pic.twitter.com/rfiNwgIXHn

— Triple H (@TripleH) December 22, 2016

Here are the 5 opponents listed in the video:

Braun Strowman

AJ Styles

Kevin Owens

Finn Balor

Shinsuke Nakamura

All of these matches sound awesome. However, I’d prefer to see some more than others. Out of the five matches in the video, here are in order the matches I’d like to see the most.

#5: Finn Balor

Balor is an awesome performer and half of the excitement for this match would surround their entrances. My only issue with this match is that Balor is so much smaller than The Undertaker. I would really have to try and convince myself that Balor would have a shot in the match. It would still be great to see, but out of the 5 matches listed it comes in at number five.

#4: Kevin Owens

I would be ecstatic to see this match one year ago. Right now, Kevin Owens is being booked as someone that needs all the help in the world to win a match. Of course, this would still be an excellent match if it were to happen.

#3:  Braun Strowman

Braun Strowman has been one of the bright spots on Monday Night Raw. Sure, it is tedious to sit through Strowman squash matches every week, but he is being build up correctly. Another feather in Strowman’s cap is that he is actually decent cutting a promo. He is a rare Superstar in that he is a massive human being and is also very athletic in the ring. He is the total package when it comes to a WWE Superstar. If Strowman continues to defeat everyone in his path, I wouldn’t mind seeing him go against The Undertaker at Wrestlemania. I wouldn’t mind that one bit.

#2: Shinsuke Nakamura

I’m a huge Nakamura fan. His matches are so physical and every move he does looks like it legitimately hurts his opponent. This match is probably the least likely to happen out of those in the video but I would still love to see it. Nakamura has such an interesting style in the ring and I think it would be fascinating to see how he would work with The Undertaker.

#1: AJ Styles

In my opinion, AJ Styles is the best opponent for The Undertaker. He is currently the WWE World Champion and has been exceptional since arriving in the WWE at the Royal Rumble in January. Granted, Styles has always been phenomenal but I was skeptical if he would be given the chance to be in the WWE. Well, he was given the chance to show what he can do and he’s been the MVP for the WWE this year. Smackdown is a very entertaining show because Styles is on it. Styles is also a perfect opponent for The Undertaker because he can carry the match. AJ Styles can make The Undertaker look twenty years longer if they were to have a match together.

Discussion: Out of these five matches, which would you like to see the most and why? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

– Charlotte and Mark Henry will be talking WWE Tribute to the Troops with Jonathan Coachman on ESPN SportsCenter tonight for Off The Top Rope.

– Tonight’s NXT episode will feature Samoa Joe vs. NXT Champion Shinsuke Nakamura in their steel cage match from Australia, plus qualifying matches for the Fatal 4 Way to determine a new #1 contender. The following matches were taped:

• Qualifier: Andrade Almas vs. No Way Jose
• Qualifier: Oney Lorcan vs. Bobby Roode
• Qualifier: Eric Young vs. Tye Dillinger
• Qualifier: Bobby Roode vs. Oney Lorcan
• Peyton Royce vs. Sarah Bridges
• Nakamura vs. Joe inside a Steel Cage

– Baron Corbin won the award for Most Metal Athlete at the Revolver Music Awards last night. He and Corey Graves were representing WWE at the event. Below is Corbin with his award:

I am the most metal athlete @Revolvermag @WWE pic.twitter.com/9XKTJTdpYJ

— Tom (@TomPestock) December 14, 2016

Samoa Joe got his rematch against new NXT Champion Shinsuke Nakamura at today’s house show in Melbourne, Australia but lost. The steel cage match will air next Wednesday night on the WWE Network.

Nakamura will now defend at TakeOver: San Antonio against the winner of a Fatal 4 Way. Participants for that Fatal 4 Way will be decided with qualifying matches set to begin next week – No Way Jose vs. Andrade Almas, Eric Young vs. Tye Dillinger, Bobby Roode vs. Oney Lorcan and Roderick Strong vs. Elias Samson.

@SamoaJoe and @ShinsukeN are in a WAR inside a STEEL CAGE for the #NXTChampionship at #NXTMelbourne! pic.twitter.com/AV02ZvcEC8

— WWE (@WWE) December 8, 2016

Prior to the match, there were some technical difficulties getting the cage lowered.

Oops! Not the smoothest lowering of the cage we've seen… #NXTMelbourne #WWE #NXT pic.twitter.com/zGseeE9pvb

— Luke Ryan (@luke2177) December 8, 2016

https://twitter.com/pastasauca/status/806825752364597248

– Today’s wrestling birthdays include Dean Ambrose (31), WWE Hall of Famer Sunny (44), Mr. Hughes (52) and the late “Ravishing” Rick Rude (58th).

– Prior to last night’s SmackDown Live, Apollo Crews defeated Aiden English in a dark match.

– Baron Corbin will be Jonathan Coachman’s guest tonight ESPN SportsCenter’s weekly Off The Top Rope segment.

– The following matches will air on tonight’s episode of NXT on the WWE Network:

• NXT Champion Samoa Joe vs. Shinsuke Nakamura from Japan
• DIY returns to Full Sail as NXT Tag Team Champions
• Sanity vs. No Way Jose and Rich Swann
• Ember Moon vs. Kimber Lee
• Heavy Machinery vs. Enhancement talents

– John Cena, Ashton Kutcher and Danny Masterson will be this week’s guests on Unfiltered with Renee Young. WWE Network lists the following synopsis for the new episode:

“John Cena has signed the deal to finally sit in the Hot Seat on this star-studded episode, featuring Ashton Kutcher and Danny Masterson.”

– Kazuchika Okada and new NXT Champion Shinsuke Nakamura reunited backstage at the NXT show in Osaka on Saturday. They took this photo with Yoshi-Hashi:

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— YOSHI-HASHI (@YOSHIHASHICHAOS) December 3, 2016

– WWE Hall of Famer Pat Patterson can be seen in the intro video for The True Story of The Royal Rumble DVD & Blu-ray, as seen below in this video from WrestlingDVDNetwork.com. This set comes out on Tuesday.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=onwjP6AQW8g

EXCLUSIVE: With the #NXTChampionship on the line, @ShinsukeN and @SamoaJoe went to war with one another at #NXTOsaka! @WWENXT pic.twitter.com/mGVR0b3v5H

— WWE (@WWE) December 3, 2016

Shinsuke Nakamura is your new NXT Champion after defeating Samoa Joe Sunday’s NXT live event from Osaka, Japan. Nakamura is now a 2-time NXT Champion. Moments after the victory, Nakamura spoke about the significance of winning the title back in Japan.

Triple H congratulated Nakamura and announced the match will air this coming Wednesday on NXT’s weekly show on the WWE Network.

• Spoilers: NXT Tapings Results For The Remainder Of 2016

As for what this means for Samoa Joe’s future in NXT, it’s safe to assume he’ll be moving on to new challenges elsewhere sooner than later.

BREAKING: @ShinsukeN recaptured the #NXTChampionship from @SamoaJoe at #NXTOsaka! @WWENXT https://t.co/wwe4gNPcx6 pic.twitter.com/WVZj31jsge

— WWE (@WWE) December 3, 2016

Every match presents an opportunity. Never underestimate yourself…or your opponent. Congrats @ShinsukeN… #AndNew #NXTOsaka @WWENXT pic.twitter.com/F4bUn0xvoc

— Triple H (@TripleH) December 3, 2016

…And you can watch it this Wednesday on @WWENXT ONLY on @WWENetwork https://t.co/nhjX6TeVBC

— Triple H (@TripleH) December 3, 2016

– NXT has announced that Samoa Joe will defend the NXT Championship against Shinsuke Nakamura at the 12/3 house show from Osaka, Japan. The match will air on the WWE Network at some point.

BREAKING: The #NXTChampionship will be ON THE LINE when #WWENXT heads to Osaka, Japan for the first time EVER! @SamoaJoe @ShinsukeN pic.twitter.com/MHc83WBGxs

— WWE NXT (@WWENXT) November 24, 2016

– Both John Cena and Cesaro continue to make progress on their shoulder injuries one year later. They both tweeted these updates from the gym yesterday:

At this time last year my right shoulder was destroyed. Impossible is just a state of mind #EarnTheDay #NeverGiveUp pic.twitter.com/X8I7U2argj

— John Cena (@JohnCena) November 23, 2016

https://twitter.com/WWECesaro/status/801442880376152064

Samoa Joe became the first-ever two time NXT Champion be defeating Shinsuke Nakamura at TakeOver: Toronto last night. Nakamura had just won the title back at TakeOver: Brooklyn in August.

Here are the post-match reactions. Nakamura is emotional as he attempts to process the devastating loss while Joe gloats over his historic win.