SHAWN: It’s that time of the year again!! Time for the GodHatesGeeks Thanksgiving Tradition!! It’s the Sean & Shawn Show TakeOver: War Games Preview Show!!
SEAN: WWWAAAAARRRRR GAMES Bee-Bee! The Dream’s Dream lives on! I can’t believe that both “heel” teams have won the advantage! That’s never happened in the history of War Games! We may not get “The Match Beyond” but what we ARE getting is violence, for the sake o’ violence! I got my Egg Nog and my Beers handy. Let’s do this Brutus!
SHAWN: Don’t forget to spike the egg nog!!
Damian Priest v Pete Dunne v Killian Dain
SHAWN: The Bruiserweight vs the Archer of Infamy v The Beast of Belfast. And the winner gets Adam Cole 24 hours later at Survivor Series for the NXT Championship. Talk about making history. I’m a big Pete Dunne fan buuuuut, Damien is my Facebook friend, so I’m biased. If you’re looking for a technical showcase, this probably won’t be your match. This should be a straight-up pier-six brawl. I can’t wait. My bias says Priest is going to win but, we all know, it’s well past time for Pete to get his shot at Goldie. Prediction: Dunne wins
SEAN: I still think Priest has one gimmick too many. He’s a night club going, sorta dark energy archer enthusiast? Uh, okay bruh. These three are like chocolate, peanut butter, and mint. Its gonna get weird quickly. Dunne and Dain are going to try to kill each other as Priest tries to pick the bones. I too, feel its time for Dunne to get a real shot at Cole, and what better place than on a grand stage (the opening match) of Survivor Series? Prediction: Dunne. Perhaps Dain & Priest join Team NXT for Survivor Series?
SHAWN: Bro… i LOVE this War Games card. Riddle is the man. One of my favorites on this NXT roster. Finn Balor is finally back to being vicious instead of an overblown knock-off of a Chippendale dancer. Riddle hasn’t even scratched the surface of his potential on the yellow brand while Balor shined here BEFORE going to the main roster where he just floundered, smiled and shoved his junk into the camera lens for the ladies and… well, “everyone” who likes that sort of stuff. While Riddle is the up and comer, Balor is the returning badass looking to re-prove himself. (Is that even a word bro?) Prediction: While Balor Club is supposedly for everyone, I don’t expect it to be for the bros, bro. Balor needs this win and he’s going to leave with it.
SEAN: Brooooooooo. Prediction: Finn needs a win since he just came back, but if he loses to Matt Riddle, there is no shame in that either. Riddle can win or lose and not be hurt in the fan’s eyes. So I’m good either way. Finn wins, especially if Gargano shows up.
SHAWN: We get a preshow match now!! Dope! I’m a big Shane “Swerve” Strickland, I mean… Isiah “Swerve” Scott fan so it’s good to see him getting his spot on the roster, even if it is on the preshow. Garza has the pedigree and he’s proven he can go, even earning himself a shot at the Cruiserweight Championship. Prediction: I think Trips knows Lio Rush v Isiah Scott would be spectacular and a win for Swerve would set us up to see that in the near future. Scott wins.
SEAN: It wouldn’t be a WWE PPV without a throwaway 205 Live match! Always entertaining, yet rarely seen live this time we have Swerve City going head to head with third-generation sensation Angel Garza! This match might not have any “heat” but it will absolutely have a ton of action ! Kill shots and breakaway pants for sure! Prediction: Too close to call, but my money is on Angel getting the win with his eyes on Lio Rush’s title sooner rather than later.
Rhea Ripley, Candice LaRae, Tegan Nox & Mia Yim v. Shayna Baszler, Io Shirai, Bianca Belair & Kay Lee Ray
SHAWN: Talk about eight women that can go. If you don’t like women’s matches, don’t worry. This one will NOT be what you’re used to. If you don’t know any of these women, you should probably Google them. This should be one of the best women’s matches of the year easily. And don’t forget, this is the FIRST Women’s War Games match EVER. While Rhea’s team is extra talented, Shayna’s team is extra vicious. Actually, I don’t know who’s the most vicious. What I do know is that I LOVE me some Kay Lee Ray, so I’m excited to see her in this one. But we’re not here for crushes and fantasies. We’re here for The Match Beyond. If you’re new to War Games, (wtf?! You need to go watch old WCW War Games on the Network. That’s what it’s there for.) once all participants are in the ring, it’s submit or surrender (or pinfall now. Weak.) And THEN the swerve comes bro! Prediction: Remember when someone took out both War Games teams last week? My smark money is on it being Dakota Kai, upset over being left off the team, sjhowing up on Saturday night and costing Rhea’s team the W. Team Baszler wins.
SEAN: I am super excited about this. All eight of these women have something to prove. They are not going to waste this spotlight. They are going to put on a show that is going to shine so bright that I predict this is what most people are talking about for the rest of the weekend. Vicious is a good word here because Ripley and her team are going to stop at nothing from stomping Baszler and her Horsewomen Stand Ins. Prediction: Rhea’s team wins. But not because of outside interference, but because Shayna is the type of heel who will sacrifice her teammates while she keeps her eye on the three-way dance on Sunday.
Tommaso Ciampa, Keith Lee, Dominik Dijakovic & TBA v The Undisputed Era
SHAWN: So this match got a little funky when Johnny Gargano got injured and Matt Riddle got tossed into a feud with Finn Balor instead. Now we have an open slot and probably a huge surprise. If you ask my co-host on the Smarks, Spotmonkeys & Superkicks podcast, he says it’s going to be KO. I can’t say it doesn’t make sense. Triple H tried recruiting him and the Undisputed Era jumped him much to the chagrin of the Game. Owens taking Trips up on his offer & showing up for revenge just makes sense. But I also listen to rumor and innuendo and read the dirt sheets. Prediction: Soooooo… Johnny Morrison makes his return to NXT and is the fourth man & gets the pin for Team Ciampa!
SEAN: Never heard your show, no clue who your Co-Host is, but man that IS a great idea! How awesome would it be if its OWENS ?! It could be the Velveteen Dream! It could be EC3! Hell, it could be someone from the UK! Bate? WALTER? Hell, it could be anyone else that has had major issues with the UE! I have loved War Games since as far back as I can remember in my wrestling fandom. This match will be no different. Ciampa is on a warpath, Lee is SO impressive, Dominik is hungry and you know the UE is dangerous as a group. Prediction: Whoever the mystery 4th man is, is the fella who’s gonna win it for Team Ciampa, pinning Adam Cole, and setting up the storyline for Cole v them at Rumble Weekend!
SHAWN: Well, first, you should go listen to my podcast. Second, TakeOver: War Games should be more of what we’ve come to expect from an NXT pay-per-view. I can’t wait to pour some egg nog, kick back and watch this one. … BUT WAIT THERE’S MORE!!! We’re reviewing Survivor Series too!!! Bonus!! See you back here for part two of our Thanksgiving Spectacular after Survivor Series!! Whoot Whoot!!
SEAN: What?!?! Two shows for the price of one? Double work – single pay?! Well since 1/2 this NXT Roster has to do a double shot, don’t see why we can’t! Finished this beer, time to crack a second one and get this thing going!
-Shawn Puff & Sean Farrell