6) “Which superstar do you feel is the biggest omission from this lineup?”
MANGO: A few standouts are Angel Garza, Damian Priest, Jordan Devlin, Kushida, Roderick Strong and Velveteen Dream. If there were more spots on the card, the same goes for Candice LeRae, Mia Yim, Io Shirai and others in the women’s division, too. But out of that bunch, I say the biggest omission is not having Strong competing for the North American title to make that a Triple Threat.
BALAZ: Nobody. I appreciate the fact NXT focuses on the biggest stories instead of trying to turn every event into a participation trophy.
MITCHELL: TakeOver: Portland is already jam packed with stars and star match-ups. If I had to say, it’s that we don’t have a Cruiserweight Championship match set up yet, i.e. Devlin VS Garza.
ABSLER: It is a shame to not have Angel Garza on this card. The guy is red hot and so fun to watch. A Cruiserweight Title match is the final thing I’d add to this stacked card.
JAY: This generation’s Bret Hart…Roderick Strong. I only wish I could put a modern spin on “The Excellence of Execution.” The Perfection of Performance? The in-ring Ideal?
BONNETTE: Dream, assuming he and Roddy don’t get added on this week.
SCAFIDE: It’s not on the card, currently, as of this writing, but Dream has to have a match against Strong this Sunday. If it comes out that he is prior to this releasing, then I put my chips in for Damian Priest. A local favorite of mine, I’ve actually done a photoshoot for him back when he was at the Monster Factory. He’s a great dude and has come a long way. Priest is already showing star power.
STAPLE: Maybe I’m mistaken, but this is the first NXT Takeover with six matches, correct? Hard to think of anyone involved in major storylines absent from this card as constructed.
COOK: Velveteen Dream seems like the biggest omission on the surface and is probably the right answer. However, I like the fact that they’re putting his match with Roderick Strong on next Wednesday’s NXT episode, as it gives that show a drawing card with two wrestlers that will be fresh & ready to go. Since I’m not considering the lack of Dream or Strong a bad thing, I’m going to go with Damien Priest, who was getting a push there for a minute but seems to have been deemphasized lately in favor of others. It happens from time to time, but hopefully this cat gets something to sink his teeth into for the next cycle.
JEANNINE: Roderick Strong.
DEMARCO: Welp, what name have I said more than any other in my responses? That name would be the most consistent performer on the entire WWE payroll, Roderick Strong. Roddy deserves a big run, but not as NXT Champion. I’d love to see a feud with Matt Riddle, Pete Dunne, Johnny Gargano, or my personal favorite option, Finn Balor.
