WARNING: The following post contains spoilers regarding upcoming editions of WWE NXT, which have yet to air on the WWE Network. If you do not wish to find out what happens ahead of time, please do not read any further.
As previously reported, WWE recently taped upcoming editions of NXT at Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida. As part of those tapings, the following four matches were included:
Trent Seven vs. Killian Dain
Kassius Ohno vs. Johnny Gargano
Roderick Strong vs. Lars Sullivan
Adam Cole vs. Aleister Black
In those matches, Dain, Gargano, Sullivan, and Black all emerged victorious and advanced to a Fatal 4 Way Match, which would determine the number-one contender for the NXT Championship at NXT TakeOver: Philadelphia on January 27th, as Drew McIntyre would be unable to compete for the title due to injury. In that Fatal 4 Way Match, Gargano came out as the winner.
However, WWE has now officially changed plans in regards to how the challenger for Andrade "Cien" Almas will be determined, as the company has announced that while there will still be four qualifying matches to determine who will advance to a Number-One Contender's Fatal 4 Way Match, the matches will now consist of the following:
Kassius Ohno vs. The Velveteen Dream
Aleister Black vs. Adam Cole
Killian Dain vs. Trent Seven
Roderick Strong vs. Lars Sullivan
While the rest of the matches remain the same, it is unknown as to why Johnny Gargano has now been removed from the lineup as Kassius Ohno's opponent and replaced by The Velveteen Dream, despite the matches having already been taped.
Below is WWE's official announcement:
"NXT General Manager William Regal dropped a bombshell on the NXT Universe, announcing that because of Drew McIntyre’s injury, there will be a new challenger to NXT Champion Andrade “Cien” Almas.
Almas’ opponent will be decided based on a series of four singles matches, with the winners of those matches then competing in a Fatal 4-Way Match. The winner of that match will challenge Almas for the NXT Title at TakeOver: Philadelphia on Saturday, Jan. 27, at the Wells Fargo Center.
The four singles matches will be: Kassius Ohno vs. Velveteen Dream, Aleister Black vs. Adam Cole, Killian Dain vs. Trent Seven and Roderick Strong vs. Lars Sullivan. Seven earned his way into the series of matches after winning a Battle Royal during an NXT Live event in Lakeland, FL.
Who will go on to challenge Almas for the NXT Title at TakeOver: Philadelphia? Be sure to tune in to NXT every Wednesday night at 8/7 C on the award-winning WWE Network to see how all four singles matches and the Fatal 4-Way Match unfold."
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