As noted, the first-ever women’s WarGames match will take place at the upcoming WWE NXT “Takeover: WarGames 2019” event.
The only confirmed participants as of this writing are the two Team Captains – Rhea Ripley and NXT Women’s Champion Shayna Baszler.
It was indicated on NXT that Baszler’s four partners will be Marina Shafir, Jessamyn Duke, Io Shirai, and Bianca Belair. It was also indicated that three of Ripley’s four partners will be Candice LeRae, Dakota Kai, and Tegan Nox. There’s speculation on the fifth partner for Team Ripley being Mia Yim as a vignette for Yim aired earlier in the night. WWE has not confirmed any of these Superstars for the match, past Baszler and Ripley, the Team Captains.
Baszler spoke with CBS Sports during tonight’s episode and said she’s ready for the dangerous match.
“It’s crazy to think all the big moments in history I’ve been a part of,” Baszler said. “I say this every single time. The first-ever Mae Young Classic and the first-ever all women’s pay-per-view. Every time a historical moment happens, I think, ‘What next?’ This is what’s next. I ask that every time. But the thing I have to look at for the future is retaining and defending the NXT women’s championship, whatever that entails. Just the way NXT has been run and the importance placed on the women’s division, as long as I concentrate on the NXT women’s championship, that title has history behind it and historical importance. As long as I do my job in defending that, history will come my way. I don’t need to seek it out.”
In other news for Takeover, it looks like there will be two WarGames matches that night.
Tonight’s NXT episode ended with Tommaso Ciampa, Matt Riddle and Keith Lee facing off with The Undisputed Era (NXT Champion Adam Cole, NXT North American Champion Roderick Strong, NXT Tag Team Champions Kyle O’Reilly and Bobby Fish). It looked like Ciampa was about to go for the NXT Title, but he told “Goldie” that their reunion would have to wait because Ciampa is “going to war” with Cole.
WWE has not confirmed the second WarGames match for Takeover, but it’s believed that Ciampa’s comments were a reference to the men’s WarGames match. There is speculation on WWE doing Ciampa, Lee, Riddle and Dominik Dijakovic vs. Cole, Strong, O’Reilly and Fish, perhaps with all the NXT titles on the line.
It’s also speculated that Takeover may feature Finn Balor vs. Johnny Gargano in singles action.
Again, it should be noted that WWE has not confirmed anything for Takeover besides the two Team Captains for the women’s WarGames match, Baszler and Ripley.
NXT “Takeover: WarGames 2019” takes place on Saturday, November 23 from the Allstate Arena near Chicago, during WWE Survivor Series weekend.
Stay tuned for updates on the WarGames card.
