# NXT TakeOver: XXV preview, June 1, 2019: Rivals collide tonight on WWE Network

* Adam Cole is on a road to retribution as he gets set to challenge NXT Champion Johnny Gargano in a rematch of their epic encounter at TakeOver: New York, while dominant NXT Women’s Champion Shayna Baszler defends her title against one of the few women to ever pin her, Io Shirai. Plus, Tyler Breeze challenges NXT North American Champion Velveteen Dream, new NXT Tag Team Champions will be decided in a four-team Ladder Match and much more.

* NXT Champion Johnny Gargano vs. Adam Cole
* NXT Women’s Champion Shayna Baszler vs. Io Shirai
* NXT North American Champion Velveteen Dream vs. Tyler Breeze
* Danny Burch & Oney Lorcan vs. Street Profits vs. Undisputed ERA vs. Forgotten Sons (NXT Tag Team Championship Ladder Match)
* Matt Riddle vs. Roderick Strong

# NXT Champion Johnny Gargano vs. Adam Cole
– Had it been a singles match at NXT TakeOver: New York, Adam Cole would be the NXT Champion. But with the way the stars aligned over Barclays Center that night, it was Johnny Gargano who seized two falls to win the coveted crown in their 2-out-of-3 Falls classic. At NXT TakeOver: XXV, the two lionhearted Superstars have an opportunity to either correct or solidify history when they return to the squared circle with NXT’s top prize on the line.
The Undisputed ERA leader has often cited his pinfall over Gargano in the first 15 minutes of their bout as the reason he deserves a rematch against the champion. “I pinned him first,” he recently told WWE.com in an exclusive interview. “I did it by myself and in about 15 minutes.” Acknowledging that the title around his waist puts him squarely in The Undisputed ERA’s crosshairs, Gargano convinced NXT General Manager William Regal to approve a championship match between him and Cole at TakeOver: XXV.
For the NXT Champion, this battle will be all about protecting his reign. For Cole, as told to WWE.com, it’s about proving why he was “born to be the NXT Champion.” It will be “go big or go home” when these bitter adversaries battle it out in this much-anticipated rematch.
Will it be “wins and championships” once again for Gargano, or will Cole see his golden prophecy realized?

# NXT Women’s Champion Shayna Baszler vs. Io Shirai
– After being pushed past her breaking point by NXT Women’s Champion Shayna Baszler, Io Shirai will have her chance to hit The Queen of Spades where it hurts the most when she challenges for Baszler’s title at TakeOver: XXV.
Baszler and her Horsewomen cohorts, Jessamyn Duke & Marina Shafir, have targeted Shirai for months, going to great lengths to inflict pain and misery. They forced Shirai to watch helplessly as Baszler ruthlessly beat down her best friend, Kairi Sane. The Horsewomen also ambushed The Genius of the Sky backstage, wrecking her in a three-on-one attack. Through it all, Baszler has worn a confident sneer on her face and crowed about having no worthy competition.
Although The Submission Magician has been nothing short of dominant in NXT — ranking only behind Asuka for total days as champion — she isn’t invincible. In February, Shirai became the third woman in NXT history to pin Baszler’s shoulders to the mat, a feat that is surely a point of contention for the dangerously proud Baszler. More recently, Shirai used a Kendo stick to clear the Horsewomen from the ring and halt their attack on Candice LeRae. The act not only gave Baszler a glimpse into Shirai’s intensity, but also earned the Shirai the trust of LeRae, who has vowed to watch the challenger’s back in Bridgeport.
With the NXT Women’s Title on the line and plenty of animosity in play, Baszler vs. Shirai has the makings of a barnburner, but who will leave as the champion?

# NXT North American Champion Velveteen Dream vs. Tyler Breeze
– At NXT TakeOver: XXV, the NXT Universe will witness the battle for the spotlight when NXT North American Champion Velveteen Dream faces Tyler Breeze. The much-anticipated encounter marks not only Breeze’s first TakeOver match since 2015, but also his first time facing off against the spotlight-bearing Dream.
The clash between these supernovas was precipitated by Breeze’s jaw-dropping return to the black-and-gold brand, which saw him confront the champion. After suggesting that “wannabes” have filled the void left by his NXT departure, Prince Pretty challenged Dream to an NXT North American Championship Match. When the purple provocateur brushed off the challenge, Breeze attacked the champion during a selfie-gone-wrong, making a match at NXT TakeOver: XXV an absolute necessity.
Though Breeze made a name for himself on NXT as the headline-grabbing Sultan of Selfies, Dream is the brand’s walking circuit breaker, with the NXT North American Championship being his illuminated marquee. In this high-demand clash, who will be the one to command the spotlight when it’s all said and done?
Tune in to witness this must-see battle when NXT TakeOver: XXV streams live on the award-winning WWE Network tonight at 7 ET/4 PT.

# Danny Burch & Oney Lorcan vs. Street Profits vs. Undisputed ERA vs. Forgotten Sons (NXT Tag Team Championship Ladder Match)
– New NXT Tag Team Champions will be crowned at TakeOver: XXV when The Street Profits, Undisputed ERA, The Forgotten Sons and Danny Burch & Oney Lorcan collide in a four-team Ladder Match. The titles, which were vacated after The Viking Raiders’ May 15 final defense against The Street Profits ended without a decisive victor, will hang high over the ring at TakeOver: XXV. The first team to scale a ladder and retrieve the coveted titles will be declared the winners and new champions.
Putting these four duos in one match with the NXT Tag Team Titles on the line would be a recipe for carnage under any circumstance. Yet, the addition of steel ladders raises the danger level significantly. Not only can Superstars use the ladders as a means of reaching the titles, but the ladders will also be perfectly legal to use as weapons. That’s a scary predicament considering who’s involved and what’s at stake.
Wesley Blake & Steve Cutler are ruffians through and through, who believe they’ve been overlooked for big opportunities for far too long. Angelo Dawkins & Montez Ford came closer than anybody to dethroning The Viking Raiders, and they did so on multiple occasions. Brit-Am brawlers Burch & Lorcan have been perennial contenders almost since their formation as a unit, and like the Profits, they know what it’s like to come within inches of capturing the titles, only to be denied. Then there’s Bobby Fish & Kyle O’Reilly, the most experienced tandem and only former NXT Tag Team Champions in the match. With The Undisputed ERA promising that they’d all be draped in championship gold in 2019, Fish & O’Reilly will be laser-focused on reclaiming the titles.
Which team will ascend to greatness and enter the record books as the new NXT Tag Team Champions?

# Matt Riddle vs. Roderick Strong
– After Roderick Strong injured him during a backstage attack, Matt Riddle will get his chance to return the favor when he battles The Messiah of the Backbreaker one-on-one at NXT TakeOver: XXV.
Strong took out The Original Bro on the May 15 edition of NXT. The ambush was Strong’s twisted way of extending an olive branch to Undisputed ERA teammate Adam Cole. Riddle had become a thorn in the Undisputed ERA’s side just as the infighting between Cole and Strong threatened to dismantle the group, but after Strong’s beatdown of Riddle, Cole welcomed him back with open arms.
Although the tactic curried favor with the Undisputed ERA captain, it also stoked the animus between Strong and the normally unflappable Original Bro. Riddle has been red-hot since coming to NXT, even notching a victory over Cole in recent weeks, but his impending TakeOver showdown will be less about climbing the ranks and more about settling a vendetta. Will The Original Bro score payback, or will Strong get the last laugh now that Undisputed ERA’s house is once again in order?