WWE NXT TakeOver: Philadelphia gets a grudge match

Snuck into the midst of a two hour special “Year in Review” episode of NXT on WWE Network, the black and yellow brand revealed the second official match for their upcoming Royal Rumble weekend live event.

The match isn’t a surprise, as most fans who watching Adam Cole and Undisputed ERA cost Aleister Black a shot at the NXT championship during Dec. 27’s #1 contender Fatal 4Way likely saw a one-on-one match between the pair coming. Their rivalry actually goes back to the qualifier for that bout, which saw the then-undefeated Black pin the arrogant Cole to advance.

Undisputed ERA currently hold tag team gold, as well, and champs Kyle O’Reilly and Bobby Fish will probably have a defense elsewhere on Jan. 27’s TakeOver: Philadelphia. But that won’t stop them from trying to help out Cole. Will General Manager William Regal add a stipulation to prevent interference? Could Black’s now-respected rival Velveteen Dream return from injury to even the odds?

We’ll find out in a little more than three weeks when Black vs. Cole joins the NXT title match between Andrade “Cien” Almas and Johnny Gargano on the Network card.