With Night of Champions officially in the books, WWE has one more “Premium Live Event” for fans to enjoy over their Memorial Day Weekend, NXT Battleground, where the next generation of young, hungry stars will test their mettle, prove their worth, and hopefully come out on top just like Seth Rollins, Asuka, Gunther, Sami Zayn, and Kevin Owens – all of whom are NXT alumni – did in Saudi Arabia.

Do you want to see a clash of developmental titans over who is the rightful NXT World Champion? Then you'll love the main event, as both performers will be main roster stalwarts for the next decade-plus. How about a good old-fashioned grudge match? This card has that, too, with two performers looking to prove who is more sadistic. Heck, the show even has a match that could rival most American lucha matches thanks to a former Rascal, a Big Strong Boi, and a deceptively talented cult leader.

So, without further introduction, here are six bold predictions for NXT Battleground.

6. Gallus Boys stay on top… and NXT Tag Team Champions

After surprisingly remaining in NXT following the 2023 WWE Draft, Gallus feel like men amongst boys in the tag team division, with two of those boys, Julius and Brutus Creed, looking to man up and take the straps for themselves along with the proverbial control of the division.

Unfortunately, unless Drew McIntyre wants to return and bring back up his fellow countrymen, it would appear Gallus will remain on top until NXT builds up the right team to take their spot.

5. Ilja Dragunov gets justice on Dijak

If there's one performer who likes violence more than Dijak, it's Ilja Dragunov, the “Unbesiegbar,” and the man who dethroned Walter-now-Gunther in NXT UK.

Though some also thought Dragunov may join the main roster in the WWE Draft, potentially becoming the cruiserweight specialist of Imperium alongside Gunther, he too was left in developmental, presumably to get some more reps and hone his character before becoming a main event player.

Step 1 on that list? Beat a former main roster guy like Dijak and get some attention. Expect this one to be a tough, hard-hitting match, and expect fans to be watching some spots through their fingers.

4. Noam Dar remains undefeated in NXT

On paper, it would be cool to see Dragon Lee get a big win and an award in NXT, but for one reason or another, Shawn Michaels and company seem to really like Noam Dar, and having him drop his signature UK Heritage Cup in its first-ever defense on NXT proper feels like a poor way to introduce both.

Expect a fun, hard-hitting match with plenty of action, but in the end, expect Dar to go over.

3. Wes Lee retains at NXT Battleground

This match has the potential to be fun.

Wes Lee has been burning the candle at both ends during this singles run with the North American Championship, and yet, whether wrestling a mystery opponent or a half-dozen challengers in the same match, he's always found a way to bring his foes to the Wes Side and return home on a one-way ticket.

Theoretically, anyone could win this match, with interesting opportunities coming from all three potential avenues, but in the end, it feels like Lee is going to go over, and it's going to lead to Tyler Bates either joining forces with Joe Gacy or becoming a lone wolf heel away from Mustache Mountain.

2. Tiffany Stratton becomes the NXT Women's Champion

If you watch RAW or NXT – or, you know, another show on the USA Network – you've probably seen commercials that feel more like advertisements for Tiffany Stratton than for WWE's third brand. You've heard that you don't have her shine, her style, or her skill and that you should watch her on NXT on Tuesdays at 8.

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Carmelo Hayes with a text bubble reading "I was able to leave a legacy in NXT" with the NXT logo as the background.

Matty Breisch ·

Bron Breakker with a text bubble reading "Goodbye NXT" next to Baron Corbin with the NXT logo as the background.

Matty Breisch ·

Paul Heyman with a text bubble reading "This crop of talent that is taking over the industry right now" with the blacked-out silhouette of Bron Breakker on his left and the blacked-out silhouette of Jade Cargill on his right with the WWE logo as the background.

Matty Breisch ·

Do you see similar commercials for Lyra Valkyria, the current NXT star who is facing off against Stratton at NXT Battleground? Nope, not a one.

… yeah, this should be considered Stratton's match to lose.

1. Carmelo Hayes rids NXT of Bron Breakker once and for all

And last but not least, we have arguably the match of NXT Battleground, Carmelo Hayes versus Bron Breakker for the NXT World Championship. After “HIM” secured the dub with a little help from Trick Williams and ended “Baby Steiner's” title reign at Stand and Deliver, the bigger, badder, Bron-er Breakker is out for revenge and willing to do just about anything to get what he wants, which is to destroy NXT and ruin the fun for everyone.

On paper, that would be fun to see, as “Bad Bron” has been a revelation, but realistically, Hayes' title reign isn't just going to last a few months with just one successful title defense on the old Cagematch page. No, this match has a far better chance of serving as the last gasp of Breakker's developmental run – the final comeback of the villain, Scream-style – before he takes his talents to RAW or SmackDown around SummerSlam.

Could you imagine Breakker bullying around Austin Theory and spearing him through the Titantron? Now that is something I would love to see.