'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
#1 Adam Cole vs. Johnny Gargano in a 2-out of-3 Falls Match for the NXT Championship (NXT TakeOver: New York)
Heading into NXT TakeOver: New York, Johnny Gargano was well on his way to finishing his underdog journey to the top prize on the black-and-gold brand. He had lured his former friend, Tommaso Ciampa, into a false sense of security and turned on him ahead of the event. But Ciampa went down with an untimely neck injury that kept him out of action.
With Ciampa injured, Adam Cole defeated Matt Riddle, Ricochet, Aleister Black and Velveteen Dream in a Fatal Five-Way Match to become the challenger for Gargano in a winner-take-all matchup at NXT TakeOver: New York. To make sure there was an undisputed winner, it was made a two-out of-three falls match for the gold.
This contest had everything needed for a big-fight feel. It pit two exceptional superstars, who were among the best wrestlers in the world, against each other. The Brooklyn crowd was heavily pro-Cole, and it seemed down on Gargano. Once the bell rang, things started out slow, but they escalated from there.
The two men traded offense and wonderful reversals that fully engrossed the fans. They traded cradles and pinning combinations before Cole hit a Last Shot to take the first fall.
Cole looked to immediately win NXT Takeover: New York's main event by attacking with strikes and hitting a German suplex-shining wizard combination. The two men traded more blows, and Gargano took Cole down with an armbar before he made him tap out to the Gargano Escape, typing the contest at one fall apiece.
Before the third fall, Gargano was bleeding from his right eye, which generated even more sympathy from the fans. The intensity ramped up, and the pace also reached a fever pitch. The two stars exchanged huge movesand exciting counters to their signature offense. The Undisputed Era even got involved, and they hit a Total Elimination, but Gargano kicked out.
Johnny Wrestling kicked out of the Last Shot and got the crowd behind him. Practically everyone in attendance wanted to see Gargano win. In the end, Cole talked trash and looked for the Last Shot, but Gargano countered and locked on the Gargano Escape to finally win the NXT Championship. The hero overcame the odds and culminated his story with the biggest win of his career.
Johnny Gargano was the ultimate underdog who fought against the Undisputed Era and beat Adam Cole in dramatic fashion. The crowd was phenomenal and went from pro-Cole to pro-Gargano because they were gripped by the amazing storytelling. This victory was an absolute triumph for Johnny Wrestling and the NXT brand. As a result, Adam Cole vs. Johnny Gargano is the greatest NXT TakeOver classic of all time.
