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NXT hits another milestone with its Takeover's silver jubilee event. NXT Takeover XXV delivered fast-paced top quality match-ups with the Tag Team Championship match and the main event taking the cake.
Johnny Gargano defended his NXT Championship against Adam Cole in the main event and lost the match after a great sequence of back and forth events. The match is in contention for the "Match of the Night." As Gargano lost the championship, it opens the door for him to move on for bigger and better things.
Would Gargano move away or stay in NXT? Here are three directions which Gargano could follow after his title loss.
#3 Main roster call-up (RAW and SmackDown)
Johnny Gargano lost the NXT championship to Adam Cole, and usually, this means a main-roster call-up. Johnny Wrestling built a reputation for himself as a wrestling machine and continued to give top quality matches during his time in NXT.
Gargano could fit into any of the brands on the main roster with his skills in the ring. On both RAW and SmackDown, he could become an upper mid-card face and could go for the mid-card titles from the get-go.
Johnny could give brilliant matches with Samoa Joe or Cesaro on the red brand, or could move to SmackDown to rekindle his 5-star rivalry with Andrade.
The only problem in this direction is that both the rosters are full to the brim and most of the talents are already not making TV. Moreover, after the new Wild Card rule, top superstars from across the roster are consuming the TV time, which makes it difficult for a newbie to establish himself on the brand. Hence, this is the least probable direction.
Johnny Gargano is a lovable face as well as a convincing heel, and his promo work makes him suitable for any role, but his size could limit him in the "Land of Giants." There's always a few exceptions, and akin to Daniel Bryan, Rey Mysterio, or Kofi Kingston, Gargano could achieve the heights as well.
#2 Stay in NXT to reclaim his title
This option is probably the most expected direction as the main rosters don't require call-ups at the moment. Moreover, there's still a chance that Gargano gets a shot to reclaim his title before SummerSlam.
Gargano's chase for the title was a dream run. Whether it involved Andrade, Aleister Black, Tommaso Ciampa, or Adam Cole, each rivalry gave a top quality match. Hence, after Johnny won the title after so much effort, he won't let it go away without one last try.
It's not necessary to win the title back, a rematch between the two would finally put Gargano's story to end.
#1 Conquer 205 Live
Although 205 Live is a part of the main roster, it's highly separated and distinct from its counterparts. Instead of being the third brand, it has become a stepping stone for the cruiserweights to get to RAW or SmackDown.
While he might get lost in the shuffle on RAW or SmackDown, he would be the biggest superstar on the purple brand. He could conquer and carry the brand on his shoulders. It would be mutually beneficial for both the superstar and the brand.
