NXT TakeOver: Portland - 5 Reasons why Adam Cole defeated Tommaso Ciampa to retain the NXT Championship

#3 To address rumors regarding his move to RAW/SmackDown

He can be an asset to Raw or SmackDown

Many fans, including myself, were expecting Adam Cole to drop the NXT Championship at TakeOver: Portland just in time to build towards a move to another brand.

Since Cole has defeated Daniel Bryan on SmackDown and had given a tough fight to Seth Rollins on RAW, it made sense to look at his performance as a test for Cole and the WWE Universe.

Tommaso Ciampa has already shown no interest in wanting to move to another brand, and him winning the title would have made perfect sense and given Cole the freedom to make the move.

However, with Cole retaining the title, it seems like NXT has silenced the speculations, at least for now. With TakeOver: Tampa Bay coming up just a night before WrestleMania 36, it seems like NXT will build on that story with another Superstar in tow and the result of that match will determine Cole’s future.

It’s unlikely that a Champion like Cole will be losing his title on a weekly show, and Tampa Bay feels like the best place to decide the fate of one of NXT’s top Superstars.