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Prior to the next match, Johnny Gargano was with The Way getting prepared for the NXT North American title Match. The Way was on their way to the ring with Johnny TakeOver, but nobody noticed Dexter Lumis kidnapping Austin Theory. During Gargano's entrance, they noticed he was missing, and he sent Candice LeRae and Indi Hartwell to the back to search him out.
NXT North American Championship: Kushida vs. Johnny Gargano w/The Way(c)
Kushida wasn't messing around at NXT TakeOver: Vengeance Day, quickly rushing Gargano for the Hoverboard Lock. The NXT North American Champion tied himself up in the ropes for a quick break. Gargano wrestled Kushida down to the mat, but the challenger quickly turned it in his favor.
Gargano escaped to the floor and baited Kushida into following him, rocking him with a kick after a missed dive. Kushida was sent shoulder first into the steel steps as Gargano exclaimed "This is my world!" The taunting was enough to give Kushida time to recover, and countered a suplex with a falcon arrow into an armbar.
A chicken wing suplex dropped Gargano on this injured arm. Back in the ring, The Time Splitter of NXT further damaged the arm. He countered the running armbreaker, though, and managed to catch Kushida on the ropes with a rope-assisted hangman's neckbreaker.
Gargano dragged Kushida into the ring for another neckbreaker, but Kushida turned it into a backslide attempt. Gargano reversed into a gourdbuster and a Kushida-like kick to the arm. Kushida broke away from a submission and locked in an octopus stretch. Gargano managed to escape, leading to both men trading pinfall attempts.
Kushida managed to get the better of a striking trade, with a series of kicks laying out the NXT North American Champion. Gargano was able to prevent the chicken wing suplex only to be caught in an ankle lock. The German suplex dropped him, and Kushida followed with a roundhouse for a two-count.
Gargano avoided the handspring double kick on the ropes, and his slingshot spear was caught by Kushida. Some heavy lifting allowed Kushida to bring Gargano over with another chicken wing suplex. Gargano made it to the apron, but his One Final Beat was countered. A running armbreaker into the turnbuckle left Gargano in a bad way.
Kushida nearly had the former NXT Champion in the Hoverboard Lock, and even though it failed, he rocked Gargano at the top with a handspring double kick. Gargano did his best to counter the Hoverboard Lock and fell forward with a twisting suplex. Gargano held onto Kushida and picked him up for a tornado DDT off the ropes, though it still wasn't enough.
Gargano escaped the armbar, leading to both men looking for their submission moves. Another armbar had Gargano trapped, but he was able to turn it into a pinfall attempt. They ran into one another, battering each other with clotheslines before falling to the mat.
Gargano countered the handspring back elbow with the Garga-No Escape right in the middle of the ring. Kushida rolled around, eventually transitioning into a Kimura Lock. Gargano made it out, and lawn darted his challenger into the ring post.
A cross armbreaker off the top rope left Gargano in serious trouble in the middle of the ring. Gargano had nowhere to go, and it looked as if he was going to finally tap. Somehow, in some way, Gargano made it to the ropes. Kushida failed to release it, holding it as they fell to the floor. Gargano drove Kushida's back into the apron and barricade before crawling to the ramp.
Kushdia wouldn't let him get away, though, and another kick to the arm left Gargano wailing in pain. The three-time NXT North American Champion broke the Hoverboard Lock by sending Kushida's neck first into the ropes. Kushida fell to the ramp where Gargano spiked him with One Final Beat.
Another one in the ring dropped Kushida on top of his head, giving Gargano yet another successful NXT North American Championship defense.
Results: Johnny Gargano defeated Kushida via pinfall at NXT TakeOver: Vengeance Day.
Grade: A+
