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Johnny Gargano and Candice LeRae came out next, with Gargano claiming himself as the face of NXT. Tonight was the beginning of the Gargano Invitational. Gargano's first opponent? EVOLVE's Adrian Alanis!
Johnny Gargano w/Candice LeRae vs Adrian Alanis
Gargano caught Alanis with a cheap shot, but was taken to the mat with a strong right hand. However, a superkick nearly turned Alanis inside out.
Immediately, Gargano locked in the Garga-No-Escape, ending the match in less than a minute.
Results: Johnny Gargano defeated Adrian Alanis via submission.
Grade: D
Following the match, Mia Yim and Keith Lee appeared in a spoof of the "Gargano Dinner Time" segments, with Yim calling out LeRae for failing to capture any gold in NXT.
Keith Lee went after Gargano's cowardice and small stature. It's a battle between the top two couples in NXT, and Lee and Yim plan on making the Garganos pay.
There was some controversy regarding Maverick's win. Atlas had actually tapped out while getting pinned, which was caught by other cameras. However, when Maverick claimed that he had no problem facing Kushida one final time to prove himself, the Time Splitter himself turned down the offer. Maverick had earned Kushida's respect, and he told the winner of Block A to go on and win the title.
Maverick thanked him, stating that Kushida would be the first person in line for the title shot when he wins the NXT Cruiserweight Championship.
