NXT Takeover New York 2019: Johnny Gargano becomes the NXT Champion
Johnny Gargano has defeated Adam Cole in an incredible display to become the NXT Champion in a 2 out of 3 Falls match at NXT Takeover New York on 5 April 2019. With this win, Johnny Gargano also became the first NXT Triple Crown Champion. Gargano’s DIY Team partner and long term rival, Tomasso Ciampa came out after the match to congratulate Gargano.
Storyline
After losing his NXT North American Championship to the Velveteen Dream, Johnny Gargano came together with his long standing rival, former DIY tag team partner and the NXT Champion Tomasso Ciampa last month. They entered into the Dusty Rhodes Classics Tournament and even made their WWE main roster debut together in February. But as soon as they lost the Dusty Rhodes Classics semifinal, Ciampa turned on Gargano. But Gargano was ready to it, and instead turned on Ciampa and sent him through the LED.
They looked set to go head to head at Takeover: New York for the NXT Title. But as fate had it, the rivalry could not come to a conclusion when Ciampa suffered a neck injury which also
Match Description
Johnny Gargano enters first. The Undisputed Era members came out with Adam Cole but returned from the ramp. The atmosphere has been electric all night. Lockdown, Gargano goes for the waist takedown straight away but fails to execute. Lockdown again ends in a stalemate after an arm twist by Gargano. Cole throws Gargano to the turnbuckle and puts him in the sidelock. They run around the ring but no one could connect any move. Cole rolls up Gargano before Gargano puts Cole in an arm twist. Both starts hitting forearm where Cole come on top. Rope work ends with scissor takedown by Gargano. He then sends him out with a clothesline and hits a basement dropkick. Cole then connects the step-up enziguri from the ringside.
Cole is now working on Gargano’s neck. Gargano fights out of the lock and hits a forearm. Cole takes him down with a lariat and locks him again. Gargano again fights out and both men are down after crossbody splashes. Gargano starts building up a head of steam as he hits a release German suplex. He nails the rolling kick and Cole rolls out of the ring. Gargano reaches the apron and hits the slingshot spear on Cole to get a nearfall. Tornado DDT from Gargano gets another nearfall. Cole finally gets something going. He sends Gargano to the turnbuckle and hits a backbreaker to get a nearfall. Cole wears down Gargano before going for the Suplex. Gargano is aware and rolls him to cover. They trade covers a couple of times. Cole comes on top and hits the running knee at the back of Gargano’s head to get the first fall.
Cole straight away goes for Gargano in the corner and hits the German suplex before hitting another running knee. But Gargano kicks out of the pin. Cole blocks the enziguri and hits a forearm. Gargano then hits the spear at the apron and hits a suplex. Back to the ring, Cole catches him Gargano and hits the Ushi-Garushi to get another nearfall. Cole gets to the top turnbuckle. Gargano meets him there and connects the Avalanche air crash but could only get a nearfall. Gargano fights out at the apron, connects the step-up enziguri and nails a slingshot DDT to take both of them outside the ring. Gargano beats the referee’s count but Cole thrashed him into the ring post. Back to the ring, Gargano locks in the Fujiwara arm lock and then the Gargano Escape to get the submission fall.
They start trading forearms. Cole connects the kicks but Gargano comes back with a clothesline. Gargano misses the DIY kick and Cole nails his neck into the mat to get the nearfall. Cole sets up Gargano for the shooting star press but Gargano connects the step-up enziguri. Gargano thrashes Cole into the turnbuckle and hits the flatliner to get the nearfall. They trade forearms, then kicks, clotheslines and finally superkicks each other in an incredible spot. Cole with a superkick at the back of the neck of Gargano. He follows it up with a straight jacket German suplex but could only get a nearfall. Cole nails a backdrop driver and goes to the middle rope. Gargano counters with a superkick, connects the reverse-rana and superkicks Cole out of the ring. Cole then picks Gargano out of the ring and sends him to the apron with a German suplex. Gargano connects the spiked DDT and then a Tornado DDT. He then hits the suicide dive but when he was coming back to the ring with a slingshot spear, Cole connects the superkick. Cole hits the sunset flip to get a nearfall. Cole brings Gargano out of the ring. He then starts trash-talking Gargano. Gargano punches Cole. Both of them clear the announce table. Cole hits the Fairy-tale ending on Gargano on the announce table. Cole gets back into the ring and the referee starts counting.
The count reaches 8 when Gargano reaches the ring, only to be hit by a superkick. Gargano incredibly kicks out at 2 and three quarters. They trade superkicks. Gargano locks Cole into the Gargano Escape but the Undisputed Era members interfere. They distract the referee when Cole taps out. They come in and Fish and O’Reilly hit Gargano with their finisher. The referee is thrown back into the ring but Gargano kicks out. Gargano then back body drops Cole into the Undisputed Era members. He goes out of the ring and takes down all three of them one by one. Gargano comes back into the ring to eat a running knee from Cole. But he kicks out again. Cole could not believe it. Gargano ducks the running knee again and locks Cole into the Gargano Escape. Cole taps out and Gargano wins the NXT champion and the first NXT triple crown champion.
The referee gives the NXT Championship Belt to Johnny Gargano. His wife Candice LeRae comes out running to him and hugs him in the ring. He also meets father at the ringside before moving to the ramp where Tomasso Ciampa comes out in a neck brace. All three of Gargano, Ciampa and LeRae hug at the ramp to end the show.
Also see: NXT Takeover: New York 2019 Results
