Adam Cole Beats Johnny Gargano, Become NXT Champion at TakeOver 25
Adam Cole defeated the defending champion Johnny Gargano to become the new NXT Champion in another grueling instant classic match at NXT Takeover 25.
Storyline
Ever since his loss to Gargano at Takeover: New York, Adam Cole kept bringing up the point that he got the first fall in that match and if it was any other match, he would have become the NXT Champion. After the brawls week in week out, Gargano finally challenged him for the rematch at Takeover: XXV. In between and even after the match was announced, Gargano had to deal with whole Undisputed Era every week as the storyline progressed with some help from Matt Riddle.
Just like their match at TakeOver: New York earlier this year, they again produced a classic match which could again be the contender for a 5-star rating and the match of the year award. Both men reversed each other’s moves and produced moves out of nowhere. Gargano could have won the match when he accidentally took down the referee with a suicide dive. But Adam Cole had the last laugh as he pinned Gargano after Panama Sunset Powerbomb and the last shot.
Match Description
The crowd chants before they even make contact. They lock up and Gargano knocks Cole down with a shoulder. Cole returns the favor as they run the ropes and trade counters. Cole takes a breather at ringside and takes his time getting back in. Johnny Wrestling ties him up in a submission but Cole is able to escape. They exchange forearms to the face for a few seconds. Gargano takes him down with a faranskestiener. They counter each other outside before Gargano hit the cannonball. Gargano then dodges the an enziguri and hits a double leg stomp on Cole’s arm.
Back in the ring, Gargano starts working on the arm. He hits a knee splash and then an enziguri. Cole counters on the top turnbuckle and takes Gargano down. Now, Cole is working on Gargano’s right leg. Adam Cole takes complete control, pressuring Johnny Gargano into the corner. Cole hits a missile dropkick to the knee from the middle rope to continue focusing on Gargano’s knee. Gargano counters a Figure Four attempt into a small package for a two count. Cole jumps from the middle rope and Gargano counters into a powerbomb.
They again start countering each other until Gargano hits a belly to belly and a flatliner to get a near-fall. Cole puts Gargano on the apron where they again counter each other but Gargano manages to hit the slingshot spear. His leg is giving out. Both men on the top turnbuckle, Cole slips out and tries to hit the powerbomb but Gargano prevents it. Cole gets the last laugh there as he hits the backstabber. Cole counters Gargano’s elbow drop hits an enziguri and a burning hammer to get a near-fall.
After fighting it out on the turnbuckle, they trades superkick after superkick. Both men ends up on the outside and hits the superkicks at the same time. Both men are down outside as the referee starts to count. They get back into the ring and Gargano spikes Cole with a slingshot DDT for two. They end up back outside the ring and Cole hits an Ushigoroshi. He hits another when they get back in but Gargano finds a way to kick out. Johnny brings Cole down into the Gargano Escape. Cole counters the hold and locks in the Figure Four.
Gargano reverses the pressure and Cole is forced to grab the ropes to force a break. Cole drives Gargano’s knee into the mat and then rips his knee pad off so he can stomp on the joint. As Gargano goes for the suicide dive, Cole counters with the superkick and follows it up with a Panama sunset driver. Back in the ring, Cole gets ready for the last shot but Gargano dodges it and goes for the GargaNo escape which is reversed by Cole into his own GargaNo escapte. They again start trading strikes and then superkicks.
The crowd chants “Fight forever” as both men get to their knees and start trading punches. Cole gets turned inside out by a clothesline. They each hit a superkick before Cole hits the Last Shot for another close two count. Cole argues with the ref about the count. He grabs a chair and the ref tries to talk him out of it. Gargano goes for a suicide dive and Cole pulls the referee into the line of fire. He superkicks the chair into Cole’s face but there is no ref to make the count. He rolls the ref back in and Cole is able to hit a modified piledriver for yet another false finish. Gargano locks him in the Gargano Escape but Cole gets out of the hold and hits the Panama Sunrise followed by the Last Shot for the pin and the win.
Winner- Adam Cole
The other Undisputed Era members came out to celebrate with Adam Cole. Bobby Fish is in a cast. The show closes as they celebrate in the ring. The crowd was hot for Cole. Some shocking results at the NXT Takeover 25.