NXT TakeOver: Portland Results, Grades, and Analysis; Cole retains thanks to Gargano

https://twitter.com/WWENetwork/status/1229233542737076224

Adam Cole (c) vs. Tommaso Ciampa- NXT Championship

After the opening bell, the two jawed at each other before aggressively locking up. Ciampa muscled Cole to the ropes and broke cleanly. Shortly after, Ciampa locked in a side headlock which led to a bit of wrestling between the two before Ciampa scored with a pair of shoulder tackles.

Cole scurried to the outside, but Ciampa was waiting for him when he tried to come back in. Ciampa went for Widow’s Bells, but Cole simply dropped to the outside to avoid it. Ciampa then gave chase and avoided a Cole elbow drop and took control with a headlock takeover.

Cole worked his way back up and knocked Ciampa down. He Irish whipped Ciampa but on the rebound, Ciampa locked in a double underhook and tried for the Fairy Tale ending, but Cole got free. Ciampa then blocked a superkick attempt and went back to the side headlock.

In the corner, Cole tried to sneak a right hand in following a break, but Ciampa blocked and scored with one his own. Cole goes for a backstabber, but Ciampa hangs onto the ropes.

On the outside, Cole hits a move and mocks Ciampa’s pat on the back taunt. The challenger responded by sending Cole into the post, the steps, and the announce table. The then placed Cole in a chair and delivered a knee strike before showing Cole how to clap and pat oneself on the back.

With Cole on the outside, Ciampa connected with a baseball slide. He then set Cole up on the apron and again drove his knee into Cole’s temple before playing to the crowd. He then draped Cole over the barricade and hit another knee. And he hit another one near the timekeeper’s area!

After taking some time to admire Goldie, he went for a powerbomb on the table, but Cole slipped out. Ciampa then tried an enzuigiri, but Cole ducked and hit a wheelbarrow suplex onto the edge of the table, which drew a hushed tone from the crowd.

Cole rolled Ciampa back in the ring scored a nearfall for his efforts. Cole worked over the neck for a little while. Cole then went for a top rope move, but Ciampa cut him off and they fought on the top buckle.

Ciampa went for an Air Raid Crash, but Cole slips out. Cole then tries a sunset bomb but then decides to kick Ciampa’s leg and hit a Backstabber instead for a nearfall. Cole went for another neckbreaker, but Ciampa countered with a backslide for a nearfall.

More counters led to an enzuigiri by Cole. He went for Panama Sunrise, but Ciampa caught him with a dropkick and went through his comeback sequence. Another knee strike to a prone Cole in the ropes was followed by a Torture Rack Powerbomb for another nearfall.

Shortly after, we got some more back and forth before Cole hit his Ushigoroshi for a nearfall. Cole then sets Ciampa on the buckles and tries for a sunset bomb, but Ciampa counters with an Air Raid Crash for a nearfall!

Cole then slips to the outside and slows Ciampa with a superkick. He then tries a powerbomb on the floor, but Champa counters and hits a powerbomb on the announce table. He then takes off the covering and hits another powerbomb, this time sending Cole through the table.

Ciampa hits another knee and then pulls the knee pad down before trying again, but Cole countered with a superkick. But Ciampa answered back with a big lariat and Project Ciampa for a nearfall.

We get the boo/yay strike exchange, ending with Cole hitting two pump kicks and sending Ciampa to the outside. A desperate Cole tried a suicide dive, but Ciampa caught him with the knee. He rolled Cole back in, but then Cole hits a piledriver and another Ushigoroshi for another nearfall.

We get a few slaps, but then Cole hit a superkick and the Last Shot, but Ciampa rolled to the edge of the ring. Cole then went for the Panama Sunrise on the apron, but Ciampa snagged him and hits another Air Raid Crash.

Ciampa then went for the Fairy Tale Ending on the outside, but Cole escaped and hit a Panama Sunrise from the table to the floor! He rolls Ciampa back in, but Champa hit Widow’s Bells and the Fairy Tale Ending for a nearfall!

Cole then locked in a crossface, but Ciampa reversed into a crossface of his own! Cole got to the ropes. Roderick Strong then came out and distracted the ref long enough for Fish and O’Reilly to hit Ciampa with Total Elimination. But it only netted cole a nearfall!

Cole went for the Last Shot again, but Ciampa ducked out of the way and sent Cole over the top and onto his UE pals. Ciampa then took the rest of them out with a corkscrew dive, but Cole took advantage with several superkicks and another Last Shot for a nearfall.

We got a ref bump, and then O’Reilly retrieved the NXT Title for Cole to use, but Ciampa knocked it out of his hands. Cole and Ciampa then traded low blows, but Ciampa hit another Fairy Tale Ending for the visual pinfall, but there was no ref!

Johnny Gargano, wearing a DIY shirt, came out and appeared to be handing Ciampa the title to use, but then PULLED IT AWAY FROM CIAMPA AND KNOCKED HIM OUT WITH THE TITLE! Cole then crawls over to score the pin.

Winner: Cole via pinfall; retains NXT Championship

Rating: ****. Considering what we saw earlier in the night, I was worried that this would be a relatively tepid main event. I’m glad to say I was wrong. These two worked their backsides off and delivered a mostly epic championship match.

Then we got the shenanigans with Undisputed Era, the ref bump, and a very unnecessary heel turn from Johnny Gargano, which would’ve been more resonant had he not turned heel mid-2018. Look, I get that they needed a reason to get to Gargano/Ciampa for the next TakeOver, but turning one of your best babyfaces to set that up feels as short-sighted as the last time they did this with Gargano. But I’m willing to see how this plays out. 

Final Thoughts: Another excellent top-to-bottom show from NXT. All of the matches delivered in the ring and, like them or not, the angles they ran did exactly what they were supposed to do in terms of setting up big matches for WrestleMania weekend. 

Grade: A-