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

The NXT Championship match between Adam Cole and Tommaso Ciampa headlines this six-match event that emanates from the Moda Center.

The show opened with the usual well-produced WWE video introduction, which led to a live performance by Poppy. Side note, I like how NXT uses their musical guests at the beginning of the show to hype it up instead of awkwardly sticking it in the middle of the PPV like we often see on main roster cards.

We then got the proper intro from the announcers before segwaying to our opening contest. Keith Lee entered first followed by Dominik Dijakovic, who wore a Kobe & Gianna Bryant hoodie to the ring.

Keith Lee (c) vs. Dominik Dijakovic- NXT North American Championship

Both men soaked in the crowd chanting “Bask in his Glory” before staring down for a few moments. They start with a lockup and showed off their athleticism before Lee hit a hurricanrana. Thet then traded shoulder tackles with limited effect.

Lee applied a knuckle lock and lifted Dijakoic in the air. They did the duck down/leapfrog sequence before Dijakovic hit a discus kick. He then went for a corkscrew moonsault to the outside, but Lee caught him! Lee went for a powerbomb, but Dijakovic slipped out.

He tried to send Lee into the ring post, but the champion stopped that with his brute strength. Dijakovic landed a back elbow to stagger him. Then he executed a suplex to the edge of the ring, with Lee’s momentum causing him to roll back down to the floor.

Back in the ring, Dijakovic landed some kicks, strikes, and several forearms, talking trash in the process. He went for another suplex, but Lee blocked it and muscled out of the hold. Left hands from Lee sent Dijakovic staggering to the corner, where Lee landed a running forearm. More strikes from Lee before his hit a backbreaker and a standing German Suplex(!) for a nearfall.

Lee went for the Big Bang Catastrophe, but Dijakovic hit some elbows and wiggled out. Back in the corner, Lee charged in, but Dijakovic slowed him with another big boot. Lee sent him into the opposite corner, but Dijakovic shot right out with another discus boot.

Dijakovic then stepped over Lee, drawing boos, and hit a corkscrew moonsault for a nearfall. He then went for Feast Your Eyes, but he couldn’t get Lee up. Another strike exchange ended with a massive Dijakovic clothesline that sent Lee to the edge of the ring.

They ended up in the corner again, where Dikakovic hit an avalanche Death Valley Driver for a big pop from the crowd and a nearfall. “This is awesome” chants rose as both men rose to their feet. They hit each other some more in the corner, and when Dijakovic charged in, Lee responded with a pounce that sent Dijakovic out of the ring.

Outside, Lee delivered a nasty forearm near the announcer’s table. He then shushed the crowd before delivering a Grizzly Magnum and capitulated when the audience asked him to do it again. Dijak tried to get away, but Lee brought him back out only to eat some forearms from the challenger.

While seated, Lee got another Grizzly Magnum in, but Dijakovic responded with a superkick. Lee still in the chair, Dijakovick nails a springboard cannonball to the floor! Back in the ring, Dijakovic sets up for another move, but Lee picks him up in the Fireman’s Carry.

Dijakovic tries to fight out, but Lee powers through and goes for his finisher, but Dijakovic lands on his feet and hits another superkick. Dijakovic then goozles Lee, but the champion powers out and tries for his own chokeslam. But Dijakovic flips out of that, and Le responds in kind when the challenger tries another chokeslam attempt!

Lee then Spirit Bombs Dijakovic so hard that it brought the challenger to his feet! Dijakovic then fired up, but Lee school-boyed him and hit another Spirit Bomb for a nearfall. Lee then dragged his opponent to the corner and went up top, but Dijakovic shoves him to the outside.

The challenger then tries and hits a top rope Spanish Fly for a nearfall! He then tries the Argentine Backbreaker twice, but fatigue finally set in, allowing Lee to hit the Big Bang Catastrophe for the win.

Winner: Lee via pinfall; retains the NXT North American Championship

After the match, Lee helped Dijakovic to his feet and both men hugged.

Rating: *****. A classic and a darkhorse Match of the Year contender. These two gave us everything we expected from them: amazing high spots and unbelievable power moves. As much as I enjoy seeing these two link up, I’m glad this was the final chapter in this feud, as both men can move on to fresh feuds for a while. 

We see Tommaso Ciampa staring blankly at nothing and Bianca Belair pacing back and forth before transitioning to a Dakota Kai/Tegan Nox video package.

Dakota Kai vs. Tegan Nox- Street Fight

As Nox made her way down the ramp, Kai came out and attacked her from behind! This led to a brawl through the crowd. Nox speared Kai through the barricade and picked her up in a fireman’s carry, but Kai countered into a DDT onto that same rail. She rolled her back in and the match officially began.

Kai then started throwing a bunch of weapons in the ring before she yanked Nox out and threw her into the stairs.

With Kai laying prone on the steps, Kai delivered a pair of thrust kicks before retrieving a cricket bat from under the ring. She swung it at her former tag team partner, but Nox blocked it, recovered, and threw Kai back first into the same stairs.

Nox then grabbed a trash can, placed it over Kai’s head and torso, and delivered a cannonball while she was still lying against the steps, which scored a nearfall once Nox rolled her back in the ring. Nox then set up a table on the opposite side of the ring. She tried to suplex Kai through it on the outside, but Kai blocked it.

Nox tried to charge in, but Kai avoided her and landed another shot with a trash can lid. She tried for her running kick, but Nox moved out of the way. She then hit her with the trash can again and crushed Kai with a high-angle German on the same wastebasket for a nearfall.

Kai hit her Chiropractor finisher for another nearfall. She then goes for a top rope move, but Nox catches her in chokeslam position. Kai wriggles out, however, and hits a kick. Both of them end up in the corner, where Kai attempts a superplex, but Knox chokeslams her off and hit a Molly Go Round(!) for a nearfall.

Dueling Nox/Kai chants become audible as Nox sets up a chair mid-ring in a seated position. Conflicted, Nox eventually wedges Kai’s head between the seat and goes for a running punt. But Kai ducks out at the last second, grabs the chair, tosses it to Nox, and pump kicks it into Nox’s face.

With Nox now on the outside, Kai then gets some tape from under the ring and used some to fasten Nox’s arm to the post. This allowed Kai to hit a couple more kicks. She then went over to the timekeeper’s area and secured a laptop, swinging it at Nox, but Nox blocked it and hit Kai in the surgically-repaired knee with the computer.

Nox then grabs a chain, hits Kai a few times with it, grabs a chair, wedges it between Kai’s knee and steps on it a couple of times. She then hit the Shiniest Wizard, but instead of going for the cover, proclaims that she isn’t done with Kai and brings Checkov’s table back into the ring. She placed Kai on the table and wedged the chair between Kai’s neck. But before she could Pillmanize her former bestie, Raquel Gonzalez hopped on the apron and distracted her!

With Kai now off the table, Gonzalez tossed Nox off the top buckle and onto the table, which didn’t break and didn’t look fun. Kai then covered Nox for the tainted fall. Afterward, Gonzalez raised a confused Kai’s arm in victory.

Winner: Kai via pinfall

Rating: ****. This was a very good, heated street fight. As for the finish, it made sense that Nox would want to do more than just win considering she already got a measure of revenge a few weeks ago. Her having the match in hand and Gonzalez’s interference protects her while giving Kai a needed win and perhaps the bodyguard she needs to make this heel character work. 

We then got a Finn Balor/Johnny Gargano video package. Gargano, decked in Trail Blazer red, came out first to a good reaction. Balor entered to an equally strong pop.

Finn Balor vs. Johnny Gargano

The two jawed with one another before the bell. Once things officially got started, the two locked up with Balor tossing Gargano down. Another collar-and-elbow led to Balor then trying to work over Gargano’s arm, but Gargano countered with a rollup for just a one count.

A double knuckle lock led to a takedown by Gargano that Balor countered into a head scissors. Gargano wiggled out and locked in a side headlock, and Balor answered back with another head scissors, doing pushups while maintaining the hold. Gargano kipped out and hit a dropkick before taking Balor over into another side headlock.

Balor eventually got to his feet and shot Gargano into the corner, but Gargano floated out trouble and followed up with arm drag and another dropkick. He tried an Irish whip, but Balor reversed, which led to a sunset flip sequence that usually results in a Balor dropkick, but Gargano kicked him first and hit his rolling kick.

Gargano then worked over Balor’s arm, but Balor struck back with a knee to the gut and hit a back elbow for a one count. In the corner now, laid in a bevy of chops, shoulder blocks, and forearm shivers before whipping him into opposite corners and following up with more knife edge chops.

Gargano got his boot up on the last attempt and hit a few chops of his own in the corner. Balor avoided the last chop, but Gargano avoided another Balor chop attempt and speared Balor off the apron.

On the outside now, Gargano sent Balor into the barricade near the announcer’s table.  More chops followed, and when Balor tried to flee, Gargano tried for the John Woo dropkick to the barricade, but Balor countered with a Slingblade.

Balor then hit a knee to the head and rolled Gargano back in to continue attacking the neck. A basement dropkick scored two for Balor and he went back to work on Gargano’s neck. Gargano eventually fought out of a rest hold and hit Divorce Court on Balor went back to weakening the arm.

Gargano then used a hammerlock to cradle Balor for a nearfall. Shortly after, Gargano went for an enzuigiri, but Balor caught him and delivered a Dragon Screw leg whip. From there, Balor zeroed in on Gargano’s leg, punctuating things with a stomp on the back of Gargano’s knee.

He went for another stomp, but Gargano kicked him out of the ring and when Balor reentered, Gargano cradled him for a nearfall. Gargano went for another rolling kick, but Balor caught him and attacked the leg again and applied an inverted Figure Four.

Gargano broke free and hit a step-up enzuigiri when Balor tried to pick the bad leg again. A backbreaker onto the injured knee (which Gargano sold), a gordbuster, a roundhouse kick, and a lariat followed. He went for a suicide dive, but Balor caught him and attempted a 1916 on the floor. Gargano got out of the hold and shoved Balor into the steps.

He then hit a rolling senton from the apron to the floor. Back in the ring, a slingshot spear netted Gargano a nearfall. After some stomps, Gargano went hot the Lawn Dart, but Balor slipped out. Balor went for a reverse DDT, but Gargano escapes. Gargano tries La Mistica, but Balor stops his momentum and finally hits the reverse DDT for a nearfall.

Rope-assisted stomps from Balor to Gargano’s head followed, but when Balor tried the baseball slide, Gargano moved out of the way and hit a superkick. Back in, Gargano tried for Slingshot DDT, but Balor caught him and set up for the 1916. But Gargano picked him up mid-move and hit the Lawn Dart.

This led to a kick exchange that ended with a Pele Kick to Gargano, but Gargano fell on Balor for a nearfall! We got another strike exchange on the ring apron, with both hitting kicks on each other that staggered them. Gargano went for another slingshot spear, but Balor caught him again and tried for his DDT.

He let go and landed some knees and went up top and missed the last knee strike, setting up a Gargano slingshot DDT for a nearfall. We got another staredown and another strike exchange that ended with a discus clothesline from Gargano.

He went for a superkick, but Balor countered with a Slingblade. He attempted a John Woo dropkick, but Gargano answered with another superkick. He tried again with the basement superkick, but Balor hit another Slingblade and connected with the John Woo dropkick.

Coup de Grace attempt by Balor did not score, but the La Mistica into the Garga-No-Escape did for Gargano. But Balor worked out of the hold and crushed Gargano’s ribs with a double foot stomp. He tried again for the 1916, but Gargano countered again and reapplied the Garga-No-Escape.

This time, Balor broke the hold by reaching the ropes. He rolled to the outside, but Gargano followed him out and hit a John Woo dropkick that sent Balor into the guardrail! Gargano then went for the 1916 on the floor, but stopped once the announcer’s table caught his eye.

Balor quickly recovered and hit a gordbuster on the table. He then ascended to the other table, ran across and delivered a John Woo dropkick that sent Gargano off the table and into the guardrail. Balor then rolled Gargano back in the ring, hit the Coup de Grace, and finally scored with the 1916 for the clean win.

Winner: Balor via pinfall

Rating: *****. Unsurprisingly, this was the match of the night. I liked the story of Balor trying his hardest to hit Gargano with 1916 with Gargano trying to avoid it at all costs, as it played into the crux of the feud. They are clearly setting Balor up for another title shot with this emphatic win over Gargano. Could this be a red herring for a title change in the main event?

After a commercial advertised this week’s NXT, Cathy Kelley interviewed Roderick Strong backstage, who hyped up his Undisputed Era teammates before Adam Cole asked Kelley to leave.

The announcers thanked Poppy for the official theme song before transitioning to a Rhea Ripley/Bianca Belair video package. Belair came out with an awesome “Black History in the Making” attire (again, how is she a heel?), followed by the champion.

https://twitter.com/WWENXT/status/1229218809707474945

Rhea Ripley (c) vs. Bianca Belair- NXT Women’s Championship

The two powerhouses began proceedings with a collar-and-elbow tie-up that ended in a stalemate. The second lockup saw Ripley work Belair’s arm before the challenger worked out of that early trouble.

After some more feeling out stuff, the champion took control with some clotheslines. Belair retreated to the corner, but Ripley followed her in and delivered some overhead chops.

Belair eventually regained the advantage and applied a cravate to Ripley. The champion tried to punch out of it, but Belair took her down by the hair before that happened and hit a standing moonsault for a one count. Belair then tried a suplex; Ripley floated out of the first attempt but Belair’s second attempt was good for a nearfall.

Belair then applied a Full Nelson. Ripley backed Belair into the corner and backdropped Belair back into the middle of the ring. She then got into her comeback, which was capped off with a basement dropkick for a nearfall. Ripley then followed up with an electric chair facebuster for another nearfall.

She locked in her inverted cloverleaf, but Belair kicked her way out yanked Ripley into the ring post. This led to a rollup that scored a nearfall for the challenger, as did the subsequent spinebuster.

They eventually made their way to the corner, where they traded slaps to the crowd’s appreciation, but Belair ended that exchange with her hair braid across Ripley’s gut. Belair then pressed Ripley over her head and slammed her mid-ring. She tried for a handspring moonsault, but Ripley got the knees up.

Ripley then went for the Riptide, but Belair slipped out. Belair went for the K.O.D., but Ripley slipped out. Ripely then connected with a boot on a leapfrogging Belair, but the challenger popped right back up and hit a spear that left both of them lying.

More strikes from these two; Belair briefly got the better of the exchange, but Ripley reversed an Irish whip and connected with a kick after missing a roundhouse kick. Belair then hit a forearm on a running Ripley and tried for the Glam Slam, but Ripley powered out.

Belair tried to use her hair again, but Ripley avoided it and hit another kick. With Belair leaning against the ropes, Ripley charged in, but Belair back body dropped Ripley feet-first to the outside. She then surveyed the situation and scored with a tope con hilo to the outside!

Belair tried to toss Ripley back in the ring, but Ripley got her boot up and sent Belair into the steps head first. They fought some more on the apron before Ripley tried for a superplex to the outside that Belair blocked. Belair then attempted her own superplex, but Ripley caught her arm and hit the Riptide for the win.

Winner: Ripley via pinfall; retains the NXT Women’s Championship

https://twitter.com/WWE/status/1229225099150184448

After the match, Charlotte Flair blindsided a celebrating Ripley! She got a mic and told Ripley that she would see her at WrestleMania before hitting Natural Selection on the champion. As she left, she threw Belair into the steel steps.

Rating: ****1/4. Another excellent match. Kudos to Belair and Ripley for keeping the crowd’s attention following the awesome Gargano/Balor match. The post-match stuff was expected, but it was effective in getting heat on Flair ahead of her match with Ripley and a possible singles match with Belair in the near future. 

Before the NXT Tag Title Match, Matt Riddle and Pete Dunne, who drove in on a golf cart wearing “How much fish could Bobby Fish fry if Bobby Fish could fry fish?” shirts, asked that very question to the audience with subtitles.

https://twitter.com/WWE/status/1229226059683500033

Undisputed Era (Bobby Fish and Kyle O’Reilly)(c) vs. The Broserweights (Pete Dunne and Matt Riddle)- NXT Tag Team Championships

Fish and O’Reilly clearly had no interest in the tongue twister, as they attacked the challengers before the bell, which led to a brawl. Once some order was restored, Riddle and Fish started things out for their respective teams.

Riddle hit some kicks on O’Reilly before O’Reilly got his own shot in and tagged Fish. He didn’t fare much better, as he took several Riddle palm strikes. He landed some knees, but Riddle simply came back with an exploder. Riddle maintained the gutwrench and carried Fish to the corner, where Riddle tagged Dunne in and hit a Dunne-assisted corkscrew senton.

Dunne ran wild on Fish and O’Reilly for a bit — including stepping on O’Reilly’s elbow and hitting X-Plexes on both men into the apron — but when he went for his flip off the top rope, Fish kicked his leg out from under him to kickstart Undisputed Era’s heat segment.

Dunne tried to fight off both men several times, but on each occasion, Fish and O’Reilly would cut him off and continue to work him over. Later on, Fish held Dunne in the corner, but when O’Reilly came charging in, Dunne ducked and O’Reilly inadvertently hit Fish.

O’Reilly tried to cut Dunne off, but a Dunne kick to Fish broke KO’s concentration long enough for Riddle to get the tag. He almost literally got all his stuff in on the champions, ending his cool move flurry with a bridging German for a nearfall.

Blind tag from Dunne, and they hit a powerbomb/knee strike combo for another nearfall. They then went for dual dives, but while Dunne hit the moonsault on Fish, but O’Reilly got the knees up on the Riddle senton attempt.

On the outside, Dunne stomped on Fish’s fingers, but roundhouse kicked the post. Inside, Riddle traded strikes and suplexes with O’Reilly before hitting him with a spear. He went for a suplex, but Fish chop blocked him, which led to the Codebreaker/Wheelbarrow suplex combo from the champs.

Fish was then tagged in. He and O’Reilly tried some tandem offense, but Riddle hit double kneed and tagged Dunne back in. Dunne’s Kimura attempt was countered into a sleeper by O’Reilly. KO then hit Ax, but Dunne beat him to Smash and had answers to both of O’Reilly’s rebound lariat attempts.

The two teams then traded submission holds for a while before we got the “partner breaks up the hold and everyone falls into a heap” trope that has become commonplace in NXT tag matches. Dunne tagged Riddle back in and they went for another tandem move, but Fish shoved Dunne into Riddle to break that up.

O’Reilly hit Dunne with a running knee off the apron and Fish delivered an avalanche exploder. King Kong knee drop from O’Reilly to Riddle transitioned into a kneebar. Fish cut off Dunne initially, but Dunne got free by breaking Fish’s fingers and stomping O’Reilly’s open hand.

Dunne tagged back in and after some more strikes, O’Reilly pushed Dunne into Riddle, who fell off the apron. Regardless, Dunne did some more finger snapping to keep Fish from tagging in. Riddle reentered the ring and went for a spear on O’Reilly but he accidentally hit Dunne!

He got dumped outside and O’Reilly and Fish hit Chasing the Dragon for a good nearfall. They then went for Total Elimination, but Dunne got out. Blind tag to Riddle, and while the champs worked over Dunne, he broke up another Chasing the Dragon attempt.

He and Dunne then hit the X-Plex/Powerbomb combo to get rid of Fish and hit a combo GTS for the victory and the titles!

Winners: Pete Dunne and Matt Riddle via pinfall (Dunne pinned O’Reilly); win the NXT Tag Team Championships

Rating: ****1/2. Stellar work from these teams. Given what happened with Dunne and his last Dusty Classic partner, the miscommunication teases that led to a nearfall were well done. The fan-friendly title change was fine here, especially following all heel wins and Charlotte getting heat on Ripley. 

Following an Adam Cole/Tommaso Ciampa video package, Ciampa came out sporting slick new tights. The champion walked out to his usual reaction.

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-