NXT TakeOver Vengeance Day: Kushida should beat Johnny Gargano

Kushida should get his first taste of WWE gold on Sunday. 

NXT TakeOver: Vengeance Day is the first special event for the black and gold brand in 2021 – it takes place this Sunday live from the Capitol Wrestling Centre, in Orlando Florida.

The card is stacked from top to bottom – with the Men’s and Women’s Dusty Classic finals, Pete Dunne attempting to take the NXT Championship from Finn Balor, a women’s triple-threat title match, and Johnny Gargano defending his North American Championship against Kushida.

One of the most anticipated matches is Kushida challenging “Johnny TakeOver” for the second richest prize in NXT.

Gargano is a great North America Champion. He has been on a roll since winning the belt in a Triple Threat Match against Leon Ruff and Damian Priest last December – but it is time for a new name to hold that title, that man’s name is Kushida.

The issues between Gargano and NXT’s “Resident Time Splitter” began when the latter offered to team with Ruff, for a match against The Way, after Ruff’s partner, Priest, had been taken out by Karrion Kross.

That happened in December. Since then, the number one contender for the North American Championship has been a thorn in Gargano’s side. The champion has not welcomed the attention Kushida has given him.

On the New Year’s Evil special – Kushida pinned Gargano, in a tag match featuring Shotzi Blackheart and Candice LeRae. He repeated the trick two weeks later when he and Ruff eliminated The Way from the Dusty Classic Tag Team Tournament.

The two engaged in a wild brawl on the February 3rd episode of NXT – Kushida targeted his opponent’s arm with a vicious kick. On the go-home show before Vengeance Day – Gargano did his best to wiggle out of defending his title against Kushida by faking an injury. His plan fell apart when he was confronted by his foe – who kicked him out of his wheelchair.

Kushida has been in NXT since leaving New Japan Pro Wrestling in 2019 – this will be his second TakeOver match. For someone as over as him, that is a travesty. With his recent run, he is unbeaten in singles matches since November last year, it looks like WWE have finally realized how good he is and have pushed him accordingly. What is the point in investing so much time in Kushida if they do not pull the trigger on him and crown him the new North American Champion at Vengeance Day?

We all know what Gargano can do. He is a great talent, who has been so entertaining since forming The Way, but NXT needs to create new stars, Kushida is ready to move up a level. The former IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion would bring a freshness to the title and create new matches against superstars such as Cameron Grimes, Isaiah “Swerve” Scott, or Dexter Lumis.

Fellow Japanese superstars Shinsuke Nakamura and Asuka won titles in NXT – before repeating the trick on the main roster. There is no reason why Kushida cannot follow in their footsteps.

Now is the right time to switch the title. Kushida has waited patiently for this moment – it cannot slip between his hands. He has to beat Gargano at Vengeance Day. If Kushida does lose, he will be lost in the shuffle, right back to where he was before his push came. He is too talented to be an afterthought.

You have to strike while the iron is hot in professional wrestling – Kushida is on fire right now. Gargano will leave Vengeance Day, on Valentine’s Day, with a broken heart and without his title.