NXT TakeOver Vengeance Day Results, Grades, and Analysis

Johnny Gargano (c) vs. Kushida for the North American Title

Result: Johnny Gargano wins by pinfall

Grade: A

Now THAT was high drama! I was convinced at multiple points that Johnny Gargano would tap out and lose the North American Championship to Kushida, who had Gargano locked into so many submissions that targeted Gargano’s injured left arm.

But each time, the champion found a way to hold on and fight out of the hold. And in the end, it was Gargano who managed to score the pinfall victory and keep the title.

The animosity between these two men and the way they knew each other played into this match perfectly. We saw so many fluid counters and exchanges between Kushida and Gargano, with the best of them actually occurring early in the match.

Kushida and Gargano had a LOT of time to work with, and they made the most of it. Just as Kushida targeted Gargano’s left arm, so, too, did Gargano Kushida’s neck. And it was the former NJPW star’s neck which proved to be the most vulnerable in the match, as Gargano attacked it to pick up the win and retain.

Gargano never has a bad TakeOver match, and this was no exception. Hat’s off to both men. Although I wanted to see Kushida get the win here, it seems like Dexter Lumis is being positioned as the one to take the title off Gargano. Hopefully, Kushida gets his big win in NXT, though. He’s too good to not be North American Champion in the future.

But again, this was a certified banger.