Major Heel Turn At WWE NXT: TakeOver Portland
What has Johnny Wrestling done...
At NXT: TakeOver Portland, all of the black and gold brand's titles were on the line and Superstars tried to settle their personal rivalries as Tegan Nox took on Dakota Kai and Finn Balor faced off against Johnny Gargano.
Ultimately, Johnny Wrestling came for The Prince and missed as Balor put his opponent away with a vicious 1916.
Gargano's night didn't end there, however. In the main event, Tommaso Ciampa tried to win goldie back from Adam Cole as they faced off for the NXT Championship. Towards the end of the match, Cole pushed the challenger into the referee, knocking the official out. Ciampa, however, managed to fight off interference from The Undisputed ERA and hit Cole with Fairy Tale Ending. The former NXT Champion would have reclaimed goldie in that moment as The leader of The UE was out for the count of 15, but to no avail, as there was no official to count the pin.
Having seen his friend overcome so much, Johnny TakeOver made his way to ringside and tossed the NXT Championship to The Sicilian Psychopath. As Ciampa grabbed the title, Gargano suddenly clutched the belt. He then yanked the championship from his former #DIY partner, and as Ciampa looked on in disbelief, Johnny Wrestling smashed him in the face with it.
With Ciampa out of commission, the referee, having been so savagely beaten, suddenly made a miraculous recovery and climbed into the ring as Cole covered his opponent. The official then counted the 1-2-3, as the audience watched on in shock at Gargano's actions.
A fourth chapter will now be written in Johnny Gargano's and Tommaso Ciampa's rivalry. The pair have been both friends and allies over the past five years and Gargano has seemingly been unable to forgive Ciampa for his betrayal. The pair will now face off again to end their feud once and for all.
Ultimately, Johnny Wrestling came for The Prince and missed as Balor put his opponent away with a vicious 1916.
Gargano's night didn't end there, however. In the main event, Tommaso Ciampa tried to win goldie back from Adam Cole as they faced off for the NXT Championship. Towards the end of the match, Cole pushed the challenger into the referee, knocking the official out. Ciampa, however, managed to fight off interference from The Undisputed ERA and hit Cole with Fairy Tale Ending. The former NXT Champion would have reclaimed goldie in that moment as The leader of The UE was out for the count of 15, but to no avail, as there was no official to count the pin.
Having seen his friend overcome so much, Johnny TakeOver made his way to ringside and tossed the NXT Championship to The Sicilian Psychopath. As Ciampa grabbed the title, Gargano suddenly clutched the belt. He then yanked the championship from his former #DIY partner, and as Ciampa looked on in disbelief, Johnny Wrestling smashed him in the face with it.
With Ciampa out of commission, the referee, having been so savagely beaten, suddenly made a miraculous recovery and climbed into the ring as Cole covered his opponent. The official then counted the 1-2-3, as the audience watched on in shock at Gargano's actions.
A fourth chapter will now be written in Johnny Gargano's and Tommaso Ciampa's rivalry. The pair have been both friends and allies over the past five years and Gargano has seemingly been unable to forgive Ciampa for his betrayal. The pair will now face off again to end their feud once and for all.
Written by Aidan Gibbons
Editor-in-Chief of Cultaholic.com Twitter: @theaidangibbons