WWE NXT TakeOver: Portland has been just as big and awesome as expected! And now we have but the main event left, as Tommaso Ciampa challenges Adam Cole in an attempt to get Goldie back!
NXT Championship: Adam Cole (c) vs. Tommaso Ciampa
“Psychokiller/Adam Cole” dueling chant as they stare each other down. Ciampa takes him into the ropes, smacks his chest and mocks him with his own pose. Cole with a waistlock, Ciampa reverses into a side headlock. Cinches it in tight as a “Daddy’s Home” chant start, Cole shoots him off but Ciampa with some big shoulder blocks! Deposits Cole! Adam starts to rush back in but Ciampa wants the Willow’s Bell! Cole escapes and bails, Ciampa pursues, Cole slips into the ring, wants to surprise Ciampa with an elbow drop on the way in but Tommaso avoids it and gets the headlock back in.
Cole transitions into a headscissor, Ciampa slowly eases out of it, smacks him and gets the headlock again. Adam Cole fights his way up, fishhook to get the headlock instead, throws him to the ropes, shoulder tackle. But Ciampa gets it again and hooks a leg as well, painful looking hold there. Yet another shoulder block, wicked chop to the chest!
Cole tries to bring him to the middle rope off a charge, looking for a backstabber but Ciampa holds onto the ropes to block it!
Pulls Cole to the outside but eats a big boot! Cole sits atop the apron and mocks Ciampa with some applause, but Tommaso pulls him from the apron and throws him into the steps, into the post, against the barrier, over the announce table! Charging knee to the head, Ciampa sits atop the apron and applauds, pats himself on the back for a pop! Breaks the count as a “Daddy’s Home” chant starts, throws Cole into the ring but he slips to the other side and bails.
Ciampa wants to pull him back in, Cole tries to counter with an enziguri but Ciampa avoids it and he slams into the floor! Ciampa throws Cole into the ring, flying kick to the head! Rolls into the ring but again Cole bails! Ciampa pursues, inverted suplex drapes Cole on the barrier! Charging knee to the face! Ciampa sits Cole onto a steel chair at ringside and unleashes a flurry of chops! Rushes to the opposite side of ringside, gets a big head of steam and nails him with a flying knee! Ciampa wants a powerbomb onto the table but Cole reverses with a back body drop…
WHEELBARROW GERMAN SENDS CIAMPA NECKFIRST ONTO THE TABLE!
This is treated like a really serious bump. Cole throws Ciampa into the ring and covers for a nearfall! Cole with a Figure Four Headlock! Ciampa bridges for a 2 count, fights to his feet but eats a big boot and he’s right down! Cole up top, Ciampa fights up with forearms, takes him onto his shoulders, Cole wants a Sunset Bomb, thrown off but he gets a superkick to the back of the leg of Ciampa! Backstabber off the bottom rope!! Nearfall! Cole with a headlock now, Ciampa tries to fight up but Cole looks for a Hangman’s Neckbreaker, Backslide counter for 2! Kick to the gut, throws him to the apron, Willow’s Bell but Cole escapes it, step-up enziguri! Cole up top! Wants the Panama Sunrise but Ciampa with a jumping knee out of the air stops that!
“Fight Forever” chant as they exchange forearms, Ciampa is whipped to a corner and bounces out with a clothesline. Ciampa with a long series of clotheslines, into a German Suplex! Running knee to the side of the head! Torture Rack Bomb for a nearfall! Cole gets Ciampa onto his shoulders, crucifix exchange, Cole with a charging high knee! Ushigoroshi Brainbuster for a nearfall! Cole up top, Ciampa pursues and they battle it out on the top rope. Cole slams Ciampa’s face against the top buckle a few times, wants an Avalanche Panama Sunrise but Ciampa holds on… AVALANCHE AIR RAID CRASH!!! Amazingly, it’s a nearfall! Cole bails, Ciampa tries to pull him back in but Cole with a superkick!
Pulls him to the outside, wants a powerbomb but Ciampa reverses, POWERBOMB ONTO THE ANNOUNCE TABLE AND IT DOESN’T BREAK!
Yikes! “One More Time” chant and Ciampa is going for it! Another Powerbomb puts him through the announce table!!! Throws him into the ring! Charging knee to the head! Pulls the knee pad down and hits the ropes but Cole with a superkick! Ciampa fights back though, Project Ciampa nailed for a nearfall!! Another Fight Forever chant as Ciampa stands, favoring his neck. Cole swings a punch, slow exchange commences. Discus Clothesline from Tommaso Ciampa stopped with a Bicycle Kick, and a second one sends Ciampa to the floor! Cole with a suicide dive but Ciampa stops him with a leaping knee to the face!! NXT chant!
Throws him into the ring – Springing Piledriver from Cole!! Ushigoroshi Brainbuster for a verrrrrrry close nearfall! Adam Cole yells at Ciampa to stay down but eats a big right hand for his troubles! Ciampa fights his way out but Cole unleashes a flurry of superkicks! One to the back of the head! Hits the ropes, Last Shot nailed!! Ciampa rolls to the bottom rope so he can’t be pinned however! Both men on the apron now… Cole goes up top!
Wants a Panama Sunrise on the apron! But Ciampa catches him – Air Raid Crash on the apron instead!
“Holy sh*t” and “Mama Mia” right after another. Ciampa wants another powerbomb on the floor, Cole counters with a back body drop! Gets up onto the table! Panama Sunrise on the floor! Throws Ciampa into the ring and and pursues – CIAMPA SURPRISES HIM WITH A WILLOW’S BELL! FAIRY-TALE ENDING! BUT NO, COLE STILL KICKS OUT! “This Is Awesome”! Tommaso Ciampa pulls Cole up but he surprises him with a Crossface! Cranking the neck as far back as he can! But no Ciampa reverses into a Crossface of his own! Cole struggling and squirming, grabs the bottom rope to break the hold! As Col rolls to the outside and Ciampa pursues, Roderick Strong rushes onto the apron! He distracts the ref as Bobby Fish and Kyle O’Reilly pull Ciampa out of the ring and nail him with a High & Low! Throws him into the ring and Cole covers – FOR A NEARFALL!!
“Velveteen” chant as the crowd wants another run-in, but Ciampa ducks a shot from Cole and deposits him onto Fish & O’Reilly! Roddy onto the apron but gets Willow’s Bell!! Pescado by Ciampa onto the Undisputed Era! Throws Cole into the ring and rushes back in but Cole gets him with a superkick! And a second and a third! Last Shot nailed and that is NOT IT?! What on Earth?! TUE hand Cole the title, distract the ref as he tries to smack Ciampa with it, he stops him with a kick! But the ref gets knocked to the floor! Cole with a low blow! Goes up top for the Panama Sunrise but Ciampa kicks him low out of the air! Fairy Tale Ending! But there’s no official, a phantom pin! Tommaso Ciampa looks disheartened. Johnny Gargano appears on the other side of the ring though… he’s encouraging him to grab the NXT title. But then he pulls it out of the ring!!! Ciampa is shocked… Johnny nails him with the gold! Cole covers and that is the finish!
Winner: Adam Cole
Man oh man what a battle, what a crazy last ten or fifteen minutes in particular… and what a shocking finish. I guess Ciampa and Gargano are getting that match they were supposed to have last year after all!
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