In the history of NXT, there has been no story quite like Johnny Gargano vs. Tomassao Ciampa. For the past few years, they have been both strong allies and bitter rivals. Earlier this year, it seemed that things were finally good between them. They reunited to do battle with The Undisputed Era, and even faced Moustache Mountain at Worlds Collide. However, things went south for them at NXT Takeover Portland, when Gargano would cost Ciampa his shot at the NXT Championship. Since that moment, they were destined to clash one final time. They don’t need a crowd, they don’t need bright lights, they just need a ring and a chance to fight it out. This has been a deeply personal feud. Black Heart vs. Rebel Heart. Only one would still be beating.
Another Cinematic Experience
This segment would begin as Johnny Gargano and his wife Candice LeRae drove up to the location chosen by Triple H. Candice would hand Gargano something before driving off, leaving her husband to his work as he entered the warehouse. Ciampa was already there, as was Triple H and a ring. He explains that it starts in the ring, it ends in the ring. He doesn’t care what they do to each other, but this is their final clash. It ends tonight, or they are both gone from WWE. He leaves them in the care of a referee, and tells them once he walks through the door, it’s on. There would be no commentary, and the camera work was akin to the Boneyard Match. This was another cinematic event, much like that and the Firefly Funhouse, just much more grounded.
The Fight Begins
The door closes, and they both enter the ring. There would be no handshake of respect, as they would begin to trade shots and trash talk. Ciampa would whip Gargano into the corner hard, before throwing him to the apron. Gargano fought back with a kick to the head, then attempting his slingshot spear before eating a knee. They would fight over a chair in the ring as Ciampa took the upper hand. Ciampa mused about them being brothers, asking Johnny who he will replace him with. A slingshot into the bottom turnbuckle had the ref asking if Johnny wanted to give up, which is always going to be a no. Gargano slipped to the outside, tripped Ciampa up and slammed the previously injured ACL into the post. Gargano asked him how many surgeries it had before beating him down more.
Ciampa would fight back, getting Gargano up for what at first looked like a suplex, before slamming him into the nearby ring post. A nearby table would be the next target of Ciampa as he got it into position but Gargano fled to the ring, getting the high ground. He would dive back to the outside, taking Ciampa off his feet before sitting on the apron and mocking Ciampa. Gargano threw Ciampa into some nearby trash cans, using one of the lids to bludgeon his old friend. They found themselves back in the ring, as Gargano expresses that he is let down by his old friend, before attacking the ACL more with a steel chair. Gargano claims he’s starting to feel bad, before saying this won’t last much longer, setting a chair up in the corner.
Tomassao Ciampa Summons The Psycho Killer
As Gargano monologues like a Bond villian, Ciampa caught his second win and would quickly whip Gargano into the chair he just set up. Provoking a man known as The Psycho Killer is a bad move, and while the leg is giving Ciampa trouble, he would fight on. Ciampa slipped to the outside, and Gargano dove out to meet him, instead getting a trash can lid to the skull. Gargano would then get that lid to the face again, this time helped by the knee of Ciampa.
Ciampa shut down Gargano as he crawled to the chair, stomping on the hand before placing the chair around the neck of Gargano and throwing him into the post. This would have killed a normal man, but Gargano is not that. He would try to crawl away, but Ciampa found a gift from Triple H in a his old crutch, which he would choke Gargano with. Ciampa would yell about their ladder match when he turned, saying he finished it with a torn ACL for Johnny, while his partner thought who will replace Tomassao.
Gargano crawled to the box of weapons, finding a fire extingusher which he sprayed into the eyes of Ciampa to get some breathing room. Ciampa would smartly use nearby water to quickly wash his eyes as Gargano picked up where he left off earlier in the ring, Ciampa would not allow this, and quickly hit a powerbomb through a table.
Evil Intentions With The Ring
While Triple H took the time and effort to give them a ring to settle their differences in, Ciampa had another idea. While Gargano rolled around in pain after being sent through a table, Ciampa began to tear apart the ring to get at the boards underneath. Exposed wood hurts a lot more without the limited padding a ring has, and that is what the Psycho Killer wanted. Referee Drake Wurtez asked what Ciampa is doing, and Ciampa simply replied ‘what I want’. The ring is now exposed, and Gargano just got up to his knees.
Gargano Takes It Outside
Wanting nothing to do with this new exposed ring, Gargano would flee outside the building, and as Ciampa chased him, he would be met with a rolling equipment box to the stomach. Back on the offensive in the parking lot, Gargano threw Ciampa into the side of a truck before beating him down some more. He would attempt to crush Ciampa against the truck with a box, but Ciampa slipped underneath to escape, before climbing the truck. Gargano chased, and Ciampa said ‘Come play’, which was accepted. They would stand off on top of a production truck and trade blows. Gargano nailed a few superkicks, Ciampa replied with a big boot. 13 feet above pavement, they tried to throw each other off to no success.
After a quick commercial cut, Gargano has fled off the truck, with Ciampa chasing him down. Gargano heads back into the arena, hiding near the entrance to literally get the jump on his tired opponent, sending them both through another table. They would head into the exposed ring, with Gargano throwing weapons in.
Ciampa finds himself on the top rope, as Gargano attempts an air raid crash to the exposed planks. He would fight free, and hit it himself, but not to the ring, opting for the floor instead. He would take Gargano in, and go for the first pinfall of this match, getting a two count.
Fatigue Has Set In
This brawl has taken a lot out of both men, physically, mentally and emotionally. They would scrap with weapons, with Gargano using the crutch to apply a submission before Ciampa fought out with a trash can lid. A superkick would drop Ciampa once again, as Gargano used the crutch to help himself up to hit another. Gargano called Ciampa a failure as a man, husband, and father as Ciampa laughed. He said Willow (Ciampa’s young daugher) was going to thank him for this, as Ciampa rallied back once again. Ciampa went berserk and bent the crutch over his back. Ciampa would hit his rope hung DDT onto the exposed boards, but the referee was taken out in the rage of Ciampa leaving no one to count the fall. This match should be over but they fight on. Both men struggle back to their feet, only to both drop after a single blow.
Enter Candice LeRae
Despite having driven off at the start, Candice LeRae is back in the arena to check on her husband, and walks into a scene of absolute carnage. She enters the ring, and sees them unable to stand, and begs them to stop. Knowing that someone needs to help end this, she would help Ciampa to try and get her husband back, kicking him in the nuts and leaving the ring.
The emotional toll has them defeated in the ring. They embrace and apologize, but realize that it is too late for this. LeRae comes back in, low blows Ciampa from behind, and Gargano reveals he wore a cup, planning for this. Thrilled their plan worked, Candice smiles as Gargano finishes this with Ciampas Fairytale Ending on the boards.
Johnny Gargano Wins The War
While both men leave this battered and broken, Gargano walked out with the help of his wife knowing he has won the final battle with Ciampa. They walk off to their car, walking past a car containing Killer Kross and Scarlett Bordeaux before driving off. What did you think of this epic encounter?
Let us know what you think about it in the comment section down below.
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