It’s been a little bit since Tommaso Ciampa was on an NXT Takeover event, last showing up for In Your House back in June. That match ended in just over six minutes, with Ciampa being choked by Karrion Kross. Ever since then, Ciampa has looked to rebuild himself.
A win tonight would go a long way to doing this, as he steps into the ring with Timothy Thatcher. Thatcher has been a target of Ciampa for weeks now, simply because Ciampa wants to know if his tough image is just bravado. After being laid out with a choke this past week, he knows Thatcher is legit, but will Ciampa be able to resist being choked out at two back to back Takeovers?
Playing Timothy Thatchers Game
After the brutality of War Games, we got a nice simple hard hitting wrestling brawl. Ciampa & Thatcher quickly went to the mat, but neither man got the edge right away. They’d get back to a vertical base, and Thatcher went for an armbar, then the knee. He knows the injury history of Ciampa, and how to tear those joints apart. Ciampa was trapped on the mat, being kicked and stretched.
However, The Psycho Killer can take a beating and just get fired up. He’d strike back on Thatcher, and attack his knee on the mat. Thatcher rolled to the outside, and used that to lure Ciampa out. He’d roll back in, and catch Ciampa with a hard uppercut. That strike put the match in worry, Ciampa looking dead on his feet.
Ciampa was thrown around the ring, and wasn’t looking good. A chinlock would be applied, only being released so Thatcher could hit him with some hard knee strikes. Ciampa would find the apron before being slammed into it and got an elbow to the throat and sent back into the ring.
Tommaso Ciampa Makes The Big Comeback
Thatcher hit a big suplex, and was looking like a cat playing with their food. This isn’t how you beat Ciampa, as he will keep on fighting if the match goes on, and he can turn a match around quickly. He’d find a chance to throw some strikes before being chopped in the face. A Billy Robinson style Double Underhook Suplex was countered by Ciampa, and that could be the opening Ciampa needed.
They’d be slow to their feet, but Thatcher grabbed the wrist. Hands would be thrown, but when back to their feet, they’d charge into each other and have a meeting of the minds. Ciampa was first back up, and hit lariat after lariat, gaining momentum for the comeback. He’d hit Thatcher with a superplex off the top rope, getting a two count. Fairytale Ending was set up, but Thatcher thought out and chopped the throat and applied the same choke that took Ciampa out last week.
Knowing the danger, Ciampa would push forward and dump Thatcher and himself the outside, breaking the hold. Back in the ring, Ciampa used the throat chop himself and took Thatcher down with some knee strikes before applying the Bulldog Choke. Thatcher doesn’t want another submission loss on his record, so he fought up. The ear of Thatcher was busted open by a strike, and came back with a German Suplex after breaking the hold.
First Blood Brings More Pain
Seeing his own blood brought his feral nature out, and now Thatcher was even more dangerous. He pulled Ciampa up by his beard and nailed the German Suplex again. Taking Ciampa to the apron, he wanted a German Suplex there, and Ciampa fought out and rolled back to the ring. Thatcher was slow coming in and took a boot to the face, but countered Willows Bell by pulling Ciampa into the ropes.
Ciampa fought into a backslide, sending Thatcher into the ropes to set up Willows Bell. Thatcher had to be beat into position with chops and boots but he nailed the DDT and was able to cover Thatcher for the hard fought win.
Can Ciampa get back to a champions level? Was respect gained between these two warriors? Let us know what you think in the comment section down below.
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