3 possible stipulations for Adam Cole vs Johnny Gargano at NXT Takeover: Toronto II

It has not been confirmed in real-time yet, but the main event of NXT Takeover: Toronto II will be the third, and possibly final, match in the NXT Championship rivalry between Adam Cole and Johnny Gargano. The two went to battle in a 2-out-of-3 Falls Match at Takeover: New York during WrestleMania weekend, with Gargano winning the vacant title. Cole would take the rematch, and the NXT title, at Takeover XXV.

This feud has been booked perfectly so far, it's hard for it not to be when the wrestling is off the charts. However, the latest chapter in this story saw the evil NXT Champion show up at Gargano's family restaurant, ordering some pizza and putting a picture of himself upon the restaurant's 'Wall of Fame'. Cole even went to the former champion's old wrestling school to talk trash to the students there, two months after Johnny Wrestling went there with the NXT Championship and delivered a motivational speech.

The Cole vs Gargano story has now become personal and we are extremely likely to see some kind of stipulation added to this already classic rivalry. After kicking off with a 2-out-of-3 Falls Match and following it up with another half an hour-plus classic, what is left for Adam Cole and Johnny Gargano to do?

Here are three possible stipulations for the main event of the SummerSlam weekend Takeover, and the culmination of possibly the greatest in-ring rivalry in NXT history.

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#3 Ladder Match

Could this be the scene at the end of Takeover?

The one match that raises the stakes higher, quite literally, than most is the Ladder match. It has its fair share of brutality and could be used as a great storytelling device throughout the match, as it has been on multiple occasions. The feud has reached a certain point where you cannot really pick a definitive winner. Both men took part in gruelling ladder matches with varying degrees of fortune attached to them.

Cole became the first-ever NXT North American Champion at Takeover: New Orleans by winning a 6-man ladder match, while the aftermath of the tag team ladder match between AOP and DIY saw Gargano get brutally assaulted by his partner, Tommaso Ciampa. They would be able to construct a dramatic enough match, especially with the possible involvement of the rest of the Undisputed Era. However, we did see a Ladder Match at the previous Takeover, so this is not very likely.

#2 Street Fight

Gargano has experience in these brutal matches.

With the level of animosity between Adam Cole and Johnny Gargano, the simplest offering that NXT could give us is a proper No Disqualification brawl between the pair. There are many names for this specific match, but Street Fight sounds the best. Gargano has had a main event Chicago Street Fight against Tommaso Ciampa, fighting a losing battle a little over a year ago. It does bring out the brutal side in Gargano, something that should be on display more often.

Cole himself faced Aleister Black in an Extreme Rules match at the start of 2018, with his Undisputed Era partners playing a part in the match. The likes of Fish, O'Reilly and Strong could all factor in this match, particularly after possible title victories for all of them. A Street Fight would be the plain way of giving us a violent blow-off to this rivalry, adding a certain amount of edge and brutality to this already personal rivalry.

#1 60-Minute Iron Man Match

These two can go the distance.

Honestly, there is only one match stipulation that would be perfect to culminate this classic rivalry between Adam Cole and Johnny Gargano. After wrestling for 38 minutes in New York and 32 minutes at Takeover XXV, both Cole and Gargano proved that they are more than capable of going the distance. The logical next step would be a 60-minute iron man match. WWE hasn't had an hour-long version of this match for a long time now, but this seems like the appropriate time to book it.

NXT themselves booked a 30-minute iron man match between Sasha Banks and Bayley at Takeover: Respect. The past year or so has seen multiple main events go well over 30 minutes, particularly involving Johnny Wrestling and if there ever was the time to pull the trigger on an hour-long match, it is now. Gargano and Cole are sublime together and they could conjure up enough drama to keep the entire match fresh.

Whether he wins or loses in Toronto, a 60-minute iron man match would be the ultimate coronation for Johnny Gargano as Mr Takeover, with the leader of the Undisputed Era not far behind. This is an opportunity for Triple H to create magic, more than he ever has. And that is saying something.