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Johnny Gargano is one of the greatest Superstars in NXT history, and after three years serving the brand as one of its top stars, the future is up in the air for Johnny TakeOver.
He lost his latest chance at Adam Cole and the NXT Championship, and despite a standing ovation to send him off, William Regal has told us that he won't be going anywhere, so we'll have to wait and see.
But after this and a record 15 matches on NXT's biggest stage, we thought that this would be the best chance to take a look back on the incredible NXT career of Johnny Gargano.
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From DIY to the rivalry with Tommaso Ciampa to becoming NXT's first-ever Triple Crown winner, the following are the 15 matches of Johnny TakeOver's incredible career in the Yellow and Black Brand, ranked from worst to best (although even the 'worst' on this list are still amazing).
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#15 NXT TakeOver: San Antonio - DIY vs. The Authors of Pain (NXT Tag Team Championship)
After finally dethroning The Revival back in Toronto, the talented duo of Ciampa and Gargano had to face a much bigger challenge in Texas, but unfortunately for them, they couldn't hold those coveted titles.
AOP were quite new at this point, but with Paul Ellering leading the way, they were always going to be a force to be reckoned with, but no one saw it coming quite this soon.
While this one is at 15 on our list, it still had plenty of positives and showed off how great all four men can be inside the ring, but it just didn't live up to the hype of the other DIY contests.
If you're going back and watching all the Johnny Wrestling TakeOver bouts to celebrate his incredible career thus far, this is likely the only one you could ignore. But for die-hard fans, this still has enough positives to check out if you haven't yet seen it.
#14 TakeOver: Brooklyn - DIY vs. The Revival (NXT Tag Team Championship)
This was the first appearance of Johnny Gargano on a TakeOver event, and given what he went on to achieve in NXT, this is quite the perfect beginning.
Although they'd come out on the losing end (with an injury that would cost Gargano in the Cruiserweight Classic), DIY made the most of their first appearance at TakeOver: Brooklyn, in a classic bout that was a taste of what was to come from these two teams.
They fought valiantly throughout, but the old-school team of The Revival was just too much for the former indie standouts, and they fell just short of the NXT Tag Team Championships as Gargano was forced to tap out.
Despite being just 14th on this list, this one was still a fantastic bout, especially with what the two teams would go on to do at later events, and that shows just how incredibly high quality all his matches have been.
#13 TakeOver: Chicago - DIY vs. The Authors of Pain (Ladder match for the NXT Tag Team Championship)
This is the third time that DIY fought the Authors of Pain at a TakeOver event, and while it has since been overshadowed by what happened following the bout, it was a great match, and one of the best ladder matches in recent WWE memory.
The match was full of memorable spots, including Gargano sacrificing himself for his partner in a ridiculous spot, and with what happened later, it hurt our hearts even more.
Despite their best efforts, Ciampa and Gargano couldn't dethrone the monstrous duo, and it led to Tommaso Ciampa obliterating his best friend following the match.
He, unfortunately, suffered an injury before this event, so he was out for almost a year following this, but it's a memorable moment that follows a severely underrated contest, and one that deserves respect.
#12 TakeOver: Orlando - DIY vs. The Revival vs. The Authors of Pain (NXT Tag Team Championship)
Given the long rivalry that these three teams had with each other, they needed one final contest to blow off the steam. Despite this contest not being as good a story as their other matches, it was the perfect way to kick off TakeOver: Orlando.
While they had been enemies before, DIY and The Revival teamed up throughout the bout, including some of the best spots NXT had ever seen when the two teams combined to hit their finishers together.
Ultimately, the dominant duo of Akam and Rezar would eliminate both teams to retain their NXT Tag Team Championships, but it's a match that the fans won't forget anytime soon.
It was one of the last times we saw DIY together before the brutal betrayal of Tommaso Ciampa, but it was exactly what it needed to be - a fun, fast paced way to kick off WrestleMania weekend.
#11 TakeOver: Brooklyn III vs. Andrade "Cien" Almas
Although everyone looks back on Gargano vs. Ciampa, Cole and DIY vs. The Revival, his rivalry with Andrade "Cien" Almas was quite a good one too, and this was surprisingly key to his rivalry with The Blackheart.
It doesn't come close to their contest over the NXT Championship, but this was vital in continuing Gargano's rise as NXT's top babyface, as well as transforming Andrade into the fantastic heel he's become.
The contest was full of great athleticism, chain wrestling and great character work, but ultimately, it was El Idolo that got the 1-2-3 on Johnny Wrestling after some great work from Zelina Vega.
This one came just a few short months after Tommaso Ciampa turned on Gargano, so Vega threw a DIY shirt to distract him, and Andrade capitalised to get the pin, capping off quite an exciting opening contest in Brooklyn.
#10 TakeOver XXV vs. Adam Cole (NXT Championship)
After their classic at NXT Takeover: New York, Johnny Wrestling and the frontman for The Undisputed Era went at it again. While it didn't reach the heights of their first one, it was still an incredible bout.
The two performers found out so much about each other back in New York, and they put that to good use as they countered their way through this contest, but ultimately, it was Cole to come out on top in the end.
While Johnny Wrestling's rise to the NXT Championship was a great story, it was never going to last long, but he can still lay claim to being the first Triple Crown winner in NXT history (the other being the man he lost to in this contest).
This was a crowning moment for Cole, and while it wasn't as good as the first, this is yet another main event classic for both men, and it's one they'll both remember for quite some time.
#9 TakeOver: Chicago vs. Tommaso Ciampa (Chicago Street Fight)
Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa engaged in the greatest rivalry NXT has ever seen, and while this is the lowest of their singles matches on this list, it was still incredible to see.
With Johnny Wrestling donning some incredible gear, the two men went to town on each other, topping what they did in New Orleans from a brutality standpoint, but given the atmosphere of their NOLA bout, this one comes up short.
After Gargano got his big revenge win back in New Orleans, Ciampa tied their rivalry at one apiece, and it led to their amazing match in Brooklyn which became the big tie-breaker.
This match came exactly a year after Ciampa turned on his former best friend. While this match alone isn't either man's best, it's key in the series that these two had together, and it needs to be seen to fully appreciate what both men gave us in 2018.
#8 TakeOver: Toronto 2019 vs. Adam Cole (2-out-of-3 Falls for the NXT Championship)
This is the latest TakeOver bout for Gargano, and while some are very, very high on it, the overbooking of the match hurts it a little, thus sliding down the list.
Given the quality of bout that has come before this on the list, it still indicates that it was an amazing contest. Given all the callbacks to previous matches and big moments, it's still one that you need to see.
This was actually the second time these two men contested a 2-out-of-3 Falls match, but they took this one to another level entirely, and it was a fitting end to this amazing rivalry.
At the end of the day, these two men will define what NXT is for years to come, but after a weapons filled Steel Cage match, it was Cole who reigned supreme, defending his NXT Championship in what may have been Gargano's last TakeOver bout.
#7 TakeOver: Brooklyn IV vs. Tommaso Ciampa (Last Man Standing for the NXT Championship)
This was the third and final bout in the trilogy between friends turned bitter enemies, and while it wasn't quite at the level of their first contest, it was absolutely brutal, and a fitting finale to their incredible rivalry atleast for now.
Some fans had become somewhat sick of this rivalry by now, given how much emotion had been invested in the rivalry to this point, but with two such incredible performers, they dragged the NXT Universe in once again.
It's not quite the death-match, bloody type Last Man Standing matches we've seen in WWE before, but given the pure emotion that was displayed along with the storytelling, it was well worth the watch.
At the end of the bout, many expected Gargano to finally be crowned NXT Champion, but due to some quick thinking by The Psycho Killer, he managed to hang on to 'goldie' for another day, ending the rivalry and yet another amazing contest.
#6 TakeOver: Phoenix vs. Ricochet (NXT North American Championship)
For years now, Johnny Gargano and Ricochet have been considered two of the best wrestlers in the world, so when they clashed over Royal Rumble weekend early in 2019, fans knew they were in for an absolute treat.
Despite the pace the heel Gargano was working at, he had to keep up with The One and Only throughout the night, and as the bout crescendoed, the contest truly reached fever pitch.
Being just a few months into his reign as Champion, no one expected Johnny Gargano to dethrone The Future of Flight, but using two brutal attacks to the head and neck of Ricochet, Johnny Wrestling was able to become North American Champion.
While it isn't the best match in NXT for either performer, it was fantastic from beginning to end,and allowed both men to show off their wide array of skills, and it's one we won't forget anytime soon.
#5 TakeOver: War Games vs. Aleister Black
After working as a babyface for the entirety of his career, NXT decided to take Johnny Wrestling and his character in a different direction, and that was done by having him be the mystery attacker of Aleister Black.
Although everyone knew that they'd have a great match, they took it to another level entirely, and the combination of New Japan style action and great storytelling made this one that will go down in NXT history.
It could have gone either way, but after 15 gruelling minutes, Aleister Black got the upper hand and uttered one of the best lines in a match that we've ever seen.
After nailing Johnny Wrestling with a Black Mass, Black held him up and said to Gargano: "I absolve you of your sins", before hitting another one and getting the 1-2-3, and while Gargano came out a loser on this night, it was a phenomenal match.
#4 TakeOver: New York vs. Adam Cole (2-out-of-3 Falls for the vacant NXT Championship)
Johnny Gargano has had many monumental moments throughout his three years in NXT, but the biggest of that came over WrestleMania 35 weekend, where he outlasted Adam Cole and the Undisputed Era to finally win the big one.
The two men exchanged falls, but it wasn't until the third one that it really took off. Despite the interference of Strong, O'Reilly and Fish, the fan favourite Gargano finally came out on top.
After several attempts, this was Johnny's crowning moment, and after a night of amazing wrestling, seeing Gargano, Candice LeRae and Tommaso Ciampa celebrate together brought tears to many fans eyes.
The contest itself may have started slow, but the action throughout was thrilling, and although it wasn't his best match on the TakeOver stage, it was the most important of Gargano's career, and it's something that will live forever.
#3 TakeOver Toronto - DIY vs. The Revival (2-out-of-3 Falls for the NXT Tag Team Championship)
When you think of NXT, you can think of many things, but it's tag team wrestling that has made the brand stand out from the rest of WWE, and the shining light in those years of tag team success is this thrilling contest.
The rivalry was long and exciting between these two teams, and after the great match back in Brooklyn, they certainly raised the bar in Toronto with a 2-out-of-3 Falls contest.
The first fall came from nowhere, and then the team of Ciampa and Gargano tied it up at 1, and that's where the contest truly got going, as all four men worked hard to win over the Toronto crowd.
There were false finishes aplenty towards the end of this bout, but after 15 minutes of thrilling action, DIY managed to lock in dual submissions, forcing the duo of Wilder and Dawson to submit in front of a raucous crowd, which were then sent into a frenzy.
#2 TakeOver: Philadelphia vs. Andrade "Cien" Almas (NXT Championship Match)
This match was crowned NXT Match of the Year for 2018, and while we don't think it's the best TakeOver match in Johnny's career, it was incredible.
This seemed to be the culmination of Gargano's fantastic NXT career to that point, but time after time, Almas overcame the crowd favourite after a back and forth, gruelling contest, and he ended up coming out on top.
The moments after the match may have been the most memorable, as Ciampa finally made his return to NXT, assaulting Johnny Wrestling from behind, setting up the greatest rivalry in the history of the Yellow and Black brand.
This was actually the third singles match between the two in NXT, and while it isn't viewed in the same light as his rivalries with Tommaso Ciampa or Adam Cole, it's just as good, and this is a perfect proof of that.
#1 TakeOver: New Orleans vs. Tommaso Ciampa (Unsanctioned match)
While everyone will no doubt have their opinion on the best TakeOver match in Johny TakeOver's career, the opinion that often reigns supreme as the best in history is this one.
After his friend Ciampa brutally turned on him back in Chicago, this is the first time since that the two men were opposed each other, and it was absolute perfection from start to end.
From the very moment both men stepped out into the arena, the big fight atmosphere was upon us, and from beginning to end, both men engaged in some insane brutality, fuelled by pure emotion, passion and hatred.
While some of the other matches on this list were better from an in-ring standpoint, this one had action, physicality, emotion and incredible story-telling, and simply put, this is the peak of professional wrestling in the modern day.
