“Johnny Wrestling” is now “Johnny Champion.”
Cleveland native Johnny Gargano defeated fellow challenger Adam Cole in a two-out-of-three-falls match for the vacant NXT Championship in the main event of NXT TakeOver: New York at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York Friday night.
Despite getting pinned to lose the first fall, dealing with interference behind the referee’s back by Cole’s stablemates, Roderick Strong, Kyle O’Reilly and Bobby Fish of Undisputed Era, and withstanding multiple “super kicks” and “last shot” knees, Gargano rallied to win the NXT Championship for the first time in his career.
Gargano clinched the championship victory when he ducked a “last shot” knee from Cole and put on the “Gargano Escape” submission hold. After rolling back to the middle of the ring to prevent the rope break, Gargano locked in the submission once again and forced Cole to tap out for the deciding fall in the match.
In front of an NXT-record crowd of more than 15,000 passionate fans, including Gargano’s parents, Frank and Adrienne, the fiercely proud Clevelander broke a losing streak of sorts, as he had not won a TakeOver match at the Barclays Center until Friday night.
After celebrating with his wife, NXT superstar Candice LeRae, in the ring, and both fans and family members at ringside, Gargano walked up the entrance ramp to roaring applause from the raucous crowd, but there was one more person who wanted to extend his congratulations before heading back to the locker room.
Former NXT Champion Tommaso Ciampa, Gargano’s tag-team partner in the early part of their NXT careers as well as archrival over the last year, hugged both Gargano and LeRae, much to the delight of the crowd.
Ciampa vacated the title last month because of spinal fusion surgery, but despite being in a neck brace, was not going to miss the chance to congratulate his friend and fellow competitor.
With the victory over Cole, Gargano became the first-ever NXT Triple Crown Champion.
Gargano won the tag-team titles under the World Wrestling Entertainment banner with Ciampa as the team known as “D.I.Y.,” and earlier this year, claimed the NXT North American Championship at NXT TakeOver: Phoenix.
One day after winning the North American Championship, Gargano made his debut in the Royal Rumble match.
