15 Ups & 1 Down From Last Night's WWE NXT (Oct 2)
8. Gargano Escapes
It was easy to underestimate the pressure on Johnny Gargano and Shane Thorne going into their mid-show match on the historic first two-hour USA Network edition of the show. With one promo to build it, no belt between them and sh*tloads potentially happening on the other side, the 'heart of NXT' and a member of its new blood could have easily seen their scuffle slip between the cracks.
Gargano is too good for that.
'Johnny Wrestling' worked up a magnificent level of drama in what served effectively as the night's longest squash. Thorne looked like one of the NXT jobber-to-the-stars types that will one day shine on the TakeOver stage - it wasn't destined to be the 'Black Swan's night, but his minutes were maximised before the loss.
Kept to a premium since NXT moved to USA, the booking of Gargano has shown security in the rest of the roster to thrive without him atop it. For a man handcuffed to huge programmes for the entirety of his black-and-gold tenure, there's an added excitement about his current freedom.