50 Ups & 50 Downs For WWE's Decade: The 2010s
23. Johnny Gargano Vs Adam Cole, NXT TakeOver: New York
The NXT Championship was vacant before Adam Cole and Johnny Gargano went to war, but both men crafted a contest so obscenely fulfilling that it was as if they were both trying to keep it, rather than claim it.
From a three year build to a three week one, Gargano's preparation for TakeOver: New York changed dramatically when Tommaso Ciampa's injury dropped a bomb on their planned end-of-the-world main event. Cole's insertion then threatened to make the task even harder - the 'Panama City Playboy' brought with him a cool factor beyond 'Johnny Wrestling's wildest dreams that made him the overwhelming babyface as the contest commenced.
Just 38:25 later, and Brooklyn's Barclays Center capacity crowd had collectively been reduced to a quivering emotional wreck for the good of his cause. Rich - stinkingly rich - in high quality physicality, the sheer gall of the two to gamble their entire past, present and future repertoire in the knowledge that they'd have to go again was brave in and of itself. Calling back and flashing forward, the pair left nothing out, receiving everything from the impassioned 15,697 fortunate enough to be part of it.