10 Best NXT TakeOver Spotfests
3. Johnny Gargano Vs. Tommaso Ciampa (Last Man Standing)
This match was supposed to be a Triple Threat also featuring Aleister Black, but plans were changed last minute when Black got hurt in an angle that would eventually see Johnny Gargano revealed as his attacker. Instead, Gargano and Ciampa squared off one-on-one in a Last Man Standing match, marking the third consecutive TakeOver that had been headlined by the former #DIY members.
These two men destroyed one another, there's no other way to put it. They incorporated spots from their previous two encounters, riffing on them to further their epic storyline whilst also creating a whole host of new memorable moments. Gargano took a beating and a half in this fight; an Air Raid Crash through the announce table, a Fairytale Ending on the steel steps, and about sixty million Project Ciampas.
But then Johnny got his own back by handcuffing Ciampa and superkicking him really really hard. It was Johnny's overzealousness that got the better of him as he delivered one Running Knee Strike too many, taking himself out in the process.
It was a great match that told a great story, but it will be most fondly remembered for the fact that these two real-life best friends battered each other for half an hour.