10 Best WWE Matches Of 2018 (So Far)
7. Johnny Gargano Vs. Tommaso Ciampa (TakeOver: Chicago)
Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa's second TakeOver clash was, like the first, carried by sublime storytelling.
It was as realistic a portrayal of pure, unfiltered hatred as you'll ever see in WWE. No move was executed without the intent of killing the other man. Gargano, far beyond driven, took the brunt of it in the first and second acts. This allowed the underdog supreme to showcase the G.O.A.T.-level selling that makes him wrestling's most effective modern babyface, but the bout truly came alive towards the end, when Ciampa's darkness crept over his former partner.
The symmetry of Gargano sat on the announce table, gazing down upon his destroyed former partner in a manner identical to Ciampa's original betrayal last time NXT hit Chicago made the match. Ciampa, like Johnny one year prior, was loaded onto a stretcher. This wasn't enough for Gargano, who dragged his mortal enemy back to the ring, fighting off hordes of security staff along the way, but paid the ultimate price.
Tommaso jumped on the distraction, DDT'ing Gargano into the exposed ring boards, tying their series at 1-1. 'Johnny Wrestling' embraced his blind rage, and it cost him everything.