10 PPV Quality Wrestling Matches Given Away On Weekly Television In 2020
2. Adam Cole Vs. Finn Bálor Vs. Tommaso Ciampa Vs. Johnny Gargano (NXT Title Match)c- NXT, 1 Sept.
When Karrion Kross defeated Keith Lee at NXT TakeOver: XXX to claim the NXT Championship, there was no doubt who was going to be the face of the black-and-yellow brand for the foreseeable future. So, days later, when Kross had to relinquish the NXT Championship due to injury, NXT's creative decided that the only possible solution was to book one of the most anticipated matches in the brand's history.
While neither Bálor, Cole, Ciampa, or Gargano were coming into this match with momentum, the quartet were undoubtedly NXT's top stars, and watching these four men fight for "Goldie" in a 60-minute iron man match was a mouth watering proposition. They did not disappoint.
The outcome of the match was classic WWE booking, and the company may have done better to have one of these wrestlers win outright. What makes up for the result is the quality of the entire hour, the brilliant performance from all four wrestlers and the impeccable timing of the final two falls.
After Ciampa hit an Air Raid Crash on Gargano with less than 30 seconds left, Bálor struck from the top turnbuckle, hitting Ciampa with the Coup De Grâce for his second fall of the match. While Bálor celebrated on his knees, Cole clocked him with the Last Shot and tied it up with no time to spare, to ensure the match finished a draw.
The circumstances required this match to be on weekly television but this could have easily been TakeOver's main event on WrestleMania weekend.