NXT TakeOver: New Orleans - Every Match Ranked From Worst To Best

by Jack Pooley

1. Unsanctioned Match: Tommaso Ciampa Vs. Johnny Gargano

ciampa gargano
WWE.com

Result: Gargano makes Ciampa tap to the STF, with some extra help from Ciampa's knee brace (37:06).

Rating: No NXT main event has ever had this much emotion or psychology baked into it, setting the stage for one hell of an epic, no-holds-barred finale with the most invested crowd possible.

With an awesome length, an array of brutal, wince-inducing moments (especially the powerbomb onto the concrete followed by "You deserve it!") and great visual storytelling (fighting over the crutch), it had everything that WWE main events so often lack.

Though this stipulation typically results in predictability, that wasn't really the case here with Gargano's potential for a main roster call-up.

The ending, where it seemed like Gargano would get duped by Ciampa's Machiavellian ways, was a fantastic false flag ahead of an extremely cathartic win for Johnny Wrestling. 9/10

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What did you think of NXT TakeOver: New Orleans? Shout it out in the comments!

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