The One Faction WWE Need To Push In 2019

Adam Cole Johnny Gargano NXT TakeOver New York
WWE

At TakeOver: New York, WrestleMania weekend was stolen before the 'Show Of Shows'. Adam Cole and Johnny Gargano went 38:25 in a match some are already classifying as the greatest in WWE history. This isn't hyperbole, nor just elevated acclaim thanks to Dave Meltzer affording it the rare six star treatment just a week removed from the event. There was much to love about the story-rich two-out-of-three-falls firecracker, but a lot of the favourable treatment it received came from what ostensibly stood to hamper it.

The contest only occured because a planned end-of-the-world war between Tommaso Ciampa and Johnny Gargano went on hold. A three-year arc frozen again through injury, it had been a match clamoured for by the bulk of the NXT faithful, and Triple H's task was to now over-deliver like "nnnnDaddd" himself. Adam Cole as Ciampa's replacement for a now-vacant strap relied more on storyline than shock, but it came in-built with a trust in the process audiences no longer have for the main roster.

Cole's crosshairs had always been set to the NXT Championship. His debut - in the Barclays Center no less - saw him storm then-titleholder Drew McIntyre and hold the belt aloft. TakeOver: New York was his opportunity to claim it for real. Gargano had pined for the opportunity to take everything from bitter rival Ciampa, but he shared Cole's championship aspirations. This wasn't a feud set up in three weeks, but a simplistic and logical rivalry based on one every single wrestling fan has been trained since Day One (ish) to understand.

NXT was again economical in its execution of pro wrestling perfection. TakeOver headliners are held in phenomenal esteem, particularly in the current era, but fans were platforming this particular encounter as the best of the best.

CONT'D...

Advertisement
Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett