[10.0] "Maybe the greatest match in the history of nxt. The last 15-20 minutes in particular fantastic. Cole looked brilliant. Gargano looked great. I really like how the crowd was supporting Cole at the start and were occasionally going gargano, but the latter won the over as the match went on. One of the greatest babyface performances I've ever seen."
[10.0] "Everything about this match down to the hold is perfect. There is not a second towards the end where you're not holding your breath with the false finishes, the selling can't get much better, and the storytelling has you rooting for Johnny Wrestling for the entire match as you watch him navigate the various challenges Adam Cole gives him, including interference from the Undisputed Era. This is not just wrestling. This is art that needs to be put in a museum somewhere. This is the greatest wrestling match you will ever watch. And if, for some reason, you are a non-wrestling fan who has somehow ventured their way towards this page, watch this match. It will change your perception of wrestling, and maybe your life, forever."
[9.0] "An all time classic and (according to Meltzer) the best match in WWE history. While it is a great match, and deserves the 5.25 (or 5.5 from Meltzer) that it earned, it could go without around 3 or 4 minutes, and Johnny kickout only goes so far. Despite this, the ending and post match erase and small misgivings, and cap off an incredible show with a banger."
[10.0] "Pure Joy. The last 20 minutes is just watching Adam Cole re-enact the myth of wrestling sisyphus as the reversals and the false finishes get increasingly ridiculous. Overbooked to perfection."
[10.0] "One of the matches that truly made me fall in love with wrestling. I truly believe NXT at this time was one of the greatest era of wrestling of all time."
"I finally got around to watch this match. This is a 10/10 and now one of my favorite matches ever. It is legitimately incredible. The amount of times that Gargano kicked out of seemingly impossible spots turned nearly comical. One of my favorite things is the transition of the crowd from cheering one or the other to being happy for both guys winning to nonstop cheers when Gargano keeps kicking out."
[10.0] "This was a perfect match that had more than amazing in ring work, which also showed Gargano being a great resilient underdog who kept kicking out of Adam Cole's moves to then finally win the first of their amazing trilogy."
[7.0] "If I had rated this in 2019 my rating would have been an easy 10. But rewatching it now, a few years removed from the hype of the moment, I just couldn't get as into the action as I used to. Most of that would be down to Gargano, who I just don't like nearly as much as a singles guy as in 2019. The finisher kick outs were pretty egregious though there was at least a decent story here of Gargano's desperation to win the belt which some of the other NXT kick out fests didn't have. Despite my reservations, I will say I still think this was a pretty good main event."
[10.0] "NXT's peak, an exceptional match with an excellent Johnny Gargano. I miss this era. Simply perfection--the spots, the sequences, everything. Two incredible performers who delivered a classic."
[10.0] "Amazing, drama, cinema, not enough words to describe the greatest main event in NXT history. Still brings tears when Johnny won the title, him, Candice and Ciampa embracing at the end. Simply incredible match. Just seemed everything happened in over 30 minutes. Except the Bloodline rules final 10 minutes. This is the greatest final 10 minutes of all time!"
[10.0] "Probably the greatest wrestling match ever broadcasted on a WWE show and one of the best examples of two guys leaving everything out there in the squared circle."
[7.0] "This is a lot, and it's certainly not all bad. Quite the opposite in fact, as I'd argue that the first two falls trend rather positively, with some genuinely nifty ideas emerging along the way. The use of Ciampa's offence is neat, reiterating his presence as a looming cloud that's ultimately erased. The first fall strikes an impressive balance too, sudden yet entirely believable. I also love the way that they initially build on that fall, with Cole chasing a sweep. Unfortunately, the third fall is enough to wash away those prior intricacies, trading bombs for an extended finishing run that veers towards outright parody. It's an overwhelming amount of false finishes, and swiftly loses me, but there really is a lot to like here and the atmosphere certainly provides some charm to boot. ***1/4"
[10.0] "Oh man, where do I even begin? This is one of my favorite wrestling matches ever. The in-ring work, the spots, the drama, the storytelling, and the kickouts from Gargano, this match had it all. Wish Johnny held the NXT title longer though."
[4.0] "You could have stuffed a grenade down Gargano's throat and he still would have kicked out. Just your typical indy match that has plagued wrestling for years now. these could put on a good match if they attempted just a smidgen of realism and thought. I know Gargano's whole schtick was a battling underdog but come on, you can only go so far with that routine before it gets ridiculously fake and laughable. I'm aware wrestling is scripted but that doesn't mean they can't at least try and make it a little believable"
[10.0] "I don't like Two Out Of Three Falls type of Match, because its always 1-0 1-1 2-1 BUT This is instant classic, so dynamic and bright match. So much intrigue and what an ending!"
[8.0] "The excess at the end of the 3rd fall with Johnny's plot armor was kind of insane, but the rest of the match was very good. I felt the TakeOver XXV match was better overall. ****"
[10.0] "My favourite match of all time. Just perfection, the spots, sequences, etc they had great chemistry 2 incredible workers who put on a classic."
"10/10 one of my favorite matches of all time. the official crowning of Johnny Gargano. the race of becoming the first ever NXT Triple Crown Champion was great. the best we might ever get of Adam Cole. i love this match from start to finish. lovely stuff, perfect match."
[10.0] "My all time favorite WWE match. As much as I love the main roster style, I have a soft spot in my heart for the real indy stuff and this has all of it, turned up to 11. So many false finishes, superkicks, destroyers, its truly an indy masterpiece presented at the biggest level. The false finish of Gargano taking out all of Undisputed Era only to be hit with the last shot is the stuff of dreams. My only nitpick would be if one of the false finishes in the final fall was Cole kicking out during that stream of Gargano kick outs but other than that, a true masterpiece in one of WWE's greatest eras."
[7.0] "This is a good match but not close to being an all timer to me. On one hand, they have such great chemistry thats its hard to give this anything lower than what Im giving it. What brings it down is the excessive amount of false finishes during the 3rd fall compared to how easily the first 2 falls ended. I could say more but it would simply be repeating what others have already said. I still liked it though, 3 1/4 stars!"
[7.0] "I don't even know what to make of this match. The men showed a high level of wrestling and chemistry for sure, but the structure of this match felt more like a perfectly calibrated choreography than wrestling. Also the first two falls ended way too easily. I could overlook the above issues, but what really prevents me from giving this match a high score is that Gargano suddenly turned into the Terminator and kicked out of every finisher thrown at him. Are you kidding me? Gargano, exhausted, kicked out of Cole's finisher, which he was unable to kick out of during the first fall. Total nonsense. And yet, the wrestling in this match was too good to give it anything lower."
[10.0] "Absolutely amazing match from Gargano and Adam Cole. Everytime i rewatch this match, I like it even more and more each time. The in-ring action was phenomenal. The storytelling was very good. They have amazing in-ring chemistry, lots of counter wrestling. They brought the best out each other. They structured the match good. The final stretch was incredible. The moment when Johnny is with his family in the crowd, all of it felt so real. One of my favorite matches of all time."
[7.0] "Very conflicting feelings on this match. It starts really really slow, building on the history between these two, and bth try to out smart each other to get the first step up. I liked them building around that, and while it took a little too long, it did end up getting to a really good finale pace. The problem is it tries to go past the finale pace to the next level, in a way that is near impossible to do. The way it turns out is making Gargano feel like he has lot armor and kick out spam. It's hard to believe that Adam Cole and Undisputed Era has any legitimacy and that Gargano is a person at the same time. It feels so unrealistic and like Gargano was destined to win. It's easily the worst example of kick out spamming in wrestling I've ever seen. The ending 10 minutes really soured me on the whole match. It was on pace for a 9 because a lot of the moves looked great and it had some great in ring story telling, but it relied way too much on what WWE is so far against."
[10.0] "A phenomenal and super fire match. The crowd was hot, the in ring action was insane and the last stretch of the match was just perfection with Gargano winning the big one and reuniting with Ciampa after the match."
[3.0] "Overbooked to the max, some of the worst traits from the PWG era of indie wrestling and the WWE mainevent style being on display in this match. It doesn't help that the wrestlers involved have already stagnated in the character department. This had everything from a dozen meaningless false finishes to kicking out of a hundred finishers, overbooked to the max yet boring at its core. Cole doing the same handful of moves together with the same storytelling he has had for his whole NXT run makes it quite tedious but Gargano doing his best SuperCena impression and kicking out of everything so much just made it worse. Its not that its bad but that its terribly boring and predictable. It almost put me to sleep. Easily one of the worst match of either wrestler's rather illustrious career."
[9.0] "WOW, the crowd was HOT for this match. And what a match it was. Both men absolutely killed this and everything just clicked. From the match to the crowd it was great, the part where undisputed era came out to attack Johnny I did not enjoy very much but everything else couldnt have been better."
[7.0] "On rewatch, I don't like this one as much. I'm 5 years older now, and closer to 40 now than I was then. This match is a bit too much on the overbooked side of things. And, I'd go as far as to say that this match is why the industry finds itself constantly in the position of overbooked finishes on almost every PPV to this day. I get it's wrestling. And I love the golden eras of TNA and ROH. But wtf were they thinking letting two HBK guys book this many false finishes? Man, it really takes me out of it these days. Gargano and Cole were darlings here and probably could do no wrong at the time, but now, present day? This one is a pretty long watch."
[3.0] "This was not good. This was honestly pretty bad gargano went super cena mode and just wouldnt die too the point that it got bad and stained the match. First half of the match was bad with them being slow and clunky on their spots and lacking any smoothness and fluidity. They did eventually find their groove once they got past that first fall but then the overbooking and constant nearfalls just ruined any enjoyment i couldve gotten from this. Gargano took lord knows how many finshes from cole the rest of the UE yet still kicked out its ridiculous. Wasnt a fan of gargano before watching this and after watching this im especially not a fan hes just not good hes an Hbk wannabe. Cole is solid but this definitely brought out the worse in him as well. 2/5"
[9.0] "This was an all time classic. The two gave each other everything they had, the false finishes in here might have been slightly over done but they were still amazing. Cole got the first fall but Johnny got the next two and an emotional title win."
[9.0] "I simply love this match. Another classic for Mr. NXT Gargano and it's by far the best 1v1 of Cole's career. Everything about this match made sense, even the overbooking and the bs in the third fall. It was perfect because it was the match to show WHAT Johnny Wrestling is, what the supreme spirit of the underdog babyface is. One of the best matches in the history of the Black & Gold that just doesn't get the maximum rating because Adam Cole was messing up in the first fall [****3/4]."
[10.0] "On rewatch, I found myself near the beginning thinking to myself wow, this actually doesnt hold up but as soon as the first fall was earned, I remembered why I loved this match so much. Cole and Gargano at this point were the faces of NXT and so it was inevitable they would have a title feud. Most people think this first encounter is their best one of the trilogy, and I can definitely see why. Cole and Gargano had instant chemistry and they showed it off immediately with the beautiful opening sequence where they both go for big moves but avoid each one. The action is so crisp and smooth that it almost feels like a video game. The drama is here in spades and it gets to the point of overbooking, but as someone who actually prefers the storyline and drama aspect to psychology, I love that shit. The Undisputed Era coming out at fall 3 and hitting every move they can just for Gargano to still kick out, and then kick out again from even more finishers from Cole may rub people the wrong way, but I was so hyped. The facial expressions from Cole are priceless as he slowly begins to realize that Gargano giving up and quitting is just not possible. Its so amazing how at the start of the match the crowd is going rabid for Adam, and by the end of the match theyre going nuts for Garganos victory. Gargano put on such a convincing underdog performance that he made the audience switch sides. I love this match, and its easily one of the best NXT title matches Ive watched up to this point."
[7.0] "My review from April 20th, 2019 of this match (which I still completely agree with): re-watched that takeover main event and it perplexes me even more now. johnny look about 4 finishes and then just immediately submitted adam cole. makes no sense in many ways. obviously its not realistic but neither is wrestling so that doesn't matter much but wouldn't you wanna sell the johnny comeback more? lemme reiterate - don't you wanna actually have a comback lmao. this man kicked out of a fourth finish then just reversed one knee and won. the submission didn't even last that long either like jesus 2 year build wow. Adam Cole looks like an absolute dork now, him and all of the undisputed era. couldn't imagine how a casual would view them (not sure how many casuals watch NXT tho) but even I think they look utterly ridiculous. ***1/2"
[6.0] "This match was my introduction to Gargano. Made me a huge fan of him. On the other hand this match failed to make me a fan of Adam Cole. I didn't come to appreciate him until later on. Gargano's endurance in this match was comical. Undisputed Era could've drowned Gargano and he still would've found a way to win. It honestly had gotten pretty absurd."
[10.0] "This match is just simply amazing. Really great build up, amazing spots, the commentary, the atmosphere and the brutality. Everything was nailed on here and you can tell the wrestlers gave it their all. To top it all off one of the most memorable promos from NXT. You're hungry, but i'm STARVING. Eternally a GOATed match."
[7.0] "Back at the day this match happened, i genuinely thought this was a legit all timer but nowadays, i think this is a very overrated match who has gone to overkill in the wrong way, both are awesome wrestlers and they are capable to do better than this but the super epic formula booked by Triple H was a bit annoying, that being said this was a good match that started well with Gargano being a great underdog and Cole being a great prick. Cole taping out on the Garga-no escape as soon as it was locked could be disturbing but Cole wanted to preserve himself for the following of the match and given he has won a fall after surprising Gargano with a Last Shot, this wasn't bothering. The most part of the match was really really good so what has gond wrong ? The last minutes were unbearable with the overbooking and Bobby Fish trying to hit Johnny Gargano in front of the referee which made no fucking sense given it could have cost Cole's victory, it was stupid and the nearfalls were way too much, Gargano kicked out of ReDragon's finishing move and the Last Shot before winning the match right after, Cole looked a bit weak - ***1/2"
[9.0] "Huge match with very good high level wrestling. A superb babyface and the same for the heel. The two Superstars took moves from the previous champion who had to vacate the title, Tommaso Ciampa. The only thing that bothers me about this match is that Gargano loses the first pinfall by Pin after 14 minutes. and that during the last 5 min. of the match, he took a multitude of finishes from Cole and always managed to free himself from the pinfalls. Too many exaggerated near falls for me. Otherwise the rest is perfect. A superb crowd which is even more so for the celebration of the new champion. (4*3/4)"
[10.0] "Is it too long? Absolutely! Did it kind of ruin Takeover main events from here on out? Sure! Do either of those facts change that this match, particularly the 3rd fall, still hits like crack whenever I rewatch it and that I shed tears when Johnny finally became champion? FUCK NO!"
[10.0] "This match was overbooked, overdone, and at times excessive, but also ridiculously fun and incredibly captivating. A match ending has never left me smiling as hard as I did when Gargano tapped out Cole. As flawed at its core as this match is, it made me feel something, and I love it all the same. I might be in the minority here, but the finisher kickouts didn't take anything away from the match, it added so much for me, and made for some unbelievable crowd reactions. This match would not be as spectacular as it was if not for the crowd being as hot as they were, they practically blew the roof off the place. The first two falls were amazing, but the third was simply magical. If you can look past the absurdity, the lack of selling, and all the shenanigans, I can guarantee you'll be on the edge of your seat watching this match. This was so much fun. *****3/4"
[10.0] "Amazing match. One of the Best WWE matches I had the pleasure of watching. The first fall was really good. It was clean and although the ending came out of nowhere and came fast, it was still very good. The second fall was okay and easily my least favorite fall. But the final fall really pushed the match into next gear. Adam's desperation, Johnny's will to win and the energy of the crowd gave us an absolutely thriller of a match. Even the interference and ref bump worked really well and normally I would hate the fact that Gargano kicked out of the last shot far too many times but the way it was done here just added a lot of drama to the end and the crowd absolutely loved it. On a side note, The commentary was also amazing. *****"
[10.0] "This match is a instant classic and is truly insane this match was two men giving their all and this match is just so good and the moment of johnny winning is amazing. *****"
[6.0] "To put it simply, they're moving but not thinking. First 10 minutes is just soulless, emotionless exchanges where both are not only obviously co-operating, but also don't even look like they're trying, this section is ended by an abrupt and underwhelming first fall. The structure of this is pretty awful. Gargano kicks out of Adam Cole's Last Shot finisher move within the first 10 minutes (a move that's never been kicked out before, instead of saving the kick out for the climax of the match). The second fall again, is abrupt and underwhelming. The third section of the match is when you can see they're obviously trying, this comes with good sequences even if they lack any sort of psychology at all. Then The Undisputed Era come out and somehow Gargano fights all of them away and kicks out of tons of finishers."
[0.0] "Fair play to those who love this match, to me this is the nadir of NXT and the surest sign that I made the right choice to high tail it away from the brand. This was pretty much the exact opposite of what I want to see in wrestling. Melodramatic in the extreme, billed as a blood feud but totally lacking in any real intensity, Gargano becomes invincible for lack of any better ideas, and good god the match just goes on and on and on forever."
[10.0] "Amazing match oh my word, so good that I never felt like it was 40 minutes long. Sensational start to an all timer trilogy and probably the best match of it. The last ten minutes with Johnny kicking out of every move and single-handedly taking on the UE were amazing. My 2nd favourite Gargano match."
[10.0] "This is a 5 star match without a doubt, but it doesn't deserve to be the highest star rated match in WWE history. Unlike most 5 star matches it does have a glaring flaw in the sense that it's tiptoeing on the line between shocking and overindulgent. However, the action itself is so mindblowingly good that it makes up for it, and the crowd enjoys it which makes everything better. Quite possibly the dumbest match ever, and I love it for that. 10/10 / *****"
[10.0] "The moment that felt most good with a match on NXT (along with the end of the NO takeover), finally Johnny won the main title in an epic way and even a little exaggerated in some moments with so many nearfalls, but even so the moment and the result put this as one of the best in NXT history and in my top 3 of the brand (*****)"
[9.0] "An incredible rollercoaster of a match. Usually I have trouble with main event "epics" that last this long and feature so many near falls and excessive spots. But you know what? I thought it mostly worked here. And the highs were incredibly high. This had everything. *****."
[10.0] "Quite possibly my favorite match of all time. If not, definitely in my Top 10 or Top 5. Everything was done absolutely perfect here. Even with the crowd on Cole's side at the beginning, Gargano put on such a compelling performance that they had no choice but to root for him against the amazing heel that is Adam Cole. There was a perfect amount of drama here, including the interference from Undisputed Era, the referee bump, and the overall storytelling. This was a masterclass of how to do an underdog face versus conniving heel matchup. Fantastic main event to, perhaps, my favorite wrestling PPV of all time."
[9.0] "This was an amazing match that would have been perfect if it hadn't gone a little overboard with the kickouts. Cole and Gargano had fantastic chemistry and the crowd was electric. Gargano finally winning the NXT title was an awesome moment. ****3/4"
[10.0] "Some love this, some hate this, but I LOVE it. I think this match is perfect, it created the meme of Johnny kicking out of everything but for the story it made sense. Gargano tapping out Cole and then celebrating after it ended was A perfect and emotional moment."
[9.0] "Amazing match.The crowd was loving the entire match and the pops for both wrestlers were awesome. This match kicked it up to full gear after both wrestlers had 1 fall each, and it did not disappoint. The only thing that keeps this from being perfect is the fact that Gargano, after being pinned with a singular last shot, kicked out of two last shots, a panama sunrise, a fairytale ending on the announcer table, and a total elimination by the Undisputed Era. Sometimes the babyface can indeed endure all."
[10.0] "This is a once in a lifetime match. People complain about the kickouts, but I believe they were perfect. The circumstances of Ciampa getting injured, and both of these hard workers getting a shot. It was all too perfect, you cant do matches like this often. But sometimes, the babyface can endure it all, and force the crowd to believe in him. Ive never popped so loud, or been so shocked during a match. Absolute masterclass main event"
[1.0] "Apparently, both of these guys are superman, and Gargano himself must be out of this planet with the stuff they allowed him to kick out of. Gargano was literally the Cena kicks out of everything meme in this match. The best part of this match is when they were doing those technical wrestling exchanges that were creative, and sort of had a purpose, but after they were finished with that this match became old really quickly. The first two falls were just two dudes hitting cool moves, trading strikes with absolutely no hook to it all. The last fall is them spamming near falls, while Gargano kicks out of everything imaginable like the fairytale ending on the table, and he was somehow even able to survive the undisputed era attack. After these two hit each other with everything imaginable so surely the ending doesn't come out of nowhere? But nope that's what happened.*"
[10.0] "This was just pure fucking magic, this is pro wrestling at its absolute best right here. The very best that was seen out of American pro wrestling in years."
[10.0] "This is a either you love it or you hate it match and I happen to love it. Two of the greatest wrestlers in NXT history having an epic. The final fall is absolutely incredible. I wouldn't call this the best NXT match ever but it's definitely somewhere between Top 3 and Top 5. *****"
[10.0] "I know Gargano had like 3 health bars but excluding that it was amazing match. Feel good moment for Gargano to finally get his hands on NXT Championship."
[10.0] "A good use of the two out of three falls stipulation. This match produced a lot of intimidaters. It felt like the two best wrestlers in NXT for the vacant title, a big fight feel. One of my favorite matches of 2019."
[7.0] "Some cool moments here and there and certainly not a bad match but this is among the worst match of either men when it comes to takeover matches. It overindulges in the PWG indie style way to much for my liking which is sad because both of these wrestlers are easily capable of making MOTY contenders."
[10.0] "My 2nd favorite match in NXT history, and for a lot of reasons. I know some people have some problems with Gargano's nearfalls in the final minutes of the match, but I wasn't bothered by that. The first fall was slower with Gargano and Cole analyzing each other, the second fall had a faster pace, but it's in the third fall that we saw the match becoming a classic: the pace was perfect, the crowd was hot like never before, the interference of the Undisputed Era created a nice moment with Gargano beating them all. And the ending is wonderful with Cole tapping out and Gargano finally conquering the NXT championship. A perfect match and in my opinion the best one between those two (the match at Takeover XXV was great but not this great, and the match at Takeover Toronto isn't at this level)"
[10.0] "This is one these matches that you can watch repeatedly. The fans in the crowd went from booing Gargano to slowly cheering him during the match. This match showed why Gargano is one of the many names that come to mind when talking about the goats of Nxt. The emotion both Cole and Gargano showed; when Gargano narrowly beat the 10 count, then the surprise kick out from Gargano when the Undisputed Era interfered got me glued in, In addition after the match the celebration with wife then Gargano and Ciampa embracing each other was a great way to end the show."
[10.0] "I know that there were too many kick outs in this match but the storytelling and in-ring chemistry really made this into one of the best NXT matches ever and a perfect feel-good moment for Johnny Wrestling."
"[10.0] Gargano's kick outs were hella excessive, but I think this match is probably the best Takeover main event in history. The final 10 minutes of this match is some of the most exciting stuff I have ever seen in NXT, with some of the most convincing near-falls I've ever seen. Fantastic match."
[8.0] "A difficult match to rate, I enjoyed it until the closing ten minutes. These two kept a good pace and had excellent chemistry, but having Gargano kick out of three last shots, a Panma sunrise and total elimination was overkill. Gargano is too small to be booked as invincible they should have found another way to have Gargano come out over Cole. I did not enjoy this match as much as Gargano's bouts with Ciampa and Andrade."
[0.0] "The more I think and watch this match my brain hurts, I know they had the story of making Gargano look like superman cause he's been kicked around for months but jesus does he have to no sell everybody's finisher' It just makes the move weaker than him looking stronger. Also this match runs so long and does all the typical 2 out of 3 falls cliches. EDIT: So I rewatched this match and it's even worse than I remember, the fact of the matter is this, Bar the Undisputed Era run ins, this would've been the exact same match if Ciampa was in Cole's place. The fact that this blatant laziness of not booking a new match shows how inept Shawn Michaels is as a road agent and it hurt the performance of the match. Even if Ciampa was in, it'd still have moves not having any significance, the "shocked face" that Gargano always puts on in a big match, too many false finishes, and be an overtly long match that I as a fan never want to see continue and was the reason my fandom of NXT decreased. If I didn't get into Stardom and then AEW later in 2019, I think this would've killed my enjoyment of pro wrestling because it is the antithesis of what I want in professional wrestling."
[10.0] "I can agree that there was some dull moments here and there, but the storytelling and character work here was so off the charts that didn't take me away one bit, this was the culmination of everything Gargano went thorugh at this time, and the nearfalls were absolutely insane, a perfect match and one of the best WWE and NXT matches of all-time, *****."
[9.0] "I think it will be controversial what I say next, but that's how I see it. The first fall looked 100% choreographed. The argument can be made that these are two very good athletes and they moved extremely smoothly. Yes, that happened too, but it all looked rehearsed beforehand and overdone. Since the second fall things have improved and the quality of the match has increased. I saw what I wanted to see, drama, desperation, frustration, all of which were heightened by the reactions of both wrestlers, but especially Gargano, who once again played his role as the flawless doer. Trouble starts towards the end of the match. I personally was seeing an Adam Cole win and would have loved to see it come via Panama Sunrise. It's too much of an impact maneuver, especially in WWE where the Piledriver is banned, to kick out of it. I hope it doesn't become a transition maneuver like it was in Cole's indie days. Going back, the finish was clearly overbooked, and Gargano didn't need that, he didn't need to become SuperCena for a few minutes, the crowd reaction would have been the same when the gong sounded. This is where I thought they overdid it again, but ultimately it led to Mauro Ranallo's terribly funny line, "Mamma fn' Mia". (Also, kudos to Ranallo for mentioning Nipsey Hussle who was killed earlier this week. If you don't know who he is, google it and you'll see why he deserved a mention). Probably if I had been in the arena at the time I would have reacted the same way, it's different when you're living in the moment as opposed to a slightly analytical glance in front of a monitor. Either way, it will go down in history for one of the greatest pops. And the most controversial part I think comes now. I've long said that Johnny Gargano's story has to end with him winning the title from Tommaso Ciampa, until then he's not allowed to touch it. That was probably going to happen, but unfortunately Ciampa got injured. They didn't want to wait any longer and pulled the trigger now. It's still going to be a great storyline, but it would have ended perfectly with Gargano taking the title off Ciampa. Overall, if they made the first fall shorter or more... natural and cut out the bullshit at the end, it was a perfect match."
[4.0] "Very athletic guys, they execute their moves well and all that, but this match in my opinion sucked... I mean it had no head or tail... it was a meaningless sequence where both men survived each other's finishers in a ridiculous way. And what to say about Gargano in Barion Mode do resisting everything (I really think that if an asteroid fell in the arena that night he would come out alive) was pitiful."
[9.0] "One of the best matches in NXT TakeOver history. At the start of this match, the arena was booing Johnny Gargano in virtual unison. By the end, it was cheering at the top of its lungs for him. The first fall was actually somewhat underwhelming; the moves connected, but the movement was slow compared to the pace they were attempting to wrestle at. And that crescendo is what a 2/3 Falls match is all about. The story kept developing, and both Cole and Gargano delivered a match that turned into an all-time classic. The second fall enhanced the captivating story of desperation and honor from Gargano and the battle between arrogance and hunger from Cole. The pace slowed a bit and the two found themselves more in their element. They threw everything they had each other from there on out, with both digging deep into the arsenals they'd developed as independent wrestlers? arsenals they hadn't gone that deep into SINCE they were independent wrestlers. There were even some surprising and perfectly placed homages to Tommaso Ciampa. With a fantastic second fall and a third fall for the absolute ages, Cole and Gargano brought this grown man to tears. 4. 75 stars, 9. 5 out of 10."
[9.0] "Es gab an diesem Abend so viele großartige Matches zu sehen, doch der Main Event hat alles was gezeigt wurde nochmal überboten und einen Kandidaten für das Match des Jahres geliefert. Das war vor allem gegen Ende ein absolut wilder Ritt mit vielen großartigen Momenten. Es war absolut spannend bis zum Schluss und selbst, wenn man nicht großer Gargano Fan ist wollte man ihn hier endlich mal gewinnen sehen. Vor allem der Kick out kurz vor Schluss war einfach nur sensationell gemacht. Sogar der Run In von Undisputed Era war stark gemacht und hat ein neues dramatisches Element in die Schlussphase gebracht. Die beiden sollten eine ebenso geniales Match noch später im Jahr haben. MOTYC in 2019. **** 1/2 (2)"
[7.0] "A great match involving two performers whose work I love dragged down significantly by the ridiculous kickouts and near-falls in this contest. Sometimes, lots of near-falls helps a match progress to an epic level. This match went far beyond that point, almost to the point of video game parody. The sheer ridiculousness of those kickouts aside, this is the exact type of match NXT TakeOvers are built upon. Strong, independent-grown talent with a higher budget and more room to create a long-running emotional storyline is always going to excite, and this match delivered. A great encounter that could have been all-time levels."
[10.0] "This match is an absolute masterpiece. I feel so bad for people who didn't like it, so many low ratings for this match is completely understandable. But I'm not going to focus on that because man, Cole and Gargano deserve only compliments after delivering that crazy match-up. It took a while for them to reach the second gear but when the sudden death came... pure madness. This match mixes everything I love and represents modern wrestling. Technique, great sense of timing, spots after spots, nearfalls after nearfalls, a crowd on absolute FIRE, a very well done overbooking with UE, in short it was just amazing. Gargano's coronation was so well brought and we can only be happy for him after a match like that. One of the best NXT matches in history. (*****)"
[10.0] "This starts out slowly enough, aside from some brief spurts, but by the end it reaches a fever pitch rarely seen in a WWE ring. Absolutely one of the best NXT matches ever. *****"
[10.0] "OMG ! My favorite NXT match ever, both wrestlers are so adaptable. High fly, technique, spots. They can do all they want. Gargano is a master of storytelling, he wanted to be as good as Ciampa would've been in that match. That was simply incredible and these two could wrestle even more. My 2nd favorite match in 2019. Just watch that incredible contest where two incredible wrestlers who put their body on the line. *****3/4"
[7.0] "Good match, but it just doesn't do it for me. 5½ Stars? Really Meltzer? While there was definitely some good spots it just seemed too scripted/contrived in places. Still a solid match though."
[10.0] "The first fall was more technical based with both guys avoiding any attempts at big impact moves from their opponent. Johnny Gargano just outclasses Cole in the beginning, not only out wrestling him but being able to counter all of Cole's signature moves. Cole has to play possum to take the advantage and then from there works the neck. Still Cole needs to catch Gargano by surprise with the Last Shot to win the first fall. The second fall is a lot more high impact. Cole immediately gets a second Last Shot for a 2 count. Cole is in control but his arrogance allows Gargano to nail three big moves, a spear on the apron, a top rope air raid crash and an apron slingshot DDT. Gargano could easily tie it up by taking the count-out here but shows his character by trying to throw Cole back in and ends up gets posted which draws blood. Back in however Gargano hooks his submission finish out of nowhere to tie it up. The third fall is nuts as Adam Cole does everything you could possibly think to pull off the win but Gargano keeps on kicking out of everything. All of Cole's signatures that was counted in the first fall couldn't put Gargano away. Cole starts busting signature moves from Gargano's rival Ciampa and still couldn't put Gargano down. The Undisputed Era interfere to help Cole get the win but Gargano still stubbornly kicks out. It's a brilliant babyface performance from Gargano as the crowd which was spilt in the beginning end up being completely behind Gargano by the end. ****3/4"
[7.0] "Bereits zu Beginn des Matches merkt man, dass es um etwas geht. Die Stipulation ist gut gewählt. Generell war das Match echt spannend aber für mein Empfinden an vielen Stellen ? zu choreografiert? und doch ein Stück zu lang. Einige Spots waren jedoch sehr schön und zum Teil heftig (zB der Suplex gegen den Apron). Alles in allem ein richtig gutes Match, dass mich aber nicht über die Maßen fasziniert hat. Das Overbooking am Ende sorgt dann doch für den finalen Punktabzug"
[0.0] "This is the start of my descent into madness, I'm sure of it. Everything about this is offence and cruel, and makes me want to jump into the sun. Its truly, truly fucking awful from start to finish. To be told "I didn't get it" drove me nuts for a long while, but i now see I;m the one whose normal and everyone is off their rocker"
[9.0] "It's sometimes really hard to figure out just how Cole gets control back in the match. We get the heart of Gargano which always gets him in the fight, and throughout the match he's sold as faster and more technically sound, but Cole is weird. Sometimes he takes advantage of Gargano's overzealousness, but sometimes he's just in control now. In general I liked the match. I get the complaints about the first two falls, but I think people are a little too hard on them. The first one really illustrates that despite the stipulation, the styles these two wrestle will not allow them to pace themselves. Gargano falls into the trap of having small exchanges and... gets caught. The second fall overall is pretty empty, but I like the submission itself as it shows Cole's tactical mind, preferring giving a fall than trying to fight out. After that, it's your typical Gargano overbooking... but I don't think it's such a bad thing. It's always so exciting and just fun to get behind. The crowd is on fire and the final moment is awesome."
[10.0] "Oh boy, war ich involviert. Irres Match, kurz dem Overkill und Super Johnny nervt hier und da leider, aber das Ding ist ein irres Brett, welches in meinen Augen fast alles richtig gemacht hat."
[7.0] "Controversial one. I can understand people really liking this match, but Meltzer's rating is just ridiculous. If it was John Cena or Roman Reigns kicking out of literally everything, people would be mad. But it's ok since it's Johnny Gargano who did it. Hard to take Adam Cole and whole Undisputed Era seriously after this one. Post-match segment with Ciampa was nonsense, deminishing the whole feud between former best friends. Apart from the questionable booking of the match, it was an amazing display of in-ring skill by both guys and that is admirable"
[9.0] "9. 2/10 - #1 Best of WM 35 Weekend : Here goes Gargano again adding one more match of his to my top 20 favorite wrestling matches of all time. This time with none other than the man who oozes of charisma yet had to prove himself in-ring wise on a high level (at least for me), Adam Cole. Absolutely loved what this match produced. From in-ring innovation to storytelling, this was a case of NXT doing it again. They just can't do no wrong. An all-time epic and an instant classic, though I can see where its critics (talking about the few honest and objective ones) are coming from, I can say that none of that damaged it too much for me."
[10.0] "We all know this match was not the initial plan. Thus, it was not as hyped as it could have been. However, the story behind it was fantastically played. Johnny Gargano will not give up because this is his moment. The first fall could have been better, but it is understandable because like previously stated, the two guys did not have any buildup before this. They did not know their opponent's gameplay. Johnny should be the main man comes out of this match, and all the falls did that really well."
[10.0] "Great match! This is why I love pro wrestling! The problem that I have is that it isn't good enough for 5 1/2, but it was something to remember for years to come. It's one true NXT classic, but for me 5 1/2 stars is too much."
[8.0] "Was it good? Yeah. Was it great? Yeah. Was it 5 1/2 stars great? Probably not. The 3rd fall was an adrenaline rush and worth a solid rating, but the first 2 falls were really underwhelming, I just think big Dave should hold 5 star plus matches to a better standard. That being said, this is still worth your time, and is definitely still one of the best main events in NXT history."
[2.0] "What a boring match, Jesus fucking christ... I don't know how Dave Meltzer rated this an 5. 5* and said that "all matches that have an rating above 5*, are the best in history. ". SERIOUSLY, DUDE? This almost 40 minutes of pure torture is one of the best in history? ! 'Cause I don't think so! I'm only giving 2 points to this match just because Johnny Gargano finally conquered the NXT Championship and 'cause of the beginning of the Undisputed ERA storyline. And please, oh please, NEVER make this match happen again... NEVER! -***"
[10.0] "WHAT A MATCH ! A classic for the ages, Cole and Gargano really put an absolute classic and a MOTYC out there. I don't understand how some people can not like it, the action the storytelling, the end segment, that match is a jewel."
[10.0] "Johnny Gargano is the modern heart and soul of NXT, failing to win the NXT Title on multiple occasions while building his collection of NXT classics against the likes of Almas, Ciampa and Ricochet. Adam Cole had a massive chip on his shoulder, as Undisputed ERA lost significant momentum through repeated defeats. Ciampa being forced to relinquish the NXT Title allowed Cole to be the opportunist, winning a Fatal 5-Way match to gain the right to challenge Gargano, who overcame Ciampas torment over the past year to become the white meat babyface Johnny Wrestling again. Both men desperately needed the win and were willing to put everything on the line for the NXT Title, Gargano through his resilience and Cole through dastardly use of fellow Undisputed ERA members. This high stakes matchup began slow, but good nevertheless, with nearly 14 minutes of well executed exchanges before Cole suddenly landed a Last Shot out of nowhere to win the first fall. Having to overcome the odds by getting two straight falls, Johnny Wrestling absorbed more punishment as the pace picked up in the second fall, but dealt out just as much in the second fall with some callbacks to Ciampas moveset before forcing Cole to quickly tap out to the Gargano Escape at 20 minutes (too sudden, thought it could have been done better). The intensity built significantly for the third fall, with Cole repeatedly hitting his best shots as Gargano remained alive, conveying his heart with every nearfall. Eventually, Johnny had Cole beaten, but the numbers game came into effect as Undisputed ERA intervened and allowed Cole to come extremely close to winning the NXT Title with multiple brilliant near falls that set the crowd on fire. Cole looked to finish things with another Last Shot, but Gargano reverses it into the Gargano Escape to win an absolute classic. The storytelling and false finishes here were excellent, with this match being the culmination of Johnny Wrestlings incredible 3+ year journey. (*****)"
[8.0] "Meltzer and his ''stargasm'' again. This was incredibly good and it's story behind Gargano finally winning the 'big NXT one' it's sold great. But i gotta say that 5. 5 stars is FUCKING RIDICULOUS. This match was just good in the first two falls, but in the 3rd is were it got heated, and even more when Gargano was getting rid of every member in the Undisputed Era. And the rivality wasn't THAT good to be considered an all-time tier. I mean, it was excellent but, 5. 5? i'm not breaking the star system, Dave. ****3/4 stars."
[10.0] "Ist Gargano eigentlich Heel oder Face? Die Matchstory sagt zumindest eindeutig Face. Der Underdog liegt 0:1 hinten, setzt sich über sämtliche Hindernisse hinweg und kämpft sich immer wieder zurück, um am Ende zu triumpfieren. Fand ich sehr stark, da beide auch wrestlerisch absolut abliefern."
[3.0] "Gave this a proper watch as I wasn't really paying attention the first time. The failure of this match is nothing seems to really organically lead into the other, it feels like a pro-wrestling match put together by people who've read summaries of great matches but never actually seen one. The first two falls are pretty uneventful and the matwork isn't good, way too much air in between them most of the time and a lot of the motion seems wasted. The match would have been a lot better if it was just the third fall, as nothing in the first two was of any significance later on anyway. At least then we wouldn't have Gargano kick out of every finisher imaginable in the third fall after he was pinned fairly easy earlier on. Slap the finishing stretch (which does get really good in isolation) onto another match and it could have been really good, so I'm giving them credit for that. Otherwise this was a failure. *3/4"
[10.0] "Best match of the night. Johnny's kick outs made it so unbelieveble, just when I thought it is all over. And that ending with Ciampa, absolute masterwork. 11/10"
[8.0] "it was a perfect match. really a must see for even a not fan of wrestling, till the end. they decided that gargano could kick out from everything and i dont know why. they 've lost the essence of wrestling in teh last two minutes. its too simple to kick out for heating the crowd. I could barely understand the kick out after the undisputed era attack, but after the last Cole finisher was too much. too incredible to believe. too much for being wrestling. it was more a dragonball fight and i enjoyed dragonball only as a kid"
[10.0] "Excellent 2/3 Falls match. Both men brought their A game in storytelling, selling and in ring work. The third fall was incredible. Gargano finally wins the big one to cap off his excellent NXT career. ****3/4"
[8.0] "Really enjoy this, the fall where Adam Cole tapped out really quick was a bit annoying i thought they could've done that better, but that's just nitpicking i actually loved the match"
[10.0] "Ich kann vestehen wenn viele Leute das Match nicht so gut fanden und die Kritikpunkte kann ich auch verstehen, aber für mich war dieses Match einfach magisch. Johnny delivered wie immer und Adam mit der besten Leistung, die ich je von ihm gesehen habe. Das war einfach nur großartig, vom Wrestling, der Dramatik, dem Storytelling, den unglaublichen Nearfalls am Ende, das hat mich einfach alles so mitgenommen und nach dem Match habe ich mich ziemich erledigt gefühlt und war auch erstmal fertig mit der Welt. Und Johnny kann sich nach all den Strapazen endlich NXT-Champion nennen. *****"
[10.0] "Gargano kann man inzwischen getrost als Mr Takeover bezeichnen. Wieder ein geniales Match des Alleskönners, der sich - den Umständen bedingt - wieder Face turnen musste. Cole gibt hier auch einen genialen Counterpart ab, wie man es ja erwarten durfte. Für mich knapp das zweitbeste Match des WM-Wochenendes und definitiv MotN."
[10.0] "I mean, this was a quintessential golden era PWG, super move, mad spot, crazy kick out central style match. This kind of stuff can leave me cold but the story of Gargano helped make this so much more intense and added emotional depth, especially during the final fall, that elevated this from being just a wild sprint. Usually I'm not a fan of this match format, when something that would never normally result in a pin fall in a standard singles match leads to a fall but the first couple here were well built to and made sense. The hold exchanges were engaging and as the match quickened and the spots got wilder their exceptional timing and great execution held everything together. They stacked the deck against the resurgent babyface and some of the near falls at the end led me to having what JR would call an 'out-of-body experience' even if some of them were maybe too far fetched I was so immersed by then that that didn't taint things for me."
[9.0] "ENTLICH! Gargano krönt sich in einem fantastischem Match zum NXT Champion! Die Wohl am längsten erzählte Storyline im NXT Universum Adam Cole's stärkste Match seit er bei NXT ist Von Sekunde eins an war hier Feuer drin die Jungs haben sich nix geschenkt Die Crowd war sowas von heiß, was ich beim Pete Dunne vs WALTER Match kritisiert hab kann ich hier nur loben Die Nearfalls in der Schlussphase hab ich allesamt gekauft da hätte jeder durchgehen können Die Einmischung der Undisputed Era hat mich diesmal nicht im geringsten gestört im Gegenteil Es war sicher nicht das Stärkste Takeover Match von Gargano doch bei der Atemberaubenden Finishphase und dem Gewinn Jonny Takeover's geb ich die 9 (****1/2)"
[8.0] "Don't get me wrong, this was a good match but it's kinda overrated, unfortunately. The first 2 falls just felt average. The final run was great and had me on the edge of my seat. I wanted to give it a higher rating but i HATE finisher spams as they did with the last fall. Made Gargano look invincible. Besides all that I had fun watching this match and it was good (nothing more, nothing less). (****1/4)"
[10.0] "I still can? t wrap my head around the fact that this match doesn? t hace an almost 10 perfect overall rating. To be honest, this was probably better than Almas vs Gargano at NXT TakeOver Philly. I would go as far as to say that this is both Johnny and Adam Cole? s best matches yet. I think this should be a contender for greatest match ever, no cap. Now I understand that a lot of people are upset that the first few falls dragged on, and Johnny kicked out of way too many Last Shots as well as a Panama Sunrise. But too many people are ignoring the amazing storytelling and crazy nearfalls in this match. People talk about all those legendary 80? s matches that had supposedly great storytelling, but dragged in terms of action. This match had amazing storytelling and a great last fall, and now all of a sudden people wanna put this match down? Let me explain why I think this match is so great. At the beginning of this match, I didn? t really care too much about who won. I liked both wrestlers, and either choice would have been ok for NXT storywise, although I did have a slight preference for Johnny only because he had done so much for the NXT brand. But this match was such an emotional roller coaster, and by the end I was heavily behind Johnny Gargano. I wanted a clean finish, and was quite annoyed that the Undisputed ERA was interfering in what had the potential for the best match of the weekend, maybe one of the best ever. Everything happens for a reason, though and their interference actuslly made the match better by injecting more emotion into it. After they were taken out and Adam Cole hit that Last Shot, I legitimately thought the match was 100% over. Somehow Johnny kicked out, and at that point I was basically falling out of my seat and having reactions I never had before for any match. I was so happy and excited when Johnny finally won, and Candice and Tommaso Ciampa were just a cherry on top to the great finish of the event. 10/10"
[10.0] "Für mich eins der besten und emotionalsten Matches die ich je gesehen habe. Fast 40 Minuten bestes Wrestling und am Ende pure Dramatik. Noch nie habe ich so bei einem Match mitgefiebert wie mit Gargano und als er den Titel gewonnen hat war es der geilste Moment den ich beim Wrestling erlebt habe und als Gargano den Titel endlich an sich nehmen konnte hatte ich Tränen in den Augen . Endlich hat er sich sein Traum erfüllt und das Match hat einfach perfekt die Storry erzählt das Gargano sich an diesem Abend von nichts zerstören lässt und ihn an diesem Abend nichts besiegen kann. Einfach Ohne Worte"
[1.0] "Don't understand what people see in this match 05 stars - fuck off. The first two falls were absolutely nothing - Nothing happened at all. Just 2 guys trading moves and moves and more moves which did not really mean anything. The third fall they started going to have an epic, continuing to bust millions of moves. Gargano turned into Super Cena kicking out everything in the world and WWE TOLD YOU KICKING OUT EVERYTHING WOULD MAKE THE MATCH GREAT. Yeah, the same fans complain about Lesnar/Reigns matches last year and Cena's big matches formula in the past may mark out for this match. The overbooking was bull shit and forced. Gargano suddenly applied submission and won from out of nowhere? Gargano slowly becomes insufferable turning into a movez guy with shitload of overreaction and dialogues. The ending with Ciampa, Candice were quite good but couldn't save this match from being trash. Fuck this match."
[10.0] "This is probably the best match in NXT history. Great in-ring performance with perfect storytelling - everything was really exciting. Theese two are geniuses of sports entertainment."
[1.0] "Everything wrong with wrestling. Nothing meant anything, It was extremely over booked, They made undisputed era look like geeks, played out like a video game Kicking out of 100 finishers with zero subtly is not cool or Epic. Ciampa and Candice LeRae coming out at the end made makes zero sense. a complete joke of a "Wrestling match""
[9.0] "ENDLICH JUNGEEEEEE! Johnny Gargano hat nach 3 Jahren und echt schwaches Takeover Booking nach einem starken Build-up seinem verdienten Title Run und ist der erste Triple Crown Sieger der NXT. Der 1. Fall bestand aus gutem Indie-mäßigen Chain Wrestling, der mit Signature Moves beiden Wrestlern spannend gehalten und solide ausgeführt wurde. Jedoch gab es einen Table Spot, bei den der Tisch nicht gebrochen ist und Gargano, der bei 9, 5 noch iwie in den Ring gesprungen ist. Dies war meiner Meinung nach das Highlight des Matches und die Verzweifelung stand Adam Cole danach perfekt ins Gesicht geschrieben. Die Spannung wird konstant gehalten jedoch hat der Eingriff der Undisputed Era mich gestört und lies Adam Cole zwar als guten Heel, aber Gargano zu übermenschlich stark aussehen. Persönlich fande ich das 1 vs. 1 besser als die 4 vs. 1 Situation, auch wenn die Near Falls zugegeben ziemlich krass waren, waren die Eingriffe nach einer Zeit ermüdend. Genau so wie die Überbenutzung des Superkicks... heilige Scheiße, wenn ich nach jedem Kick ein Shot getrunken hätte, hätte ich eine Nacht gut geschlafen. Wirklich ein overbookedes, aber trotzdem fantastisches Wrestling Match! Garganos Zelebrierung mit seiner Familie und Frau war wirklich gänsehauterregend und emotional! (****1/2)"
[1.0] "I have been watching wrestling for just about 30 years. It was an obsession of mine for as long as I could remember. Sure, I didn? t always like everything but I didn? t develop such a visceral hatred until I started watching these NXT style main events, particularly ones featuring Johnny Gargano. This match was an embarrassing display of everything that NXT does that? s meant to make their matches feel like they? re bigger than they actually are. It? s crowd service, for sure. They? re giving their fans exactly what they want but I really don? t get it. While many watched in awe, I actually found myself laughing and then getting angry. From the opening video package to the ? epic finishing sequence? and every meaningless spot in between, I hated this match. This may be my most hated match of all time. Now... I? m not saying it? s ? bad? in that these guys can? t work and didn? t put everything they had into it. This is just a case where a match insists upon itself... this match screams ? look at me... I? m 5 stars? . In summation, this was a perfect NXT style match and I guess I? m old and out of touch."
[4.0] "I detest this NXT 'big match' style. It's drama and moves with zero subtly. Why would I care about obviously scripted, cheesy dialogue; goofy, melodramatic acting; and contrived plot points? Adam Cole is very good, and works well in frantic matches, but this structure here went far too deep down the 'big-move and near-fall spam' rabbit-hole. The majority of the exchanges here were what I like to call "tic tac" exchanges, because they were relatively weak looking and/or sounding, perhaps as a result of a lack of effort from Gargano, which removed a lot of tension from those moments. Gargano's offence was especially choreographed, to the point that I felt zero interest in what he did because it was all either far too obvious or it just lacked proper technique/impact. Cole was quite telegraphed here as well, but at least he has a varied style where he can show off his athletic, acrobatic, and speedy side, so he was more interesting in that regard. Gargano's offence just does absolutely nothing for me. I also give zero sh*ts about Gargano's character and story, so there was no way for me to look past the dull move exchanges for that silver lining. The stipulation here was pointless, as both the first two falls occured with ZERO build-up and ZERO drama. I also hated Gargano's forced "good innocent goodie good boy" moment as he refused to take a count-out victory to even the falls. Why? It would have been totally legal. It wasn't like Gargano acted underhandedly to impair Cole at that moment. No, that was just another moment shoving Gargano down our throats as the oh-so-loveable, honourable good guy. Give me a break... The match was brainless 50-50 big move exchanges after that point. Things quickly went overkill, especially with Gargano's ridiculous superman plot-armour as he survived everything including an atom bomb. Oh, does that "fit the story" of his NXT Title struggle? Cool. That's not engaging in-ring work, though. **1/4"
[10.0] "Wow eines der besten Matches die ich je gesehen habe. Ein hohes Tempo und das die komplette Zeit über. Das Match war einfach der Wahsinn und devinitiv einer meiner liebsten aller Zeiten. Von vorne bis hinten perfekt mit unglaublichen Sequenzen, Spots und Near Falls *****."
[10.0] "I was so looking forward to read my fave trolls NastyYaffas comment on this match. I am sure he would hate it so much (and actually far more eloquently than the others who hated on this match already). It was so bland. All the same moves over and over. The first two falls meant nothing and it was just to deliver an overly dramatic numb epic long match. There were about 50 Superkicks. And why the fuck is Gargano a complete beloved babyface again - this makes no sense. Yaffa would have rated this a solid 2. Well it was all that actually but it was great. First two falls, well forget it. Technically good wrestling but dull. Then the third fall that was great stuff. Fans got nuts, highly emotional and it switched to everyone celebrating Gargano winning an overhyped, no-sell Finishing Moves, Cole being jobbed out, artifical over dramatised Indy-Level Spotfest that was so bleh. Man I wish I could use all the for letter words in my mind right now. Fact is, i not enjoyed the match for the most part, but it turned out fantastic (****)."
[10.0] "Just amazing. It had everything you would want in a match. Quickness, psychology (see knee attacks by Gargano "puro lovers"), high flying, amazing throws and oh my god, those strikes. Precise, quick moves that made the perfect match for me. Combined the high spot parties of the PWG, with the brutal strikes and stiff grappling moves of NJPW, with WWE NXT psychology, and all of that in a Dragon Gate quickness."
[9.0] "Ja komm, wer hier null Punkte oder nur einen vergibt, der hat offensichtlich 'nen Knick in der Optik oder ist Reichsbürger und somit sowieso gegen alles. Besonders die Schlußviertelstunde hat es in sich. Gargano gibt nicht auf - was für manchen als nerviges Kick-Out Festival durchgeht, ist für mich nur die komprimierte Variante seines langen Weges zum Gürtel. Klar ist das Ding anfangs zäh und natürlich kann man da klimatisch nicht nur die Feuerwerke abfackeln, aber die Emotionalität am Ende reisst da etliches wieder raus. Für mich sogar das MOTN."
[8.0] "This match should have been a little bit shorter. It was too long, and in three quarters of it there wasn't happening anything special. After the first fall won by Cole, I was pretty sure that Gargano will turn the things around. My expectation was correct, as Gargano took the second fall and he was a pin away from winning the NXT title. Then the Undisputed era interfered and after their offence I was buying that Cole will win the title, but Gargano was relentless and ended up champion, tapping Adam Cole in the way. It was beautiful moment for his career and at the end when Ciampa appeared it was a moment to remember, though it was kayfabe illegitimate due to Ciampa-Gargano intense rivalry. At the end of the day, the match was a little bit overbooked and didn't seem to be very realistic with all the kick-outs of Gargano in the final moments of the contest. ****1/4"
[10.0] "Ich hatte krasse Erwartungen an dieses Match und wurde wie man es von NXT kennt nicht enttäuscht. Die ersten beiden Falls waren nicht wirklich Spektakulär, Cole gewinnt einmal nach dem Panama Sunrise und Gargano nach dem Gargano Escape. Hier hervorzuheben ist die Szene wo Gargano die Wahl hatte per Count Out zu gewinnen oder doch nicht, die Szene war gut gemacht aber ansonsten war das alles was in den ersten beiden Falls geschah. Dafür war dann der dritte Fall umso krasser. Die Eingriffe der Undisputed Era fand ich gut und haben dem Match geholfen, Die etlichen Kickouts von Gargano waren dann extraklasse. Vor allem der wo er die Undisputed ausgeschaltet hat und Cole dann im Ring auf ihn wartete und er trotzdem rausgekommen ist. Das war wirklich ein Moment wo ich mein Headset rausgerissen hatte und nicht mehr weiter wusste. Das Finish war auch perfekt gewählt, das Cole tappt. Die ersten Emotionen meinerseits nach dem Match waren *****, allerdings habe ich noch mal nachgedacht und fand das das Match nicht ganz ***** Sterne waren da die ersten 2 Falls nichts besonderes Waren, und das Gargano nur aus Finishern rausgekommen ist aber keine gezeigt hat nicht so gut. Dieses Match schrammt ganz knapp an den ***** vorbei, dennoch Saustarke ****3/4"
[10.0] "Perfektes Match und perfektes Ende der Gargano Geschichte. Overbooking und Darstellung von Gargano passt perfekt zur Story auch wenn es manche zuviel fanden. Für mich das perfekte Ende einer perfekten Story und einer nahezu perfekten Show."
[9.0] "I'm probably in the minority who thought the first two falls were pretty good as they came at a crisp pace. Then it got excessive, just like most Gargano matches nowadays. Superkick after superkick, head drop after head drop, thigh slap after thigh slap. Look I'll forgive the moves fest because at least it didn't have any of Gargano's lame high school theater melodrama, but it still became redundant after a while. Like just call this dude Johnny Cena for how many fucking times he kicked out of several match ending moves. I won't argue too much about the narrative because I think it can be justified, but reminder that excess does not equal MOTYC, especially when there wasn't much of a story in the match to begin with, ****1/2."
[9.0] "Adam und Johnny auch schon eine lange Geschichte die hier weitergeht. Vor allem für Johnny hier sein wichtigstes Match in seiner Karriere. Das eine Video das zeigt wie sich beide für dieses Match vorbereiten sollte man sich echt ansehen. Sehr starker Main Event (****1/4)."
[10.0] ""It was an incredible sight! Very well-built match on all sides, even where something was a bit slow paced, but it even played into the hands of the very course of the match. From the first minutes fighters didn't intend to make concessions to each other. The incessant exchange of techniques, logically constructed tactics at both all it looked extremely interesting. And that's when it was 1:1 nobody had the right to be wrong and Cole and Johnny decided to put all his strength at full power, and even higher possible limit. The psychology of the match has reached a new level. There was a war, a real murder. You sit back and think holy shit what the fuck is going on in the ring as Johnny stood many tricks in a row, he had no right to just give up, after so many moments of frustration johnny in NXT, how he mysteriously escaped after each meal, it looked very reasonable and looked very cool. Every recovery after best techniques looked like his whole internal struggle with setbacks that have befallen it all the way. All this together gave the best NXT match in 2019 with a high probability. After viewing this masterpiece you will have few words to describe it. HOLY FUCK! In my opinion it is deserved (*****). ""
[10.0] "Great main event. Cole, who became a nightmare no worse than if Chiampa had been, tried in every way to trick Gargano. Gargano, who once again proved that he is the Iron Man of the NXT (which confirms his attire in the style of Iron Man), went through all the difficulties against Cole. A story that lasted more than a year reached its end point. Gargano became the new champion of the NXT, inscribing his name in history as the first NXT Triple Crown Champion. The tension, the wrestling, the audience - everything was great. What happened after the match was beautiful. It remains to find out where the Undisputed Era will go and who is the first contender for the Johnny's title."
[7.0] "The first two falls were average, but this match really picked up during the third fall. However, I felt they overdid it with the near falls and Gargano overcoming all four members of Undisputed Era and kicking out of mutiple finishers was absurd."
[10.0] "Nachdem Match war ich fertig mit meinen Nerven. Ich hatte Tränen in den Augen. Für mich, war es das vielleicht beste Match was ich je gesehen habe. Zumindest vom emotionalen Investment. Typisch für 2 out of 3 Falls, war die anfangs langsamere Gangart. Der erste und zweite Fall waren gut. Der Last Shot nach etlichen Kontersequenzen sowie das sofortige Abklopfen von Cole im Gargano Escape waren smart gemacht. Zum dritten Fall hin wurde es dann absolut unreal. So eine Schlussphase hab ich noch nie erlebt. Anmerkung: Ich kann verstehen, wenn Leute das Finish bzw. das Overbooking nicht gut fanden, oder finden, dass Cole zu schwach rauskam. Aber 0-2 Punkte zu geben, also eine Wertung, die einem 5 minütigen Weekly Match gleicht, ist mMn Majestätsbeleidigung und kann man mir nicht einmal mehr mit "Subjektivität" erklären. However, mit jedem Nearfall waren die Fans immer mehr hinter Gargano die beim Abklopfen Cole's komplett an die Decke gehen. Gargano der against all odds sich seinen großen Traum erfüllt ist ein wunderschöner Feel Good Moment mit einem Ciampa und LeRae zum Schluss auf der Stage. Beautiful. ***** +."
[10.0] "I thought this was great even if I disagree with the outcome, the first fall was a bit slow granted but I didn't expect either to start busting out their crazier stuff until later. The match gradually began to pick up for the second fall and enjoyed Cole quickly submitting in an attempt to preserve his energy for the last fall. Cole busted out all of his signatures but Johnny powered through all of it. I understand Johnny's the resiliant babyface but it got to be a bit overkill. Cole winning would've been nice as losing this could've added a wrinkle to Johnny's character. Not everyone's favorite match but I liked it. ****1/2"
[8.0] "Sehr gutes Match, aber für mich nicht das MOTN und ich habe es mir auch krasser vorgestellt, denn einige Dinge haben mich an dem Match gestört. Doch dennoch war es ein technisch hervorragendes Match und Johnny Takeover hat wieder gezeigt, warum er so genannt wird, denn er schafft es wirklich immer ein Match krass aussehen zu lassen. Die Spots waren krass und es waren fast schon zu viele um sie alle beim ersten mal richtig wahrzunehmen. Dennoch muss man sagen, dass wie so oft bei dieser Stipulatiom die ersten beiden Falls sehr plötzlich und sehr unbedeutend kamen. Es fühlte sich an als würde das erstmal schnell abgearbeitet werden, als wäre es reine Formsache, dass jeder einen Fall holt, und dann ging das Match erst richtig los. Danach war es auch sehr krass, doch was mich gestört hat war die furchtbare Darstellung der Undisputed Era. Warum müssen die Faces(Hier relativ, da Johnny am Anfang ja ausgebuht wurde und Adam Cole, der richtige Sieger, krass over war) immer überkrass dargestellt werden? Ich kann das einfach nicht nachvollziehen und die jüngere Vergangenheit zeigt auch, ja Johnny Gargano selbst zeigt auch, dass eben gerade die Underdog Faces am meisten Over sind. Warum muss man Gargano dann hier übertrieben krass darstellen und ihn alleine die Undisputed Era besiegen lassen? Adam Cole sah dadurch einfach viel zu schwach aus und man hätte es ja auch anders booken können mit Ciampa zum Beispiel, der am Ende eh noch kam. Schade, dass Adam Cole verloren hat, denn ich glaube nun wird er nicht mehr den Titel gewinnen, was er absolut verdient gehabt hätte. Natürlich wurde hier die krasse Story um Gargano beendet, doch mit einer anderen Darstellung wäre es noch besser gewesen und hätte auch besser zu seinem Charakter und zur Story gepasst. Der Moment am Ende mit Ciampa war zwar Kayfabemäßig unlogisch, aber dennoch ein schöner Moment um die Show und diese Story nun doch zu beenden."
[10.0] ""One of the best wrestling match in 2019. I don't understand why this match's rating is low, it's pretty shock to me. this match deserves better. *****""
[10.0] "Ignore the review bombers. This was a great match. I'm significantly more an Adam Cole (baybay) fan than a Gargano fan but Johnny is excellent at playing the underdog face so naturally, heat-seeking missile Cole did everything in his power to ring sympathy from the fans. Heat adds so much to a match and this had it in spades, not quite as technically sound as earlier matches in the card but this was still a bonafied MOTYC. (****3/4)"
[10.0] "Amazing match, the third fall was awesome, I understand some people are disapointed about all the false finish but sometimes the story is so well told that you can go over some things, and that Gargano's story, who running after the title for years and finally get it by pushing himself to the very limits, is totally perfect. ***** or really closely."
[10.0] "One of the best matches in NXT history hands down. I don't think you will find a match this emotional in NXT since Neville/Zayn. This match literally made me feel like a kid again. It had a true feeling of unpredictability, every nearfall became more and more believable. Some say there might have been too many kickouts and that may be true but damn, if every single kickout didn't have the most emotion I've ever seen. As a fan, this match had everything I needed. Wrestling matches these days don't really hook me in, I just watch and enjoy them but this match had me hooked & locked in. I was on the edge of my seat. Breaking down the actual match, the first fall was a true feeling out process and was technically sound. Not the most exciting but definitely good the last shot out of nowhere was well done. The second fall is where things started to pick up, harder strikes more intensity and some good wrestling sequences. Then the final fall was friggin amazing, excellent counters, callbacks to the florida key and cole day in hell, the intensity picked up to an all time high where you could sense these guys really wanted it. They played their roles so well that Cole was the crowd favorite 70/30 but by the end they had the crowd all Gargano. The interference was done well and gave you one of the most believable nearfalls ever. Then right after that Cole hits the triple double (two superkicks and the last shot) for the most insane nearfall I've ever seen in my life. In the end Gargano pulled it out and good for him. After that performance though, Cole NEEDS the title. *****"
[8.0] "Really good match ! Started a bit slow and I think things should have escalated a bit earlier, you have the feeling that the last 10 minutes were the only important minutes ... But great story told during the match and really happy for Gargano !"
[10.0] "Jeder der hier einen Punkt vergibt hat die Kontrolle über sein Leben verloren! Unfassbare Match und wahnsinniges Storytelling. Ja, vielleicht war es ein Kickout zu viel. Aber die Action und das emotionale Ende einer langen Storyline sind Emotionen pur. Und worum geht es im Wrestling (könnt ihr auch Jericho fragen)? Um Charaktere und Emotionen! Vielleicht das beste Match der NXT, wenn nicht sogar WWE-Geschichte!"
[8.0] "Lots of reasons to love or hate this match, so I understand why it's polarizing. I personally liked the story of Johnny being outmatched but unrelenting. After all of his TakeOver losses, I feel like there was some justification to his refuse to lose kick-outs after the first fall. Happy for Johnny Gargano. Either Adam Cole will get it next time or he'll hit the main roster soon. Either way, this is was a happy night."
[10.0] "This match was absolutely fantastic from start to finish with flase finishes all atound and Gargano getting the win even though i eant Cole to win i see why Johnny won ad he probably wouldve against ciampa only downside was Gargano maybe looking too strong but great anyway - (****3/4)"
[0.0] "I think this match is a perfect example of WWE big matches failing. The first two falls were so forgettable and mediocre. Small things like Gargano going down to the first Last Shot, but not the second. It just common sense really that would've helped the first parts of the match along the way, but nope, it didn't happen. Then the third fall happened, and the match turned from mediocre to awful at an alarming rate. I know that people will praise anything that has a long series of kick outs, even if the entire match is very mediocre. Just the way it is nowadays, people only care about a closing stretch without taking in account the build up to that spot. Even then, the finishing stretch was nothing but kick outs on an absolutely ridiculous scale. It was laughable at how many kick outs there actually was in the match. There was more than 10 kick outs, at least including, Gargano kicking out of chasing the dragon, a Panama Sunrise, tons of superkicks, a fairy tale ending on the table, absolutely EVERYTHING Cole has and he kicked out of all of it. A huge burial of Cole? s offence, and I don't use burial lightly. This is the stuff people, rightly, criticised Roman vs Brock at WM 34 for. It's certainly way worse than what Cena did to the Nexus because at least it didn't have this amount of unnecessary excess that this match haf. Their selling was so awful too - both guys have no clue on when to no sell moves and when to sell. The no sell superkick into another superkick is one of the worst sequences in Wrestling and people should stop using it. This wouldn't be out of place in the worst of PWG which is saying a ton. There is literally nothing I thought that was enjoyable about this match barring a pretty nice spear on the apron. The rest was a true masterpiece of pure garbage. DUD"
[10.0] "Great match. The 1/10 ratings on here are ludicrous and farcical. I understand that everyone does not have the same taste in wrestling matches but submitting a score that low just to lower the overall match rating is peak smarkiness."
"Outstanding work from these two, who put the best possible spin on Gargano winning his first NXT title despite the Ciampa situation. The crowd starts off firmly behind Adam Cole, but Gargano gains their sympathy over the course of a sublime 40 minutes of action."
[10.0] "Es gab ein paar Phasen in diesem Match (gerade in den ersten 15 Minuten) die recht langatmig waren. Da muss man aber bedenken dass dieses Match 38 (! ) Minuten lang war und man dadurch mehr pacen musste als in einem 20 Minuten Match. Trotzdem hat man es geschafft immer wieder starke Spots und Konter zu platzieren um die Crowd über nahezu die komplette Zeit bei laune zu halten. Die letzten 15 Minuten waren an Heat und Aktionen mit das beste was ich jemals gesehen habe! Interessant war es zu sehen, dass Cole als absoluter Gott das Match betreten hat, Gargano als Aushängebabyface stellenweise ausgebuht wurde und man es am Ende doch noch geschafft hat Gargano "Face" zu turnen und ihm den Siegespop zu geben. *****"
[9.0] "I usually don't like Gargano's matches AS much as everyone else. However the character work was stellar. Their exchanges were engaging and Adam Cole put on a career performance. The last few minutes were a little too "odds stacked against him" and I hope this is the last underdog Gargano match, at least for a while, but it was a great one"
[1.0] "The first fall was literally... nothing? Like absolutely nothing of note happened there, and honestly, the same could be said about the 2nd fall. Then in the final fall they go all out & have an epic w/ million nearfalls & Gargano looking like a superman, surviving everything Cole had to offer & more w/ Kyle, Fish & Roddy interfering. It was pretty ridiculous how many nearfalls they did w/ Gargano kicking out of literally everything Cole had in store. The Fairytale Ending on the announcer table by Cole to Gargano was a perfect example of the forced storytelling I've come to expect from big Gargano matches these days, too. OH WELL. At least the post-match w/ Gargano celebrating with his family, Candice, the crowd & Ciampa was legitimately pretty touching, but this wasn't a good match at all. One of the most hollow feeling TakeOver matches I can recall. *"
[10.0] "The match started out slow and carefully built itself up to where the fans were going absolutely nuts for every near-falls and close call. The final six or seven minutes were as perfectly a told story as you can get in a wrestling match, and the final embrace of Ciampa and Gargano capped off a fantastic show. Anyone denigrating this match is someone who you should not take seriously."
