The NXT Thread: It Must Breakk You

[smarkmouth]

The more I think about it, the more I agree with you. Besides being a good idea, it protects Ciampa, who I have to imagine is still healing, and it sells Johnny Gargano's termination a little better. A lot can be accomplished with the usual ringside shot of NXT alumni. Lastly, it gives Ciampa a few months to build this feud all by himself, much like Johnny has been doing for a better part of the year. Johnny almost definitely comes out on top. He can leave NXT with his head held high (which his arc deserves), and Ciampa can stew in his anger juices and take it out on the yellow brand.

[Uncle Sam]

Reposting my midnight ramblings for the great unwashed to enjoy:

The way I'd do it - because I'm someone who can't keep their dumb ideas to the themselves - is to really sell it as an unsanctioned match. So Ciampa asks for the match, Regal says no, absolutely not. So Ciampa says he'll be there in New Orleans and Gargano better be there because there's going to be a fight either way. Ciampa comes out and starts talking shit, Gargano runs out of the crowd, they brawl, security comes out to pull them apart. Regal sends out the roster to do a proper pull-apart, only the roster beats up the security guards and lets them fight (the implication being they think Ciampa's a piece of shit and they want to see Johnny get a piece of him), and they have something between a regular match and a lumberjack match and a street fight as Regal seethes. You can probably do a screwy finish from there and an exasperated Regal sets up a proper match down the line, with Gargano allowed back in NXT for one night only or something dumb like that.

I think where they're going with this, and maybe this is just my headcanon, is that Ciampa has cost Gargano everything, but is still unsatisfied (because revenge is a hollow pursuit, natch). The people still love Johnny Wrestling; Ciampa hasn't really accomplished anything. Ciampa will drive himself crazy. He therefore thinks the only way to get real satisfaction is to demolish Gargano with his own hands.

Gargano is noble because he's refused to live in the past. He was initially held back by the shackles of anger and thoughts of revenge but achieved inner peace and that allowed him to progress beyond his wildest dreams. Ciampa isn't only shackled by his past but is defined by it, and he'll never be happy regardless of how much damage he does to Johnny, but he's so blinded by revenge that he thinks the hole inside of him can be filled if he just causes enough hurt.

To date, Johnny hasn't really DONE anything to Ciampa, and was even happy to let Ciampa's transgressions slide. Ciampa's just a mad cunt. Put that in a video package.

[klunderbunker]

NXT
Date: March 14, 2018
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Mauro Ranallo, Percy Watson, Nigel McGuinness

It’s another big night as we have four weeks left before Takeover: New Orleans. That means knocking out more matches in the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic, but on top of that we have some build towards a title match. This week NXT Champion Andrade Cien Almas and Aleister Black will sign the contract for Takeover: New Orleans which could be interesting. Let’s get to it.

Click on the link below for the full review.

I'm Pi-Ning For Takeover

[A11]

Has ricochet showed up yet?

[klunderbunker]

Has ricochet showed up yet?

Not yet but the match has been taped.

[smarkmouth]

Pete Dunne might be my favourite in all of WWE right now. Great ring work backed up by knowing his character as well as the best of them.

And in Ciampa's defense, I usually react the same way when people overuse emojis.

[smarkmouth]

Unfortunate news for Moustache Mountain fans. The injury bug caught up with Tyler Bate, removing him from the tournament. No word yet (outside of spoilers, I assume) if Trent Seven will have a new partner, if the team will be replaced entirely, or Danny Burch and Oney Lorcan will move to the semi-finals on MM's forfeit.

Unless the replacement is a real surprise, at least my heart is a little less torn by the result of the match.

[klunderbunker]

NXT
Date: March 21, 2018
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Mauro Ranallo, Nigel McGuinness, Percy Watson

We’re in the home stretch towards Takeover: New Orleans and you can guess most of the card. NXT knows how to set up things down the last few weeks and I have no doubt that they’ll pull it off again. We also have more from the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic, which could be a lot of fun by the end. Let’s get to it.

Click on the link below for the full review.

Speak, And He Will Come

[TheManTheyCalledNorCal]

YES LARS IS BACK NEXT WEEK

God, him challenging Black for the NXT title is probably my most anticipated match of 2018.

Tremendous fucking job of this angle with Ciampa and Gargano. They need to give credit to Uncle Sam, who literally pitched this angle almost to the letter.

NXT, land of dreams coming true.

[klunderbunker]

NXT
Date: March 28, 2018
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Mauro Ranallo, Nigel McGuinness, Percy Watson

We’re almost to New Orleans and that means we’re getting closer to the official announcement of Tommaso Ciampa vs. Johnny Gargano. Earlier today, WWE posted a video of Gargano coming to Ciampa’s house at 3am, prompting Ciampa to say he would have to talk to William Regal about this. That’s a very encouraging line. Let’s get to it.

Just Like the Old Days (of AWESOME)