Andrade "Cien" Almas vs Johnny Gargano
NXT TakeOver: Philadelphia — January 27, 2018 · Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, PA
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The Story
Andrade Almas retained the NXT Championship, surviving a career-making challenge from Johnny Gargano in a bout that earned the first WWE-banner five-star Meltzer rating in years. It transformed Almas into a top talent and cemented Gargano as NXT's emotional heartbeat.
The match was a near-flawless blend of Almas's newfound charisma, the ruthless ringside presence of manager Zelina Vega, and Gargano's babyface fire. Gargano wrestled with the desperation of a man chasing his first singles title, stringing together a series of near-falls so convincing the Philadelphia crowd roared for a title change that never came.
Every time Gargano surged, Vega found a way to tilt the balance — a distraction, a well-timed interference — buying Almas the opening he needed to land the hammerlock DDT and retain. The heartbreak of Gargano falling just short was the point: it launched the Gargano vs Tommaso Ciampa saga that would dominate NXT for the next year and produce some of the promotion's greatest matches.