Backstage Update On Plans For Johnny Gargano vs. Tommaso Ciampa At NXT TakeOver

While it appears as though NXT Superstar Johnny Gargano had his farewell with the company at the recent NXT Live Event in Cleveland, Ohio the plan is still for Gargano to have his final NXT match against Tommaso Ciampa before he is called up to the main roster.

On today’s installment of Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer speculated that Gargano and Ciampa’s feud will culminated with a match presumably at NXT TakeOver in New Orleans the night before WrestleMania 34.

“Johnny Gargano and Ciampa are probably going to have.. I am presuming they are going to have their match at TakeOver. The only reason it wouldn’t be is if Ciampa isn’t cleared by then, but when they do..Oh my god. Not only are the matches going to be great, which I am certain of but the heat is going to be ridiculous.”

Meltzer went on to discuss how the program between Gargano and Ciampa has always been the plan. He added that the “5 Star Match” between Johnny Gargano and Andrade “Cien” Almas was never originally planned, and that the match and feud just grew a life of it’s own.

“They were going to do Ciampa and Gargano either way. That was always going to happen. I don’t think that Gargano and Andrade was the program. I think that – it wasn’t. It was going to be Lars Sullivan. Then Lars Sullivan missed the TV’s for a couple of weeks and they throw Gargano in. So it ended up being Gargano in that position and they ended up delivering the best match in NXT history, and probably the best WWE match in frickin’ years. All of the sudden Johnny Gargano is the most over guy, and then they do this “loser leaves” thing that puts so much heat on Zelina Vega. She’s so good.”

(H/T our friends at Ringside.com for the transcriptions.)

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