Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa are perhaps the two biggest names in NXT history, taking the brand by storm during both their tag team run and their epic feud. The journey of several years between the two, which took countless twists and turns, was certainly an incredible one to witness, even if everything wasn’t perfect at times.
DIY Became A Popular Tag Team And Won The NXT Tag Titles
On the independent scene, Gargano and Ciampa were no strangers with one another, but they weren’t former rivals or partners, and only really came together in NXT as a team, being paired with one another in the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic, after each man had made sporadic appearances on the brand. Due to their popularity, they were featured more and more, until each earned a contract through their hard work.
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From there, Ciampa and Gargano would spend months picking up wins in the tag team division, climbing their way up the ranks until they earned a title shot against The Revival. In the meantime, however, the pair would be drawn together in the Cruiserweight Classic, and after a show of respect, they tore the house down, with Gargano picking up the win and advancing to the next round. After the match, Ciampa was clearly distraught, sitting in the middle of the ring. Gargano would join him, and after it seemed as though perhaps Ciampa could turn, they embraced and moved on.
It would take DIY two attempts, but they finally won the NXT tag titles in a phenomenal moment, after two classic matches at Takeover Brooklyn 2 and Toronto. This was a joyous occasion, but it wouldn’t last too long, as The Authors of Pain would dethrone them only a couple of months later. In their rematch, which also included The Revival, they lost again. They had one final attempt at Takeover Chicago in a brutal ladder match but lost. After the match, DIY walked to the stage, soaking in the audience as the graphic appeared for the show to go off the air. However, in a shocking moment, Ciampa turned on Gargano, brutally assaulting him.
Ciampa Turned On Gargano, Which Started A Personal Feud
Following this turn, Ciampa took a prolonged hiatus through injury, which allowed Gargano to undergo a singles run, reaching the top of the card to challenge Andrade for the NXT Title in a five-star classic. He would be on the losing end, and as he walked to the back, he was ambushed by a returning Ciampa, kickstarting their rivalry for real. Ciampa revealed his motives, and whilst he claimed that he was concerned that Gargano would replace him due to his injury, it was much deeper than that.
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Ciampa had grown frustrated with loss, which started all the way back in their Cruiserweight Classic match. Their ladder match defeat was one too many, and his attack was fueled with anger but also jealousy. Gargano would face Andrade in a rematch, putting his NXT contract on the line, but Ciampa would interfere to make sure he lost. Gargano became obsessed with revenge, attacking Ciampa anywhere he could, breaking into Full Sail, the Performance Centre, and even Ciampa’s home.
This set up an Unsanctioned Match Takeover: New Orleans, and if he were to win, Gargano would earn back his spot in NXT. The match was an all-time classic, and perhaps even the best in NXT history. This was just the start though, as things became more personal, with Gargano’s wife, Candice LeRae, becoming involved, inadvertently getting hurt during a brawl between the pair. A rematch took place at TakeOver Chicago 2, and it was full of heart and emotion, referencing several parts of their story thus far. Ciampa would pick up the win in this match.
The Rivalry With Ciampa Led Gargano Down A Dark Path
Not long after, Ciampa would shockingly become NXT Champion, with Gargano accidentally costing Aleister Black the match due to his blind rage towards Ciampa. In the following weeks, Black would be found injured in the parking lot, which left Ciampa and Gargano to feud over the title, setting up the third match of their trilogy at Brooklyn 4. This was another great match, and though not as good as the other two, it was still brutal and action-packed. Once again, Gargano’s desire for revenge led to his undoing, costing him the match as he injured himself.
It was revealed that Gargano was the one to attack Black, which led to a further descent into darkness, caused by his loss to Ciampa. Gargano becomes a full-fledged heel, eventually winning the North American Title at TakeOver Phoenix. Later in the night, as Ciampa was celebrating a title defense on stage, Gargano appeared and stood side by side with his former ally, becoming the thing he’d sworn to destroy, and giving in to the darkness. This led to the pair teaming up once again, but this ended up being a ruse, as Gargano turned on Ciampa following their exit from the Dusty Classic, becoming a face again.
Gargano Vs Ciampa Was A Defining Feud For NXT
Gargano would once again push towards the NXT Title, eventually winning it after a long underdog journey to the top. When he was celebrating, Ciampa appeared on the stage once again, this time showing remorse and respect to Gargano, with it seeming as though bygones were bygones. This led to DIY reforming once again, and Ciampa becoming a babyface upon his return from injury. Ciampa would then challenge Adam Cole, who had dethroned Gargano, for the title. During the match, Gargano turned on Ciampa, flipping the script and turning heel, enacting revenge for all the bad Ciampa had done in the past.
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It was a unique dynamic, with Gargano being a justified heel. This led to one final match, which ended up being in an empty arena due to the pandemic. This match was a big let-down, with the cinematic nature not working. The pair would go their separate ways, though crossed paths now and again, but didn’t restart a rivalry. When NXT was revamped into 2.0, there was certainly less of a place for both men, and this would lead to Gargano leaving, though he would team up with Ciampa one final time inside WarGames. On the following edition of NXT, Gargano said his farewell. After the show went off the air, both men sat in the middle of the ring as they had done many times in the past, completing their story.
