Tag Team Championship
Tommaso Ciampa & Johnny Gargano vs. The Revival (c)
Hard to believe the indie sensations have been NXT regulars for almost a year, having appeared last September for the Dusty Rhodes Classic. And while Gargano is still alive in another "Classic" tournament, they get their biggest shot as WWE competitors when they face the two-time tag champs this Saturday.
The Road to TakeOver
Ciampa & Gargano are hot. With their independent careers winding down and a stellar performance opposite one another in the first round of the Cruiserweight Classic (CWC), WWE fans are excited to see more of both men. Turning Bobby Roode’s glorious new theme song into a social media sensation over the past couple of weeks hasn’t hurt their popularity in the slightest.
Lost in all that is their very legitimate claim to a NXT tag title shot. You see, not only have they collected wins over past champs The Vaudevillains, established acts like Hype Bros and promising recent signees TM61, a couple months back, Johnny & Tommaso beat The Revival fair-and-square.
Now, the Top Guys don’t like to talk about that match. Some of their avoidance is understandable. Since losing to Johnny Wrestling & the Sicilian Psychopath, Dash & Dawson have not only reclaimed the belts they’d lost to American Alpha in Dallas, but defended them in a 2-out-of-3 falls war.
With Chad Gable & Jason Jordan in their rearview, The Revival were running out of excuses. Despite loudly proclaiming they had no competition in NXT, they routinely ignored Ciampa & Gargano. That forced the rising stars to call them out directly, and with an assist from General Manager William Regal, they had their title shot.
Regal did look for some reassurance that Ciampa’s heartwrenching loss to Gargano in the CWC wouldn’t impact their partnership. They explained to the GM their alliance is more of a brotherhood, and it was full steam ahead for Brooklyn.
What's at Stake?
With two extremely popular teams, already routinely stealing the show on the house show circuit (something which is becoming old hat for Dash & Dawson, as before they started working with Johnny & Tommaso, the same accolades were being applied to their series with the Alphas), probably not a whole lot.
In kayfabe, obviously, the titles are up for grabs. But with no real whispers The Revival might be called to the main roster soon and interest in their challengers more focused on Raw’s new cruiserweight division than on their tag team, it’s a reasonable guess this is just the first bout in a longer championship program. Whoever wins on Saturday will likely get another chance soon.
Winning the straps before their full-time deals even kick in would be a major rub for Ciampa & Gargano, for sure, as losing them would be a blow to Dash & Dawson. But if these four tear the house down and get fans demanding they "fight forever", that’s a nice consolation prize to whoever leaves Brooklyn in defeat.
Find out what happens, and what it means for the future, with cSs’ comprehensive TakeOver: Brooklyn II coverage, all weekend long!