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TakeOver: Phoenix last night had a bunch of action after the show went off the air. There was a brawl featuring NXT champion Tommaso Ciampa, North American champion Johnny Gargano, Adam Cole, Velveteen Dream, and Ricochet.
It was good for a little internet buzz but we didn’t know where it was leading. Until tonight.
On the Royal Rumble kickoff show tonight, NXT trainer Shawn Michaels announced that this brawl will lead to a six man tag match with Gargano, Ciampa, and Cole on one side and Ricochet, Black, and Dream on the other. And it’ll air during the Super Bowl halftime show!
That’s right, Halftime Heat is back!
#HBK @ShawnMichaels just announced a HUGE match to take place during halftime of The Big Game next Sunday!
— WWE (@WWE) January 27, 2019
It will be @ProjectCiampa, @JohnnyGargano, & @AdamColePro vs. @WWEAleister, @VelveteenWWE, & @KingRicochet streaming LIVE during halftime on @WWENetwork! #WWEHalftimeHeat pic.twitter.com/JCJUDKlyXc
Fans of the attitude era will recall the time Mankind defeated the Rock to win the WWE title in an empty arena during the Super Bowl halftime show. This won’t have the stakes of that, but it’ll be some good pro-graps action for those who aren’t feeling Maroon 5.
On the NXT end of things, it will be the first time that Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa will be on the same team since Ciampa stabbed Gargano in the back over a year ago. But with Johnny becoming more and more villainous in his actions, they’re finding themselves thinking the same way. That should be very interesting to watch.
Who’s excited?