We haven’t seen Johnny Gargano on NXT since he lost the brand’s top title at TakeOver: XXV last month, as our guy Kyle Decker pointed out in his preview for the episode which aired tonight (July 17). That changed when Gargano crashed current NXT champ Adam Cole’s segment, leading to an all-around-the-set brawl. And Kyle doesn’t follow spoilers, so he’s smart. Anyway...
That, and the weeks of videos showing Cole travelling through Johnny’s hometown taunting/threatening Gargano’s relatives and friends, was enough for General Manager William Regal. He went ahead and booked the two into a title match at TakeOver: Toronto 2, taking place on Sat., Aug. 10 - the night before SummerSlam.
Of course, this will be the third straight TakeOver featuring a Cole vs. Gargano match. And since Regal’s given this one the same stipulation, it will be the second 2-out-of-3 falls match of their trilogy. To change things up, and emphasize that this is the end of their rivalry, the GM is allowing each man to choose the stipulation for one of the three falls. In the all-but-certain event they’re tied after two falls, Regal will choose the stip for the final one.
Cole vs. Gargano III is the first match officially announced for a month from now in ScotiaBank Arena. But with all their weekly episodes taped, we do have some more information about the TakeOver: Toronto 2 card for you here. You know, if you’re not like Kyle.