Already one of the most personal feuds in NXT history, it seemed unimaginable that the animosity between Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa could possibly become more amplified. But it did in a big way.
One week after an in-ring confrontation between Ciampa and Gargano's wife, Candice LeRae, in which LeRae slapped the taste out of Ciampa's mouth, Gargano made his return to NXT TV. Sporting a neck brace due to injuries caused when Ciampa blindsided him a few weeks back, Gargano and LeRae made their way to the ring and Gargano teased waving the white flag in order to regain control of his life and future.
"I've been doing this basically my whole life but I sat down with Candice and I realized it's time to start thinking about my future. It's time to start thinking about our future," Gargano solemnly admitted. "I need to ask myself: Is it worth it?"
As Full Sail chanted 'Yes,' Gargano ripped off the neck brace.
"You know what? Yeah, it's worth it!" Gargano exclaimed. "Tommaso Ciampa, I know you're back there. Come out here so we can finish this right now!"
As Ciampa emerged, LeRae bolted to the back to bring out officials in hopes of separating the heated rivals. Eventually, LeRae convinced her husband to save it for another day, but as they were about to make their way up the aisle, Ciampa continued to berate them. In an attempt to physically retaliate, Gargano jumped up on the apron only to be knocked off. In an unexpected twist, Gargano landed right on LeRae, dropping her to the ground. Ciampa escaped through the crowd as Gargano tended to his wife.
As this personal story unfolds, I can't help but be reminded of the classic conflict between Shawn Michaels and Chris Jericho in 2008. At SummerSlam '08, Michaels -- with his wife, Rebecca, by his side -- attempted to announce his retirement. He was interrupted by Jericho and after some verbal jousting, Jericho attempted to deliver a right hand to Michaels, but mistakenly hit Rebecca, taking the war to a whole new level.
That Michaels/Jericho rivalry is regarded by many -- myself included -- as one of the greatest feuds in WWE history and comparing the ongoing Gargano/Ciampa struggle to it is the ultimate compliment.
Lars Sullivan positions himself for a crack at the NXT championship
One of the key questions heading towards TakeOver: Chicago next month is who would get the opportunity to become the 14th different NXT champion in history. Aleister Black became the 13th such champion with his victory over Andrade "Cien" Almas at TakeOver: New Orleans, but Almas' quick shift to the SmackDown Live roster opened up the door for a plethora of deserving superstars to step up.
Two of the first superstars to proclaim their NXT championship intentions were Ricochet and the Velveteen Dream in a face-to-face war of words a couple weeks back. That led to an in-ring showdown between the two last week. However, after a brief -- albeit entertaining -- encounter between the two, the massive Lars Sullivan inserted himself into the championship conversation by interrupting the bout and ambushing both superstars.
Last week's rivals joined forces this week as Ricochet and Dream battled Sullivan in a handicap match, each looking to make a statement with TakeOver on the horizon. Multiple statements were made.
First and foremost, Sullivan's dominance and stamina were on full display, making him seem like a legitimate threat to Black's title should he get the opportunity. The big man withstood multiple double team attacks and, more importantly, he picked up the victory. The finish came when Dream turned on his tag partner, nailing Ricochet with his cartwheel death valley driver maneuver. A Sullivan freak accident slam was next on the menu for Ricochet as Sullivan came out victorious.
The finish was booked well. It presumably puts Sullivan in contention for an NXT championship match while escalating the issues between Dream and Ricochet. Dream and Ricochet are undoubtedly championship material, but in the meantime, it's hard not to feel a bit giddy over the prospects of a potential TakeOver match between the two supremely athletic talents.
We'll see where Black fits into the equation next week when he appears on NXT TV.
Other notes
• Two up-and-coming tag teams battled this week as TM61 found the win column against Heavy Machinery. As TM61's heel turn continues, they won the match by nefarious means as Nick Miller pinned Otis Dozovic with his feet on the ropes.
• Lacey Evans, who seems to get better with each performance, picked up the biggest win of her young NXT career as she defeated Kairi Sane.
• Shayna Baszler will defend the NXT Women's Championship against Dakota Kai next week.
• Similar to the behind-the-scenes video packages seen for Roderick Strong last year and more recently, TM61, we'll get a look at the life of Bianca Belair next week.