Some may think that the Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa storyline has been tossed aside, but the card for Saturday at NXT TakeOver: War Games provides the perfect stepping stones toward their final encounter. 

Aleister Black vs Johnny Gargano

A lot of fans may feel that Gargano is a heel now but I don’t think he’s fully turned. At first glance, it seemed like Gargano was turning into Ciampa when he attacked Aleister Black. But remember, he attacked Black just so he could get his hands on Ciampa. 

Booking It: Aleister has the more legitimate gripe in this match so he’s winning. Johnny robbed him of his championship and his rematch. We’ve never seen a feud get Black more fired up than this one. That’s why I want the fans to be able to feel Black’s anger in the finish. When Aleister Black hits Gargano with the Black Mass kick, I want Johnny to fall back into the ropes, bounce off, then take a second Black Mass on the rebound. Black purges his anger and earns a chance to reclaim his championship.

NXT Championship – Tommaso Ciampa (c) vs Velveteen Dream

I’ve been anxiously waiting for Velveteen to get a chance at the NXT Championship but I don’t have a good feeling about this one. As much as I want Dream to get his first championship, this match had the “weakest” build among the four matches on the card. Everything Velveteen does is magic but Ciampa is on another level right now. 

Booking It: So yes, Ciampa is winning here. But I want Ciampa to have as difficult of a time as possible. Velveteen makes sure to always have the best ring gear for every TakeOver event. I’d like to use that to get into Ciampa’s head. When Dream enters the ring, I want him to be wearing a vest or jacket. He won’t take it off until Ciampa is in the ring. Underneath he’ll be wearing a DIY shirt. That will clearly leave Ciampa flustered and immediately set him off to the point of trying to rip the shirt off. Fast forward to the end of the match. Ciampa has won but is still fixated on the shirt. He recovers it but throws it into the audience before exiting the building. 

Booking Forward: Black and Ciampa were the two winners on the night. That will set up the rematch for the NXT Championship that Aleister Black never got to have. Even their first match wasn’t a clean victory since Gargano got involved. This rematch will take place at the TakeOver before the Royal Rumble. 

After the dust is settled from War Games and they’re back at Full Sail, Johnny Gargano will confront Velveteen Dream backstage. He’ll ask where Dream got the DIY shirt. Dream will say he has no memory of it, then Gargano will conclude by saying to stay out of his business. Tensions rise between the two over the ensuing weeks, also leading to a match at the next TakeOver. 

Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa will each win those matches, leaving their final encounter for the TakeOver before WrestleMania. Here, Johnny Gargano finally wins the big one. 

How does NXT Takeover War Games play into the long-term story with Tommaso Ciampa and Johnny Gargano? Let us know on social media @theCHAIRSHOTcom and always remember to use the hashtag #UseYourHead!