Adam Cole makes his way to the ring and Goldie is in the ring waiting for him.
Adam says last week he outlasted four of NXT’s best when he pinned Ricochet for the right to go to New York to challenge for the vacant NXT Championship against Johnny Gargano. Cole says he can go on for hours why he will walk out of Barclays Center as the champion, but he wants Johnny Gargano to come to the ring and face him like a man to see what he is in store for when they meet in New York.
Johnny Gargano’s music plays and he makes his way to the ring.
Adam tells everyone to shut up and he says he does not need their support because he knows he can win on his own. Johnny says he loves the Johnny Wrestling chants.
Johnny says Adam had a million reasons why he will win so he wants to hear them from Adam. Johnny says we have made history because Adam Cole is at a loss for words. Johnny asks is it that or is it because they are man to man and you are facing the fight of your life at Takeover. Johnny says his path ends with him winning the championship. Now with Tommaso out, his path goes through you. Johnny will show why they call him Johnny Takeover . . . Bay Bay.
Adam asks Johnny if that is supposed to scare him. Is that supposed to intimidate him. Adam says that Johnny hasn’t been in the winner’s circle when it comes to Takeover. That nickname might be more appropriate if it was Johnny Participation. The fact is that Johnny Participation cannot beat Adam Cole two out of three falls. You cannot beat him in one fall and this is why. Adam says he became the first ever North American champion at Takeover. Adam won the first War Games at Takeover. Adam Cole says he beat down Drew McIntyre and held the title over his head at Takeover. How fitting is it that we return to the Barclays Center for him to reach the pinnacle of his career and beat Johnny for the title in the process. Adam says he has earned all of his success. What has Johnny Takeover done to earn this match?
Johnny asks if Adam is saying that he hasn’t earned this? Johnny says they didn’t roll out the red carpet and be allowed to debut in New York. Johnny says his time started at his tryout in June 2015, when he was told no. Johnny was told he was not good enough to be here. Johnny says he has heard it for 15 years and he fought for a chance and that chance came at the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic. He was put in a makeshift tag team against a guy he didn’t know in Tommaso Ciampa. They were unsigned and they were told to prove themselves. We fought for our freaking lives.
When it was said and done, they left with no contract and no promise for the future. A month later, he was invited back. He was asked back again and again. He was asked back because every time, he poured his heart out in the ring. The people chanted Johnny Wrestling. The louder they chanted, the harder he fought for a spot. He was not fighting for himself. He was fighting for everyone who was told no and that their dream would not come true. Johnny says he earned his contract in NXT. He earned his spot on Takeover. He earned the Tag Titles. He earned his career back. He earned the North American Championship. This place is his life.
Johnny says he wasn’t handed a top spot and a group of cronies to fight his battles since day one. Johnny says he would not change a thing about where he came from or the last four years because they showed where he is going and that is the main event of Takeover. He will fight to fulfill his destiny and Johnny Wrestling will finally become NXT Champion.
Adam leaves the ring and he says he thought about everything that Johnny said. It is a Lifetime movie right before his eyes. Adam says you can fight and scratch and claw all you want, but when they leave the Barclays Center, Adam Cole will be the NXT Champion. Here is why.
Bobby Fish, Roderick Strong, and Kyle O’Reilly appear on the stage. Adam says Triple H said the match would be definitive. He says Hunter was wrong because this match will be Undisputed.
