NXT Takeover Championship Match Result: Which Rival Left Brooklyn as the Last Man Standing?

The dark days of the black-and-yellow brand will continue, as Tommaso Ciampa leaves the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY still your NXT Champion.

The self-proclaimed “greatest sports entertainer of all time” went through an actual war against his long-time rival Johnny Gargano, in a brutal Last Man Standing bout filled with tables, chairs, crutches, announce desks, exposed concrete, handcuffs and way, way more.

In the end, Johnny Wrestling would handcuff his former tag team partner to a wall of production equipment, nailing him with wicked running knee strikes, over and over again. Ciampa attempted to “apologize” to earn some last-second mercy, but Gargano wouldn’t have any of it, removing his knee pad and striking with one final blow that sent him toppling over production crates, crashing hard to the floor. With both men down the refere began his obligatory count, but with Gargano unable to stand on his freshly injured knee, the NXT Champion brilliantly hung himself off the side of the stage, returning to his feet before the final count of “ten”.

After the bout, medics helped Johnny Gargano to the back as he sold some serious damage done to his knee, almost poetically mirroring the original injury suffered by Ciampa over one year ago; the injury that began this entire battle.

He's ready. #NXTTakeOver #LastManStanding @JohnnyGargano pic.twitter.com/GribyAchEq

— WWE (@WWE) August 19, 2018

The @WWEUniverse at #NXTTakeOver: 😡😡😡@ProjectCiampa: pic.twitter.com/C1GsQm0Mwi

— WWE Universe (@WWEUniverse) August 19, 2018

We're just a few minutes into this #LastManStanding match and bodies and tables are already BREAKING!!! #NXTTakeOver @ProjectCiampa @JohnnyGargano pic.twitter.com/jZd7910yuy

— WWE (@WWE) August 19, 2018

NO MERCY from @JohnnyGargano! #NXTTakeOver #LastManStanding pic.twitter.com/Qrd7WpOItP

— WWE Universe (@WWEUniverse) August 19, 2018

Yes, @JohnnyGargano IS under that pile of chaos!!!! @ProjectCiampa #NXTTakeOver #LastManStanding pic.twitter.com/xbqrTNm8ir

— WWE (@WWE) August 19, 2018

THIS. COULD. BE. IT.#NXTTakeOver #LastManStanding @ProjectCiampa @JohnnyGargano pic.twitter.com/aBfEiL9hiC

— WWE NXT (@WWENXT) August 19, 2018

"Tap out" all you want, @ProjectCiampa… this is a #LastManStanding Match! #NXTTakeOver @JohnnyGargano pic.twitter.com/mGHrBxHkmM

— WWE Universe (@WWEUniverse) August 19, 2018

His moment is FAR from over.#NXTTakeOver #LastManStanding @ProjectCiampa pic.twitter.com/WA5rrGcxyT

— WWE NXT (@WWENXT) August 19, 2018