By Ryan Frye
All GIFs are credited to Eric Martinez
Professional wrestling is an industry built on creating moments. But a moment would be nothing but a distant memory without a camera to capture the energy, emotion, and electricity of that moment forever. Perhaps that's why they've always claimed that a picture is worth a thousand words. And that very notion is the reason for the existence of this series: Picture Perfect.
All GIFs are credited to Eric Martinez
Professional wrestling is an industry built on creating moments. But a moment would be nothing but a distant memory without a camera to capture the energy, emotion, and electricity of that moment forever. Perhaps that's why they've always claimed that a picture is worth a thousand words. And that very notion is the reason for the existence of this series: Picture Perfect.
SETTING THE SCENE
When WWE announced that 32 of the best cruiserweight wrestlers in the world would compete in the Cruiserweight Classic tournament, fans immediately began salivating over the possibilities.
Eventually, the brackets would be released. One matchup that stood out was Johnny Gargano against Tommaso Ciampa.
Eventually, the brackets would be released. One matchup that stood out was Johnny Gargano against Tommaso Ciampa.
Before coming to NXT, Ciampa had attained the prestigious ROH World Television Championship with his psychotic character and bruising style.
Meanwhile, Gargano became a decorated champion in his own right—spending 873 consecutive days as the Open the Freedom Gate Champion alone. He had been dubbed Johnny Wrestling and played both a cocky heel and an underdog babyface.
They would arrive for the first time at Full Sail as a tag team, however. And for the past year, they have slowly risen through the ranks of the NXT tag team division. Now, they find themselves poised for an NXT Tag Team Championship match against The Revival, but, before that occurs, they had other business to attend to.
Meanwhile, Gargano became a decorated champion in his own right—spending 873 consecutive days as the Open the Freedom Gate Champion alone. He had been dubbed Johnny Wrestling and played both a cocky heel and an underdog babyface.
They would arrive for the first time at Full Sail as a tag team, however. And for the past year, they have slowly risen through the ranks of the NXT tag team division. Now, they find themselves poised for an NXT Tag Team Championship match against The Revival, but, before that occurs, they had other business to attend to.
PAINTING THE PICTURE
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In their pre-match interview, both Gargano and Ciampa made it clear that their friendship—as well as their tag team—was not important on this night. They were both hoping to advance to the second round of this historic tournament, and unfortunately only one of them was going to be able to do so.
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Tommaso Ciampa and Johnny Gargano were thrust into the position of being the final first round match of the Cruiserweight Classic for a reason. Sure, a lot of other matches impressed, but none of those possessed the compelling story that this one had. And not to worry, these best friends would deliver on the ominous task and then some.
Following their respective entrances, the referee called both competitors to the center of the ring. He'd call for a handshake twice before a reluctant Ciampa cooperated. The two backed away to their sides of the ring before the bell sounded and the match began.
They locked up, but Gargano would transition from the lock-up to a takedown. He'd run the ropes and Ciampa looked for a hip toss, but Johnny Wrestling rolled into a crucifix pinning predicament. Ciampa quickly escaped, however, and walked right into an arm drag.
Off the arm drag, Ciampa momentarily locked in some head scissors, but this time Gargano was the one escaping.
Ciampa walked into a second arm drag, and, following that, Johnny applied an armbar.
The submission kept the larger man grounded for a minute, but Ciampa soon reached his feet. Gargano wrenched his arm around, and, to counter, Ciampa nailed his tag team partner in the jaw with a slobber knocking elbow.
They locked up, but Gargano would transition from the lock-up to a takedown. He'd run the ropes and Ciampa looked for a hip toss, but Johnny Wrestling rolled into a crucifix pinning predicament. Ciampa quickly escaped, however, and walked right into an arm drag.
Off the arm drag, Ciampa momentarily locked in some head scissors, but this time Gargano was the one escaping.
Ciampa walked into a second arm drag, and, following that, Johnny applied an armbar.
The submission kept the larger man grounded for a minute, but Ciampa soon reached his feet. Gargano wrenched his arm around, and, to counter, Ciampa nailed his tag team partner in the jaw with a slobber knocking elbow.
Ciampa then tossed Gargano onto the apron and rushed him with a stiff knee to the jaw. Johnny Wrestling crashed to the floor, but there was no rest for the weary as Ciampa quickly followed him there.
Tommaso Ciampa had turned up the temperature, Mauro Ranallo asserted. And Daniel Bryan responded by saying that it hadn't taken him long. And it hadn't because this was far too good of an opportunity for either man to let slip through their fingers.
Ciampa lined Gargano up against the guardrail and chopped his chest before taunting him for a moment. He'd then place Gargano on the apron and hit a forearm to his back before nailing him with a vicious knee to the temple.
"Everything Ciampa does is vicious," Daniel Bryan said as Ciampa failed on two successive covers. And Bryan was right; Ciampa made every strike count.
Tommaso Ciampa then applied a headlock takedown, hoping to further compromise Gargano's jaw. Gargano fought out with a pair of elbows then a pair of knife-edge chops to the chest.
Ciampa then tossed Gargano into the corner, but Gargano escaped oncoming offense. On the apron, Gargano ducked under a clothesline but ate a nasty back elbow to the jaw once again.
Ciampa ascended to the top rope, perhaps looking for a superplex, but Gargano crotched him on the second rope and hit a beautiful kick to the face.
"Gotcha!" Gargano yelled as he hit Ciampa with a DDT. The pinfall to follow was only good for a two count.
To follow his flurry, Gargano went to the corner to utilize some more knife-edged chops. He then lifted Ciampa onto the second turnbuckle then over his shoulder.
Ciampa squirmed out, however, and hoisted Gargano in return. He climbed the ropes with him on his back, looking for an Air Raid Crash, but Gargano hit a sunset flip. He looked to sustain his offense with a powerbomb, but Ciampa powered his way out with brutal strikes to the face.
Now, with the powerbomb out of the question, Gargano trapped Ciampa's head in the buckle and hit him with a savage superkick.
Then, with Ciampa weakened, he was able to hit a running powerbomb. Ciampa rolled to the outside, but with no hesitation, Gargano flew through the air and onto Ciampa with a stunning suicide dive.
A dazed Ciampa clumsily crawled in the ring, and a poised Gargano waited for him to reach his feet to execute a springboard maneuver. Things didn't quite go as planned, however, and Gargano ate a ferocious knee to the jaw mid-air. Somehow, Gargano managed to kick out of the cover that followed.
Tommaso Ciampa had turned up the temperature, Mauro Ranallo asserted. And Daniel Bryan responded by saying that it hadn't taken him long. And it hadn't because this was far too good of an opportunity for either man to let slip through their fingers.
Ciampa lined Gargano up against the guardrail and chopped his chest before taunting him for a moment. He'd then place Gargano on the apron and hit a forearm to his back before nailing him with a vicious knee to the temple.
"Everything Ciampa does is vicious," Daniel Bryan said as Ciampa failed on two successive covers. And Bryan was right; Ciampa made every strike count.
Tommaso Ciampa then applied a headlock takedown, hoping to further compromise Gargano's jaw. Gargano fought out with a pair of elbows then a pair of knife-edge chops to the chest.
Ciampa then tossed Gargano into the corner, but Gargano escaped oncoming offense. On the apron, Gargano ducked under a clothesline but ate a nasty back elbow to the jaw once again.
Ciampa ascended to the top rope, perhaps looking for a superplex, but Gargano crotched him on the second rope and hit a beautiful kick to the face.
"Gotcha!" Gargano yelled as he hit Ciampa with a DDT. The pinfall to follow was only good for a two count.
To follow his flurry, Gargano went to the corner to utilize some more knife-edged chops. He then lifted Ciampa onto the second turnbuckle then over his shoulder.
Ciampa squirmed out, however, and hoisted Gargano in return. He climbed the ropes with him on his back, looking for an Air Raid Crash, but Gargano hit a sunset flip. He looked to sustain his offense with a powerbomb, but Ciampa powered his way out with brutal strikes to the face.
Now, with the powerbomb out of the question, Gargano trapped Ciampa's head in the buckle and hit him with a savage superkick.
Then, with Ciampa weakened, he was able to hit a running powerbomb. Ciampa rolled to the outside, but with no hesitation, Gargano flew through the air and onto Ciampa with a stunning suicide dive.
A dazed Ciampa clumsily crawled in the ring, and a poised Gargano waited for him to reach his feet to execute a springboard maneuver. Things didn't quite go as planned, however, and Gargano ate a ferocious knee to the jaw mid-air. Somehow, Gargano managed to kick out of the cover that followed.
Ciampa looked to respond with Project Ciampa, but Gargano refused to allow it and escaped to hit an elbow to the skull. He wound up for a second one, but Ciampa countered with a boot to the head and yet another nasty knee to the jaw. He attempted Project Ciampa a second time, but Gargano again escaped and downed him with a clutch enziguri.
These two best friends were brutalizing each other for the right to advance in this tournament, but who would emerge victorious?
Both men rolled to the apron, and they'd slug it out with chest-rattling chops, until Ciampa ended the exchange with another big boot to the head. He'd hoist Gargano on his back for an Air Raid Crash onto the hardest part of the ring. "Mamma mia!" Mauro Ranallo shouted.
Back into the ring, Ciampa again only received a two count with his cover, and he was beginning to show signs of frustration.
These two best friends were brutalizing each other for the right to advance in this tournament, but who would emerge victorious?
Both men rolled to the apron, and they'd slug it out with chest-rattling chops, until Ciampa ended the exchange with another big boot to the head. He'd hoist Gargano on his back for an Air Raid Crash onto the hardest part of the ring. "Mamma mia!" Mauro Ranallo shouted.
Back into the ring, Ciampa again only received a two count with his cover, and he was beginning to show signs of frustration.
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Ciampa's eyes were beaming with anger as he backed into the corner. He pulled down his knee pad and stepped forward... but he hesitated. He stood with his hands on his head momentarily, conflicted, before pulling the knee pad back up. His next step forward was straight into a superkick.
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Previously, Ciampa had been deemed the Sicilian Psychopath. At the time, he did hit with intent to injure. And in that moment, we saw that psychotic rage in his eyes, but he snapped out of it. He was in a different place now, but unfortunately that different place may have cost him this match.
Ciampa quickly bounced up and hit a devastating clothesline. Then, finally, he successfully hit Project Ciampa.
Ciampa quickly bounced up and hit a devastating clothesline. Then, finally, he successfully hit Project Ciampa.
Cover: 1, 2, kickout!
Tommaso Ciampa couldn't believe his eyes. He'd finished off matches his entire career with this move, and it had never failed him. But on this night, with this opponent, with these stakes, it was not enough.
Gargano, on the other hand, didn't appear to even know where he was. His eyes glassy as he laid on the mat, seemingly just competing on instinct at this point.
The two locked eyes as Gargano crawled while Tommaso stalked.
A standing Ciampa had Gargano on his knees when he chopped him in the face to the astonishment of Daniel Bryan on commentary. Two more chops, to the chest this time, quickly followed.
This match had a twenty minute time limit, and they had just passed the halfway point. Ranallo and Bryan astutely pointed out that if the match ended in a draw, neither would advance after such a savage and scintillating affair. "That would be a travesty!" Bryan proclaimed.
Ciampa pulled Gargano up by the jaw to which Gargano responded with a hard slap to the face. Ciampa outdid him with a series of slaps, and then attempted to hit an exposed elbow, but Gargano countered into a backslide. From the backslide, Ciampa rolled into an armbar, but Gargano countered once more into a crucifix pin: 1, 2, 3!
Tommaso Ciampa couldn't believe his eyes. He'd finished off matches his entire career with this move, and it had never failed him. But on this night, with this opponent, with these stakes, it was not enough.
Gargano, on the other hand, didn't appear to even know where he was. His eyes glassy as he laid on the mat, seemingly just competing on instinct at this point.
The two locked eyes as Gargano crawled while Tommaso stalked.
A standing Ciampa had Gargano on his knees when he chopped him in the face to the astonishment of Daniel Bryan on commentary. Two more chops, to the chest this time, quickly followed.
This match had a twenty minute time limit, and they had just passed the halfway point. Ranallo and Bryan astutely pointed out that if the match ended in a draw, neither would advance after such a savage and scintillating affair. "That would be a travesty!" Bryan proclaimed.
Ciampa pulled Gargano up by the jaw to which Gargano responded with a hard slap to the face. Ciampa outdid him with a series of slaps, and then attempted to hit an exposed elbow, but Gargano countered into a backslide. From the backslide, Ciampa rolled into an armbar, but Gargano countered once more into a crucifix pin: 1, 2, 3!
"Johnny Gargano has just solidified himself as a man who might possess the biggest fighting heart that I have ever seen, after what he went through courtesy of his tag team partner!" - Mauro Ranallo
Johnny Gargano got rocked with strike after strike from Tommaso Ciampa and, at one point, didn't seem aware of his surroundings. Somehow, someway, though, he prevailed.
For Tommaso Ciampa, this was a devastating loss. He dominated a large portion of this match against his own tag team partner, but a quick crucifix would make it all for nothing. And it was all the more devastating to know that his slight hesitation—the humanity inside him that was once buried deep within—perhaps cost him the match.
Gargano outreached his hand, offering a handshake, but a heartbroken Ciampa couldn't quite do it. With conflict in his eyes, he stepped away to the apron and stood in thought for a moment. He'd come back inside the ring and sit down next to his best friend. He'd embrace Gargano, and raise his hand. In return, Gargano embraced Ciampa.
"I have no words. That touched my heart." - Daniel Bryan
Everyone said that Tommaso Ciampa was a powder keg ready to explode. He had no friends because his mental state was just too fragile. Yet, in this moment, the one person that finally trusted him enough to be his tag team partner was rewarded with a moment that will never be forgotten.