Adam Cole and Johnny Gargano on the Pressure to Deliver at NXT Takeover, NXT to FOX Sports 1 Rumors

– Adam Cole and Johnny Gargano spoke with CBS Sports’ State of Combat podcast discussing their match at NXT Takeover: Toronto II and more. Highlights and the full podcast are below:

Gargano on Tommaso Ciampa’s injury resulting in the Gargano/Cole feud: “That’s the beauty of NXT, that we roll with the punches. You can talk about me and Tomasso and how he tore his ACL in the ladder match and that made us prolong that story. We made the best of that situation and I wrestled Andrade in Philadelphia and that match would’ve never happened had Tomasso not tore his ACL, so we got a bonus there. I went from that match to wrestle Tommaso in New Orleans and coming off Andrade, that match was even hotter then. Then going into the Tommaso neck injury, that leads to me and Cole and bumps that up a bunch. There are so many different variables where if this didn’t happen, this wouldn’t have happened. But in NXT, we roll with the punches and make the best with what we are given. That speaks volumes of the talent and of the office but also the locker room.”

Cole on Gargano and his chemistry: “The truth is, and I know this and I know [Gargano] will agree, is that we most certainly bring the best out of one another.”

Cole on their match at NXT Takeover: Brooklyn: “Generally, you are so focused on the task at hand [that you don’t realize how great a match is]. But specifically, in the last two minutes of that match, there was a point where I realized this was incredibly special. I remembered the feeling and the emotion in that building. Even jumping out [of the ring] and seeing people in the crowd pushing and jumping on top of each other. I have been in some very cool atmospheres, I have experienced a lot of really, really awesome crowds all over the world but that one was seriously the most fever-pitched I have ever seen an audience in a match.”

Cole on the reaction backstage to the match: “It’s such an indescribable feeling to walk back through the curtain and you are surrounded by your peers and people you admire and that environment and energy in the room is so positive. I can’t describe it, it’s so hard, but it’s the best feeling in the world.”

Gargano on the pressure to deliver this weekend: “See, I don’t know if this is a good or bad thing but I don’t really ever feel pressure. I get very excited and maybe it’s just because I have done so many of these TakeOver main events where I feel like they kind of give me the ball because they see the way I handle the situation. It isn’t too big for me. I’ve always thought of myself as a big match wrestler and there is no bigger match for me than in the main event of NXT TakeOver.”

Gargano on his underdog mentality: “I think I’m just weird. I think that’s the best way to describe myself. I’m a weird guy in the sense that I never feel that anything I’m doing is special. Even though I have abs now, I am still a chubby kid at heart so I always feel that it wasn’t good enough. When I walk through the curtain, I never really know and I don’t feel it. Guys like me, I was never pegged to be the top guy. I was told ‘no’ at my tryouts. None of this was supposed to happen, and I just take it in stride. Going into this match, with our first two matches both over five stars, if there was any pressure I would be feeling it insurmountably but I’m just really excited. I know how special this is and I know how cool this would be so just putting a big bow on this would be a really cool occurrence.”

Gargano on Ciampa’s injury cutting their main roster call-up short: “Everyone’s dream when they get into wrestling is to be on Raw and SmackDown. To get that opportunity to do that for a bit was super cool and something I look back on fondly, but the deal is basically that dreams can change and goals can change. For me, I think it’s really important that I carry the flag for NXT. I love NXT, and that’s not a company answer. It’s the truth. I pour my heart into NXT, and I love absolutely everything about it. I love the Performance Center, I love the locker room, and I love the office. I want to do what I can to carry that flag and keep growing the brand to that next level and I want to be apart of it. I have said it before that there is nothing on this planet — nothing, nothing, nothing whatsoever — that compares to NXT TakeOver. Whether it’s the opening match or mopping the restroom, I want to be there to help NXT get to where it needs to be.”

Cole on the rumors of NXT moving to FOX Sports 1: “I don’t want to speak for a lot of guys in NXT, but I will. A lot of us are incredibly proud of the growth of the brand. I’ve only been here for two years, but just to see the growth that NXT has gone through is amazing to me. We are very proud of what we produce week after week, the team and the roster and our fans and our relationship. You can’t put a price on it. To us, bell to bell, NXT is the best wrestling show in the world, and we are incredibly proud of that.”