So I went back and watched Johnny Gargano vs Tomasso Ciampa and BOY DO I HAVE SOME THOUGHTS. Mainly about the ending. So let’s talk about that.

(Aka here comes a thread. It'll probably be long. But y'all know so love this storyline so it shouldn't be a surprise I’m sharing )

One premise of this match was who could be then better man. Triple H has a point here, especially within the last few minutes of the match. Sure Johnny stands tall (for now), but was he the better man? No. Did he have the chance to be? Of course. The direction https://twitter.com/tripleh/status/1248080400150339584

it took fascinated me. So, as we saw towards the end of the match Candice comes out, seemingly distraught at what is taking place. She pleads them to stop and as her attention turns towards Ciampa, there’s a shift in Ciampa as Candice pleads him to end it. As if maybe he’s now

realized the terrible effects & pain his actions have caused. With a kick Candice pretty much hands Johnny over to Ciampa on a silver platter. Johnny is now Ciampa’s to end. This seemed like a test. A test Johnny once put Ciampa through before. A test he failed. Remember the end

of DIY’s run in the Dusty 2019? After their loss Ciampa helped an “injured” Johnny up the ramp. But at the top of the ramp, he attempted to throw Johnny into the LED boards just like he did in Chicago, Johnny was ready this time. Tomasso hadn’t changed, he wasn’t sorry.

But this time? He doesn’t attack, he doesn’t capitalize like the Ciampa from the past would have. Instead he gets down and does something he has yet to do, begins to apologize. Showing what seems like remorse for his actions towards Johnny for the first time. And maybe it

was just the camera angle, but it appears Johnny didn’t even look him in the eye as the apology poured out. And with one of Johnny’s major points being that in Portland he saw the look in Ciampa’s eyes that he knew from Chicago... you’d think he’d be looking.

Now this was the moment where Johnny could have been the better man. You’d think Ciampa passed the test this time (but then again, maybe this was a test that was impossible to pass, perhaps the apology was just way too late or it was just nothing more than a set up and I read too

deeply into things ) but instead of forgiveness, it was Johnny’s turn for betrayal and he took it. (And considering their past who can really blame him? Honestly.) He’s in too deep now, the days of Johnny Wrestling as we knew it are gone. With an “apology” of his own, a low

blow from Candice and a wry smile and revelation of a cup, Ciampa was now Johnny’s for the taking. Johnny capitalized and put Ciampa away. There was a bit of a callback that seemed to bring things full circle and I found some satisfaction in it.

This final beat finished just how things began back in their Cruiserweight Classic match. Once again Johnny took advantage of Ciampa showing a moment of compassion. That time it was pure competition, this time it was personal.

No room for forgiveness, he’s obsessed with besting Ciampa, just as obsessed as Ciampa was with the NXT title. It was fitting Johnny used Ciampa’s Fairytale Ending move to seal the deal. In a twisted sense, Johnny and Candice can now walk off in victory and claim that fairytale

ending that Ciampa constantly tried to deny them long ago.

Now to me, (remember this is all subjective!!!) Johnny choosing to go low and not be the better man was the first truly heelish thing he has done in this current chapter. Prior to all this Ciampa really didn’t do

anything to redeem himself. His gripes were valid, sure he was a bit (okay maybe more than just a bit) misguided at moments, but if someone does terrible things to you and you never get to receive that validation of pain from them... you might be angry. Just saying.

But Johnny finally getting that apology, that validation and still going low, oof. No more me yelling “Johnny Gargano did nothing wrong” anymore

Now the match was called “The Final Beat” but honestly, that match just didn’t feel like the end. An end to that chapter, sure,

but now it just feels the roles are reversed, which is interesting in its own right. And if that was it, and the book is truly closed, then I can appreciate it for what it is. I guess the point I’m getting at here is that as someone who has watched this story and has been

incredibly invested in this story from the very start, and adores those performers very much, I didn’t really find closure within that match. And maybe that’s just me, cause once again, it’s all subjective, but I don’t think I’m the only one. None the less I’m excited to see

what’s next for them.

TLDR: I enjoyed the ending of that match and found it satisfying outside of the context of it truly being the final encounter of the two because it didn’t provide that kind of closure.