Due to the coronavirus pandemic, NXT TakeOver: Tampa won't go on as scheduled this Saturday, April 4. Instead, the decision was made to hold matches scheduled for TakeOver on the weekly NXT shows. Matches will begin airing Wednesday, April 1, with the NXT North American Title triple threat.
Speaking to Mike Johnson at PWInsider, Triple H gave the reason why NXT went in this direction.
"The decision to not doing a TakeOver separate and bringing TakeOver and putting them on to the weekly episodes really came down to the decision of, amount of content that needed to take place in a very short period of time leading into WrestleMania. It just made sense for us to do it in a different factor. When you take into consideration it's a separate event but no one is going to be there to see it live anyway, it really made sense for us to do it this way. Not all the matches, at this point, will be able to take place, but we'll get there down the line and continue to create the content that we can," he said.
Before TakeOver was canceled in its current format, the only match announced for the event was a women's ladder match to determine the number one contender for the NXT Women's Championship match. That match is still scheduled to take place. It is unknown which matches were originally planned, but won't be taking place.
One match that will happen is Johnny Gargano vs. Tommaso Ciampa, in a battle that is being billed as the final bout between the two men on the gold brand.
When asked if this will indeed be the last time Gargano and Ciampa meet in an NXT ring, Triple H replied, "It is the intention. We would all like the move in different directions. They have had such a spectacular rivalry and partnership and everything else over the years. And it seems like every time we get to the giant climax episode or chapter of their story, something comes up, either an injury or something that doesn't allow it to happen in the manner (intended). This is not different. It will be spectacular and put some finality to this and deliver to fans in a meaningful way. The intention is to move to a new direction."
The bout between Gargano and Ciampa will air on the April 8 episode of NXT.
Fightful provides live coverage of NXT every Wednesday beginning at 8 p.m. ET.
If you use any of the quotes above, please give a h/t and link back to Fightful for the transcription.
