WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels has apparently been tasked with bringing the former NXT champion Johnny Gargano back in the company.
The former DIY member has been in news lately with speculations about his next move. He teased a return to the industry just recently.
Fightful Select provided some update on his potential return to WWE. They noted that shortly after the change in WWE management, Michaels was tasked with reaching out to Johnny Gargano.
There is no word on how the conversation between the wrestling veteran and the former NXT star went, but it’s clear HBK was the one who was to be in contact with him.
Johnny Gargano was one of the top stars of NXT during its rise to popularity. He first made his name as part of the DIY tag team with Tommaso Ciampa and later went on to become a successful singles star.
During his 6 year long run with the development brand, the former WWE star became a one time tag team champion, a three-time North American champion and one time NXT champion. These accolades are proof of how highly Triple H thinks of him.
Gargano took a break from wrestling last December after the birth of his son. With recent returns such as Dexter Lumis and Karrion Kross, it seems to be the perfect time for the former champion to make his comeback as well.
Johnny Gargano teases that he could be returning to professional wrestling soon.
Gargano recently took part in the Asylum Virtual signing, where he discussed several professional wrestling topics.
One such question was regarding Triple H taking over WWE creative, and former NXT talents returning to WWE as a result.
The former NXT star admitted he has been watching and keeping up with what’s going on in the professional wrestling world. He then concluded by saying he and his wife, Candice LeRae, will be showing up at someplace somewhere.
When is Johnny Gargano Returning?
“I’ve seen. I’ve noticed. It’s exciting times all around. You never know what could happen. Keep watching, we’re [him and wife Candice LeRae] going to show up at some point, wherever that may be.
“We’re living in a crazy world where anything can go down. You never know what can happen on Mondays or Fridays anymore. We’ll be making some magic at some point in the future, I promise.”
Gargano was previously with WWE from 2015 to 2021. He became a key piece of the NXT brand throughout his entire run, not moving up to the main roster during that time.
His run resulted in an NXT Title win, three NXT North American Title wins, and an NXT Tag Team Title win. His contract with WWE expired this past December and he decided not to re-sign.
Fans have been wondering what the future holds for former NXT Champion Johnny Gargano since becoming a free agent. He has taken time away from professional wrestling once his WWE contract expired in December.
During that time off, he and his wife Candice LeRae, welcomed their first child into the world, Quill Lewis Gargano, in February of this year.
Gargano who took part of Starrcast V, spoke of his love for NXT Black and Gold and Triple H. When asked about a potential return to WWE with Triple H back in charge, Gargano replied, “Everyone loves Hunter. This time period of my life has given me a unique opportunity to sit back and surgery the landscape of everything.”
“If I would have made a decision immediately, who knows what would have happened. The fact that I told myself that I was going to sit back, watch what happens, and make a decision based off that. I love things where both places are going. There are pros and cons, get it, cons, Khans, wordplay. I love what both places are doing.”
When Gargano was asked what was next for him, he replied,
“What’s next for me is I’m going to go home and change a diaper. If people thought I was going to come here and be like, ‘I’m going to show up then,’ I’m not going to say that because I don’t have an answer yet. I haven’t made up my mind or made a decision yet.”
“We’re lucky as wrestlers and wrestling fans that we are living in a world where there are options and choices out there. There is talent all over the world and both places that I haven’t wrestled yet, that I want to wrestle. I’m all about right place, right time, right opportunity.
“My favorite time period as a wrestling fan was the Attitude Era where people would show up. You never knew. The internet wasn’t like, ‘this person is showing then and here.’ It’s all about surprises. That’s the fun thing about being a wrestling fan. Being surprised.
“Whatever I can do to add that element of surprise and protect my surprise, I’m going to keep protecting it.”
Gargano hasn’t competed inside a wrestling ring since December 5, 2021 where he was on the losing end of the WarGames match between Team 2.0 and Team Black & Gold.
Gargano was trending during last night’s SummerSlam event due to fans speculating he would appear on the event.
Social media has been buzzing about WWE SummerSlam and one former superstar is rumored to be making his return.
While no one has reported that this individual will be returning to the company, some fans have speculated that with Triple H taking over the creative reins, the timing could be right.
At this moment, Seth Rollins doesn’t have an opponent for SummerSlam. WWE ran an injury angle with Riddle, which has led to his match with Seth being canceled.
Rumors have been running rampant on who could wind up sharing the ring with Seth Rollins inside Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee on July 30.
One name mentioned has been Dolph Ziggler, the other is a doozy.
Johnny Gargano Speaks Out on Rumors
(via WWE)
Johnny Gargano is well aware of rumors on social media about a potential return to WWE. After all, Gargano is widely considered to be the hottest free agent in wrestling right now.
Gargano made it clear to those asking questions on his Twitch TV channel that they should probably refrain from asking him if he’ll appear at SummerSlam.
“So you guys hear any good rumors lately or what? The comments section is going to be a wild one tonight, I am sure of it.
“Yeah. Look, I know what to expect, the moderators I’m sure are going to be watching and deleting a lot of things, but I will obviously address the elephant in the room up front.
“You know the general rule on this channel, and how this thing goes, I talk very openly about professional wrestling, I talk very openly about a lot of things, but if you’re expecting to come here and me to flat out say that ‘I’m coming back here’ or ‘I’m coming back there’, ‘I’m doing this’ or ‘I’m doing that’, that’s not gonna happen. (Laughs)”
Johnny Gargano on rumors of SummerSlam appearance
“So, to save the moderators some time and effort here, if that is your question, I will answer a lot of questions, ask whatever you want, talk about wrestling, talk about all that good stuff, I have no rules as far as that goes, but if you’re going to ask me the questions that I’m definitely not gonna answer, just save yourself some time, ask me something better than that, and I will happily answer it.”
Gargano went on to say that while he isn’t in peak shape at the moment, he is physically fit to show up on TV at any moment.
“I will say, that I am about, I’m pretty much what I would like to call ‘TV lean’, I’m not ‘Takeover lean’ yet, but I am TV lean to where I could show up on television, at any point, and I could be in good shape. I know that’s gonna take a life of itself that I’m saying this, but I’m being honest with you guys. (Laughs) I’m not gonna say that I’m not.”
Johnny Gargano recently made a surprise appearance on IMPACT Wrestling. Fightful reported that the appearance was simply a favor for a friend and he is not in talks with IMPACT.
It was reported that a top free agent, who is a former WWE talent, would be more willing to return to the company now that Triple H is in charge of creative.
Whether or not the star in question is Gargano remains to be seen.
As we’ve noted, Gargano made a surprise video appearance on last night’s episode of IMPACT Wrestling. He was one of several talents who did so in order to hype up Alex Shelley ahead of his IMPACT World Title shot at their Emergence PPV on Friday, August 12.
During his appearance, Gargano called Shelly one of the most underrated wrestlers of this current generation. Check it out here:
— ? Kimberley Ford ? (@RoyaltyCanadian) July 29, 2022
Fightful Select reports that the free agent Gargano’s appearance on IMPACT was more of a favor to a friend. He is not in talks with IMPACT Wrestling as of this writing.
Johnny Gargano joined WWE in 2015 where he was a key piece to their NXT brand. During his WWE run, Gargano had one reign a NXT Champion, three as NXT North American Champion, and an NXT Tag Team Title reign.
He departed from WWE after his contract expired in December. Since, he has remained a free agent, with no indication as to where he could be signing any time soon.
However, with the recent changes in WWE, one could argue that Gargano might be making a return to his former employer relatively soon. With Vince McMahon now retired, Triple H has now assumed the role of head of creative.
Gargano worked very closely with Triple H during his NXT run, as “The Game” was at the forefront of the developmental brand for quite some time.
Last night, the July 28 episode of IMPACT Wrestling aired. The episode was recorded on July 15 at Old Forester’s Paristown Hall in Louisville, Kentucky.
Quick Results
Eddie Edwards (w/ Kenny King) def. Ace Austin (w/ Chris Bey)
Laredo Kid & Trey Miguel def. Johnny Swinger & Zicky Dice
Tiffany Nieves def. Jada Stone
Josh Alexander def. Shera (w/ Raj Singh)
KUSHIDA def. Rich Swann
IMPACT News
Last night, many notable pieces of news emerged from the July 21 episode. We have collected some of the news and updates from last night’s episode.
Honor No More & Bullet Club
Honor No More (Eddie Edwards, Matt Taven, Mike Bennett, Kenny King & PCO) will face Bullet Club (The Good Brothers, Ace Austin, Chris Bey & Hikuelo) in a ten-man tag match.
If Honor No More wins, Matt Taven and Mike Bennett will get their Tag Team Title match. However, if the Bullet Club wins, Honor No More will be forced to disband as a group.
After Tiffany Nieves defeated Jada Stone, Killer Kelly made her return to IMPACT Wrestling. Kelly hit Nieves with a pump kick before getting Nieves in a one-hand sleeper. Kelly hit a low-shotgun drop kick on Stone before hitting a double-under hook face slam.
Impact Wrestling‘s Alex Shelley is scheduled to challenge Josh Alexander for the Impact World Championship at the upcoming Emergence PPV on Friday, August 12.
This show featured clips of various wrestling personalities talking about the legacy of Shelley.
Among them was Johnny Gargano, who claimed that Alex Shelley is one of the most underrated wrestlers of the current generation:
— ? Kimberley Ford ? (@RoyaltyCanadian) July 29, 2022
KUSHIDA
KUSHIDA made his IMPACT in-ring debut on this week’s edition of IMPACT. The former IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion defeated Rich Swann in singles action.
Fans have been speculating about the wrestling future of Johnny Gargano since his WWE departure. His first post-WWE appearance came at the most unexpected place.
Impact Wrestling’s Alex Shelley is scheduled to challenge Josh Alexander for the Impact World Championship at the upcoming Emergence PPV on Friday, August 12.
The July 28 episode of their weekly show featured clips of various wrestling personalities talking about the legacy of Shelley. Among them was also Gargano, who claimed that Alex Shelley is one of the most underrated wrestlers of the current generation:
— 👑 Kimberley Ford 👑 (@RoyaltyCanadian) July 29, 2022
The former NXT champion left the Vince McMahon-owned promotion in December last year. He stepped away from wrestling to be with his wife Candice LeRae after the birth of their son.
Johnny Gargano has kept his distance from the wrestling world since then. While he has made some promotional appearances, Gargano is yet to sign a new contract with any promotion.
Many believed that the former DIY member will end up in AEW sooner or later. However, things have changed due to Vince McMahon’s retirement.
With Triple H taking over the creative responsibilities of the main roster, there is now a good chance that Gargano would end up re-signing with the company.
All Elite Wrestling is home to some of the most popular tag teams in current-day wrestling, with plenty of duos, trios, and stables in the company.
In October 2019, the promotion introduced the AEW World Tag Team Championships, allowing teams to compete with a specific goal in mind.
There are a lot of stand-out tag teams in AEW, but according to one former NXT Champion, two of the teams on the roster stand out above the rest.
One of a Kind
From 2015-2017, Johnny Gargano was part of DIY, a popular tag team in NXT alongside Tommaso Ciampa.
The pair had a run as NXT Tag Team Champions, but Gargano’s favorite teams right now are in AEW.
While on Good Karma Wrestling, Gargano has a lot of praise for FTR and the Young Bucks.
“FTR, Revival, whatever you want to call them, they’ve been one of the best tag teams for a very, very, very, very, very long time, and me and Tommaso were lucky enough to have that series with them where we did Takeover: Brooklyn and Takeover: Toronto and have those tag team matches with those two guys because, for my money, they are the best tag team in the world currently. And I always, I said for a very, very, long time and I still do believe this, FTR and Young Bucks are just once in a generation tag teams.”
Both FTR and the Bucks have had reigns as AEW World Tag Team Champions, with the latter currently in their second reign.
AEWxNJPW Forbidden Door is happening this Sunday, but the show will have to go on ahead without some major names.
AEW World Champion CM Punk, Kenny Omega and Bryan Danielson are all off the show due to a series of injuries that have derailed some of Tony Khan’s plans.
In the case of Danielson, there will be a replacement for his match against Zack Sabre Jr., though AEW has yet to reveal who that will be.
Gargano in Chicago
One name that fans would love to see replace Danielson is Johnny Gargano, who will be in the area this weekend.
On Twitter, the former NXT Champion announced earlier today that he will be attending The Chicago Card Show in the Windy City this Sunday, the same city where Forbidden Door will take place.
Unsurprisingly, this got fans speculating that he will be the one to face Sabre Jr. though Gargano tried to dispel these ideas.
In a follow-up tweet, he said that the timings were “ridiculously coincidental” and that he’ll only be in Chicago for eight hours.
Gargano did admit that he estimates five percent of people will believe that he isn’t showing up at Forbidden Door, and joked that this is what he wants people to believe.
I promise you this is ridiculously coincidental and has been booked for months. I'll only be in Chicago for like 8 hours!
*I also realize in saying this that only like 5% of you are going to believe I'm actually telling the truth. ?
Gargano may (or may not) be appearing this Sunday, but there is one other option fans are considering.
Claudio Castignoli, aka Cesaro, hasn’t wrestled since his departure from WWE earlier this year and doesn’t have a non-compete clause to his name.
Some have speculated that given William Regal’s connection to the Blackpool Combat Club, that Cesaro (Regal’s final opponent) will be the one who answers the call.
There is some good news for fans of Johnny Gargano and Candice LeRae.
Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter reports that both Gargano and LeRae are expected to return to the ring soon.
In the case of LeRae, it’s been said that many within AEW have been pushing the company to sign her. Where Gargano will end up remains a bit of mystery but one would imagine he won’t have any trouble finding work.
Former WWE NXT Superstar Johnny Gargano has said that The Way was meant to be much more serious than what fans saw.
The Way, comprising of Gargano, Candice LeRae, Indi Hartwell, and Theory was a dominant force in NXT, capturing both the North American and NXT Women’s Championships.
Dexter Lumis joined the stable in late 2021 after marrying Hartwell in the premiere episode of WWE NXT 2.0.
Speaking to The Bob Culture Podcast on YouTube, Gargano said that factors outside of WWE made the group become much more fun than first planned.
“That was never going to be the way that character was supposed to be. It was going to be a lot more serious, but I just kind of felt like with everything going on with the pandemic and with COVID and things like that, I felt like NXT just needed a little bit of levity, a little bit of funniness, silliness, goofiness, and I was happy that I was able to provide that.”
The Way disbanded in late 2021 following Gargano’s departure from WWE.
Lumis was released from WWE earlier this year, ending his on-screen relationship to Hartwell, with the explanation on TV being that Lumis left her.
Former NXT Champion Johnny Gargano returned to the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, FL this week.
The former NXT Champion wasn’t there to brush up on his skills or train for his in-ring return. He was actually there to visit friends and introduce former colleagues to his baby.
Johnny Gargano left WWE in late 2021 after approximately 6 years in NXT. During his time away, he and wife Candice LaRae welcomed the birth of their son.
Gargano recently revealed that he left NXT because his character felt stale. However, he hasn’t lost his love for pro wrestling. Gargano is now taking independent bookings. He appeared at WrestleCon during WrestleMania 38 weekend, but has not made any high-profile appearances since leaving WWE.
He could follow guys like Adam Cole, Keith Lee and Swerve Strickland to AEW. He also might wind up back in WWE, according to these recent comments:
Arguably the hottest free agent in professional wrestling, former NXT star Johnny Gargano isn’t ruling out a return to WWE.
Gargano’s contract with WWE ran out back in December, and the former NXT Champion decided not to re-sign. Over the course of his run with WWE, Gargano was a huge part of the NXT brand, racking up an NXT Title run, three NXT North American Championship wins, and an NXT Tag Team Title run with Tommaso Ciampa.
However, after several years on NXT, Gargano felt his character was getting a bit stale, and decided to set out for greener pastures. Now, a few months after leaving WWE, Gargano opened up about his free agency situation during an interview on Your Story with Mike Wexler.
In regards to where he could end up next, Gargano says a WWE return is possible, as he has some unfulfilled goals in the company he hadn’t yet accomplished.
“I mean all my options are open right now, I am very open about that,” Gargano said (via Wrestling Inc.). “I don’t know what I want to do yet. It’s one of those things where I am kind of in a time period of my life where I am figuring that out. I am figuring out what my goal is, what lasting legacy I want to leave. I do have a lot of unfulfilled things in WWE that I still want to accomplish.
“So, there is WWE, there’s AEW, there’s New Japan, there’s doing a run on the indie scene. There’s a lot of things that I am kind of debating, working at right now. I don’t know when, and I don’t where I am going to return. But, I promise you when I do you all will know.”
Of course, there’s no shortage of promotions for Johnny Gargano to choose from. Obviously All Elite Wrestling (AEW) is a hot spot for talents leaving WWE at the moment. New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) is also an option for the 34-year-old. It will be interesting to see where “Johnny Wrestling” ultimately lands when it’s all said and done.
William Regal helped many of the current generation wrestling stars get an opportunity with WWE. One such talent who finally got on the company’s radar with help from Regal after 10 years in the independent circuit is Johnny Gargano.
The former NXT champion is currently a free agent after leaving WWE a few months ago. He looks back on his WWE run with good memories and is grateful for the chance to work under William Regal.
‘Johnny Wrestling’ was in Dallas for a WrestleCon appearance over the WrestleMania weekend. Chris Van Vliet interviewed him during his trip. The two talked about things such as Gargano’s legacy in wrestling and more. Discussing how he got into WWE, Johnny mentioned that William Regal gave the chance to a lot of undersized guys like himself:
“2015-2016 I think is when I fully got on the radar. That was thanks to a guy named William Regal obviously. William Regal was a great proponent of independent wrestlers and guys like me who are undersized.” said Gargano.
“Who wasn’t given an opportunity during that time period. It’s so crazy to be in that window, where from 2016 to 2021 where I left. I felt I had a hell of a run. I maximized my time there for sure. Especially in NXT, the matches and opportunities I was given to be able to go out there and main event Takeovers in front of 15,000 seat arenas.
Today being able to do that meet and greet and signing stuff. It’s very reassuring to have people come up to me and share their stories of how I’ve affected their life. because it is wild to think that when I was younger, the boyhood dream, Shawn Michaels is what made me want to be a wrestler. For some kids out there, me winning the NXT title at Takeover: New York is gonna be what made them wanna be a wrestler. So it’s cool to have that kind of legacy in itself.”
Johnny Gargano lived through not one but two generational changes in NXT. When he originally signed with WWE in 2015, people from independent wrestling circuits were still looked down upon. Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa were some of the top names who wrestled against the stigma. They paved the way for other indie names to come in and leave their mark on the development brand.
However, things started changing once again towards the end of his run. In terms of preferred talents, NXT is now back to where it used to be with more focus on outside athletes than indie names.
The former NXT champion opened up about this change on The Sessions with Renee Paquette. He claimed that he totally understands the mindset of bringing people from other sports because it’s basically a lottery ticket:
“From what I understand they’re still going to sign indie people, but they want to go away from just the sole, full classes of indie people. Which is how it was originally as well, which I completely understand in the sense of where any NCAA person they sign, someone that comes from a different walk of life, that are just genetic freaks.
That’s basically a lottery ticket.” said Johnny Gargano, “You’re buying a lottery ticket. This person could turn out to be the next Kurt Angle, you never know. So I totally understand bringing those people in, giving them opportunities and seeing what they turn out to be.”
Though later in the interview, Johnny Gargano claimed that he is always going to lean towards the talents from independent wrestling scenes. According to him, they are the people who really love wrestling, and it’s not something that you can teach:
“I am always going to go more towards the indie wrestling route because that’s where I’m from. That’s my background. That’s what I believe in. I believe in my heart. That’s why I kind of lean towards the more Indie Hartwell, Cora Jades of the world. Again, that’s not taking anything away from those guys, but I firmly believe that you can pay someone to learn a headlock, you can pay someone to learn a wrist lock. You cannot pay someone to love this.
You cannot pay someone to love wrestling. When you’re an indie wrestler, and you had to pay to train, you had to travel all over and take $5, you have to love this. Because if you don’t love this, you ain’t gonna be doing it. So I’m always gonna lean towards more, giving those people opportunities that I feel like they just want it. I relate to them so much. “
If you use any quotes from the article please credit SEScoops with an H/t for transcription
Johnny Wrestling will appear at the annual WrestleCon convention during WrestleMania 38 weekend in Dallas, TX.
The former NXT Champion took to Twitter to announce his appearance at the wrestling convention. Gargano wrote: “Doing signings at Axxess was one of my favorite parts of WrestleMania weekend (so much so that I would always ask to do extra sessions if someone couldn’t do it) Believe it or not.. I’ve never done a @wrestlecon! So it felt like a good time.. Excited to see all of you in Dallas!”
Doing signings at Axxess was one of my favorite parts of Wrestlemania weekend (so much so that I would always ask to do extra sessions if someone couldn't do it)
Gargano let his WWE contract expire, which made him a free agent. He had chose to allow his contract expire so that he could be at home with his wife, Candice LeRae, as they were expecting their first child. Their son, Quill Lewis Gargano, was born in February 2022.
As far as the wrestling ring goes, there is no update on where and when he will be seen in it. However, Gargano seems to be focused on spending his time with his wife and his son for now. With him making a public appearance for the first time, it’s likely that we would hear about his plans soon.
Johnny Gargano was one half of the tag team DIY in NXT with Tommaso Ciampa. They won the NXT Tag Team Championships once. The both would go on to feud with each other, and fans would remember it as one of the most entertaining feuds on the brand. “The Heart and Soul of NXT” also captured the NXT Championship and the NXT North American Championship a record three times, making him the first ever NXT Triple Crown winner.
Johnny Gargano is now fielding offers for appearances and business inquiries.
Gargano became a free agent in late 2021 after his WWE contract expired. The company made an effort to keep him on board, but he had other plans.
During his time away from the wrestling world, Johnny Gargano has been active online with his Twitch streaming account. Earlier this month, he and wife Candice LeRae became proud parents of a beautiful baby girl, Quill.
He also wanted the freedom to selectively pick and choose select projects.
Johnny Gargano hasn’t wrestled on the independent scene since 2015. He participated in a WWE tryout camp in June 2015 and wrestled for NXT for six and a half years.
As one of the most talented wrestlers in the world, he probably won’t remain independent for very long. For now, his publicist/manager is ready to field series offers.
Johnny Gargano and Candice LeRae welcomed the birth of baby Quill today. It is the couple’s first child (aside from Austin Theory and Indi Hartwell). Judging by the comic books present in the photo they posted, their baby was named after Peter Quill, aka Star Lord, from the Guardians of the Galaxy.
Johnny Gargano is officially a free agent at the moment. His last match was in NXT 2.0 on December 5th at War Games. He recently commented on his sabbatical from pro-wrestling in an interview with Comicbook.com.
“I just wanted to completely break free of all that and refresh myself, and especially with a baby coming soon, I wanted to be in the best headspace I possibly could. Not only for Candice but also for the baby.”
Gargano is free to appear for other wrestling promotions at any time. It’s not clear when or where he intends to do that, however.
Despite fan expectations and rumors that swirled on Wednesday, former WWE NXT star Johnny Gargano did not appear this week on AEW Dynamite in Cleveland, Ohio.
There was an expectation among some that Johnny Wrestling might appear due to the show emanating from his hometown. The latest from Fightful Select is that Gargano has had talks with AEW, but no agreement in place with at this time.
However, whether or not a formal contract proposal or timetable for a debut has been presented could not be confirmed.
Gargano and his wife, fellow wrestling star Candice LeRae, are expecting their first child very soon. The word is that Gargano has made it clear that at this point, he is concentrating all of his efforts on helping his wife in any way that he can as they prepare for the child’s birth. His pending father life is currently outranking wrestler life when it comes to his thought process as of now.
For the time being, Gargano will remain outside of wrestling until he experiences the birth of his child. At that point, he will decide on a timetable for his return to the ring. When that will happen and where it will happen is not certain as of now.
Gargano Heard The Rumors (and Chants)
Johnny Gargano
Gargano noted on Twitter at the conclusion of AEW Dynamite that he heard the chants during the show and rumors that were present throughout the day and night on Wednesday.
I heard you and you have no idea how much it means to me that you're excited to see me back at it.
It's scary to step away because your insecurities say "they'll forget about you".. but you haven't forgotten and I promise that I will make it up to you asap. #JohnnyWrestling ?
“I heard you and you have no idea how much it means to me that you’re excited to see me back at it. It’s scary to step away because your insecurities say ‘they’ll forget about you’.. but you haven’t forgotten and I promise that I will make it up to you asap,” Gargano wrote.
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Now that his WWE contract has officially expired, Johnny Gargano is free to show up anywhere he wants to wrestle the people of his choice. He is certainly not backing away from naming the people he wants to get in the ring with. There are a couple of top AEW stars he seems to have his sight set on at the moment.
During a recent Twitch stream, Gargano offered his thoughts on the former AEW champion Kenny Omega. He said “I think Kenny Omega is one of, if not the, best wrestler in the world currently. I know that it is a legitimate dream match for a lot of people, me and Kenny, and it is definitely a dream match for me too.”
Gargano was later asked if he watched the Hangman Page vs Bryan Danielson AEW world championship match from the Winter Is Coming special of Dynamite. He replied positively before claiming that Danielson is the best wrestler in the world:
“I did. It was fantastic. They’re both amazingly talented and I wrestled Bryan twice on the Indies, both times for AIW in Cleveland. I [have] said time and time again that he’s the best wrestler in the world. I know I say a lot of people are one of the best wrestlers in the world. I truly believe that Bryan is the best wrestler in the world.”
Johnny Gargano Wants Rematch Against Bryan Danielson
Johnny Gargano
Johnny Gargano continued by saying that he can’t explain why he thinks Bryan is the best wrestler in the world. He claimed that you have to step in the ring with the former world champion to know, before expressing the desire of doing so himself:
“The guy for my personal opinion just because I have been in the ring with him. So, I kind of know from experience, I don’t know how to explain it or say why he’s the best wrestler in the world. You just got to be in there with him and you just know, like, you just know. Bryan is the best and it’s a shame that we never got a chance to have entangled in the last couple years but hopefully at some point down the line that can happen.”
Johnny Gargano ended his six years long stint with WWE earlier this month. He let his deal expire and chose not to re-sign with the promotion. His last bout was the WarGames match between Team Black and Gold and Team 2.0. The belief is that he will take some time off to be with his wife until the birth of their first child in February before making a decision about his future.
If you use any quotes from the article please credit SEScoops with an H/t for the transcription
Shawn Michaels recently commented on the NXT departures of Adam Cole, Johnny Gargano, & Kyle O’Reilly. Now that they are gone, Michaels admits they are the reason he fell back in love with sports entertainment.
“We still keep in contact, but yeah it is bittersweet, those young men were a big part of my life, they were a lot of the reason that I sort of got back into this line of work,” Michaels said during an interview with Denise Salcedo. “I was happily retired.”
“When it came to Johnny, Tommaso, Adam, those guys, even way back, the Revival Boys, Shawn Spears who was Tye Dellinger at the time, all those young men sitting in a room with them; their passion, their excitement, their desire to be better was just hard not to love,” he continued.
In November of 2018, it was revealed that Michaels was now working as a writer and producer for NXT. This was shortly after he had returned for one match at the Crown Jewel event in Saudi Arabia.
“They are the reason that I came back, and fell back in love with Sports Entertainment, with this line of work. As you’ve heard and everyone has numerous times, in NXT at the Performance Center, is where it’s still pure, it’s still all the reasons we get into it before it becomes business, and money and negotiations and things of that nature. To fast forward your question, I miss them.”
I’m still amazed that we were able to reunite @AdamColePro + @theBobbyFish + @KORcombat tonight on #AEWDynamite; it doesn’t seem like it should’ve been possible, still doesn’t feel real. The only reason it was possible was because of you great fans supporting @AEWonTNT! Thank you
Adam Cole, Kyle O’Reilly, and Bobby Fish Unite In AEW
Adam Cole debuted for AEW this fall at the All Out PPV in Chicago. He aligned with the Young Bucks and they re-created their Super Kliq team. Then on this week’s Dynamite show from the Greensboro Coliseum, Kyle O’Reilly debuted for AEW as well. O’Reilly helped Adam Cole defeat Orange Cassidy. Then him, Cole, and Bobby Fish all left together, leaving the Young Bucks alone in the ring. After being at the top of NXT since 2017 as the Undisputed Era, they now appear to have re-aligned in AEW.
The full interview with Shawn Michaels can be heard in the player below:
While the wrestling world waits to see where Johnny Gargano takes his talents next, the man himself is teasing one particular match that could yet be in his future — another bout with Tommaso Ciampa.
Gargano and Ciampa had one of the most notable feuds in the history of WWE NXT, with their match at NXT TakeOver New Orleans arguably one of the best matches in the history of the promotion. This all, of course, followed the pair having a successful run as the tag team DIY.
Gargano spoke about the possibility of wrestling Ciampa again during the first episode of his new Twitch show — Johnny Wrestling Stream: Episode 1.
“So, we did find out we were doing that until maybe that day obviously, it wasn’t the ending me and Tommaso wanted,” Gargano admitted (quote via Fightful). “We wanted to be able to finish our feud.
“It was supposed to be TakeOver: Tampa. [Was originally] supposed to be TakeOver: New York and then this was supposed to be TakeOver: Tampa, we wanted to have a huge crowd and all that but that’s not how things work out. Unfortunately. That’s, I guess, the story of our whole feud. It’s just timing and just thing’s not working out. Who knows, maybe we’ll finish it one day somewhere.”
The pair last shared the ring together as opponents in a fatal four-way Iron Man Match in September 2020. Their last singles match against each other was in April 2020, an Empty Arena Match. The pair teamed together in a War Games Match at NXT War Games on December 5th. War Games was Gargano’s final match with WWE NXT.
Will He Stay With WWE or Leave?
Johnny Gargano
Gargano has said that he is currently taking some time off from pro wrestling entirely before deciding his next career move. He and his wife, WWE’s Candice LeRae, are set to welcome their first child in early 2022. At this moment in time, he has fulfilled his WWE contract and would be free to go wherever he would want in the wrestling world if he chose to do so.
Where do you want to see Johnny Gargano next? Let us know in the comments section below!
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If you want to see Johnny Gargano, all you have to do is chant “Johnny Wrestling”. At least, that is according to comments he made during the first live stream on his new Twitch channel.
With Gargano now a free agent, he could show up anywhere and at anytime. If fans want to see his return to wrestling, they just need to chant for him at shows.
“The ‘Johnny Wrestling’ chants, they mean the world to me,” said Gargano on the stream. “If you chant ‘Johnny Wrestling’ somewhere loud enough, you never know what could happen.”
He continued, “I could show up anywhere at this point. That’s real. I’m free to do whatever I want. So if someone wants to see me bad enough, the Johnny Wrestling chants come in, I’ll hear them. I watch everything. You never know.”
Just chant “Johnny Wrestling”
Now that Gargano is a free agent and has told fans how to ‘summon’ him, it will be interesting to see if we get any Johnny Wrestling chants tonight at AEW Winter is Coming.
Gargano’s WWE contract is believed to have expired on December 10th. This is after he signed a one-week extension on a contract that expired on December 3rd. The extension was so he would be able to perform on the War Games PPV and the following episode of NXT 2.0.
He had been with WWE since 2015 and does not have a non-compete clause.
We have some additional information regarding his final weeks with the company and what may be next for the former NXT Champion.
Johnny Gargano did not arrive at his decision to leave WWE easily, according to sources close to the situation. WWE made a strong offer to keep him from leaving, as they did with Adam Cole.
After 6 years, Gargano achieved everything there was to achieve in NXT. In the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer noted that he would most likely remain in NXT had he stayed. He’d no longer be a main event star, but would be used to elevate younger talent.
At 34 years old, Gargano still has a lot left in the tank and might see better opportunity for himself elsewhere.
Johnny Gargano recently signed a short-term contract extension to get him through WarGames. Since his contract simply expired and he was not released, there is no non-compete clause. He could show up anywhere at any time.
WWE gave Gargano a warm sendoff on this week’s episode of NXT TV. He is legitimately leaving on very good terms and the door is still open for them to work together in the future.
While unlikely, it’s entirely possible that Gargano does re-sign with WWE. Entering free agency gives him the legal green light to field offers from other companies, such as AEW, New Japan Pro Wrestling and also the independents.
Allowing his contract to expire is certainly not a promising sign that he’ll stay with WWE. However, if the offers he receives – and he will receive offers – do not exceed WWE’s best offer, anything is possible.
I can't thank you all enough for the love and support you have shown me these past few days. I hope you continue to follow me on this next part of my journey! ❤️https://t.co/MAqsnbRVc1pic.twitter.com/xZek8HKymc
The former DIY member originally had his contract expiring on December 3 but he signed a week’s extension to work the Takeover: WarGames PPV and this week’s NXT.
Gargano decided not to sign any further extensions despite offers from WWE officials and he has become a free agent after midnight on December 10. The news was first reported by FightFul Select.
The former NXT champion’s departure is said to be ‘incredibly amicable’. The door has been left open for both sides to work together in the future and many within WWE are hopeful about his return in the future.
Gargano’s Future
Since his contract has expired Johnny Gargano is now free to sign with any promotion or appear on TV for any other organization.
Though after his promo on Tuesday’s NXT, there is speculation that Gargano may take some time off from wrestling and help his wife Candice LeRae as the couple prepares to welcome their first child together in February.
Kyle O’Reilly also has his NXT contract expiring this month but there hasn’t been a confirmation of the exact date for the same as of yet.
Johnny Gargano has not made any comments about his future plans so far. It appears that fans will have to wait for him to show up somewhere to know where his next destination is.
