Several top WWE NXT stars made their debuts on the flagship show of the company, Monday Night RAW.
As seen on Monday’s episode in Lafayette, LA at the Lafayette Cajundome on the USA Network, Triple H, who oversees NXT, opened the show by doing a promo in the ring about how four NXT talents will make their main roster TV debuts. Those talents are NXT Champion Tommaso Ciampa, NXT North American Champion Johnny Gargano, Aleister Black, and Ricochet.
Ricochet teamed up with Finn Balor to take on Lio Rush and Bobby Lashley where the faces won. Black took on Elias in a singles match. Gargano and Ciampa beat RAW Tag Team Champions The Revival (Scott Dawson & Dash Wilder) in a non-title match.
Triple H did not clarify whether or not these talents would be permanent additions to red brand as full-time members or this was just a one-off thing. It was first reported by PWinsider.com that these talents were backstage at the show.
Obviously, if they stay on the main roster, Ciampa and Gargano will need to drop their NXT titles. It should be noted that WWE does hold TV tapings for the yellow brand this Wednesday night in Winter Park, FL at Full Sail University, which could be a further indication as to what their futures hold.
What are your thoughts on WWE calling up Ricochet, Black, Ciampa, and Gargano up to the main roster?
At NXT TakeOver: Phoenix, Johnny Gargano would defeat Ricochet to become the third North American champion. At the close of the show, he would be joined by former friend-turned-rival, and current NXT Heavyweight champion, Tomasso Ciampa. Together, they would raise their titles over their heads, wallowing in their victories.
In an interview with OrlandoSentinel.com, Johnny Gargano looked back at that night, and how he felt winning the North American championship.
“When I’m in the ring, I can hear the reactions and know the people are enjoying themselves. They’re emoting in some way, so we’re doing something, right. Do I realize, ‘Oh, this is going to be universally praised?’ No. I came back through the curtain that night, and most nights, with very low energy, because that’s just how I am. I didn’t realize how good people thought the match was until after the fact. For me, it was exciting to win my first [singles] title in NXT. That’s validation for the hard work I put in.”
“People Will Be Talking About It For Years To Come”
Gargano commented that, despite knowing each other for so long and travelling the world together, he and others in the locker room will often remark their disbelief:
“I don’t know how many times we’ve all been in the locker room and said we can’t believe we’re all here doing this thing,” Gargano said. “We’ve all supported one another; some of us have known each other for 10 years and been around the world together. In a sense, we’ve grown up together, and to be a part of the NXT team together is truly special.”
“We’ve been able to make this a movie, a comic book come to life,” he said. “People have been very invested in the twists and turns and we want to keep them guessing. When it’s said and done, people will be talking about it for years to come, and all of us involved in telling that story are very proud of that. We’ve taken people on a great ride.”
Given the long-form storytelling of the Gargano/Ciampa friendship, rivalry, and newly forged alliance, it’s hard to argue.
WWE Halftime Heat took place on February 3 on the night of the Super Bowl LIII at the WWE’s Performance Center in Orlando, Florida. The event was brought back in commemoration of the twentieth anniversary of WWE’s inaugural Super Bowl counterprogramming.
The card included a six-man tag team match between the team of Aleister Black, Ricochet and Velveteen Dream against the team of Adam Cole, Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa.
The show was available everywhere, from WWE.com to YouTube to Facebook and Twitter.
Shawn Michaels was also the guest commentator for the show.
The match went back and forth but the villainous team looked strong with the upper hand, with giving Meet in the Middle finishers and what-not.
Gargano and Cole both ate the Black Mass from Aleister Black after a series of superkicks being given out to each other from all the wrestlers.
In the end, Adam Cole took a Dream Valley Driver and a 450 splash from Ricochet, and the match ended when Dream pinned Cole after using the Purple Rainmaker.
WINNERS: Velveteen Dream, Ricochet, and Aleister Black
You can check out the highlight clips from the show below:
Johnny Gargano recently spoke with WWE.com to promote his return to the EVOLVE promotion this weekend where he spoke about a wide range of topics.
On Friday at EVOLVE 119 in Brooklyn, NY at the Saint Finbar Catholic Church Gym, he’ll team up with AR Fox vs. EVOLVE Champion Austin Theory & Josh Briggs that will headline the show. The following night, he’ll take on Theory in a non-title match will serve as the headliner of EVOLVE 120 in Woodside, NY at the La Boom.
When asked what it means to make his return to EVOLVE, where he worked before signing with the WWE, Gargano stated that it’s crazy to get the chance to do this and thought that when he had his final EVOLVE match, he was closing a chapter but with the landscape of wrestling, he’s able to come back and thinks that’s awesome.
“It’s great that I get a chance to go back to a place that is very important to me. I’ve said time and time again that I don’t think I’d be the wrestler I am today, probably wouldn’t be the person I am today, if it wasn’t for my experiences and my time at EVOLVE Wrestling.”
He continued by stating that he doesn’t think he wouldn’t be in WWE NXT if it wasn’t for his time in EVOLVE and Dragon Gate USA. Thus, to get a chance to come back and just perform in La Boom again, is pretty cool. He added that it goes to show how awesome wrestling is in 2019.
While it was an obvious direction for the North American title, WWE waited this long to make the match between Ricochet and Johnny Gargano official for the upcoming NXT Takeover: Phoenix event.
It all started when Tommaso Ciampa helped Gargano in beating Aleister Black in a cage match a few weeks back. After this, the NXT Champion suggested that his former partner deserved a shot at Ricochet’s title.
It became clear that this match is in the mix when Johnny himself later demanded the same and now the company has made it official with a press release on WWE.com:
“At TakeOver: Phoenix, these two NXT Superstars will put it all on the line when they tangle for the NXT North American Title. For Ricochet, the plan is to walk out of TakeOver: Phoenix and remain the one and only NXT North American Champion. For Johnny Wrestling, it’s all about two things: wins and championships.”
With this match, the total number of officially announced bouts for the upcoming Takeover event has become 4. You can check out the full match card for the show below:
NXT Takeover: Phoenix Updated Match Card
Aleister Black vs. Tommaso Ciampa (c) for the NXT championship
Shayna Baszler (c) vs. Bianca Belair for the NXT Women’s title
Johnny Gargano vs. Ricochet (c) for the North American championship
War Raiders vs. Undisputed ERA (c) for the NXT Tag titles
Takeover: Phoenix takes place the day before Royal Rumble on Saturday, January 26th from the Talking Stick Resort Arena.
Sean “X-Pac” Waltman revealed his choices for the best matches of 2018 on a recent episode of X-Pac 12360.
Waltman selected a match under the WWE banner, as well as a bout from the biggest independent show of the year, and his choices may raise eyebrows.
For his WWE choice, Waltman selected a contest from the most recent NXT TakeOver event, a show that Waltman watched the majority of from the gorilla position backstage.
“Maybe because it’s fresh on my mind, but Johnny Gargano vs. Aleister Black, in WWE.”
As for his non-WWE choice, Waltman went with an instant classic from “All In”.
“I can also tell you, Marty Scurll and Kazuchika Okada from All In,” Waltman said. “An amazing match.”
With most major promotions having their own streaming services, and with WWE churning out so much content, Waltman admits that his choices were just two of many valid selections that fans can readily access.
“In 2018, going into 2019, there are so many great matches out there, so many guys and ladies for people to like,” Waltman said.
Waltman went on to answer questions on a wide range of subjects on the special Q & A episode of X-Pac 12360. The entire episode is available below.
EVOLVE has announced which opponent Johnny Gargano will be facing at the upcoming EVOLVE 119 event.
The company took to Twitter to announce that Gargano will be participating in a tag team match where he will team up with AR Fox.
“We just signed it, so let’s just announce it….WWN Icons of Johnny Gargano & AR Fox vs. WWN New Generation of EVOLVE Champion Austin Theory & Josh Briggs#EVOLVE119 – Jan. 18th – Brooklyn, NY,” wrote the company on their official Twitter account.
We just signed it, so let's just announce it….
WWN Icons of Johnny Gargano & AR Fox vs. WWN New Generation of EVOLVE Champion Austin Theory & Josh Briggs#EVOLVE119 – Jan. 18th – Brooklyn, NY
The match is set to take place on 18 January at the Saint Finbar Catholic Church Gym in Brooklyn, New York. EVOLVE 120 will be held the next night on 20 January, where Gargano will be facing EVOLVE Champion Austin Theory in a non-title match.
Johnny Gargano has quite some history with the EVOLVE promotion as he worked there from 2009 to 2016. He teamed up with Drew McIntyre to win the Tag Team Championship as well as the Tag Team Championship Tournament in 2016 during his time in the promotion.
The WWE Network will present two previously unaired shows in primetime tonight. 205 Live will get going at 7 PM followed by NXT at 8. Tonight’s episode of NXT features a steel cage match main event as well.
NXT 12/19 Preview
Johnny Gargano vs Aleister Black – Steel Cage Match
Johnny Gargano was responsible for putting former NXT Champion, Aleister Black, on the injured list for months earlier this year. Tonight, Black will have his chance at revenge when he and Gargano are locked inside an unforgiving steel cage.
Io Shirai & Dakota Kai vs Marina Shafir & Jessamyn Duke
The 4 Horsewomen of MMA, Jessamyn Duke & Marina Shafir, will make their NXT debuts tonight. They will take on the team of Io Shirai and Dakota Kai. No doubt Shayna Baszler and Kairi Sane will both be watching this match closely as their allies go two-on-two with their rivals.
Dominik Dijakovic Arrives In NXT
Former ROH star, Dominik Dijakovic, will make his NXT debut tonight. The tag-line the promotion is attaching to him appears to be “Feast Your Eyes”. His opponent for tonight has yet to be named, likely meaning they are enhancement talent.
Heavy Machinery In Action
Otis Dozovic and Tucker Knight will face the NXT Champions, Roderick Strong & Kyle O’Reilly, next week. Tonight, however, the recently announced call-ups to the main roster will be in tag action against opponents to be determined.
205 Live 12/19 Preview
Lio Rush in Action
Although Rush is busy working as the hype man for Bobby Lashley on Raw these days, he will be returning to the 205 Live ring tonight. His opponent has yet to be named, however.
The Brian Kendrick & Akira Tozawa vs Gentleman Jack Gallagher and Drew Gulak
A tag-team grudge match will take place tonight under street fight rules. Gulak and Gallagher kicked Kendrick out of their group earlier this year and tonight, Kendrick will have a chance for revenge.
Johnny Gargano is headed back to his roots as he’ll be working two upcoming EVOLVE events. First up is EVOLVE 119 on Friday, January 18th in Brooklyn, N.Y. and then EVOLVE 120 on Saturday, January 19th in Woodside, N.Y.
On Wednesday, it was revealed by WWE that Gargano would take on EVOLVE Champion Austin Theory in a non-title match at EVOLVE 120. His opponent at EVOLVE 119 has yet to be announced.
Other stars that are slated to work these shows include Fabian Aichner, EVOLVE Tag Team Champions The Street Profits. Additionally, WWN Champion JD Drake, Anthony Henry, Darby Allin, AR Fox with Ayla & The Skulk, Eddie Kingston, Josh Briggs, Joe Gacy, BSHP KNG, Curt Stallion and Priscilla Kelly.
Theory became champion once he beat Aichner at EVOLVE 117 during a Triple Threat Match that also featured Roderick Strong.
As noted, Gargano made the news about his return public when he sent out the following message on his official Twitter account:
“I’m a firm believer that you should NEVER forget where you’ve come from.. you stay loyal to those who have been loyal to you. I can safely say that I wouldn’t be the wrestler I am today without EVOLVE. January 18th & 19th.. NYC.. The kid comes back for one special weekend.”
I'm a firm believer that you should NEVER forget where you've come from.. you stay loyal to those who have been loyal to you.
I can safely say that I wouldn't be the wrestler I am today without EVOLVE.
EVOLVE has announced that Johnny Gargano will be returning to the company for “one weekend only.” The company held their 117 event yesterday and announced that they would be returning to New York in 2019. You can check out the full results for the event here.
There will be a show held in Brooklyn on 01/18 followed by a show in Queens on 01/19. The NXT Superstar appeared for both Dragon Gate USA and EVOLVE between 2009 and 2016 before signing with WWE. Gargano was a one-time EVOLVE tag team champion alongside RAW Superstar Drew McIntyre (known as Galloway at the time).
EVOLVE formed a working relationship with WWE in around 2015. The company has seen many of their top stars move on to NXT and 205 Live, including Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa. The company also held qualifying matches for the 2016 Cruiserweight Classic event on the WWE Network.
The WWE Network will air 205 Live and NXT in primetime tonight. The cruiserweight division gets going at 7 PM featuring matches taped yesterday in Las Vegas. NXT was filmed in Full Sail University on November 28th.
NXT 12/12 Preview
Ricochet Defends North American Title Against Mystery Opponent
Ricochet told NXT GM, William Regal, he wants to defend his North American title the next time he was in Full Sail and that’s exactly what will happen tonight. Regal has yet to announce to Ricochet or the NXT Universe who Ricochet’s opponent tonight will be, however.
EC3 vs Bobby Fish
When Bobby Fish returned to action in late October, he took a chair to EC3 and put him out of action for several weeks. Now EC3 has a chance for revenge against Fish but he should probably be looking over his shoulder for the other members of the Undisputed Era.
Aleister Black vs Johnny Gargano Segment
Aleister Black and Johnny Gargano will go one-on-one inside a steel cage next week. This week, the two will build towards the match with a segment. Tommaso Ciampa might be watching this part of the show closely.
Mia Yim vs Reina Gonzalez
The winner of this match will punch their ticket to a 4-way match to determine a #1 contender for Shayna Baszler’s title. Lacey Evans and Bianca Belair have already been confirmed for the match.
Danny Buch & Oney Lorcan vs The Mighty
Burch and Lorcan came out the victors in their last tilt with the Mighty. The Australian tag-team then attacked them after the bell, however, leading to tonight’s rematch.
205 Live 12/12 Preview
Cedric Alexander vs Tony Nese
Before he challenges Buddy Murphy in an attempt to regain the Cruiserweight Championship at TLC, Alexander will take on the champion’s training partner, Tony Nese, tonight.
Buddy Murphy vs Noam Dar
The champion will also be in action tonight. Before he defends his title against the former champion on Sunday, Buddy Murphy will take on Noam Dar tonight.
Waltman, who sat backstage in the gorilla position for the bulk of the event, says that Gargano approached him for feedback and advice after his match with Aleister Black, but Waltman was at a loss for words.
“I said man, the shit you guys are doing now is so next-level, cutting edge, I’m just going to stand back and enjoy it,” Waltman said. “We can pick shit apart at a later date if there’s anything to pick apart.”
“It was just about as flawless of a match as it gets these days,” he said. “I watched that match and it was the one that I liked the most.”
Backstage At WarGames
Waltman also revealed some of the backstage discussion about Matt Riddle’s TakeOver debut.
“I was sitting there talking with Hunter before he went on. I was like, ‘Hey, have you ever seen Riddle and Kassius Ohno work before?’ because they’ve had matches before, and really good ones. He was like, ‘yeah, but they aren’t going to do a match tonight’ and he kind of told me the whole thing,” Waltman said.
“I liked that. I like where they’re going with that,” he said. “It’s going to give Ohno something to light a fire under his ass about, and turn it up a notch or two for him.”
Waltman also talks about his cameo on the WarGames show, the setting at the gorilla position, and breaks down each match on the event on this week’s show.
The full episode can be found below. When quoting this transcript, please credit SEScoops.com. This transcript has been edited and condensed for clarity.
Do you agree with X-Pac on Johnny Gargano’s match?
NXT’s Takeover: WarGames II takes place tonight from Los Angeles, California at the Staples Center and will air on the WWE Network.
One of the featured bouts sees Johnny Gargano take on Aleister Black in a long anticipated bout. Johnny ‘Wrestling’ turned heel when it was revealed that he attacked Black ending speculation on the long built storyline. The reveal took place back in October. Gargano has been spiralling more and more into the ‘delusional heel’ character with him writing in a recent tweet “The humble hard working kid who fights for what’s right vs The self-entitled guy who sits alone in a dark room filled with Birthday candles. You KNOW who the real hero of this story is and you KNOW what to do, Staples Center.”
You can check out our live discussion and results on the main page tonight.
Gargano sent out a tweet with a short video outlining the feud and hyping the bout, check it out below.
Today's the day.
Gargano vs Black.
The humble hard working kid who fights for what's right vs The self-entitled guy who sits alone in a dark room filled with Birthday candles.
You KNOW who the real hero of this story is and you KNOW what to do, Staples Center. pic.twitter.com/K7VOYHbgea
Johnny Gargano did a Q&A session with Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated to promote NXT TakeOver: WarGames II event in Los Angeles, California at the Staples Center on the WWE Network where’s slated to wrestle former NXT Champion Aleister Black in a singles match.
Gargano stated that in his head, he made a mistake as the only reason Tommaso Ciampa is NXT champion is because of him and tried to make up for that mistake. This led to Black getting in the way as he has nothing personal against Black. “I have no problem against the guy, but he got in the way. The end justifies the means, and the end is going to be Johnny Gargano defeating Tommaso Ciampa for the NXT championship. That will fulfill a promise, little kids will be happy, everyone will be going nuts. If one guy in Black needed to be jumped for that to happen, then I’m sorry. It had to happen.”
Over the past few years, WWE Hall of Famer has taken more of a focus on teaching younger talent at the WWE Performance Center. When asked about learning from HBK, he stated that Michaels has always been a hero of his and being able to work with him in order to pick his brain is truly the best-case scenario.
He stated that he never thought he’d ben able to work with Michaels but doing so has been mind-blowing.
“And not just Shawn, but also Triple H, as well. Their minds work on a different level, and you can tell why NXT is as hot as it is and why stories are so compelling. They are running the show. It’s a dream come true. If you told me when I was eight years old that one day I’d work for WWE with an action figure and work as an ambassador for a video game, and also work side-by-side with Shawn Michaels and Triple H, I would have said, ‘You’re crazy!’ But here we are, and it’s amazing.”
NXT and 205 Live will both air tonight on the WWE Network. In the case of NXT, tonight’s episode will be the penultimate before Takeover: WarGames on November 17th.
NXT Preview 11/7
Velveteen Dream vs Lars Sullivan
To the dismay of Lars Sullivan, Velveteen Dream was awarded the title shot at WarGames. Sullivan has vowed to prove tonight he’s the top contender for the NXT title no matter what William Regal decides.
Johnny Gargano Provides Answers
.. next week.
I promise I will tell you EVERYTHING you need to know. Pinky swear!
Last month, Johnny Gargano was revealed as the man behind the attack on Aleister Black. Now, Gargano is scheduled to face Black one-on-one at Takeover: WarGames. Tonight, Gargano hs promised to explain why he did what he did. His old DIY tag-team partner, Tommaso Ciampa, might be listening closely to what he says.
Heavy Machinery vs The Forgotten Sons
Two teams looking to move up in NXT’s tag-team division face each other tonight. With teams like the Street Profits, the Mighty, and Danny Burch and Oney Lorcan kicking around the division, there is not much room for error or losses.
Dakota Kai vs Taynara Conti
The captain of Team Kick has been competing in NXT UK in addition to the North American version. She’ll take on Taynara Conti tonight. Conti may not have a single’s victory yet in NXT but she did make it to the 2nd round of the MYC II before losing to Lacey Lane in the 2nd round.
205 Live Preview 11/7
TJP and Lucha House Party Rivalry Continues
Last week, TJP attacked Gran Metalik after the luchador had won a single’s match. TJP ripped off Metalik’s mask as he continues to disrespect lucha libre culture. Tonight, TJP may have his sights set on stealing another member of the factions masks.
Mark Andrews vs Buddy Murphy
The new Cruiserweight Champion, Buddy Murphy, will wrestle Mark Andrews tonight. The champion decided that since tonight’s 205 Live emanates from Manchester that he should take on one of NXT UK’s brightest stars.
Waiting in the wings for Murphy is Mustafa Ali, however. Ali defeated Tony Nese last week in a #1 contenders match.
WWE will present 205 Live and NXT tonight on the WWE Network. Matt Riddle will make his NXT debut and there is title implications on the line in tonight’s 205 Live main event.
205 Live Preview 10/31
“Gentleman” Jack Gallagher vs The Brian Kendrick
Gallagher and Drew Gulak threw Brian Kendrick out of their trio earlier this month. Gulak claimed Kendrick had become a weak link. Now, Kendrick gets a shot at revenge against Gallagher tonight.
Tony Nese vs Mustafa Ali (#1 Contenders Match)
Tony Nese defeated Cedric Alexander two nights after Cedric lost the Cruiserweight title to Buddy Murphy at Super Show-Down. Then Nese defeated 4 of the top other cruiserweights in the division in a fatal 5-way match. If he beats Mustafa Ali tonight, he’ll earn a title shot against his training partner, Buddy Murphy.
Mustafa Ali defeated Hideo Itami in a Falls Count Anywhere match to blow-off their rivalry. They had been working a program since the summer.
The winner of this match will be the next to challenge Buddy Murphy for the title.
NXT Preview 10/31
Fallout From Last Week
Johnny Gargano was revealed as Aleister Black’s attacker last week. His actions have been met with admiration from his former tag-team partner and current NXT Champion, Tommaso Ciampa.
William Regal was set to announce who would challenge Ciampa at Takeover: WarGames before the attack was made. It was an announcement that Lars Sullivan and Velveteen Dream had been waiting on. We will see if Regal is able to make an announcement regarding the title match at Takeover tonight.
War Raiders vs Adam Cole & Bobby Fish
The War Raiders were unable to defeat Roderick Strong and Kyle O’Reilly two weeks ago for the tag titles after a returning Bobby Fish caused the distraction. Tonight, the War Raiders get a chance for revenge against the Undisputed Era.
EC3 has also had issues with the Undisputed Era recently. He might be watching this match closely.
Matt Riddle NXT Debut
After being introduced to the NXT live crowd in August, Matt Riddle will make his debut on WWE programming tonight. The King Of Bros’ opponent has yet to be named, likely meaning he’ll face enhancement talent tonight.
The Street Profits vs The Mighty
The new EVOLVE tag-team champions, the Street Profits, will face their longtime tag-team rival in NXT, the Mighty. These two teams are 1-1 against each other on WWE programming. The Street Profits won their first match back in July while the Mighty won the rematch in September.
Nikki Cross In Single’s Action
Nikki shared her secret with Aleister Black two weeks ago. Tonight, she’ll be back in single’s action as she looks to climb back up the rankings of the women’s single’s division in NXT. She’s likely still looking for another rematch against Bianca Belair.
The WWE is slated to make a return to world’s most famous arena, Madison Square Garden, in New York City on Wednesday, December 26th, 2018 for a live event.
On Thursday, WWE NXT General Manager William Regal made a big announcement regarding the latest match that has been revealed for this show at the historic building. Johnny Gargano, UK Champion Pete Dunne, NXT North American Champion Ricochet, Aleister Black and Velveteen Dream vs. The Undisputed Era and Tommaso Ciampa is booked to take place.
This event was originally advertised to feature the superstars from the blue brand, SmackDown Live. However, the company has decided to make it a RAW event.
Universal Champion Roman Reigns vs. Braun Strowman in a Steel Cage match is expected to headline the show. The line-up now features:
(Steel Cage Match) Universal Champion Roman Reigns vs. Braun Strowman
RAW Women’s Champion Ronda Rousey vs. Mickie James
RAW Tag Team Champions Dolph Ziggler & Drew McIntyre vs. Seth Rollins & Dean Ambrose
Johnny Gargano, Pete Dunne, Ricochet, Aleister Black & Velveteen Dream vs. The Undisputed Era & Tommaso Ciampa
Finn Balor, Kevin Owens, Bobby Lashley, Elias, Jinder Mahal, Alexa Bliss, and Bayley are also advertised for this show. The WWE will be announcing more matches for this live event in the coming months.
The latest NXT tapings saw former NXT Champion Aleister Black returning to in-ring action after last week’s episode and the possible revelation of his mystery attacker after weeks of build up.
During the tapings of the October 24th episode of the show, William Regal came down to the ring for the final segment of the episode. He was going to announce Tomasso Ciampa’s opponent for NXT Takeover: WarGames II.
However, before Regal can make the announcement, the NXT Champion came out to interrupt the General Manager, only to be interrupted by both Velveteen Dream and Lars Sullivan himself.
Both Dream and Sullivan exchanged words and Sullivan put Velveteen into a choke. Nikki Cross was the next to come out in the arena and she announced ‘he’s coming’.
Aleister Black then made his way to the ring through the crowd and superkicked Lars Sullivan who was engaged with Dream.
Johnny Gargano then comes out of nowhere, wearing a black hoodie and lays down Black with a superkick of his own. Gargano puts his hood back up and leaves to end the show.
After this segment and Gargano’s attack, it’s pretty clear that he will be named the mystery attacker in later tapings, but we cannot be 100% sure until Aleister Black confirms it.
Having been awarded two five star matches this year in bouts against Andrade “Cien” Almas and Tomasso Ciampa (at NXT TakeOver: Philadelphia and NXT TakeOver: New Orleans, respectively), Johnny Gargano provided a refreshing take on the star rating system when asked, “[…] how much does that really mean to you? Is that kind of a yardstick to you in any kind of way?”
Speaking with Alex McCarthy during a WWE media event, Gargano responded “I take great pride in my work. To me, if the fans enjoy it, if they’re having a good time, if they’re making noise, that’s all the really matters to me.”
“But trust me,” he continued, “I am still a wrestling fan, and I am a wrestling historian and a wrestling purist at heart. So, getting five stars and things like that, it is cool because people do care about that, and it’s cool to see, and it’s a notch in my belt, I guess.”
“But at the end of the day, I think wrestling is all subjective. What Dave Meltzer gives five stars, some people give two stars, some people give three stars, it’s all personal preference,” Gargano shared. “And I think that’s the beautiful thing about professional wrestling, is that is it all just an art form. It’s all just personal preference.”
Grounding his comparison, Johnny Wrestling would juxtapose the subjectivity of wrestling to other pop cultural touchstones, like Marvel movies.
“I love Marvel movies, some people hate Marvel movies. I love 2K19. Some people may not like it. […] Video games, movies, music, television shows, it’s all personal preference, and I think that’s like that with wrestling, too. I take pride in it but at the end of the day if people enjoy it, that’s what matters.”
I asked @JohnnyGargano what he thinks about @davemeltzerWON's star system after being rated five stars twice in 2018 against Ciampa and Almas. Do superstars care about Meltzer's stars?
Not content with crafting one of the best stories to ever unfold in a WWE ring with his recent NXT feud with Tomasso Ciampa, Johnny Gargano is set to get fans eagerly awaiting his main roster call-up as he discussed his top three main roster dream match opponents in a recent interview.
Speaking with Alex McCarthy during a media event, Gargano would take a moment to ponder the question, before diving straight into his first answer.
“[…] so I’m going up to the main roster…after I win the NXT title and everything’s done…” he added with a laugh. “After that…man, I’m gonna say, obviously Daniel Bryan. That’s a dream match that a lot of people would love to see now.”
“I think I just posted a Tweet recently that the internet went nuts for, and that’s me and Seth Rollins,” Gargano said. “Because, of course, I wore my Captain America Infinity War gear and he just wore the Thanos gear, so you never know what can happen there.”
“One more’s tough…so Daniel Bryan, Seth Rollins…and, of course, I would be remiss not to say AJ Styles. I’m going strictly on wrestling dream matches, I guess for certain people. Seth Rollins, Daniel Bryan, AJ Styles.
“Those are my three picks, I think right now,” he stated, before adding, “If we’re going ‘story,’ maybe [it would be] a different answer, but if I’m going strictly wrestling dream matches those are my three.”
I asked @JohnnyGargano what three superstars he would like to face in a long programme – a la Gargano/Ciampa – on the main roster one day.
Johnny Gargano has made his feelings known about one day potentially being called up from NXT to WWE’s main roster whether that puts him on their flagship show, Monday Night RAW, or SmackDown Live.
The former NXT Tag Team Champion talked to the Daily Star while promoting the WWE 2K19 video game, which comes out on October 9, 2018 for PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.
Although he came up short against his rival Tommaso Ciampa with the NXT Title on the line in his most recent feud, he believes that there is still a lot for him to do and accomplish in NXT. Thus, he doesn’t want to get called up to the main roster at the moment.
“I do not see why not,” revealed Gargano when asked by Daily Star if there are wrestlers that want to stay in NXT. “Everyone’s dream – and mine too – is to wrestle at WrestleMania, but right now NXT is such a special place.”
He added that there are a lot of wrestlers like him who have been wrestling around the world for ten years whose goal was to get here, and now they are all here. Gargano stated, “We are focused on building something wrestling fans can be proud of, and we are building it together.”
NXT is back with another episode from Full Sail University tonight. The main event will feature a match between Johnny Gargano and Velveteen Dream.
NXT 9/5 Preview
Johnny Gargano vs Velveteen Dream
Last week, Johnny Gargano admitted he’s made mistakes lately. It was Gargano’s interference that ultimately led to Tommaso Ciampa winning the NXT Championship. Gargano was also unable to take the title away from his rival at Takeover.
Velveteen Dream had a more successful night at Takeover when he defeated EC3. A win over Gargano would likely move the Dream one step closer to an NXT title shot. He’ll be wrestling on some EVOLVE shows coming up before that happens, however.
Kairi Sane In Single’s Action
The new NXT Women’s Champion will be in action tonight although her opponent has yet to be named.
Shayna Baszler is likely not finished with the champion and it’s certain she’ll be scouting this match closely. With the Mae Young Classic and the Evolution pay-per-view on the horizon, the NXT Women’s division is looking like it’ll get highly competitive in the near future.
Wesley Blake and Steve Cutler have been working the NXT house show circuit under the name “The Forgotten Sons”. The stable has undergone some tweaking in 2018 but it seems they are now ready for the bright lights of Full Sail University.
Their opponents tonight have yet to be named.
Kassius Ohno vs Kona Reeves
Kassius Ohno has played something of a gate-keeper role throughout his latest NXT run. He’d prefer to be a title-contender, however. Ohno did pick up a win in his last match against Adrian Jaoude but he’s in for much tougher competition tonight.
Kona Reeves lost his last match out against EC3. Prior to that match, he had been on a 3-match winning streak, however. His victories were over Max Humberto, Raul Mendoza, and Patrick Scott. Not exactly household names. A win over Kassius Ohno tonight would be the biggest of his career.
Tonight’s episode of NXT from Full Sail University features a main event with championship implications.
Former NXT Champion, Aleister Black, goes one-on-one with Johnny Gargano. The winner of tonight’s main event could determine the next NXT title challenger.
NXT 8/8 Preview
Aleister Black vs Johnny Gargano
Two weeks ago, Johnny Gargano hit Aleister Black in the head with the NXT Championship belt. The move resulted in Ciampa defeating Black and winning the NXT title.
Black let it be known he blames Gargano for the loss of his title last week. He’ll be looking for both revenge and to qualify for a rematch with Ciampa tonight.
Keith Lee In-Ring NXT Debut
Bask in his glory! Keith Lee debuts on NXT television tonight. The former PWG and WWN Champion appeared in the crowd at Takeover: Chicago but will appear in the ring tonight.
The tag WWE is putting beside Keith Lee’s name is “Limitless”. They released the above promotional video for Lee earlier this week.
Ricochet In Single’s Action
Ricochet will also be in single’s action on NXT tonight. As with Keith Lee, Ricochet’s opponent his yet to be named and is likely enhancement talent.
Ricochet will challenge Adam Cole for the NXT North American Championship at Takeover: Brooklyn IV. You can bet the champion will be watching this match closely. The Undisputed Era might even want to soften Ricochet up before Takeover.
Mae Young Classic II Qualifier
Vanessa Borne vs Taynara Conti
The second edition of the Mae Young Classic gets going today in Winter Park, Florida. Tayanari Conti and Vanessa Borne will clash tonight with the winner entering the tournament proper.
The second edition of the Mae Young Classic films today and tomorrow in Full Sail University and is expected to air in early September.
Last week’s results:
Heavy Machinery defeated The Mighty
Moustache Mountain defeated Matt Knox and Bradley Taylor
One WWE married couple you don’t hear too much about is Johnny Gargano and Candice LeRae on NXT.
The couple married in September of 2016 and met each other on the indies. Gargano recently spoke to AZ Central and told the story of how he met LeRae backstage at a show in California:
“I remember [Candice] brought her cousin to the back, and they were just hanging out talking, and I decided I was going to try to get to [Candice] by talking to her cousin about her cellphone. It didn’t really work that well, but we developed a friendship.”
Check out Gargano’s full interview with AZ Central, where he discusses NXT drawing hardcore wrestling fans and being a true nerd, here.
Gargano In WWE
Gargano began working with WWE in 2015. He and former tag team partner Tommaso Ciampa were standouts in NXT’s tag team division under the name DIY. DIY won the NXT Tag Team Titles from The Revival at NXT TakeOver: Toronto in 2016.
They dropped the straps in January of 2017 at NXT TakeOver: San Antonio to The Authors Of Pain. At NXT TakeOver: Chicago several months later DIY failed to recapture the NXT Tag Team throne. After the match Ciampa turned on Gargano, sparking the beginning of an epic rivalry.
NXT is back tonight with a show from Full Sail University in Florida. The main event for the night is scheduled to be Johnny Wrestling taking on EC3.
Several other matches and segments have been confirmed for tonight’s show.
NXT Preview 7/4/18
Johnny Gargano vs ECIII
NXT General Manager, William Regal, has told Gargano he needs to move on from his rivalry with Tommaso Ciampa. This is why Regal has scheduled him in a match tonight with EC3. If Gargano can’t get his mind off what Ciampa did to him, he will be in tough against the top one percenter tonight.
Shayna Baszler Has Defeated All Challengers
Recently, NXT Women’s Champion Shayna Baszler has defeated Dakota Kai, Nikki Cross, and most recently Toni Storm (at the UK tapings).
Bianca Belair and Candice LeRae are two members of the division who seem to be winning matches a lot lately. Either of them could potentially come out to challenge the champion tonight.
Heavy Machinery vs The Mighty
TM-61 are now known just as the Mighty and they use any under-handed techniques they can to defeat their opponents. They have already used such tactics once to defeat the powerhouse team of Heavy Machinery.
After their recent loss to the Mighty, Heavy Machinery indicated that playtime was over. They get a chance at revenge tonight.
Chris Dijak vs Velveteen Dream
After dropping a tough loss to Ricochet at Takeover, the Dream could use a win here.
The 31-year-old former ROH wrestler, Dijak, dropped his first match on NXT television in May to Ricochet.