Back in 2016, I never really watched NXT all that much. After all, I didn't have the WWE Network and I didn't know of a good way to watch it. However, I would always find a way to watch TakeOvers since they were the big stage for NXT. There was a superstar who caught my eye back then. Little did I know how much of an impact he would have on me.
That man may have just ended his 6 year run in NXT tonight with a heartfelt promo. He has been the Heart & Soul of the Black & Gold in his entire career there. So... in honor of this occasion, I'm going to run through my favorite memories of Johnny Gargano's run in NXT.
Johnny mentioned in his promo tonight that he had a dark match with Apollo Crews as his tryout match. That match actually happened a week before my 14th birthday! Of course, after that came the surprise run of #DIY in the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic including the upset victory over Bull Dempsey & Tyler Breeze. Of course, the Cinderella run came to an end at the hands of Baron Corbin & Rhyno, but Johnny had put himself on the map.
Then came the early days of Johnny's singles career. From having matches with Sami Zayn on the NXT Live Event scene to getting his first NXT Tag Team Championship shot in my home state, Johnny started to build a reputation as a great wrestler and started exposing himself to a much larger audience.
The match that REALLY proved how great of a singles wrestler Johnny could be was in the Cruiserweight Classic against his tag team partner Tommaso Ciampa. In my opinion, this was one of the top three matches of the entire tournament! The chemistry they had was incredible, but unfortunately, Johnny lost in the next round to eventual winner TJ Perkins.
The match that put Johnny on the map for me (as it did for most of us) was NXT Takeover: Toronto, where #DIY finally won the NXT Tag Team Championships from The Revival. One of the best tag team matches I've ever seen, the right four guys were put in the perfect match and the finishing moment with both Dash & Dawson tapping out to the Garga-No Escape & the Fujiwara Armbar was incredible! Johnny & Tommaso would go on to defend the titles against teams like Akira Tozawa & Tajiri, Riddick Moss & Tino Sabbatelli, TM-61, The Revival, The Authors of Pain & SAnitY. However, their world came crashing down in San Antonio.
That's where the AOP took the titles in dominating fashion. #DIY tried everything in the book to get the titles back, even (for a match) teaming up with The Revival to take out the AOP (which unfortunately did not work). They eventually had a ladder match in Chicago, and we all know how that ended.
At that point, Ciampa got injured. So what was left for Johnny to do? Start a singles run, of course! Johnny had some amazing matches with Hideo Itami, Andrade "Cien" Almas & Fabian Aichner before eventually going after Andrade & the NXT Championship.
Johnny would challenge for the title at NXT Takeover: Philadelphia, where he came up short in one of the best TakeOver main events of all time (thanks Tommaso)! However, Johnny wasn't quite done with Andrade yet. Andrade had his business associate Zelina Vega, so it's only fair Johnny brought in his wife Candice LeRae to help him out (her officially signed NXT in-ring debut came in my hometown)!
Johnny challenged for the title one more time in Atlanta, this time putting his career on the line. Unfortunately, he came up short and his NXT career came to an end at the hands of Tommaso Ciampa... or so we thought. Johnny & Tommaso never had their one-on-one singles match, so William Regal thought it would be a perfect idea to have them main event perhaps the greatest TakeOver of all time (New Orleans) in an Unsanctioned Match. Johnny ended up winning and getting his NXT career back.
However, Ciampa wasn't done. He still wanted that victory over Johnny, so in Chicago (the same place where Ciampa turned on Johnny the year prior), Tommaso knotted up the series at one win apiece in a Chicago Street Fight. This led to the eventual rubber match where NXT Champion (thanks Johnny) Ciampa battled Gargano in a Last Man Standing Match. Ciampa ended up winning, and Johnny would not get a huge opportunity at the NXT Title for a little while.
In late 2018, Gargano began to have matches with Aleister Black (the man who he inadvertently cost the NXT Title). Their match at the first TakeOver: WarGames is an underrated classic, and they eventually blew off their feud in a Steel Cage match that Johnny won. However, Gargano wanted some gold around his waist. He decided to challenge up-and-coming North American Champion Ricochet for the title, and he added his first singles title to his resume at TakeOver: Phoenix. He even got to enter the 2019 Royal Rumble Match!! However, the North American Title run would not last long as Velveteen Dream took the title from him about a month later. Oh, and I forgot to mention, he got to wrestle with Ciampa on Raw & SmackDown against Cesaro & Sheamus and their old buddies The Revival!
This would lead to bigger and better things for Johnny Wrestling, as an untimely injury to NXT Champion Tommaso Ciampa forced him to vacate the title. The former tag partners were set to have a blow-off match at TakeOver: New York but with the Ciampa injury, that wasn't able to happen. Instead, Adam Cole won a fatal five-way to become the Number 1 Contender to the NXT Title and get a shot at Gargano. In my personal favorite match of all time, Gargano finally won the big one in a two out of three falls match and got a celebratory hug from Ciampa in the process.
Cole was not done with Gargano, however. Adam wanted a rematch for the title, and at TakeOver: XXV, Cole won the title for the first time. Johnny would get his rematch, but come up short in another two out of three falls match in Toronto. At this point, most wondered what was next for Johnny. Was he finally going to leave NXT for Raw or SmackDown? Those questions were answered with a simple NXT drawing from Gargano.
Johnny would eventually have a match with a returning Finn Balor at TakeOver: Portland, as he was looking for revenge for an attack by Balor in late 2019. Balor ended up winning the match, but not all was bad in 2020 for Johnny.
In early 2020, Gargano would reunite with his old friend Tommaso to reform #DIY and face off against Moustache Mountain at Worlds Collide. #DIY won a friendly match between the two teams and respect was shown afterward. However, Johnny didn't want to be in the background for too long. When Tommaso got an NXT Title shot against Adam Cole at TakeOver: Portland, Johnny cost his friend the match, helping his former long-time rival retain in the process. This led to a blow-off match known as "One Final Beat" which Johnny won thanks to Candice LeRae.
At this point, Johnny started doing things "The Johnny Gargano Way," not waiting for anyone to be handed opportunities. He and Candice were going to start taking what was rightfully theirs. And that started with Keith Lee & the North American Championship. Johnny & Candice would get into a rivalry with Keith & Mia Yim throughout the summer of 2020, with Johnny & Keith facing off at TakeOver: In Your House for the title with Keith retaining. However, not all hope was lost for Gargano.
Keith ended up vacating the North American Championship due to winning the NXT Championship, which lead to a ladder match at Takeover: XXX for the title. Johnny was put in a triple threat qualifier with Bronson Reed & Roderick Strong, with Bronson winning. However, due to an injury to Dexter Lumis, there were now two spots open in the match. Gargano would face off with Ridge Holland and get the victory to earn a spot in the ladder match, which Damian Priest won.
After that, Gargano decided to set his sights on the newly vacated NXT Championship (relinquished by Karrion Kross, who separated his shoulder). Gargano, Ciampa, Balor & Cole would have a 60 minute Iron Man Match, where the winner would be the new NXT Champion. It came down to Balor & Cole with Finn becoming a 2-time champ. At this point, Johnny shifted back to the North American Championship and Damian Priest. Priest won the first match at TakeOver 31, but Johnny won the title in a Devil's Playground match at Halloween Havoc.
However, one of the most embarrassing nights of Johnny's career was soon happening, as he lost the title in a massive upset to Leon Ruff. That reign would not last long as Johnny won the title back at TakeOver: WarGames with the help of his "son" Austin Theory. This would lead to the formation of one of the greatest groups in NXT history, The Way. Johnny, Candice, Austin & Indi Hartwell would become one of the highlights of the pandemic era in NXT. Eventually, Gargano defended his title against the likes of KUSHIDA & Bronson Reed, before Reed eventually took the title inside of a steel cage.
At this point, Gargano decided to shift his focus back to the NXT Championship, entering a fatal five-way with Adam Cole, Pete Dunne, Kyle O'Reilly & Karrion Kross, with the champion Kross retaining. Johnny would get a one-on-one match for the title that he would also lose. And then came the NXT 2.0 rebrand. With it, Gargano started to go after current North American Champ Carmelo Hayes. He and his "son-in-law" Dexter Lumis took care of Carmelo & Trick Williams; however, Melo was able to hold on to his title in a triple threat match with Johnny & Pete Dunne. This match would lead to the eventual WarGames match between Team Black & Gold and Team 2.0. Johnny was chosen to represent Team Black & Gold in the Advantage Ladder Match against Bron Breakker; however, he came up short again.
At WarGames, he brought back fan-favorite theme song "Rebel Heart", but it was not enough to gain the victory for his team, as Breakker, Hayes, Tony D'Angelo & Grayson Waller got the victory. Some speculated that this was Johnny's final match in NXT, but what about his final segment? How would he go out with a bang?
That brings us to tonight. Johnny addressed the fans, saying he's not sure about his immediate future, but he will be a dad in February, so that's gonna be his number one focus. He thanked the fans for every memory they've made over the last six years before he was brutally attacked by Grayson Waller. Will this be the last time we see Johnny in NXT?
If it is, I simply want to say three words: "Thank You, Johnny!" You & The Way have helped me get through this crazy pandemic, and you gave me something to look forward to each week. Without you, I don't know where I would be. I'll always take those words to heart about helping me through college: "No matter how hard it gets... it'll be worth it in the end... Try to enjoy it. It might suck... but you'll look back one day and wish you did. No regrets, my dude."
Wherever you decide to go & whatever you decide to do, I'll always be there to support you! Thank you for everything you've done for me over the last couple of years, and I can't wait to meet you and tell you all of this in person. For now, this'll do. Thank You, Rebel Heart!
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