Johnny Gargano pays heartbreaking tribute to Indi Hartwell following WWE release [WATCH]
Johnny Gargano paid tribute to Indi Hartwell following her surprising release from WWE on November 1. Gargano and Hartwell were part of the The Way stable in NXT, along with Candice LeRae, Austin Theory, and Dexter Lumis.
The company released a couple of female stars to start the month, parting ways with Indi Hartwell and Tegan Nox. They also didn't re-sign Baron Corbin and let his contract expire. Hartwell appeared on WWE television after her release, wrestling on SmackDown last Friday since it was taped the previous week.
On his latest vlog on YouTube, Johnny Gargano created a montage of Hartwell's moments on his channel. It featured some of the Australian star's funniest moments and her ratings on gyms and food.
Here's the montage starring Indi Wrestling:
At the end of the video, Gargano added a simple message, showing love to his former stablemate, colleague, and friend.
"You'll always be family. We love you, Indi Wrestling," the message read.
Indi Hartwell was with WWE from 2019 to 2024, starting at NXT. She spent four years at developmental, being part of The Way and one of the best love storylines in company history with Dexter Lumis. She even won the NXT Women's Championship and the NXT Women's Tag Team Championship with Candice LeRae.
Hartwell was called up to the main roster in the 2023 WWE Draft, but did not have a major role there. She teamed up with LeRae and they failed to win the WWE Women's Tag Team Championship at Elimination Chamber in Perth, Australia.
Bayley sends message to Indi Hartwell following her release
Former WWE Women's Champion Bayley developed a friendship with Indi Hartwell during her time away from wrestling. Bayley was recovering from a knee injury when Hartwell helped her prepare at the Performance Center.
Following Hartwell's release, The Role Model sent a message to her friend via Instagram:
"You know the deal, baby, love hurts. Let's be best friends forever. Respect," Bayley wrote.
As part of her contract with WWE, Hartwell has a 90-day no-compete clause. She can't be part of any promotion until the end of January. She has plenty of options such as All Elite Wrestling and TNA Wrestling.