Johnny Gargano details how injuries to 2 current WWE stars enhanced his NXT career
Former WWE Superstar Johnny Gargano recently spoke about the timing of his rivalry with Ciampa.
The former NXT Champion has played both friend and foe with Ciampa in the promotion. Initially, in the developmental brand, the two superstars formed a tag team called DIY. After a split between the two, Ciampa was ruled out of action due to an injury. However, the RAW star returned to NXT and launched an attack on Gargano which saw the beginning of a classic rivalry.
Gargano spoke on the latest episode of the Bob Culture Podcast and explained why there could not have been a better time for his former partner's injury.
“We were extremely lucky. Timing worked out to where Tommaso was able to leave and get surgery … people had to wait for the match as opposed to it just being immediate. It worked out so fantastic, because then I ended up having a match with Andrade that propelled me to a new height. And then Tommaso came back right after that, so I was already riding high from that match," Gargano said. [6:40 onwards]
He further went on to explain how Drew McIntyre's injury played a crucial role in the build-up to his feud with Andrade.
And it’s so funny that like, if Tommaso doesn’t go get surgery after that match, the Andrade match never happens. Also, if Drew [McIntyre] doesn’t get hurt during the match with Andrade, where he lost the title to Andrade, me vs. Andrade doesn’t happen either … There is a different timeline somewhere where none of this happens,” Gargano added. [7:15 onwards]
Johnny Gargano teases WWE return
The Ohio native's contract with WWE expired in 2021 as the superstar chose not to re-sign with the company despite enjoying a fantastic run on NXT.
Johnny Gargano cited spending time with his son and family as the reason for not extending his stay with the brand. Gargano recently stated he has unfinished business in the promotion. In an interview with Chris Van Vliet, he explained that performing on the main roster is still on his mind.
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Gargano debuted in WWE in 2016. During his four-year run with the company, he won the NXT Championship, the NXT North-American Championship and the NXT Tag Team championship.