Gargano further comments on his exit from WWE and looks back on NXT memories.
It has been four months since Johnny Gargano opted to become a free agent and not re-sign with the WWE. Gargano had been a part of the sports-entertainment company as a full-time talent since 2016.
Throughout his NXT run, Gargano became the brand’s first Triple Crown Champion. He previously stated that he does not know where he fits in the current wrestling landscape and while chatting with Chris Van Vliet, Gargano was asked if he’s considered what he wants to do after his in-ring career.
Gargano touched on the relationship he formed with those in WWE and feels that because of that relationship, he’d be able to return as a producer, coach or trainer. He added that he plans to wrestle until he’s 40.
It’s hard. Obviously the name Johnny Gargano in wrestling will always be beneficial money-wise. People will want to pay to see me wrestle, meet me, learn from me. In reality I have a job for life. I could go back to WWE and be a producer, be a coach, train people. [Gargano is asked if the WWE door is still open] I mean I hope so and I assume so, I have a great relationship with everyone there. But I have said that I want to wrestle until I am 40, and that is only 6 years away. So I only have 5 years to maximize whatever I want to do in this.
Gargano was under the learning tree of Shawn Michaels and the recently retired Paul ‘Triple H’ Levesque in NXT. He discussed what he was able to learn from Levesque and credited him for improving the home stretch of Gargano versus Andrade El Idolo at TakeOver: Philadelphia.
I mean Triple H has a tireless work ethic. He and Shawn are great at the small details and seeing the big picture in itself. It was so good to pick Shawn and Hunter’s brain about things. Hunter was great at making home stretches mean so much more. I mean look at that match with Andrade, we had it going a certain way and he was like, ‘How about this?’ And he made it 10 times better. I am so lucky to have a rolodex of great minds in my back pocket.
Johnny was present at WrestleCon over the weekend and to hear POST Wrestling’s recap of the WrestleMania weekend festivities, check out the 4/4 edition of the POST Daily News show.
