A former NXT Champion. A Three-time NXT North American Champion. Of course, a former NXT Tag Team Champion. The first-ever Triple Crown winner of the black-and-gold brand helped define NXT as one of the best products in professional wrestling. His feud with Tommaso Ciampa was legendary, even though the finale left a lot to be desired. However, it wasn’t just his rivalry with Tommaso Ciampa that got the wrestling world buzzing, it was his incredible matches in the developmental brand. Whether it was during his time as a tag team specialist in DIY to his unforgettable NXT Championship match against Andrade Cien Almas at NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn III, Johnny Gargano has undoubtedly left a mark in the brand forever. The former WWE star officially left the company after the WarGames show by cutting a farewell promo, though he was attacked by Grayson Waller following the heartfelt goodbye.
At the moment, there’s no telling where Johny Gargano will end up next. Given how well he’s been treated in WWE/NXT, it’s always possible that he’ll make his return to the brand that brought him true recognition; however, All Elite Wrestling has made their mark since arriving in 2019 and the professional wrestling company is a viable option for Johnny Wrestling. So, should Johnny Gargano venture out of WWE and go to AEW? Here’s the thing, there’s really no place for Johnny Gargano in WWE’s NXT 2.0. He’s done everything that there is to do and though he would likely return to fight Grayson Waller, Gargano doesn’t need to be in the developmental brand unless the purpose is for him to help groom the next generation of talents.
The thing about Johnny Gargano is that he could be the next Daniel Bryan for WWE. The guy is extremely charismatic and can play the underdog babyface to perfection. The former NXT Champion can also play an entertaining heel, as showcased in his faction The Way. The sky is the limit for Johnny Wrestling as the main roster is currently lacking a Daniel Bryan-type babyface, but the question is, does Vince McMahon want another Daniel Bryan? The former WWE star’s huge push wasn’t planned in the first place as WWE had to give into the fans and finally treat Daniel Bryan as a main event star. However, ever since the rise of Bryan, the company has tried to push other babyfaces as a Daniel Bryan clone and failed tremendously. The main issue is that Vince McMahon doesn’t know how to particularly book babyfaces properly. Vince McMahon’s method for underdog babyfaces is to beat them down mercifully for months on end showcasing their heart. The problem with that logic is nobody likes losers. Daniel Bryan wasn’t booked as a loser. Underdog babyfaces get over by showcasing their heart and WINNING based off of skill. So even if Vince McMahon has this grand vision of making Johnny Gargano the next Daniel Bryan, his methods of booking undersized babyfaces haven’t been great.
Johnny Gargano doesn’t necessarily have to play that role but given his size and WWE’s love of big men, he’ll likely fall into the cowardly heel or underdog babyface category. Anything is possible and Johnny Gargano can end up being a huge success on the main roster, but his trajectory for doing so is pretty slim, essentially since the company got rid of their entire cruiserweight division. AEW on the other hand is a perfect fit for Gargano. The promotion is better suited for indie style wrestlers and that’s pretty much what the former WWE star is. Plus, he won’t be judged for his height, as guys like Darby Allin or Jungle Boy are given solid push in the company. However, AEW’s roster is crowded. And given the level of talent in the main event, does Johnny Gargano fit there? Or will he end up being an AEW Dark: Elevation or Rampage regular? In truth, I don’t particularly see Gargano being skyrocketed into the main event as he’ll likely dance around the mid-card/upper mid-card level. He’ll likely be booked better than on the WWE main roster, but he isn’t suddenly going to become a main event star due to the incredible depth of talent. Obviously, Gargano should go to the place that feels right, though he should dip his toes into AEW and see how he fits there. The former NXT Champion would likely find success in that company because he’s more of wrestler than sports entertainer, though if he opts to give WWE another go then it wouldn’t be a surprise.NXT
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