WWE NXT: Johnny Gargano Will Have A Special 2018

After splitting from #DIY, Johnny Gargano had been in a rut on WWE NXT. But with recent success, the seeds are planted for a great year for the underdog.

It goes without saying that WWE NXT possesses an immense amount of talent.

To many, the brand boasts some of the best in-ring talents the company has to offer. Of those talents, Johnny Gargano resides in the elite class.

The Cleveland, Ohio native shined as a member of #DIY, but he’s now doing even better as a solo act. Recently, Gargano earned a shot at Andrade “Cien” Almas’ NXT Championship at NXT Takeover: Philadelphia.

The win came after Gargano suffered a series of losses, which led to him questioning how good he was. But a win over Kassius Ohno propelled him to the No. 1 contender fatal-four way, which he eventually won.

It was a long time coming for Johnny “Wrestling.” After diligent work on the independent scene and a successful run with Tommaso Ciampa in #DIY, seeing Gargano break out should put a smile on any wrestling fan’s face.

After all, Gargano obtaining an opportunity at NXT‘s major championship is a breath of fresh air, and a sign of things to come.

Even if Gargano doesn’t capture the championship from Almas, he’s still going to be one of NXT‘s main focal points. The impending rivalry with Ciampa is going to be the biggest things on WWE’s third brand’s programming.

There’s so much history involved with that feud, and it’s going to get a lot of eyes on the product. Gargano will be at the forefront of the product. Before Ciampa sustained a knee injury, the Gargano-Ciampa feud would’ve likely stolen the show already.

If you need any example of why that feud deserves to be highly promoted, look no further than the match the two had during the Cruiserweight Classic.

The exposure is well deserved, too. Gargano has an in-ring style that’s equal parts exciting and dramatic. Being a smaller competitor, it always feels like he’s in an uphill battle. When you pair that with his selling ability, you have a guy who isn’t going to have a lot of bad matches.

The knock that he isn’t big enough (billed at 5-10, 199) often takes a backseat to his raw ability and ring skills. When you watch him in the ring, it’s easy to see that he’s one of the most naturally gifted wrestlers in the company.

If booked properly, Gargano has a chance to become the next Daniel Bryan. In fact, Gargano is actually bigger than Bryan, which is definitely something to note. He excels in an area where few superstars do: gaining genuine empathy from the crowd.

He doesn’t have Braun Strowman’s size or Enzo Amore’s look. In all earnestness, Gargano is a regular, every day guy.

Because of that, he has the same knack for drawing out empathy, just like guys like Shawn Michaels and Bryan. The type of never-say-die attitude Gargano embodies is what helps make crowds get behind superstars.

A reason Ciampa’s turn on Gargano felt so devastating was that fans felt the latter’s pain. The WWE Universe has been along for the ride, so the twists and turns Gargano’s experienced feel natural.

The only real question surrounding Gargano is where he’ll shine. Conventional wisdom suggests he could find himself on 205 Live.  That’s where Hideo Itami debuted recently, and it would make sense for the company to put him there. If that’s the case, Gargano would give the cruiserweight division even more credibility and star power.

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However, Gargano receiving an NXT Title shot, as well as the eventual high-profile clash with Ciampa may indicate the company has bigger plans for him.

Gargano would likely get lost in the shuffle on Raw, but a spot on SmackDown would be the perfect place. Feuds with the likes of Dolph Ziggler, Bobby Roode and Tye Dillinger would help elevate his game.

Whenever the time comes for Gargano to be called up, he’ll have the momentum of his NXT showings to help propel him to the top of the mid-card.

Any way you slice it, when Gargano makes his main roster debut, he’s going to have the potential to be special.