WWE: Biggest Winners from WrestleMania 34 Weekend in New Orleans

Johnny Gargano

In the first quarter or so of 2018, Johnny Gargano has quietly become the best wrestler in all of WWE. I know, it surprised me, too. But looking back, it really shouldn’t have.

Gargano was always a solid wrestler while on the independent scene. But before he made it to EVOLVE, he was never really a main event kind of guy. Even in EVOLVE, Johnny Wrestling was part of an ensemble crew that would headline most of the major shows.

When Gargano first appeared in NXT, he was randomly paired up with Tommaso Ciampa, a guy he had very little history with up until that point. Somehow, though, everything clicked, and #DIY slowly became one of the top tag teams in NXT. The duo finally signed with WWE/NXT full-time in late 2016, and became NXT Tag Team Champions.

Then came the betrayal of all betrayals, when Ciampa assaulted Gargano following the latest in a long line of great matches. While Ciampa recuperated from several injuries, Gargano went on to have several of the best matches in NXT from that point forward.

Fast forward to WrestleMania Weekend, and Gargano followed up the first 5-star match in NXT history with another Match of the Year candidate. The unsanctioned match against Ciampa was the perfect next step in the story between these best friends turned worst enemies. Every beat was perfect, and Gargano’s performance stands out for a variety of reasons.

The callbacks to previous encounters — like their showdown in the Cruiserweight Classic — greatly enhanced what was already a tremendous match. The finish, which saw Gargano using Ciampa’s own knee brace against him, was absolutely perfect. For such an emotional contest, Johnny Gargano should be viewed as one of the best in the world.