WWE: Johnny Gargano Needs The Fans To Support Him Despite His Flaws

WWE NXT is in its darkest hour now that Tommaso Ciampa is the brand’s men’s champion, and one individual blames himself for this catastrophe. That same man, who was once cheered by thousands, received “You Deserve It!” chants after having his head kicked off by Aleister Black. That man is Johnny Gargano, and he’s the hero we must rally behind despite his flaws.

Johnny Gargano has been dubbed by many members of the NXT Universe as one of the greatest babyfaces in the world, and he’s often compared to another undersized competitor with great technical wrestling prowess and even greater heart, Daniel Bryan.

Unfortunately, Gargano holds himself back in many cases. He has some of wrestling’s most effective moves, such as the slingshot spear or the Gargano Escape, yet he’s never captured the NXT Championship despite several impressive victories in his career.

Gargano’s shortcomings in the ring have been documented. He lost against Andrade “Cien” Almas at NXT TakeOver: Philadelphia. In 2017, he had a losing streak that caused a great deal of self-doubt before he rallied behind the adoring Full Sail faithful and the wise words of GM William Regal.

But now, Gargano need to take a long look at the man in the mirror, because any shortcomings in the ring aren’t stopping him from attaining his goal of finally vanquishing Tommaso Ciampa and winning the NXT Championship. What’s impeding Gargano’s progress are his own character flaws, which are beginning to be exposed to the NXT Universe.

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At NXT TakeOver: Chicago II, Gargano lost himself in a moment of rage, which costed him a second, decisive victory over Ciampa. After brutalizing Ciampa outside the ring, he recalled Ciampa spitting on Gargano’s wedding ring and chucking it. As Ciampa lay there on a stretcher after suffering massive damage at Gargano’s hands, Johnny Wrestling decided that he needed to inflict more pain on the man who has tried to ruin his life.

As Gargano beat up Ciampa more, he attacked innocent people concerned with Ciampa’s well-being and decided to handcuff Ciampa. He had the “Blackheart” dead to rights in the ring, and he would have won if his attacks didn’t cause the ref to take a hard bump earlier. His own ego and his own lust for Ciampa’s blood costed him, as Ciampa would win the match by DDT’ing Gargano on the exposed ring surface.

Gargano’s loss of control continued when Ciampa faced Aleister Black for the NXT Championship on NXT Television. After referee Drake Wuertz took an exceptionally hard bump to the exposed floor, Ciampa tried to take advantage by using the NXT Championship itself to injure Black. Instead, Gargano rushed in to grab the title.

What followed was a huge mistake from Gargano, whose eagerness to interject himself in a match that did not involve him would prove to be costly. He accidentally hit Black, and this lapse in judgment allowed Ciampa to capitalize. He hit his finishing move to pin Black and become the NXT Champion.

Let that sink in. Tommaso Ciampa became the NXT Champion before Johnny Gargano.

The same traits that make Gargano so lovable – his passion, his intensity, and his desire to be the hero – are the same traits that have costed him this summer. His intensity caused him to lose focus against Ciampa and lose at TakeOver: Chicago II. His vigilantism allowed Ciampa to win the NXT Championship, because Black may have pulled out the victory if Gargano didn’t feel compelled to change the story of the match on his own.

And, of course, his passion is what has caused him to be consumed with getting revenge on Ciampa for everything he’s done to ruin his life and terrorize his wife. If this weren’t so personal for Gargano, he wouldn’t have crossed the line at TakeOver: Chicago II, which caused him to eventually lose the match. Furthermore, he wouldn’t have made the mistake of interfering in Black’s match.

Gargano’s worst nightmare was for Ciampa to win the NXT Championship before him, and, by his own hands, this has become a reality. He has nobody else to blame but himself. However, because Gargano is a good person capable of honest introspection, he recognizes this.

That’s what made this week’s episode of NXT so heart-breaking. When the NXT Universe chanted “You Deserve It!” at Gargano after he was hit with a “Black Mass” by Black, the very people Gargano primarily fought for night after night had sent him a clear message. You screwed up, and you deserve to suffer the consequences for your actions. It was an example of tough love that could serve as a wake-up call for Gargano, who desperately needs to see the reality before him.

You see, Gargano has been so consumed with getting revenge on Ciampa and making his mortal enemy suffer that he thinks the world revolves around this feud. He tried to upstage Black this week by running at Ciampa in the ring during Black’s entrance, instead apologizing. Gargano hurt Black’s reputation by causing that loss, in addition to costing Black the NXT Championship.

Despite all of this, it’s important to remember that the mistakes Gargano made were errors that any human being with strong, complex emotions would make. Gargano has every right to feel his feud with Ciampa is personal, and it is only natural for him to cease to think rationally because of what Ciampa has done to him in the past. It’s normal for someone’s best attributes to betray them in critical moments.

These are the flaws of any good hero, and it is a hero’s flaws that make them worth rooting for. We’ve seen the highs and lows of Johnny Wrestling’s career, and anyone who has seen the heart of this man can tell you that even at his worst, he is a man worth supporting.

Gargano can’t overcome Ciampa and his own demons without undying support from the crowd. That much has become clear. He needs a supportive audience to help him understand what needs to be done and what is at stake, so that he does not lose himself again. The internal battle will be more difficult than the external one, because Gargano already proved at NXT TakeOver: New Orleans that he is the better man in that ring. Ciampa, however, never makes things that easy.

But if the NXT Universe decides to accept Gargano, warts and all, for who he is, then their support could be enough to finally drive Johnny Gargano to that special moment. An NXT Championship victory over Tommaso Ciampa.