WWE NXT: Examining How Johnny Gargano Slowly Found The Darkness

via wwe.com

Warped Personalities Get Personal

Despite losing their New Orleans match, The Devil on Gargano’s back continued to neg on it and refused to unlatch itself anytime soon. Weeks after the fact, Ciampa would prevent Gargano from challenging Aleister Black in their booked NXT Championship main event on Apr. 25.

Gargano would not return to NXT television until the May 23 episode while wearing a neck brace. Interesting enough, he came down the ring to discuss his “future” as a competitor. However, in feeling the rush of an electric crowd cheering him on and chanting “Yes!” when he asked if another career threatening encounter with Tommaso Ciampa was worth it, he tore off his neck brace and called Ciampa out. Seconds later, Gargano instantly regretted that decision once Ciampa knocked Gargano off the apron and onto his wife, Candice LeRae, and knocking her unconscious.

This was the point of no return for Johnny Gargano. Whatever was left of the happy-go-lucky Johnny Gargano that first walked into NXT in 2015 was gone. That same beast that had calmed down in the aftermath of New Orleans was reawkaned. He was devastated from this moment enough that he demanded a Street Fight with Ciampa at TakeOver: Chicago II. Two days later, the match was set.

This, obviously, did not sit well with Candice LeRae. In fact, Gargano’s entire saga with Ciampa seems to have left a toll on Gargano’s wife and his marriage overall. She saw the darkness that this feud was pulling out of her husband and how The Psycho Killer physically and mentally drained Gargano for the past year. She begged her husband to reconsider dancing with The Devil time and time again, but Gargano has always been so blinded by vengeance that he refused to stay away.

More than that, it seems Gargano is far too obsessed with his ex-tag team partner to ever willingly walk away from him.