Johnny Gargano on dynamic between him and Samoa Joe

Of all the interactions Samoa Joe has had with other NXT stars since returning to the show in an enforcer role, the ones with Johnny Gargano are among the more lighthearted.

Sure their only competition in that regard is a bunch of staredowns, but Gargano’s over-the-top heel character juxtaposed with Joe’s deadpanning, no-nonsense demeanor has led to some entertaining moments whenever they’ve interacted in a segment.

In a way, they are a nice reprieve from the constant teases of matches with the likes of Karrion Kross, Adam Cole, and Pete Dunne.

Johnny Gargano discusses the on-screen dynamic he and Samoa Joe have had in NXT.

Appearing on Busted Open Radio, Gargano discussed Joe’s overall impact on the NXT product while noting how his oblivious heel gimmick views Joe as his friend (h/t to Fightful’s Jeremy Lambert for the transcription):

"“Whenever Samoa Joe is TV, I think it’s must-see television. He has this presence about him, especially in his current role, it gives such a new dynamic to the show where he’s able to go around and stop these fights and stop the chaos and be this big enforcer that everyone is scared of. Especially for me, my character, where I think Samoa Joe is my best friend. For me, going into this match I’m like ‘Yeah, my big buddy Samoa Joe.’ I pitched a buddy cop movie between me and Samoa Joe, which I think would be amazing. That’s on the horn.”"

Joe and Gargano were part of the July 13 episode of NXT’s main event, as Gargano challenged Karrion Kross for the NXT Championship with Joe serving as the special guest referee. Kross pinned Gargano to retain his title in a hard-fought battle.

Following the match, Kross locked Joe in his Kross Jacket sleeper hold, which was the culmination of weeks of staredowns between the two.