Over the years, we have seen NXT go from being a simple development circuit to becoming the third most important brand in WWE. Superstars of the caliber of Tommaso Ciampa, Adam Cole and Finn Balor have spent most of their careers on the black and gold roster, contributing to his rise with the help of a legend like Triple H. Another NXT symbol is undoubtedly Johnny Gargano, who signed with WWE in 2015 and has been with NXT ever since, except for a few sporadic appearances on the main roster.
Speaking on the latest edition of 'Busted Open Radio', Johnny couldn't deny that he'd love to face some of Raw and SmackDown's best talent someday.
Johnny Gargano is now one of the symbols of NXT
“I'd like it if they considered getting some guys from Raw and SmackDown to come to NXT. An athlete like Cesaro comes to mind, just to cite an example. It would be nice if he were granted some appearances at NXT” - said Johnny Gargano. “I think he could create dream matches here at NXT, I assure you. Obviously, there are many other performers I would be happy to work with, but I don't know if that will ever be possible. There are AJ Styles, Seth Rollins and Daniel Bryan, who is another superstar on my list. Those three are the names I would make if asked who I would like to share the ring with. Can you imagine a challenge against one of them at TakeOver? It would be an exceptional event,” he added. Earlier this week, Johnny faced Karrion Kross for the NXT Championship. The match was made even more thrilling by Samoa Joe, called upon to play the role of special referee. Despite being distracted several times by Joe, Karrion still managed to successfully defend his title. The severe effects of the pandemic have also hit NXT, so much so that it has forced the federation to release several talents in recent months. From a storyline standpoint, this all adds up to great drama. When it comes to putting on a show, the tale of the tape means very little to Johnny Gargano.
"I pride myself on fitting in any role. Going up against any style. You put me in the ring with a cruiserweight, I can wrestle that style. You put me in the ring with a heavyweight, I can wrestle that style. You put me in a street fight, I can wrestle that style," Johnny Gargano said. "I really pride myself on being able to mix it up and do whatever is called upon me on that given night. I've always, obviously, been inspired by smaller guys like Daniel Bryan and guys like Shawn Michaels. I distinctly remember Shawn Michaels going up against Vader. And Sid. And Diesel. And I love the David versus Goliath story that could potentially be told there."