Johnny Gargano was recently interviewed by WWE.com talking about his return to the ring. You can see highlights below.
Returning to Singles Action on NXT:
“Honestly, the minute I stepped through those ropes, any concern or worry I had of ring rust went right out the window. I was back home.”
His time away from the ring:
“Being away from the ring was really tough,” Gargano revealed. “I’m used to traveling all over, going from town to town every weekend. But for the first time in probably 12 years, I was just sitting at home. It was the longest I’d ever not been in a wrestling ring since I started seriously training some 16 years ago. When my hand was raised, it just reaffirmed my beliefs that I can do this.”
Being Johnny Wrestling:
“Johnny Wrestling to me isn’t just a cool nickname or a fun thing for the crowd to chant,” he explained. “To me, it’s a state of mind, and it’s just who I am. I first stepped foot in a wrestling ring when I was 8 years old. Growing up, I was a socially awkward kid who didn’t know where he fit in, and I didn’t have many friends, but I always had wrestling. I always had what was in between those ropes, and that always put a smile on my face no matter what.”
TakeOver Brooklyn:
“There’s just a different vibe in the Barclays Center, an electricity that’s hard to explain,” Gargano said. “I need to feel that again to be whole. Last year in Brooklyn was my very first TakeOver. That was the night #DIY was born. It’s been a year and who knows? Maybe a part of me still feels like I let some people down when I tapped out that night. I wanna make that right. I can’t let any more people down. Last year was the birth of #DIY, but this year, I want it to be the birth of Johnny Wrestling.”
You can read the full interview at this link. NXT Takeover Brooklyn III takes place August 19 from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY.
