Johnny Gargano On What He’s Learned From Shawn Michaels And Triple H
Johnny Gargano calls working alongside Triple H and Shawn Michaels, “a dream come true”
Johnny Wrestling has done just about everything in NXT. He’s been a Tag Team Champion, he’s main evented multiple TakeOver events, he’s turned in classic matches and he’s been the face of the company despite never holding singles gold. During his tenure in NXT, Gargano has received rave reviews from his peers, including legends like Shawn Michaels and Triple H.
Speaking to Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated, Johnny Gargano was asked about whether he’s able to work with Shawn Michaels, who is one of the trainers and producers at the Performance Center and NXT.
“Shawn Michaels has always been a hero of mine, he was painted on my wall growing up. To be able to work with him and pick his brain is truly the best-case scenario,” said Gargano. “When I moved to Orlando, it was my first time moving from Cleveland. You never know what to expect. But to be able to go and work with Shawn Michaels and learn from him, it’s just mind-blowing. And not just Shawn, but also Triple H, as well. Their minds work on a different level, and you can tell why NXT is as hot as it is and why stories are so compelling. They are running the show. It’s a dream come true. If you told me when I was eight years old that one day I’d work for WWE with an action figure and work as an ambassador for a video game, and also work side-by-side with Shawn Michaels and Triple H, I would have said, ‘You’re crazy!’ But here we are, and it’s amazing.”
On the subject of Triple H, who is the founder and senior producer for NXT, Gargano revealed the primary characteristic Triple H instills in those at NXT and the PC.
“Hunger. Never be complacent,” Gargano stated. “You have to want to be the best. He has that in him. If you don’t have it, I don’t know if he can bring it out of you. But if you have it deep inside of you, he’ll get it out of there. He wants you to do what you can to steal the show.”
Gargano will get another chance to steal this show this Saturday when he faces Aleister Black at TakeOver: War Games II. Gargano has been on a roll this year, turning in classic bouts with Andrade “Cien” Almas and Tommaso Ciampa at previous TakeOver events.
Fightful will provide live coverage of TakeOver: WarGames II this Saturday beginning at 7 p.m. ET.
