Johnny Gargano On What He Learned From Shawn Michaels

In an interview with Sports Illustrated, Johnny Gargano revealed what he learned from Shawn Michaels, spoke about his feud with Aleister Black and more. Here are highlights:

On characters like Tommaso Ciampa’s: “For me, the most compelling thing about a lot of different characters, including Tommaso, is the level of intrigue. You never know what’s going to happen next. NXT is unpredictable, and they are not afraid to tell a lot of different stories and compelling stories. The best part of watching any show is that feeling of being sucked in. If I’m watching Breaking Bad, there is something compelling about Walter White. There is something compelling about every character, and I think that’s what makes NXT so great right now. There are so many compelling characters, and you never know how those characters are going to interact with one another. That’s why I think NXT is must-see TV and why TakeOvers are so special. You get all those stories to come to a head and it creates magic. And TakeOver: War Games this Saturday is going to be magic.”

On what video games he plays: “I’m a big N64 guy. That was probably my most-played system growing up, so obviously No Mercy. But I also loved Ken Griffey Jr.’s Slugfest and Madden, so I was all over the board. I’m a big sports game and wrestling game, but I can also go all over the map with different games, as well.”

On his feud with Aleister Black: “In my head, I made a mistake. The reason Tommaso Ciampa is NXT champion is because of me. I admitted that, and it’s my mistake to fix. So this is between me and Ciampa. I am the one to beat Tommaso Ciampa. I’ve said time and time again that if there is a hero at the end of the story, I’m the one to do it. I have to do it. Aleister Black, unfortunately, got in the way. I have nothing personal against Aleister Black. I have no problem against the guy, but he got in the way. The end justifies the means, and the end is going to be Johnny Gargano defeating Tommaso Ciampa for the NXT championship. That will fulfill a promise, little kids will be happy, everyone will be going nuts. If one guy in Black needed to be jumped for that to happen, then I’m sorry. It had to happen.”

On what he learned from Shawn Michaels: “Yes. 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. 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.”