Johnny Gargano Says He’s Not a Fan of His Own Matches, Discusses Making His Royal Rumble Debut Alongside His Wife Candice LeRae

– USA Today recently interviewed NXT Superstar and North American champion Johnny Gargano ahead of yesterday’s Halftime Heat show during the Super Bowl. Below are some highlights.

Johnny Gargano of his memories of the first Halftime Heat: “20 years ago, I was 11 years old. I don’t know that I was a huge football fan at the time – obviously I would watch the Super Bowl, but I was more excited for Halftime Heat that year. I remember watching it and just being blown away by The Rock vs. Mankind in the empty arena match, just because it was so unique. And the stuff they were doing was so cool and so out of the ordinary.”

Gargano on showcasing NXT Superstars for this year’s Halftime Heat: “That’s the biggest thing for me, honestly. I’ve said this frequently, NXT is my life. I love everything about NXT. I believe NXT is not the future of professional wrestling, it’s the now. It is the hottest thing going in wrestling today. You look at TakeOver, you look at our TV show, you look at our live events… no one puts on a show like NXT. And the fact that this thing is streaming on so many platforms – WWE Network, WWE.com, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, pretty much every social media platform …. So the fact that it’s NXT, the fact that it’s our brand and our group of guys that are getting the chance to do it, I think that speaks volumes for the amount of confidence they have in NXT. And as they should. We deliver every chance we get, and we’re going to put on a show like people have never seen before this Sunday.”

On what was going through his head after finishing his match with Ricochet at TakeOver: “So, for me, I am not a fan of any of my own matches, and it’s both a blessing and a curse. Because I’m never satisfied, I’m always looking to improve in every area. I’m just hungry, all the time. I’m never like ‘oh, that was a great match!’ I’m just like ‘eh, you know, it’s fine.’ If there’s any video of me coming through Gorilla after a match, it’s always me kind of just very low-energy. Just ‘oh, you know, fine. Whatever.’ That’s just how I am. The fact that other people enjoy it I guess, that’s what matters to me. If other people like it, if other people are having fun with it, great. That’s all that matters.

Johnny Gargano on he and his wife making their first Royal Rumble appearances at the event: “It was mind-blowing. I can’t believe I was actually in the Royal Rumble. It feels like it didn’t even happen a couple days ago, it doesn’t even seem real. I’m such a huge wrestling fan, and the Royal Rumble was my favorite event. But to be able to share that with Candice, to be able to sit back and watch her live her dream was something I’ll never forget. My mom actually came to TakeOver, I had to tell her ‘oh you might have to stay an extra day, I think I’m in the Rumble!’ So she stayed for the Rumble, and then Candice’s parents were actually at TakeOver too and they stayed for the Rumble for her as well. So to be able to share that with her and share that with our families… that’s something we’re going to be able to tell our kids years from now. ‘Hey, your parents were in the Royal Rumble together!’ It’s amazing, man. Every day feels like a dream come true.”