Johnny Gargano

[9.0] "An incredible wrestler. One of my all-time favorites in NXT history. He was truly "the chosen one, " the first to win everything there was to win in the NXT era. His triumphs were well-deserved, and now we're just waiting for him to get a real opportunity on the main roster (excluding tag team titles). Now that he's back in action and no longer sidelined, we can easily slot him into the main title picture. So what if he hasn't wrestled in four months? Who would even care about that? I hope he becomes a world champion someday; he simply deserves it after the journey he's had. Unless the company releases him soon--which would be a shame. That would mean losing yet another great star this year (following the likes of Aleister Black, MSK, and Ilja Dragunov). Could a Sami vs. Gargano match be in the works? It would be an absolute banger--a five-star classic."

[9.0] "Johnny is one of the best in ring in the company this gimmick where he planks is incredibly damaging for his career and he needs to do something proper as he is definitely talented enough to. Johnny won all 3 main championships in NXT and is considered the goat there I think there is nobody on the roster who needs a win more than Johnny Gargano as Since Ciampa left for AEW WWE clearly has no interest in a singles run for Gargano."

[7.0] "This guy had NO PERSONALITY, just BLAND. I consider him the example of the bad way to make a babyface. His moveset is marvelous, he is a great technician, but he did not add more moves since three years. In the other hand, his heel turn was almost great and been destroyed by heels helped to take him seriously as the face of NxT showing us incredible matches against Ciampa."

[10.0] "NXT Johnny Gargano may have been one of the best wrestlers I've ever seen. From 2016-2020 he literally could not have a bad match. His TakeOver matches with Aleister Black, Tommaso Ciampa, Ricochet, Adam Cole, etc. were some of the greatest matches in American history. He was such a pure face and could play an amazing hero to contrast villains like Ciampa and the Undisputed Era. His main roster run has been painfully misbooked and as a Gargano fan, it hurts to see someone of his talent level be forced to become a joke who is always lying down"

"Johnny Gargano has gotten to a point where I personally feel like revisionism has struck him hard. That combined with his current storyline and gimmick not being a gimmick he can do a bunch with when it comes to pure excitement. Gargano has shown it all throughout his career, underdog tag team wrestler into one of the most beloved babyfaces of his time into a semi-comedic heel dad gimmick. Sure he may not be the main eventer he was in NXT but whenever he's given the time he still shows up and gives you the match you need for the position of the card. I think if you consider his up and downs you could easilly justify an 8/10 rating for him overall."

[8.0] "One of the faces of NXT. Unfortunately after NXT his stock dropped off completely. His main roster run has been completely forgettable. However his NXT matches whether it was a singles or tag match they were for the most part stellar."

[6.0] "Johnny Gargano is by far the greatest worker "inside WWE rings" but the six rating is purely for his current form. I also think his new gimmick is absolutely ridiculous and meaningless. I wish he can get back"

[10.0] "Despite how his main roster run was booked, he is one of the best in-ring performers of all time and has been apart of some of WWE's greatest matches. He was also apart of one of the greatest storylines ever with Ciampa in the DIY storyline and he has been one of the greatest NXT North American Champions"

[10.0] "i <3 Johnny Wrestling. If you need proof of why Johnny Gargano is so good, just watch any singles match that Johnny Takeover had in any Takeover. There's a reason why I weep when I see him being soo misused in WWE. i miss johnny wrestling :("

[10.0] "still giving Johnny Gargano a 10 because his nxt run, especially from 2016 teaming with ciampa up to his feud with cole, was something special. you could hit 100 finishers on him and he would kick out and make it look believable. he connected with the audience perfectly. his matches with Andrade, Ciampa, Cole, Ricochet, and Black were magical. he had a great underdog babyface character, much like Sami Zayn. the main roster run has been sad, but his nxt work alone deserves a perfect score."

[10.0] "Johnny Gargano was the face of the one of the greatest eras in professional history. In NXT he was such a likeable wrestler and put on some of the best matches in north American history. He's done some stuff in the indies that I absolutely believe that it's worth to watch. It's unfortunate that he hasn't been utilized to his potential on the main roster but at least he's been given SOMETHING unlike his wife."

[5.0] "He should be enhancement talent and bump around for the other guys who don't look like they'd be easily mugged in broad daylight. I'll give him a 5 because he knows how to get over. He does have an impressive move repertoire, but the moves are being done by him, and that's the issue. If I can't believe in him I can't believe in what he's doing in the ring."

[10.0] "Johnny Gargano is the one wrestler who made me fall in love the black and gold NXT. He had banger after banger matches in NXT. He's also my personal favorite wrestler of all time."

[9.0] "The man that made me fall back in love with wrestling after years of not watching. The story he told in NXT will never be forgotten and should always be remembered as one of the best underdog babyface runs in recent history. He will forever be one of my favorites, however, I must accept his character work is not great and lacks a couple of things to success, specially in a company like WWE."

"Johnny Gargano - I don't know where to start with you. You're one of the greatest wrestlers period, and I am blessed to be from the same city that you are from."

[10.0] "His in-ring work is incredible, especially during his NXT days. This was shown well during his matches during the Black & Gold Era. As a character, his past work is good, whether it's being the underdog or being the villain in The Way. Unfortunately, in current times, he's fallen short in most aspects and hasn't been utilized much past the tag division. The only issue I have with him is that he lacks charisma and falls short when it comes to promo work."

"(1.0) One of the worst wrestlers I've ever seen which led to a direct decline in my interest in the NXT and WWE product. The masterbratory matches with Adam Cole, the abysmal street fights with Tommaso Ciampa, the boring tag team matches, the overdramatic selling and expressions that take all of the worst qualities of Dolph Ziggler and push them to the 100th degree. Gargano is obviously very influenced by Shawn Michaels, but he has none of the charisma or mean streak that Shawn has. Shawn is a mean bastard when he wants to be, and Gargano doesn't come across as legit threat in any meaningful way. I'm so glad that he resigned with WWE in 2021, because if he had shown up in AEW, he would have been exposed and that company would not have made it through pushing Gargano as a main event star. That's how fucking bad he is. And it's not even a dislike, it's just nothing. I don't feel anything when I watch a Gargano match. Guys like Kurt Angle, Bret Hart, CM Punk, and Bryan Danielson didn't have to tell you over and over again that they were the best wrestler and try to convince you, the crowd told them they were the best wrestler and then they agreed. Gargano is a product of taking someone from the indies and applying all of the worst tendencies possible to a wrestler that the WWE is notorious for. What if somebody worked the Miz's style of insanely safe professional wrestling but they pretended like they were Bryan Danielson or Shawn Michaels? That's Johnny Gargano's entire identity."

[5.0] "A great in-ring talent, to be sure, but I feel like, throughout his career, from Dragon Gate USA all the way to now, a lot of people have worked very hard to make me care about Johnny Gargano, and I never once have been able to. The guys is just a complete non-entity as a personality, which is a shame, because he's very good as a wrestler. Just dull as dirt otherwise."

[10.0] "I wouldn't call him a perfect wrestler, but I would say he is closer to perfect than to a "jack of all trades, master of none". He is almost perfect but still has some gaps here and there now and again. Such as sometimes promos aren't quite there, or a match might not be amazing. But, he's still so close to perfect that you will more often than not be treated to a great match."

[10.0] "A personal favourite, indie legend, true 5-tool player with no particular weaknesses, can't say enough good things about Gargano, incredible career."

[10.0] "He and Ciampa should be main-eventers by they're own, so much talent, ring-skills, mic-skills and fans love them. I put 10, but they didn't reach their potential by now""

[5.0] "While He's much better than Candice in a lot of aspects, I find the two to be pretty similar. Both are wrestlers who would work in indies but will not do well infront of a larger audience. Johnny is a decent worker in the ring and has had some great matches in NXT. But as I predicted, He hasn't worked in the Main Roster because he doesn't have an interesting persona and isn't Charismatic enough to make it. As I said, He'd work much better in the indies"

[9.0] "Johnny Gargano made a name for himself long before WWE with standout work on the indie scene. He became known for his endurance, crisp technique, and ability to tell a compelling story in any setting. By the time he arrived in NXT, he was already a seasoned pro, and he used that foundation to become one of the brand's defining stars. Johnny Wrestling cemented himself as one of the best storytellers of his generation with unforgettable matches in NXT, where his blend of heart, technical skill, and emotional depth created some of the brand's finest moments. His alliance with and then classic bouts against Tommaso Ciampa is probably the defining feud of NXT as a brand. All of his championship wins felt truly earned. Gargano connects with fans in a way that few can. He's the perfect mix of underdog spirit and world-class talent."

[7.0] "Johnny in NXT was great at the time, but if you go back and watch it it was definitely too much at times. I think his promo abilities are underrated but they aren't anything great either. He's best as a tag worker, especially now in 2025"

[5.0] "There is nothing Johnny Gargano can do for me that I won't get out of almost any other default create-a-wrestler blank slate indie darling. He's so ridiculously boring, yet technically proficient enough across the board to end up consistently feeling JUST average."

[10.0] "I hate WWE for making Gargano a full-on tag team wrestler. He is one of the best in-ring performers in the world and his mic work is pretty good too. He can absolutely carry a match if needed, and he has 10/10 face AND heel gimmicks. Hopefully a singles run is in his future."

[5.0] "he might be above average in the ring, alright what else? nothing! actually there are tons of wrestlers today who can outperform him easily, so he's not very special. things like storylines, promos and charisma? I've seen nothing! furthermore, I saw him a few months ago that he printed Triple H's photo with his son on his T-shirt in an event! what the hell is this bullshit? this level of ass-kissing is absolutely embarrassing! why would he do such thing? also I've seen some of his NXT stuff, they were cool but really not as much as people say it was!"

[9.0] "He put on some of the best matches in WWE history when he was in NXT. He's a world class wrestler, but he doesn't have a larger-than-life personality or gimmick. He'd do incredibly well in a place like NXT, TNA, AEW, or NJPW. He has probably reached his WWE ceiling since they're driven by big personalities and storylines more than anything. He was the best NXT male babyface of the Black & Gold era, had one of the best NXT rivalries, consistently put on some of the best matches in company history, and (on SmackDown) took part in the best TLC match in 24 years."

[9.0] "One of the greatest performers not only in NXT but also for WWE. Gargano is beloved as one of the biggest underdog but he can also be hated as a sly and conniving heel. His track records speaks for itself and he was involved in some of the best WWE matches of all time. Andrade Vs Gargano NXT Philadelphia remains my absolute favourite WWE match all time."

[10.0] "The best wrestler in the business today, and for the past few years. Johnny Gargano is superb in the ring, can make anyone look good, he can sell, and is funny in promos. Bit disappointing that some of his matches include finisher kick-outs, but that happens all over the wrestling world these days so I won't deduct a point off my rating for that. If I wrote a top 100 matches of all-time Gargano would feature in there at least 10 times."

[4.0] "Johnny Gargano.... The wrestler with the charisma of a brick. Unlike his partner Tommaso Ciampa, Johnny has absolutely 0 charisma. Not only does his character have nothing interesting to it outside of DIY, but he is a generally unwatchable wrestler due to how boring he is on promos, charisma, and anything not wrestling. While I do think being a great wrestler is important, there are other factors just as important and Johnny fails on so many levels. I can't say I'm shocked he is only in the tag division for now. At least Pete Dunne had some stuff I can say I liked that didn't come from his partner carrying him. 4/10"

[10.0] "The GOAT of NXT in my opinion, one of the best in ring wrestlers I have ever seen, he produced some of the best matches in recent memory, and even outside of in ring work he is entertaining, a really goated talent"

[6.0] "Very overrated... He's supposed to be this "technical wizard, " even though his wrestling looks too choreographed to be taken seriously as pure graps. I actually enjoy his tag team stuff with Tommaso Ciampa more than I'd enjoy whatever singles matches he does."

[8.0] "Good in ring performer, good babyface, very good catalogue of matches. Unfortunately, a bit of an inability to connect with larger audiences and outside of his NXT run, has been booked so poorly that its impossible to get excited about him. Lack of ability to make people care and see him as an undersized babyface is what keeps him under the echelon of very very good, and likely keeps him from ever having a HOF resume"

[9.0] "Give me a single reason on Earth why this guy is yet to have a program with AJ Styles. He is among the top 5 in-ring performers in WWE, his NXT run was amazing and he's a Daniel Bryan-level underdog. The reason has, unfortunately, nothing to do with his work and everything to do with WWE backstage politics, as always."

[8.0] "Johnny Gargano is really good. His chemistry with Ciampa is amazing, and so is his moveset. Although it's not his character right now, few wrestlers can be a better underdog babyface than him."

[7.0] "Great in-ring wrestler, but that's it. Toyed with rating him a 7 or 8, but I decided to settle on a solid 7. Leaves a lot to be desired character wise, doesn't really have the skill to be a proper character in WWE. Whilst you can put him in a match and no doubt watch something great, everything else just falls pretty flat."

[9.0] "The very best underdog character I've ever seen. He always manages to make it look like he is outmatched, only to turn the tides in brilliantly performed moments. He is greatness in the ring, and awesome in whatever role he needs to be."

[10.0] "The definition of UNDERDOG, one of the greatest and largest moveset for a wrestler. I just hope his career will keep going on the right way, he still needs more titles and recognition."

[7.0] "Gargano is a good wrestler, I'm not very into his style, but I think that as an underdog babyface he works out pretty well, and he has been able to build a nice connection with the audience during the entirety of his career."

[8.0] "He's very good in the ring and that's why he's a 8 but i'm just not very interested in seeing him other than in the ring. His team with Ciampa is good but i feel like it's a waste of both. They should be on the midcard on SmackDown."

[10.0] "Johnny Gargano was one of my favorite people to watch in NXT. Great technician and one of the best in-ring workers. He was the heart and soul of the black and gold era of NXT. The matches with Tommaso, revival, Andrade, Adam Cole, Aleister Black, and Ricochet were awesome. Excellent in singles and tag matches. Even on the indies he was one of the best wrestlers."

[8.0] "Johnny is a high-end wrestler and a technician like no other. His passion for wrestling is contagious and he was the one who could carry NXT single-handedly. His presence made us believe whatever he wanted us to believe and was inspiring. Gargano's only small flaw was that his title runs were often more interesting than his often very short reigns. I also fear that his move to the Main Roster was initially shaky and ultimately too late. I'm afraid the magic won't work again, and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that HHH's new era will offer him, if not multiple reigns as world champion, at least some great stories in the ring and some interesting confrontations."

[10.0] "One of the very best NXT had to offer in its golden years, Johnny Wrestling has always been able to put on fantastic performances. Whether he's the natural baby face he was born to play, or a heel broken by his past, Gargano is one of the best when it comes to character work. Currently, he puts on fantastic tag matches with Tommasso Ciampa but the teams split is inevitable just as it was the first go around, and I can't wait to see where his solo career on WWEs main roster will take him."

[9.0] "He definitely deserves more. Look at what he did on NXT to see how talented he is. I hope he doesn't have to leave Wwe to prove himself. If it goes to a different company, it will be the main event directly"

[8.0] "From the indies to NXT he was one of the top babyfaces in all of wrestling. He had a Ricky Morton and Ricky Steamboat like quality to him. You could never root against him. His feud in NXT with Ciampa is one of the watershed moments for that brand. His heel turn was better than I expected but he was bogged down with horrible Way stable and storyline. Since then he's just kind of existed on Raw with DIY."

[10.0] "One of my favourite wrestlers. Excels as the underdog and can put on outstanding matches with just about anyone. Great as a heel as well, his heel run with the way, even if it became somewhat of a comedic gimmick, was extremely underrated."

[5.0] "I am not a fan of Johnny Gargano. It feel like he doesn't have much of a personality, but I do respect his ability to get fans invested in his matches through his in-ring ability. I think natural charisma is the most important thing for a wrestler, and that isn't something you can expect to see from Gargano. I've only seen him on Raw, so I can't speak to anything he did on NXT but I haven't seen anything particularly special about Gargano."

[7.0] "-1 for being from Ohio Johnny! (Michigander can't let it go brother, haha) Johnny is a phenomenal talent with some of his best matches in terms of chemistry are with his long time friend and tag team partner Ciampa. There are a lot of Gargano haters out there but if you go through his matches you will rarely find one that doesn't deserve to be shown two or even three times. They are all great matches and flow with ease. Johnny is admirable inside and outside the ring. He married Candice, that man is a champion everyday because of that!"

[10.0] "Johnny wrestling is amazing wrestler. He is good at both heel and face. His micworks are great and his promos are awesome. The most great tool about Johnny is in-ring performance. He always makes great matches. I think he need to build momentum on main roster. He was one of the greatest superstars in NXT. And I hope he success in main roster."