Johnny Gargano did a Q&A session with Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated in hype for his upcoming grudge match against Aleister Black this Saturday at NXT TakeOver: WarGames in Los Angeles. In the interview, Gargano goes into detail about what he learned from Shawn Michaels, being the wrestling version of the Cleveland Browns and what’s so intriguing about NXT Champion Tommaso Ciampa. Below are a few quotes:
Johnny Gargano on personas like Tommaso Ciampa:
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 his favorite video game console of choice:
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.
You can read the entire interview by going here.
