WWE NXT star Johnny Gargano was recently a guest on the “After The Bell” podcast to talk about several professional wrestling topics.
Here are the highlights:
The changes NXT went through as it transitioned out of FCW:
When we first started it was like the interim because we always had this mindset that we needed to do things a certain way. We need to do things the WWE way. We do things a certain way around here to get you ready for RAW and Smackdown. When we came on, it was like why do we have to get ready for RAW and Smackdown? Why can’t we just make this as good as freaking possible?
Like why can’t we go out there and make NXT what everyone’s talking about? People loved NXT back then. Don’t get me wrong. It was Finn, Bayley, Sasha and Charlotte. Everyone tearing it up, and they made NXT what it is today. But I think, like everything, things need to evolve and things need to change.
Feeling like NXT changed after the Cruiserweight Classic:
So I feel like NXT changed when the first Cruiserweight Classic happened. I feel like that affected NXT in the mindset where we did this and the magic kind of opened everyone’s eyes to a whole new world of oh maybe we shouldn’t just be doing four-minute matches all the time. Maybe we should do things like 20 minutes or 25 minutes or give you guys some real time to go out there and put in work. I think that’s what NXT became from that.
Oh all these guys can go. All these guys can freaking tear it up. Let’s see what happens, and that grew to today. Obviously, me and Tommaso’s story affected everything where that long-term story played out. So many things happened, and it’s always a timing thing with a lot of things.
His “cup of coffee” on the WWE main roster:
I don’t know if that was a cup of coffee. I mobile ordered, but I didn’t pick it up.
Raw and SmackDown being more hectic than NXT:
I say it’s very different. Maybe it’s because I’m so entrenched with the NXT system, and I’ve known our writing staff, our creative team, all the camera guys and everyone who works backstage plus it’s at Full Sail every week and that’s 10 minutes from my apartment in Orlando so that’s nice. The travel schedule isn’t as hectic as RAW and Smackdown, but there is that same sense of urgency that is also on RAW and Smackdown.
It’s just different. I feel like it’s a lot more stressful on RAW and Smackdown for some strange reason, but in NXT, it feels like home. It feels like I’m very very comfortable, so I think that’s the biggest difference for me. Over there, there’s literally a million people. I see new people all the time when I’m backstage at RAW and Smackdown. NXT, it’s just a family environment where I know everyone, so I think that’s the biggest thing.
Also Read: Johnny Gargano to Guest This Week’s WWE After The Bell
H/T Wrestling INc. for the transcriptions
