For a number of months, Johnny Gargano, who struggled to maintain any sort of forward momentum on the main roster, was involved in a storyline that saw him in a catatonic state. This man spent every episode of Friday Night SmackDown planking on a box backstage, apparently unable to respond to any sort of stimuli, from his wife or otherwise.
Then, WWE went to his hometown of Cleveland, Ohio, and CM Punk offered up a shot at the WWE championship in the main event. That brought him to his feet, and gave
him the motivation to get back to being the man he once was — Johnny Wrestling.
The two went out and tore the house down with an absolute thrill ride of a match — with one of the best near falls this writer has witnessed all year — that ended with Punk retaining. Gargano’s loss did not send him back into spiral. Instead, it appears to have given him a new lease on life.
Or that’s what he’s saying, at least:
Last night was for the people who never gave up on me, even when I gave up on myself.
I went toe to toe with the @WWE Champion in the main event of SmackDown in the arena where I first fell in love with professional wrestling as a child.
Cleveland, I love you.. you had my back against the best in the world, and all I’ve ever wanted to do was be your guy and make you proud.
For an indie kid like me.. it was an absolute honor, and dream to finally get in there with
@CMPunk (who was the very first indie merch shirt I ever bought in High School)I’d love to tell you I was at my best, but that’d be a lie. After laying around feeling sorry for myself for 8 months.. Mentally and physically.. I’m a work in progress.. But I guess we all are.
No more laying down. Last night was the beginning.. not the end. It’s time to stand up, be myself and put in the work to become the man I was always meant to be.
For you. For me. For those who still believe in Johnny Wrestling.
Let’s see how they follow up on all this.
Any hope?
