Johnny Gargano Calls His NXT Championship Run an Embarrassment

Johnny Gargano's lone reign as NXT Champion remains one of the shortest in the title's history. After his rivalry with Tommaso Ciampa was derailed when the latter suffered a surgery-requiring neck injury, "Johnny Wrestling" wound up facing Adam Cole in a Two-out-of-Three Falls Match at NXT TakeOver: New York in April 2019. He won what wound up being an instant classic only to drop the title to Cole at TakeOver: XXV two months later. He's since turned heel, formed The Way faction and held the NXT North American Championship twice, but has never been able to hold the promotion's top prize again despite numerous attempts.

Gargano took part in the NXT TakeOver: In Your House press conference on Saturday and openly admitted his title reign as "an embarrassment." He'll take part in a five-way match for the title on Sunday, taking on Cole, Kyle O'Reilly, Pete Dunne and current champion Karrion Kross.

"That title run was an embarrassment," Gargano said (h/t Sportskeeda). "The NXT Twitter account asked people a few months ago what their favorite NXT TakeOver match was and the name Johnny Gargano trended because I was in so many answers. There's always this debate of the mount rushmore of NXT and I'm on about 75% of those lists." Johnny Gargano went on, "But that 25%, that's what eats me alive. This Sunday, I win the NXT Championship again and I kill that 25%, I will leave no doubt. Johnny Gargano is the man in NXT."

Cole also took part in the press conference and shouted down the idea of leaving NXT for either Raw or SmackDown. Instead, he proposed the idea of becoming a two and three-time NXT Champion.

"Could Adam Cole show up on Raw or SmackDown? Maybe. Would Adam Cole run Raw or SmackDown if he showed up? You're damn right he would," Cole said. "But I'm really tired of hearing this question over and over again. 'Adam you've accomplished so much. You've done everything you can possibly do in NXT.' No I haven't. Maybe to you I've done everything I can do. Once again being the longest-reigning NXT Champion of all time. That sounds nice, right? And then just move on...

"I have an attachment to this brand," he continued. "When I joined NXT in 2017 I watched this brand continue to grow and evolve into something that can't be touched. Because I stand by this, the NXT roster could beat the Raw roster & the SmackDown roster any day of the week and twice on Sunday. I'm very, very proud of this brand, and I do believe I have a lot more to accomplish."