History Wrestling / JohnnyGargano

* HeelFaceTurn: After #DIY were eliminated in the 2019 Dusty Rhodes Classic, Gargano got the jump on Ciampa after the latter attempted to replicate his infamous ''[=TakeOver:=] Chicago'' attack on Gargano, only for Gargano to reveal he feigned his leg injury, subtly testing Ciampa's loyalties. After laying out Ciampa with a Superkick (and loud chants of "Johnny Wrestling"), Gargano happily yelled out "Johnny Wrestling's back!" seemingly cementing this trope. Confirmed on the March 27 2019 episode of NXT when he came out with his old face logo.

* LargeHamTitle:

* RevengeBeforeReason: Has dipped into this in his feud with Ciampa, causing the NiceJobBreakingItHero moment above as well as costing him at least one match against Ciampa himself.

** At ''[=TakeOver=]: Philadelphia'', he wore gear inspired by [[Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy Star-Lord]].

* CloudcuckoolandersMinder: Served as such to Wrestling/AustinTheory in The Way.

** At ''[=TakeOver=] XXV'', he wore gear inspired by ''Film/CaptainMarvel''.

** At ** At ''[=TakeOver=]: Phoenix'' and ''Wrestling/RoyalRumble 2019'', he wore gear inspired by [[ComicBook/TheDarkPhoenixSaga Dark Phoenix]].

* ItsPersonal: The absolute most personal one ''NXT'' ever had. It took place after Ciampa turned on Gargano after they lost a ladder match for the NXT Tag Team Championships against the Authors of Pain, a match in which Ciampa tore his ACL. Undeterred, Ciampa spent months tormenting Gargano on numerous social media sites, while Gargano was traumatized by the incident and entered a bit of rut in regards to his singles career. Just when he turned it around, Ciampa re-entered his life, almost completely healed, attacking Gargano after his five star classic against then-NXT Champion Wrestling/AndradeCienAlmas. Gargano still couldn't quite face Ciampa, so he focused on the NXT Championship, putting his career on the line for the sake of a title shot; and just as he was about to win the title, Ciampa attacked him ''again'', costing him both the title ''and'' his career. Thoroughly pissed, Gargano was ''done'' evading his former best friend, stalking him throughout the weeks since the incident and attacking him on ''NXT'', culminating in an unsanctioned[[note]]Kayfabe-wise, it means WWE would not be held accountable for whatever happened in the match, allowing both participants to do whatever they wanted to each other to win[[/note]] grudge match at ''NXT [=TakeOver=]: New Orleans'', where, if Gargano won, he would be reinstated to NXT. Once Wrestling/CandiceLeRae got hurt in the scuffle, he promised Ciampa that, just as Gargano left Chicago the previous year in an ambulance, he'll leave Chicago in an ambulance as well.

* {{Jerkass}}: As of his current heel run with real life wife Wrestling/CandiceLeRae.

* RedBaron: As stated under AffectionateNickname, any suffix after Johnny, the most popular being Johnny Wrestling. His other nicknames include: The Bee's Knees, the Cat's Pajamas, the Whole Shebang, Rebel Heart, NXT's Iron Man, and now Johnny Champion.

** At ''[=TakeOver=]: In Your House 2021'', he wore gear inspired by Wrestling/ShawnMichaels.

* MythologyGag: On the 3/26/20 episode a week after their furious brawl all over the Performance Center, Johnny claimed that Wrestling/TommasoCiampa "Tried to escape by jumping out the window!", echoing Wrestling/BobbyHeenan's claim regarding Wrestling/MartyJannetty during the Rockers' breakup.

* PutOnABus: {{Rage quit}}ted Wrestling/{{Chikara}} out of disgust with Wink Vavasseur's management and having Sugar in F.I.S.T.

* OlderHeroVersusYoungerVillain: He's been both the older hero against Wrestling/AndradeCienAlmas and Wrestling/AdamCole, and the younger villain against Wrestling/AleisterBlack, Wrestling/TommasoCiampa and Wrestling/KeithLee.

* ChessMaster: How Johnny turned the tables on Wrestling/TomassoCiampa - he feigned an injury, knowing that Ciampa

** As of late 2022, Wrestling/TheMiz becomes part of Johnny Wrestling's hit list. He blackmails Miz into admitting that he had Dexter Lumis paid by staging the stalking incidents ever since Lumis' return to WWE.

* ContinuityNod: An interesting note here, as he was one of NXT's representatives for the Wrestling/WWECruiserweightClassic as a singles competitor. In storyline, an injury to his knee that happened in NXT competition would [[GameBreakingInjury cost him a match in the CWC a few episodes after the one he had with Ciampa.]] But because the CWC episodes were taped a month or so before the ''NXT [=TakeOver=]: Brooklyn II'' live PPV where he would be hurt, he was put in the unique position of having to sell a storyline injury in the CWC that, chronologically speaking, hadn't happened yet.

* FailureHero: He never seems to be able to win a title match despite showing that he is capable of doing so. It didn't really reach this point until he lost two straight ''[=TakeOver=]'' matches to his EvilFormerFriend Tommaso Ciampa, the recent one for the NXT Championship ([[NiceJobBreakingItHero which Ciampa managed to win in the first place thanks to him, by the way)]], both due to his recklessness. It's quite telling that Wrestling/TheVelveteenDream, then a heel, is able to get the Full Sail crowd to go from chanting "Johnny Wrestling" to "Johnny Failure."
** While he's since won some singles titles, he has yet to successfully defend one. Exaggerated when he [[BlatantLies randomly]] chose [[{{Jobber}} Leon Ruff]] to get a shot at his North American title, in an obvious bid to break the curse, and ''Ruff won the belt'' on a roll-up pin (helped by a distraction from previous champ Damian Priest).

* ItWasAGift: He started using his "Gargano Escape" FinishingMove after Alex Shelley's suggestion when he was looking for a new submission finisher (Gargano considers Shelley as his older brother figure and the latter is one of the earliest users, if not the innovator, of the hold, calling his version as the "Border City Stretch").

* ActionDad: He has a son with Wrestling/CandiceLeRae.

* TookALevelInJerkass: As of his FaceHeelTurn on Wrestling/TommasoCiampa at NXT Takeover Portland.

** UpToEleven at ''NXT Takeover: New York''. Being pitted against Wrestling/AdamCole in a two out of three falls match meant that Gargano was going to be put through the wringer no matter the outcome. While Cole won the first fall, Johnny Wrestling would not stay down. Cole threw everything he had at Gargano and then some. Multiple superkicks (some to the back of the head!)? Not enough. The Last Shot? No way. The Canadian Destroyer known as the Panama Sunrise? Only a two. Getting hit with Ciampa's Fairy Tale Ending on the announce table? Gets back in the ring at the count of nine. The Undisputed Era runs in and O'Reilly and Fish hit their finish on him? ''Johnny still kicked out.'' Gargano wouldn't be denied the NXT Championship and mounted a comeback comparable to Daniel Bryan at Wrestlemania 30 and made Cole submit to the Garga-No Escape, becoming the first NXT Triple Crown Champion.

** While he's since won some singles titles, he has yet to successfully defend one. Taken UpToEleven when he [[BlatantLies randomly]] chose [[{{Jobber}} Leon Ruff]] to get a shot at his North American title, in an obvious bid to break the curse, and ''Ruff won the belt'' on a roll-up pin (helped by a distraction from previous champ Damian Priest).