Johnny Gargano is synonymous with NXT, but the most decorated superstar in NXT hasn't been himself recently. Gargano is coming off a loss to Bronson Reed in a triple threat match and has suffered multiple defeats to reigning NXT Champion Keith Lee in the past couple of months.
On Wednesday, Gargano will face Roderick Strong, who was part of the triple threat with Bronson Reed last Wednesday. For Gargano he's looking to re-establish himself as the leader of NXT.
"I was pretty excited after last week?s triple threat match [against Strong and Bronson Reed]. I got to mix it up quite a bit with Roddy, and there were people online talking about how they?d like to see a singles match between myself and Roddy, or even a match at a TakeOver. I read someone say they could watch us wrestle for an hour, and that?s quite a compliment," Gargano told Sports Illustrated. "I?m looking to prove that I?m still the ace, that I?m still the guy. I may not have the NXT Championship, I may not have the North American Championship, but I still believe I am the face of this brand. I still believe, when you watch NXT, you watch for Johnny Gargano, who can go in the ring like no one else."
Though Strong and Gargano will be enemies in the ring on Wednesday, Gargano was very complimentary of Strong in the interview.
"I?ve known Roddy for a long time. I was on the EVOLVE side of the indies and he was on more of the ROH side, so we didn?t come about too frequently, but we did lock up a few times in PWG. After he was done with ROH, he came to EVOLVE and we had a few matches there," he said. "For my money, Roddy is the most explosive professional wrestler on the planet. He brings something to the table that very few people have. His athleticism is off the charts, and he has a gas tank that does not quit. He is the definition of a workhorse. Some people consider me a workhorse, too. When you have two workhorses, two guys that are hungry, and want to show the world what they?ve got, you have a great mix for a great professional wrestling match on Wednesday night."
You can check out what else is on tap for NXT by clicking here.
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