A match that Gargano ultimately lost, but will he stay on his feet? Or will he roll back into bed on his box for the coming months? We must not forget that in NXT Gargano had managed to reclaim Johnny Wrestling for a night in a match against Myles Borne at Stand and Deliver 2026.
Today, Gargano confirmed via Instagram that he will stay on his feet for good, his statement :
”It’s over staying down. Last night was only the beginning… not the end. It is time to rise, to be myself and to invest the necessary effort to become the man I have always been destined to be.”
Johnny Gargano will reclaim Johnny Wrestling. His next match and his new attitude will be watched on the upcoming SmackDown shows.
His full statement :
”Last night was dedicated to the people who never gave up, even when I had given up on myself.
I faced the WWE Champion in the main event of SmackDown, in the very arena where I fell in love with wrestling as a kid.
Cleveland, I love you… you supported me against the best in the world. Punk said he now understood what it felt like to face CM Punk in Chicago. All I ever wanted was to be “your guy” and to make all of you proud.
For a kid from the indie scene like me… it was an absolute honor and a dream to finally step into the ring with CM Punk (who was the very first indie wrestling t-shirt I bought when I was in high school).
&
I’d like to tell you I was at the peak of my form, but that would be a lie. After lying around, sulking for eight months… mentally and physically… the work is ongoing… but I suppose we’re all a little like that.
It’s over staying down. Last night was only the beginning… not the end. It’s time to rise, to be myself and to invest the necessary effort to become the man I have always been destined to be.
For you. For me. For those who still believe in Johnny Wrestling.”
