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On the next episode of NXT, airing Tuesday, July 13, on USA, WWE superstar Johnny Gargano has the chance to become a two-time NXT champion when he steps in the ring with reigning title holder Karrion Kross. And while Kross, thus far, has been one of the most dominant stars in NXT history, Gargano likes his odds.
“I think I have a need to win,” the man fans have dubbed Johnny Wrestling said during an appearance on Wrestle Buddies, GameSpot’s professional wrestling podcast. “You talk about Karrion Kross, you talk about the most dominant NXT champion of all time, maybe. He is the big bad, he is the big boss at the end of a video game. And who better to go against the big boss at the end of the video game than Johnny Wrestling himself, right?”
What makes Gargano the man to beat Kross and represent the NXT brand once again? His reasoning is simple. “I think when you’re the NXT champion, people think that they have this idea that you’re the best, right? You have the title, that means you are the best at what you do,” he explained. “I do not want to live in a world where people think Karrion Kross is better than Johnny Gargano. That is why I need to win.”
And the ace up his sleeve, in Gargano’s mind, is the inclusion of Samoa Joe as guest referee. “I think Joe is my best friend,” the superstar proclaimed. “I think Karrion Kross is going to get out of hand. I think he is not a law-abiding citizen like I am. So Samoa Joe is going to step in to make sure he plays by the book. And if he has to play by the book, I think Johnny Gargano has his number.”
While Joe may be there to uphold the rules, Gargano doesn’t always play fair–and one look at the stone-cold enforcer makes it clear that he doesn’t view Gargano as a friend. So whatever happens, it should be a pretty captivating main event. And should Johnny Wrestling walk away with the win, he will join the very short list of two-time NXT champions.
Will that happen? Find out when NXT airs live, July 17, on USA. And make sure to check out Gargano’s full appearance on Wrestle Buddies, in which he talks about creating his faction The Way, going to Avengers Campus at Disneyland, and more.
