10 WWE NXT Stars Who Have Been Down In Developmental For 5 Or More Years
3. Johnny Gargano
Johnny Gargano has told the story many times before how he originally tried out for WWE in the summer of 2015 and was denied a contract. However, that didn't stop him from trying to prove himself every chance he had and continuing to cut his teeth in EVOLVE and other independent promotions in hopes of getting signed to a full-time deal by NXT.
In the meantime, NXT brought in Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa for multiple TV tapings in the remainder of 2015 to serve as enhancement talents. Not many unsigned wrestlers can say they've won in their debut match on NXT TV, but Gargano and Ciampa did just that in the opening round of the inaugural Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic.
They were utilized as jobbers on the black-and-gold brand up until the spring of 2016 when they were officially added to the roster. Their ascent to super stardom from there is well documented, as over the past years, no one has been more important to the NXT brand than Ciampa and especially Gargano.
Gargano could have very well gone up to the main roster alone after Ciampa went down with a neck injury in early 2019, but it simply made too much sense for him to stay in NXT so he could capture the NXT Championship. His title run has come and gone, but his vow a few months ago that he was NXT for life seemed to suggest that the main roster is out of the question for him (at least for the time being).