It could be argued that Johnny Gargano has never mattered more to NXT.
All the legendary matches and fabulous runs as a babyface are etched into the relatively short black-and-gold history books, but the old 'Johnny Wrestling' was as much a celebration of all the brand was good as much as anything else. Now he's a component so vital that episodes and matches might feel doomed without him.
He's p*ss funny in skits, and the joke works well because if he just stuck to his tried and true methods rather than becoming such a snake he'd probably get back to winning ways. He took some wicked bumps for the good of Damian Priest's cause in this, including but not limited to a brutal-looking Razor's Edge on to the apron.
'The Archer Of Infamy' will continue to progress, but it's remarkable how quickly Gargano has shifted so brilliantly into this utility heel role. The Mr & Mrs NXT payoff will happen one day, and it won't be without significant merit.
Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation over 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. Within the podcasting space, he also co-hosts Benno & Hamflett, In Your House! and Podcast Horseman: The BoJack Horseman Podcast. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, Fightful, POST Wrestling, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett
