Every WWE Cruiserweight Classic Wrestler - Where Are They Now?
10. Johnny Gargano
Tournament result: Defeated in the second round by TJ Perkins.
What was he doing at the time?
Signed to a Tier 2 NXT contract (think a WWE ID deal, but with slightly less cockblocking), Johnny Gargano was balancing his rookie year in WWE developmental with the final days of his thriving independent schedule. It meant that one week, he was wrestling a can't-miss 'Last Man Standing' match in EVOLVE vs. a still-relevant EC3. The next? He was losing on the NXT house show loop to a still-green Elias.
He was, at least, swiftly paired with Tommaso Ciampa, another Tier 2 contractor, which unknowingly planted the seeds for what would be the peak of WWE's third brand. Swings and roundabouts.
What is he doing now?
Planking.
That's it.
The latest attempt at rebooting his tag team with Tommaso Ciampa was canned at the start of 2026 when TC departed for AEW, and WWE has offered Gargano a pathetic 6 matches since, all but one of which were losses; even then, his "victory" in an NXT North American Title contendership Gauntlet was as much of a fluke as Scotland's victory over Brazil in the World Cup. In-character battling a deep depression, Candice LeRae had to push her husband atop a dilapidated Shiloh Hill to secure a crack at the title he made famous.
He subsequently lost to Myles Borne and resumed his horizontal position in catering. Great.