Johnny Gargano’s NXT Farewell Promo Was Unscripted

Johnny Gargano’s contract with WWE recently expired. He is now a free agent and can wrestle anywhere he wants, effective immediately. While WWE went to great lengths to try and re-sign Johnny Wrestling, he appears to be poised to move on.

On his last appearance on NXT 2.0, Gargano gave an emotional speech to fans about his future and time with the brand. He was then attacked by Grayson Waller, who left him for dead. Fightful Select has reported that Gargano’s farewell speech wasn’t scripted by the company.

A source within NXT indicated that Johnny Gargano was given a lot of leeway during the promo. He was afforded a decent amount of overrun time after 10 PM, which he mentioned to the crowd. The company was also happy with the way the Waller run-in came across on television.

Unscripted promos are a rare thing in WWE. Many fans and wrestlers have complained about the wrestler’s lack of creative freedom. The fact that Gargano was allowed to say what he felt shows he has a ton of respect from those who are running the show.

Johnny Gargano’s contract expired at midnight. There will be no non-compete period since he finished out his obligations to the company. When and where he will show up is unknown, but his wife, NXT superstar Candice LeRae, is due to give birth in February.

Kyle O’Reilly remains the only real mystery in terms of his NXT status. While it appears he is leaving, the feeling inside WWE is that they would still like to bring him back after a hiatus. He’s also got a baby on the way and may take some time off before deciding on anything long-term.

Where do you think Johnny Gargano will wrestle next? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!