CLEVELAND — Johnny Gargano has travelled the world pursuing his dream as a professional wrestler, but the contracted superstar for World Wrestling Entertainment’s developmental brand, NXT, has not forgotten where the journey started or where his allegiances lie when it comes to football.
No matter what town Gargano is in, he and several other Cleveland natives on the WWE’s roster, will watch the Browns play every Sunday, and after two years of struggles, he really liked what the team showed on the field last fall.
“It’s great,” Gargano told WKYC.com in an exclusive interview ahead of last Saturday’s NXT Cleveland Tour stop. “It’s awesome. It’s so nice. The past couple weekends, I was actually in Orlando with Vic Joseph, who is a fellow Clevelander, and we would watch the games together every Sunday.”
At 2-5-1 following a 33-18 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers at Heinz Field on October 28 and in the middle of an unprecedented midseason coaching staff upheaval following the dismissals of Hue Jackson and offensive coordinator Todd Haley with eight games left to play, the 2018 Browns looked to be anything but a team capable of the greatest year-to-year turnaround in franchise history.
But a 5-3 record over the second half of the season and a three-game winning streak in December secured the Browns’ greatest turnaround in team history, as they finished plus-7.5 in wins over the winless campaign of 2017.
Despite being busy touring with NXT, Gargano made time to return to Cleveland’s FirstEnergy Stadium for the final home game of the 2018 season, a 26-18 win over the Cincinnati Bengals
“Just to feel the electricity in the crowd is unlike anything I’ve ever felt before at Cleveland Browns Stadium in my entire fandom, my entire life, basically,” Gargano said. “Good times are coming, and it’s good to see Cleveland on the upswing because we’ve been fighting for a long time and we deserve it.”
Gargano recently made his debuts on Monday Night Raw and Smackdown Live, and did so wearing wrestling trunks featuring the Cleveland skyline. A month prior to his Raw and Smackdown debuts, Gargano appeared in the Royal Rumble Match for the first time in his career.
Ironically enough, Gargano entered at No. 6, which is the jersey number of Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield.
“To be No. 6 in the Royal Rumble holds a special place, I guess, in the hearts of Cleveland fans, I didn’t think about this at the time, but I was wearing a Baker Mayfield shirt like all day,” Gargano said. “I didn’t realize until after the fact, ‘Oh, I’m No. 6 in the Royal Rumble,’ and I’m wearing a Where I’m from Baker Mayfield shirt that says ‘Undraftable’ on it.
“I’ve got a similar mindset. We’re just guys who’ve been scratching and clawing and proving people wrong their whole lives. Everything is just such a blessing, man. I’m really honored to be able to do this.”
To further show support for his hometown and its beloved football team, Gargano announced ahead of the Cleveland Tour stop at the legendary Agora Theater the release of his new t-shirt, which features the Browns’ colors.
The theme was so popular that Gargano himself could not get one for a friend and offered to trade autographs for a extra-large shirt.
And should the opportunity to return to Cleveland for a Browns game next season, Gargano would love to be the featured guest who leads the “Here we go, Brownies” chant.
Until then, however, Gargano is concerning himself with putting on compelling matches, which helped him earn the nickname, “Johnny TakeOver.”
“I’m going to take everything in,” Gargano said. “Every little moment.”
