We’ve missed you, “Johnny Takeover.”

Ever since his long-time friend and wrestling soulmate Tommaso Ciampa stepped away from WWE, Johnny Gargano has been in a sort of slump…which is putting it lightly. Gargano has become a shell of his former self. He hasn’t been wrestling and seems to not be doing much, really. However, when Candice LeRae (because behind every man, successul or not, is a hardworking woman) pushed him to fight for the chance to contend for, then claim, Myles Borne’s “NXT” North American Championship, flashes of the old Gargano began to come to life. When Gargano walked out onto the steel entrance ramp of Stand and Deliver, “Johnny Takeover” had come to do just that: take over.

While Gargano ultimately came up short in his fight against Borne, both men did exceptionally well. Gargano, a man who is known for his time in “NXT’s” Black and Gold era, played the hits for a nostalgic “NXT” crowd, and Borne, one of “NXT’s” quickest-rising stars, managed to hold his own in the ring, right next to one of the greats. With Borne’s recent improvement and Gargano’s uniquely-“NXT” style of wrestling, there was no way this match was ever going to be bad.

Gargano played the hits. We saw “Johnny Takeover” come to life, if only for a few moments, in the big ’26. We saw his signature Superkicks, we saw One Final Beat, we saw several attempts at the Gargano Escape. They were all masterfully placed so that it didn’t feel gratuitous, or like he was doing too much. Gargano paid respect to, frankly, the highlight of his WWE career, and showed us all who “Johnny Takeover” is. You could argue that Gargano became a shell of his former self long before Ciampa left. For him to reignite that fire in him for the “NXT” crowd was a blessing to watch.

Borne was able to hold up extremely well with Gargano, and that, in and of itself, is a feat. Borne has improved significantly since his No Quarter Catch Crew days, and while I know that WWE is probably just high on him because of the “baby Randy” comparisons, I do think he has a lot of potential to stand out in the overall wrestling world as his own star. Borne is doing great work, and I think that if he is sharpened by iron, like he was against Gargano Saturday, then he can absolutely help carry the company as it moves towards its future.

“Johnny Takeover” returned tonight, but Myles Borne was right there with him. This was easily the best match of the night. No question.

Written by Angeline Phu