Johnny Gargano Defeats Grayson Waller at NXT Stand & Deliver 2023

Sixteen months after getting brutally attacked on his way out of NXT, Johnny Gargano got revenge against Grayson Waller on Saturday by beating him in an unsanctioned match at NXT Stand & Deliver.

Waller tapped out in the Gargano Escape, bringing an end to a physical bout.

After spending over six years in NXT, Gargano stepped away in December 2021 when his WWE contract expired.

Johnny Wrestling cut a heartfelt promo on NXT TV in which he thanked the fans, discussed the birth of his first child and announced his intention to bet on himself by taking some time off before deciding on his next move.

Waller crashed the party by attacking Gargano from behind with a steel chair. He decimated the fan favorite in his last night on the brand, and it was assumed the 35-year-old would never be seen again in NXT.

That segment served as a launching pad for Waller, who went on to become one of the brand's top heels and biggest stars, eventually challenging Bron Breakker for the NXT Championship.

The Australian failed to win the title, but there was controversy in his first match against Breakker, as the rope broke while Waller was seemingly en route to victory, resulting in a count-out.

Breakker definitively beat Waller in a steel cage match, but the challenger blamed WWE Hall of Famer and NXT head Shawn Michaels for his shortcomings, leading to a rivalry between them.

On a special edition of The Grayson Waller Effect on March 7, Waller called out The Heartbreak Kid and challenged him to a match at Stand & Deliver. Michaels turned it down, noting that he knew someone that wanted to get their hands on Waller even more than him.

Gargano emerged for his first NXT appearance in over a year, unloading on Waller with multiple punches before the shellshocked villain managed to escape from the ring.

Nearly nine months after leaving the Black and Gold, Gargano resurfaced in WWE in August, but he had remained on the main roster as part of Raw until he confronted Waller.

Things came full circle for Gargano and Waller at Stand & Deliver on Saturday, and Johnny Wrestling perhaps closed the book on his NXT story for good with a win over his rival.

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