5 potential dream matches for Johnny Gargano in AEW - Former WWE Champions, Member of The Elite 

Johnny Gargano is a prime example of what it means when someone is described as a franchise player in wrestling. Much like Sting for WCW, The Undertaker for WWE, and Hiroshi Tanahashi for NJPW, Johnny Wrestling represented the life and soul of NXT throughout its black and gold era.

There wasn't a corner of NXT untouched by the rebel heart as he accumulated reigns with the NXT, North American, and Tag Team Championships. Marquee matches with the likes of Andrade, Aleister Black, Adam Cole, and nemesis Tommaso Ciampa earned him the moniker of Johnny TakeOver as a signal of his in-ring excellence.

But as has always been the case in wrestling, nothing is absolute. WWE decided to reboot their NXT brand earlier this year, returning to the developmental territory it once was to build future stars like Bron Breakker, Carmelo Hayes, and Von Wagner.

The focus of NXT 2.0 has been to emphasize homegrown stars befitting WWE's perception of a main eventer, and as a consequence, we have seen a seismic shift in the roster to fit the new direction.

The change in era has seemingly brought about the end of Johnny Gargano's stay with the brand and potentially the company itself, with his contract set to expire soon and everything pointing towards his departure.

The idea of free agency for such a silky and compelling talent provokes the mind with the promise that a booming independent scene brings. AEW has emerged as the top alternative product to WWE and, as such, represents a landing pad for the kind of talent that can slip through the net of the industry giant.

Should Johnny Gargano decide to become All Elite, former foes like Adam Cole and Andrade await, but who else on the AEW roster could cement the former Johnny TakeOver as Johnny Elite?

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#5 Johnny Gargano vs. Chris Jericho

A legend of the business, Chris Jericho was a major contributory factor to the almost instant success of AEW when he signed in 2019. The inaugural AEW World Champion had already established a first-ballot Hall of Fame career with WWE, littered with championships and records.

A back catalog of classics and wrestling who's who list of opponents is evidence of the pedigree of Y2J, having collected dream opponents like trading cards in a career spanning three decades.

But he has never faced Johnny Gargano. Granted, in an ideal world, we would have seen a prime Jericho take on the three-time North American Champion. That's not to say the AEW star can't produce a good match; the personification of natural talent in the ring, and his firm understanding of the fundamentals of wrestling combined with the immense talent contained in Johnny Gargano, would make for a good match even on a bad day.

As a legitimate legend of the business and a staple of AEW programming, Chris Jericho would be a prime introductory opponent for Johnny Gargano in Tony Khan's promotion. He is someone who can cement and elevate Gargano even before the bell has rung.

#4 Johnny Gargano vs. Jon Moxley

Johnny Gargano proved more than anything during his feud with Tommaso Ciampa that when the time calls for it, he will do anything in his power to leave with his hand raised. Their entire war was devoid of traditional wrestling rules as they engaged in Unsanctioned, Last Man Standing, and Empty Arena extreme match types.

The classic narrative of good vs. evil has long been used as the core plot device in professional wrestling. Without his mortal enemy in Ciampa, maybe Johnny Gargano in NXT wouldn't have become such a phenomenon.

While their careers have both steered in different directions and they were never bound by the hip, this will be the first time in a long time that Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa are divided by promotion. So why not give the rebel heart an entirely new sadist to stand opposite?

As mentioned before, Gargano has shown that he is more than capable of swimming the extreme waters of wrestling. But with Jon Moxley, he would be swimming with an apex predator hot on his heels. Moxley is the epitome of extreme in AEW, as proven in 2019 when he clashed with Kenny Omega at Full Gear 2019.

Moxley is due a heel run when he returns to AEW, and Johnny Gargano is at home when playing the ultimate underdog; pitting them would only further develop their characters. Every good hero needs an equally good villain in order to strike the perfect counterbalance.

Jon Moxley can play the role of AEW's Michael Myers, relentless and unquenchable in his thirst for violence, and Johnny Gargano can represent Laurie Strode — the undying final survivor determined to survive and outlast the slasher villain no matter the cost.

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#3 Johnny Gargano vs. Kenny Omega

If Johnny Gargano vs. Kenny Omega doesn't manifest before the end of their careers, then it has to be considered an act of treason. They share an ease and silkiness in the ring, a devoted passion for the craft, and a knack for crafting gripping stories with their opponents.

Omega has earned the moniker of the Best Bout Machine thanks to his performances against the likes of Chris Jericho, Kazuchika Okada, and Bryan Danielson, collecting dream matches like trading cards. Similarly, Johnny Gargano established himself as an essential component for NXT television and their TakeOver events, earning the Johnny TakeOver name as a consequence.

They are both work-rate personified, seemingly incapable of delivering a bad match, and capable of working with a wide variety of opponents to great success. Having Gargano and The Cleaner share the ring would not only present fans with a long-awaited dream match but serve to further the growing sentiment that AEW is the home of professional wrestling.

#2 Johnny Gargano vs. Bryan Danielson

So much has changed since Johnny Gargano and Bryan Danielson shared a ring. They have so far engaged in two battles, with Gargano emerging the victor in their maiden collision in 2009 while wrestling for AIW. Their second clash ended in a time-limit draw the following year when Gargano defended his AIW Absolute Championship against The American Dragon.

They have since undergone immense growth and have dominated their respective fields of competition. Akin to the situation Johnny Gargano finds himself in right now, Bryan Danielson switched to AEW earlier this year after his contract with WWE expired.

His first match with the promotion was against at-the-time AEW Champion Kenny Omega, which served well to establish Bryan's intentions for his run. And since being held to a time limit draw, he has won wars against the likes of Minoru Suzuki and Miro, with the latter earning him another shot at the championship, now held by Hangman Page.

Stood opposite Page, Bryan is now the company's main event heel and has shown a vindictive edge in his recent contests as the chip on his shoulder grows.

Part of what cemented the importance of Bryan's debut was his immediate positioning against Kenny Omega, a top heel in the company. Why not replicate the formula with Johnny Gargano?

Whether Bryan takes the world title from Page at Winter is Coming or not, we could see Johnny Wrestling lay down the challenge for a trilogy fight over a decade in the making.

Their last collision ended in a stalemate, so let's have Johnny Gargano vs. Bryan Danielson in AEW to settle the saga.

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#1 Johnny Gargano vs. CM Punk

Make no mistake. Johnny Gargano would be a marquee signing for AEW. However, every import pales compared to the fairytale return of CM Punk to pro wrestling with AEW, bringing an end to his seven-year absence.

Johnny Gargano vs. CM Punk is a legitimate dream match, once thought to be unfathomable considering the way in which Punk departed the sport and Gargano's status with WWE. 2021 has proved to be a year like no other in the industry, and if Johnny Wrestling rears his head in AEW before the new year dawns, why not finish with a bang?

Punk has made it his mission to prove that he can still go, facing exciting young prospects like Darby Allin and Daniel Garcia and seasoned veterans like Bobby Fish.

Gargano would be a real test for Punk, but maybe that's what they both need. They can elevate each other by sharing a ring, reinforcing Johnny Gargano as a main event commodity, and putting rumblings of ring-rust to rest for CM Punk.

Whichever the case, their match has wandered out of dream territory and into the possible. It would be a real shame not to see it realized one day, if not soon.