Johnny Gargano: I Want To Give People A Rest From Me

Johnny Gargano has indicated he has no plans to immediately return to wrestling following his departure from WWE.

As previously noted, Gargano left WWE following the expiration of his contract last week. The former NXT Champion is expecting his first child in February with wife Candice LeRae and says he wants to enjoy the time they have together before their baby arrives, before considering getting back in the ring.

Having wrestled consistently and without a break in the last six years as well, Gargano feels now is the right time for fans to have a rest from him.

Speaking on his first-ever Twitch stream, he said: "A lot of people don't realise, obviously the baby is due in February. Candice (LeRae) and I are really just trying to enjoy the next couple of months we have together. You don't think about this stuff, but this is really going to be the last time it's going to be me and Candice, and Pawdme. I really want to enjoy as much time as I have with Candice and Pawdme before the little rascal arrives and it becomes a whole new world for me.

"I've been very lucky in my career, I've been doing this for 15 or 16 years, I've been very lucky injury-wise. I've had a bad lower back and hip problems, but other than that, I haven't had any surgeries or major injuries. I'm beat up, obviously, but that's from doing this since I was eight. My run in NXT was six years and I never missed any time. I was on television straight from the (WWE) Network, USA Network, six years and I never missed time.

"You look at guys who get injured, they are gone for a year, they are back and they are fresh. Part of me feels like people just need a break from me. That might be weird to say now, but people have seen me non-stop for six years and I want to give people a rest from Johnny Gargano for a little bit. That could be me being weirdly self-conscious about myself."

Despite taking a leave of absence, Gargano says fans can get his attention for him to show up at different promotion's by loudly chanting 'Johnny Wrestling'.

He added: "The 'Johnny Wrestling' chants, they mean the world to me. If you chant Johnny Wrestling' somewhere, loud enough, you never know what could happen. I could show up anywhere at this point, I'm free to do whatever I want.

"If someone wants to see me bad enough, those Johnny Wrestling chants come in, I'll hear them. I watch everything. It's just like Candyman. If you chant Johnny Wrestling 100 times, I will show up."

H/T Fightful