Willy Sanjuan/Associated Press

Gargano Wants Tag Match vs. HHH, HBK; Orton on WWE Promos; Cardona's AEW Contract

Mike Chiari

Bleacher Report catches you up on the latest news from the WWE Universe.

     

Gargano Talks Possible Tag Match vs. Triple H and HBK

Johnny Gargano is known as the heart and soul of NXT, and his dream match would involve two people who are heavily involved with the black and yellow brand behind the scenes.

In an interview with Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated, Johnny Wrestling said he and former tag team partner Tommaso Ciampa lobbied for a match against Triple H and Shawn Michaels in the past and would still love to do it if possible: "Me and Tommaso have pushed in the past to wrestle Shawn and Hunter, and that is something that could potentially happen or maybe something we're just dreaming."

Triple H is the founder of NXT and is chiefly responsible for the booking and overall success of the brand, while Michaels is a trainer who works closely with the NXT Superstars and helps put the finishing touches on them before they get called up or reach the next level.

Michaels and Triple H were founding members of D-Generation X and enjoyed a ton of success together as a tag team during their careers, as have Gargano and Ciampa as DIY in NXT.

Gargano and Ciampa have had an on-and-off partnership in NXT and they are currently off, as Gargano is a heel and Ciampa is a babyface. They also had the blow-off to their rivalry on NXT in April, which Gargano won with help from Candice LeRae.

Wrestling is cyclical, however, and there will likely come a time when Gargano and Ciampa are on-screen friends again, so a match against Triple H and HBK may still be possible.

Triple H only wrestles on special occasions now, while Michaels has had only one match since retiring in 2010. A match against two of his best students could be something that appeals to him, though.

With NXT in a ratings battle against All Elite Wrestling on Wednesday nights, getting Triple H and Michaels to have a match would be a massive boon for WWE and would undoubtedly capture the attention of wrestling fans.

     

Orton Talks Evolution as Promo Guy

Randy Orton is enjoying perhaps the best run of his incredible career, and the work he has done on the microphone is a big reason for it.

During an interview with Barrasso, Orton said that he didn't place as much emphasis as he should have on cutting promos earlier in his career:

"I've changed a lot. In '09, I had that good run with Triple H, and earlier in my career as 'The Legend Killer,' I was still feeling it out. My answer to everything was to have a very intense look on my face. Clench my jaw, and put it all in the look. I was never a promo guy. The past year, maybe two, I've looked at promos completely differently.

"A promo earlier in my career was something I had to get through so I could have that chance to kill it in the ring. I wish it didn't take so long for me to figure out, but the promo, that's where we tell the rest of the story. I look forward to continuing to concentrate on my promos. There was a lot there I was missing earlier in my career, and I don't want to miss out on it anymore."

The 40-year-old is one of the best talkers in the business, and that has been especially evident since Royal Rumble in January. Orton raised his mic game to a different level during his rivalry with Edge leading up to WrestleMania, and his promos have continued to be a weekly highlight on Raw.

On this week's episode of Raw, The Viper cut another excellent promo in which he called out Drew McIntyre and challenged him to a WWE Championship match at SummerSlam.

Orton closed Raw by hitting McIntyre with an RKO out of nowhere, meaning their feud is off and running, which should lead to some highly entertaining segments on Raw and a great match at SummerSlam on August 23.

McIntyre is a top guy in every sense of the term and deserves to remain in that conversation, but given how good Orton has been as of late, it is easy to envision him beating McIntyre and becoming a 14-time world champion at SummerSlam.

      

Details on Cardona's AEW Contract

Matt Cardona, who previously wrestled as Zack Ryder in WWE, made his AEW debut on Wednesday's episode of Dynamite by saving Cody from an attack at the hands of Dark Order.

According to Raj Giri of WrestlingInc, Cardona signed a short-term contract with AEW that includes only five appearances. That means Cardona may not be with the company for the long haul.

It is possible the contract could be amended and become something more permanent, but the current plan is apparently for his AEW run to be brief.

Cardona and Cody are scheduled to team up against Alex Reynolds and John Silver of Dark Order on next week's episode of Dynamite. Wrestling 101 suggests that Cardona may turn on Cody to set up a TNT Championship match in the coming weeks.

If that happens and the match is received well, then perhaps Cardona and AEW will come to terms on a new contract.

If not, Cardona likely has no shortage of other options, including Impact Wrestling, which has signed several of the wrestlers released by WWE in April.

Included among them is Brian Myers, Cardona's longtime tag team partner who was formerly known as Curt Hawkins in WWE.

     

Listen to Ring Rust Radio for all of the hot wrestling topics. Catch the latest episode in the player below (warning: some language NSFW).

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