John Cena pays tribute to potentially outgoing WWE star

John Cena has taken to Instagram to pay tribute to Johnny Gargano, whose WWE contract is expiring this week. It is not known whether he will re-sign with the company or not.

Cena is known for posting pictures on his Instagram account without any captions, leaving them open for his followers' interpretation. Here is his latest one -- a nod to Gargano, who is wearing his gear from NXT WarGames:

Johnny Gargano bid a tearful goodbye to NXT this Tuesday, as he closed the show with an emotional and heartfelt promo. The in-ring master did not make a concrete announcement on his future aside from the fact that he will become a father in February 2022.

Grayson Waller brutally assaulted Gargano before he could finish his promo, making him the biggest villain in NXT. The farewell continued after the show went off the air. Kyle O'Reilly, whose WWE contract is also expiring, and Tommaso Ciampa joined him. This pretty much confirms his departure from the brand.

If he stays with WWE, Johnny Gargano will most likely move to RAW or SmackDown. He leaves behind an incredible legacy in NXT, with a stack of excellent matches. His in-ring work has been among the greatest in the entire company over the past few years.

---

John Cena and Johnny Gargano wrestled on the same WWE card in December 2018

Some may call Johnny Gargano the new 'Big Match John' after John Cena, who earned the nickname through his incredible performances in big WWE matches. The two wrestled on the same live event in 2018, at Madison Square Garden.

Gargano was a heel at the time, teaming with Ciampa and The Undisputed Era against a babyface team including Ricochet, Aleister Black, and Matt Riddle. Meanwhile, Cena defeated Baron Corbin in the show's opener.

Will Johnny Gargano and John Cena ever face each other in a WWE ring? It would only be possible if the former NXT Champion re-signs with the company.