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Three-time NXT North American Champion Johnny Gargano broke the curse just a few nights ago when he defeated Leon Ruff to retain his title. 2020 proved to be another mixed year for Johnny Wrestling. He started the year by teaming up with Tommaso Ciampa to compete against Moustache Mountain, and then ended up competing against his partner soon after.
Gargano won the NXT North American Championship from Damian Priest at NXT Halloween Havoc but lost it to new-comer Leon Ruff soon after. He won the title once again from Ruff and ended 2020 as the NXT North American Champion.
With 2021 coming up, there will be several Superstars waiting to get their hands on The Rebel Heart to take the title away from him. Several NXT Superstars managed to prove themselves in late 2020, and they will be looking to be the first ones to get their chance against Gargano.
Timothy Thatcher, Tommaso Ciampa, and Pete Dunne are some of the big names who'll be getting Championship opportunities sooner rather than later. Keeping that in mind, we will look at the 5 most deserving Superstars who could challenge Gargano for his title in 2021.
#5 KUSHIDA deserves a WWE NXT North American Championship run in 2021
How KUSHIDA hasn’t already won a title in WWE NXT is still beyond many fans, who see him as a world-class performer. KUSHIDA has competed for several major titles in NXT, including the NXT North American Championship and the NXT Cruiserweight Championship.
However, he has failed to win any title in WWE up to now, and he’ll look to turn things around in 2021. KUSHIDA partnered up with Leon Ruff on NXT not too long ago, and fans saw some tension between Johnny Gargano and the Japanese Superstar.
NXT is famous for structuring some iconic matches, and these two men are more than capable of putting up some stellar ones. The NXT North American Championship is one of the most prestigious titles in WWE, and having these two men compete for it will be incredible.
KUSHIDA needs some major opportunities to get ahead in NXT, and he is seen as one of the bigger babyfaces on the brand. The WWE Universe can expect him to be one of the initial challengers to The Rebel Heart’s title if WWE is looking to build the value of the title further.
#4 Kyle O’Reilly could turn his attention to Johnny Gargano on WWE NXT
Kyle O’Reilly had a phenomenal 2020 where he became the NXT Tag Team Champion once again with Bobby Fish, and then got his chance to go solo. While O’Reilly is still part of The Undisputed ERA in WWE NXT, he has finally gotten some singles opportunities unlike before.
After giving Finn Balor a tough time for the NXT Championship at NXT TakeOver: 31, O’Reilly will once again face The Prince at New Year’s Evil. While his chances of winning the NXT title are pretty high, he could turn his attention to another title if he fails at New Year’s Evil.
While Johnny Gargano is playing a heel character, O’Reilly is being seen as a babyface with the rest of The Undisputed ERA. Adam Cole and Roderick Strong are set to enter the Dusty Rhodes Classic Tournament as a team for the first time in NXT. This will allow O’Reilly to be free enough to target the NXT North American Championship in 2021 if he fails to win the NXT title.
O’Reilly is an outstanding competitor in the ring, and WWE could end up awarding him a singles title for the first time in the company.
#3 Bronson Reed deserves a few shots at Johnny Gargano on WWE NXT
Bronson Reed had a phenomenal 2020 where he took down some major Superstars in WWE NXT. While The colossal Superstar lost to big names like Karrion Kross and Timothy Thatcher, he managed to take out most of the Superstars he competed against after June 2020.
After a short break, AusZilla returned to the NXT ring in late December, and he will be looking to leave a lasting impact on the brand in 2021. Reed was already on his way to becoming a future contender for a top title in 2020, and WWE could finally give him the push this year.
While Johnny Gargano has already defended his title against the smaller Leon Ruff, it’ll be great to watch him try his best to defend the NXT North American Championship against someone much bigger than him.
The Rebel Heart will be looking to prove himself with the title in his new run, and Reed could turn out to be a great challenger for Johnny Wrestling. On the other hand, Reed could benefit a lot from having a long rivalry with someone like Gargano.
#2 Dexter Lumis could come after Johnny Gargano on WWE NXT
Just like Bronson Reed, Dexter Lumis too had a phenomenal 2020 where he overcame many top NXT Superstars. While fans will mainly remember his long rivalry against Cameron Grimes, the WWE NXT Superstar also had some good matches against Adam Cole and Roderick Strong.
Grimes has already proven himself to be a good entertainer, and he could have won the NXT North American Championship in the Ladder Match had he not suffered an injury. Keeping in mind how much he has evolved in the ring over the months, he could be a good challenger for the NXT North American Champion Johnny Gargano.
While Lumis was essentially unproven in WWE NXT when he first started, his match against Grimes at NXT TakeOver: WarGames 2020 really showed off his skills as a wrestler. Lumis’ overall gimmick could work perfectly with a comic heel like Gargano, who could rely on his faction, The Way, to earn some victories.
Gargano is one of the finest in-ring performers in WWE today, and a rivalry against him will help Lumis gain a lot more experience that could make him a top future Champion.
#1 Austin Theory could turn on Johnny Gargano on WWE NXT
Austin Theory had a rollercoaster 2020. The young WWE NXT Superstar made his on-screen debut and challenged Roderick Strong for the NXT North American Championship in December 2019. Since then, Austin has competed against some of the top Superstars of NXT and has even had a short stint on RAW.
The creatives seem to be really invested in the youngster who has already worked alongside Andrade, Zelina Vega, and Seth Rollins in one year. He is currently under Johnny Gargano’s wing, and this could prove to be the turning point in Theory’s career.
Fans could watch Gargano compete against some challengers early in 2021 before Theory turns on him and comes after his NXT North American Championship. SK Wrestling’s Rick Ucchino caught up with Gargano in 2020 and spoke to him about his partnership with Theory. Gargano claimed that he was looking to give Theory the push that he deserves as he is the complete package.
Keeping in mind how betrayals in WWE have helped the careers of many top Superstars, Theory could head down the same path to earn himself a major title in 2021.
