Speaking through his official Facebook page, EVOLVE Wrestling and current part-time WWE NXT wrestler Johnny Gargano teased that he could walk away from EVOLVE Wrestling if he loses an I Quit Match against Ethan Page at EVOLVE 49, leading to a lot of speculation that he could be joining WWE NXT on a full-time contract.
“It’s amazing to me that we’re quickly approaching EVOLVE 50. I distinctly remember hopping in a van with Tony Kozina, Kyle O’Reilly, and Aeroform 5 years ago.. and making the trek to Rahway, New Jersey for EVOLVE 1. It was a fresh concept filled with guys looking to make a name for themselves. Many have gone on, and done just that. I’m proud to say I’ve been there from the beginning.. as EVOLVE/DGUSA/WWN grew.. so did I. I can confidently say that I wouldn’t be where I’m at today if it weren’t for that growth, and those opportunities. You think of WWN.. you think of Johnny Gargano, and I’m extremely proud of that. I’m proud of every single one of those guys in that locker room..Well. Maybe.. not all of them.
That brings me to Ethan Page. I give you credit, man. You’ve done everything you’ve said you’re going to do. I’ll admit. You’ve gotten under my skin.. you can say whatever you want about me, but after you desecrated the DGUSA Title that I gave my LIFE to, after you turned one of my best friends Rich Swann against me.. there’s only one thing that has to happen..Let me ask you a question. How badly do you want my spot? What are you willing to do for it? Are you willing to put your body through indescribable pain, and agony? You know.. stuff like this..https://instagram.com/p/pPdXs0Kp1s/ or how about this?.. https://instagram.com/p/pNWhilKp5-/. I know what I’ve had to do to get to where I am today. I’m reminded every single morning when I struggle to get out of bed.. or when I see the scars on my body. I’ve put myself through hell. And one match that I’ve had in particular sticks out in my mind..
So here’s my proposal.. Johnny Gargano vs. Ethan Page. October 17th. EVOLVE 49 live on iPPV at WWNLive.com in an I Quit Match! You can torture me physically, you can torture me mentally but that won’t matter because I’ve never quit on anything a day in my life. After everything you’ve put me through, I know you’ll want a little added incentive to make this happen.. so how about this? It’s my mission to make you utter those 2 little words.. “I Quit..” and if I can’t do that..then I’ll walk away from WWN, my home, the company that I helped build for the last 5 years of my life.. forever.. because quite frankly, if I can’t beat you, Ethan.. I don’t deserve to be here anymore.”