Johnny Gargano: Jerry Lynn Is Priceless

As the DGUSA Open The Freedom Gate Champion, Johnny Gargano has been turning heads worldwide, putting in dynamic performances against the likes of Ricochet, Masato Yoshino and Sami Callihan. An 8-year pro, Gargano has been linked with WWE and TNA, wrestling tryouts for both promotions several times.

Speaking during a recent Training Ground interview – where stars share knowledge and give tips to aspiring pros – in the pages of FSM, Gargano shed light on becoming a wrestler and the best advice he's ever received.

“I started (wrestling training) when I was eight years old. My dad has a catering company with a big parking lot, and an independent promotion wanted to run a show on it. He rented it to them because he knew how big a wrestling fan I was. The guys let me get in the ring before the show, actually showing me a little bit of how to wrestle. Of course, that's horribly unprofessional! The promoter liked me, so when I got a little older, I started training”, Gargano told FSM.

“Your career is like a jar of marbles, and every bump you take leads to one of those marbles coming out of the jar, so you have to be picky about what you do in the ring. Jerry Lynn gave me that advice, which I admit I haven't strictly followed – not as much as I wish I had, anyway. If wrestling had more guys like Jerry, the business would be so much better off.

Really, what I'm trying to say is that it's important to be safe with everything you do inside the ring. You only have so many marbles, so it's important to have as many as possible left in the jar for your retirement”.

Read the full piece in Issue 88 of FSM, on sale now from WH Smiths in the UK and Easons in Ireland. Follow Johnny Gargano on Twitter @JohnnyGargano. Please also use the hashtag #FSM.