Gargano fallout: NXT referee Drake Wuertz apologizes, Tommaso Ciampa gloats

Johnny Gargano’s NXT career is over, and the NXT Universe is left despondent over the loss one of its most beloved Superstars. Yet, perhaps no one is more rattled by Johnny Wrestling’s untimely departure from NXT than the man who administered the three-count that made it official, NXT referee Drake Wuertz.
During Gargano’s all-or-nothing NXT Title match against champion Andrade “Cien” Almas Wednesday night, it was Wuertz’s ring positioning that, as Mauro Ranallo termed it, put Wuertz in a “perilous spot” and allowed him to be laid out by an errant elbow from Almas. After suffering the strike, Wuertz didn’t see Tommaso Ciampa using his crutch to drill Gargano — a salvo that helped closed the door on Gargano’s NXT career.
A visibly distraught Wuertz owned up to his mistake and apologized to Gargano in a WWE.com exclusive video. He reiterated his regret on Twitter:
While Wuertz appears wracked by guilt, The Sicilian Psychopath sees cause for celebration. Ciampa let the schadenfreude fly on Twitter, cluing in the world on his earworm of the day:
Less than 24 hours removed from Gargano’s loss, this much is evident: NXT will never be the same.
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