It was as Johnny was heading towards the locker room and crossed paths with the hunter he was set to fight against, that Cuerno paused beside him and whispered so only Johnny could hear (not that anyone else was around) "Don't let your head get too big, you are only a stepping stone on the way to my main prize: Puma. I will destroy him and claim the title to prove I am the predator that should be feared by all. He won't be able to walk by the time I'm through with him, much less land on all fours." then continued on his way as if he hadn't just declared he was on a warpath.
Johnny's eyes widened as ice flowed through his veins at the words, feeling like a bucket of freezing water had suddenly been dumped over him. Johnny had suspected something like this might be the case, but actually thinking of his friend being the target of such a maniac then made his blood boil, arms shaking in suppressed rage.
By the time Johnny stops hearing blood roar through his ears at a deafening volume and he whips around Cuerno is already gone.
He slams his fist against the wall in frustration and heads to the gym instead of his original destination so he can vent.
He wants to go straight to the heavy bag, but the second he enters the room his plan is derailed by a cat-like creature lying on the floor, sleeping.
Puma must've been working off some frustration of his own if the state the heavy bag is currently in is anything to go by; it's practically hanging on by a thread. And are those... claw marks? He decides it's probably best not to think about it.
Then Johnny steps closer to the recumbent wrestler and squats down at his side, the anger having left him the instant he saw his friend. From this close up he can really see the details of Puma's face (well, the little the mask doesn't cover anyway), and realizes just how young the man looks. He's practically a whole decade younger than Johnny and already has a title to his name. Then he looks further down and can also see some forming bruises from his match with Cage earlier.
Deciding that the floor isn't a good place to sleep, he carefully scoops up the one he has come to care so much about and sets him on a slightly padded bench, figuring that'll be fine; he's seen him sleep in weirder places anyway. Like on top of Johnny's car. Don't ask.
Puma seems to stir and move around at the repositioning, grabbing Johnny's arm before he can retract it all the way, hugging it to his chest like a toy mouse he finally caught and doesn't want to let go, but untimely stays asleep. Johnny gives a small smile at that and vows to protect the younger man by winning his next match no matter what.
As he continues to gaze at the sleeping lump he can't help but once again notice the bruises his friend has sustained fighting Cage, wishing he could stop the 2nd title match between those two, but knowing there isn't much he can do about it, and not actually worrying about it too much because as bad as Cage is, what Cuerno is planning might be worse.
Just imagining his friend being tied down and choked (or worse) strengthened his resolve to do anything in his power to stop Cuerno from achieving his goal.
He cannot afford to lose to that psycho, for Puma's sake.
He'll be going for blood in his match against the hunter, because just winning isn't enough to protect his friend. He's planning on crushing Cuerno. Of that you can be certain.