Johnny Gargano sent a heartfelt message to Indi Hartwell following her unexpected release from WWE on Friday. Hartwell’s tenure at WWE came to an end as she was part of releases that also included Baron Corbin and Tegan Nox.
During her time in WWE, Indi traveled with Candice LeRae and Johnny Gargano, and his tag team partner Tommaso Ciampa. Gargano runs a channel on YouTube and captures travel videos. In his latest vlog, Gargano paid tribute to Indi with a montage of their travels and it also included Indi’s popular gym ratings. The vlog ended with the message:
“You’ll always be family. We love you, Indi Wrestling.”
After the news of her release broke, Indi Hartwell had also dropped a post on X. Her final WWE match, which was taped earlier, aired Friday night on SmackDown. She and Candice LeRae battled the team of Bayley and Naomi.
Hartwell had joined WWE back in 2019 and was part of the faction, The Way which was led by Johnny Gargano. During her time with the faction, she and Candice LeRae captured the NXT Women’s Tag Titles in 2021 and held the gold for 63 days.
At NXT Stand & Deliver in April last year, Hartwell also captured the NXT Women’s title, but she was forced to vacate the title due to an injury. She was then drafted to WWE Raw. Hartwell is set to become a free agent after the 90-day non-compete clause with WWE expires.
Meanwhile, last month, Motor City Machine Guns defeated #DIY (Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa) to become the No.1 Contenders to the WWE Tag Team titles on WWE SmackDown. They eventually captured the titles by defeating The Bloodline in an impromptu match on the show.
The Motor City Machine Guns have officially arrived in WWE, debuting during the October 18, edition of WWE SmackDown after weeks of vignettes. Now, fans can look forward to seeing Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin in action next week in what will be nothing short of a dream match for fans of tag-team wrestling!
On this week’s SmackDown, MCMG won their debut match against A-Town Down Under and Los Garza, advancing in a tournament to determine the number one contenders for the WWE Tag Team Championships. The show also saw DIY (Johnny Gargano and Tomasso Ciampa) advance in the tournament with a win over Pretty Deadly and the Street Profits. DIY and the Motor City Machine Guns will face off next week with the winners earning a shot against The Bloodline.
DIY and MCMG are two talented teams who both established loyal fanbases on the independents before arriving in WWE. Now, fans will get to see these four talented wrestlers do what they do best with a shot at the WWE Tag Team Titles on the line.
WWE SmackDown – 10/25/2024
Next week’s SmackDown will be the penultimate episode of the blue brand before WWE Crown Jewel on November 2. Here is the confirmed card as it currently stands.
DIY (Tomasso Ciampa & Johnny Gargano) Vs. Motor City Machine Guns (Chris Sabin & Alex Shelley (WWE Tag Team Championship No. 1 contenders match)
World Heavyweight Champion GUNTHER will come to SmackDown to come face-to-face with Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes ahead of Crown Jewel.
Stay tuned to SEScoops for full coverage of SmackDown including breaking news and live results.
Fans who attended a recent AIW event were surprised to see the WWE Tag Team Champions #DIY made an appearance during the show. At AIW’s Against The World on August 1, the WWE Tag Team Champions surprised fans and earned a loud ovation from those in Cleveland. The show also featured the Motor City Machine Guns (Alex Shelley & Chris Sabin) who are reportedly set to join WWE after finishing with TNA earlier this year.
Johnny Gargano & Ciampa showed up at AIW Wrestling
Gargano started with AIW in 2005 and was a mainstay for the promotion for years before joining WWE in 2016. During his tenure, he won the AIW Absolute Championship once and the Intense Championship twice. It was during his AIW tenure that Gargano would feud with future WWE names including Tyler Black (now Seth Rollins) and AEW’s Bryan Danielson.
#DIY will defend the WWE Tag Team Championships on tonight’s edition of WWE SmackDown against The Bloodline (Tama Tonga and Jacob Fatu.) The Bloodline earned the title opportunity by winning a gauntlet match during last week’s edition of the blue brand and marks the first title shot for both Tonga and Fatu since joining WWE earlier this year. Gargano and Ciampa have held the gold since dethroning A-Town Down Under on the July 5, edition of SmackDown.
Stay tuned to SE Scoops for all the latest on Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa and for results and more for tonight’s edition of WWE SmackDown.
The family of Johnny Gargano is recuperating after a fire destroyed the restaurant owned by the father of the reigning WWE Tag Team Champion. On Twitter, Gargano shared that his 82-year-old father was fortunately not in the restaurant at the time of the fire, but that his workplace for close to half a century is gone. Gargano was also sad to those fans who had planned to dine at the restaurant next month when WWE SummerSlam 2024 comes to Cleveland, Ohio.
I figured I should touch on this because people are finding out, and I know a lot of wrestling fans were looking forward to going to my Dad's restaurant when they were in Cleveland for Summerslam.
Last night, there was a fire, and my Dad's restaurant was badly damaged. I'm… pic.twitter.com/tQnWFATfR6
This awful situation has come during a time of career triumph for Johnny Gargano on WWE TV. On the July 5, edition of WWE SmackDown, DIY captured the WWE Tag Team Championships from A-Town Down Under, ending their reign that began at WrestleMania 40: Saturday at 90 days. DIY retained their titles against A-Town Down Under on the following week’s episode of SmackDown.
R-Truth and Triple H are two happy veterans after Friday night. Tommaso Ciampa and Johnny Gargano defeated Grayson Waller and Austin Theory to become the new WWE Tag Team Champions on SmackDown. and a celebration was in order.
Truth had no sour grapes for DIY after recently losing his own Tag Team Championships to The Judgment Day as once he saw a photo of Triple H standing with the new champs. However, Triple H traded places with Ciampa, holding the title alongside Gargano, leaning into the running bit that R-Truth believes DIY are DX.
Like another famous faction in The Beatles, Ciampa and Gargano have had a long and winding road as both men have been trying to find their footing on the main roster after being top names in NXT. Both men had gotten hampered by major injuries and were also pigeon-holed by creative under the Vince McMahon regime.
Ciampa and Gargano actually competed against Awesome Truth in the tag team ladder match at WrestleMania 40 and leaning into the joke, Ciampa and Gargano had DX-themed gear.
Truth is no stranger to mistaken identity as its the very thing that perpetuated his Tag Title loss to The Judgment Day. He thought Liv Morgan was once his right-hand gal in Carmella and wanted true love to work out for her and Dominik Mysterio, thus giving The Judgment Day the opportunity.
The Superstars of WWE were dressed to kill at WrestleMania 40 with some unique attires at the two-night supershow in Philadelphia, PA.
At WWE WrestleMania 40: Saturday, Becky Lynch opened the show with an attire themed around the cover of her new memoir ‘The Man, Not Your Average, Average Girl.’
After being mistaken for D-Generation X by R-Truth, DIY showed their love for the legendary duo of Triple H & Shawn Michaels.
Given that this show was in Philadelphia, The New Day paid tribute to Rocky Balboa in the six-pack tag-team ladder match. Kofi Kingston wore an attire based on the Italian Stallion, while Xavier Woods’ Apollo Creed-inspired attire also served as a nod to his TNA days as Consequences Creed.
Rey Mysterio wore the colors of the Philadelphia Eagles and included Eagles on his attire. The WWE Hall of Famer teamed with Andrade to defeat Santos Escobar and ‘Dirty’ Dominik Mysterio.
On WrestleMania 40: Sunday, Logan Paul wore the colors of the show. The Maverick walked into the show as United States Champion and his attire bore the stars and stripes of the flag of the United States of America..
Paul successfully defended his title against Randy Orton and Kevin Owens. The Prizefighter once again wore a shirt based that referred to how many WrestleManias he’s competed at, which declared that the show was KO-Mania 8. Given that the show was in Philadelphia, it was fitting that Owens wore ECW-themed trunks for the match.
Owens didn’t just represent ECW with his ring attire. The Prizefighter’s entrance also served as a nod to the extreme promotion that went under in 2001.
Bayley walked into her Women’s Championship match with IYO SKY with an Egyptian-themed attire and entrance. As Corey Graves explained on commentary, Rosicrucian Park in Bayley’s native San Jose hosts an Egyptian museum.
Many fans erupted in excitement when Johnny Gargano returned to WWE last summer. Upon his resurgence, Gargano also received a promotion to the main roster, assigned to the RAW brand.
Since his return, “Johnny Wrestling” has found himself generally floating between opponents, with his only substantial feud stemming from a storyline involving Dexter Lumis and The Miz. In February, Gargano punched his ticket to the Elimination Chamber, securing himself a shot at the United States Championship. Unfortunately, Gargano championship aspirations would be squandered as he was eliminated second from the six-man Chamber match.
Gargano soon bounced back with wins over Otis and Finn Balor, before making a surprise visit to WWE NXT to resolve some unfinished business with Grayson Waller. As Gargano now prepares for his match at NXT Stand & Deliver, he is poised to maintain his appearances on RAW as well.
The Future Of Johnny Wrestling
(via WWE)
During an interview on Busted Open Radio, Johnny Gargano spoke candidly about his time on the main roster so far. While some fans may have hoped for more out of his run, Gargano remains optimistic toward his future on RAW.
“You know how things go, man, you make the most out of the time you’re given. You make the most out of your opportunities. I feel like I had a huge opportunity in the Elimination Chamber match, and I feel like I showed out in that one. I feel like I was able to get there with a guy that I feel is probably the standard bearer on our industry right now. Seth Rollins, I think he is the tippy top of the mountain. He’s where I want to be, and I hung toe to toe with him. I showed the world that I can hang with him. So it’s one of those things where it’s all about time. It’s all about patience,” he said.
“I know a lot of people don’t want to be patient. They want it now. They want me to go out there and have 30-minute matches, 25-minute matches, do my ‘Takeover’ thing. It takes time, it takes equity. It takes getting this other audience that maybe doesn’t know about me — these random casual fans we talk about all the time in these buildings that quite frankly, I haven’t been in before.”
“A lot of these markets I’ve never wrestled in and they’re seeing me for the very first time. This whole past, I’d say six months, I’ve wrestled in so many markets I’ve never been in before because NXT did the main markets, they did the main hardcore wrestling towns and like tonight we’re in Providence, Rhode Island, which is Rhode Island’s a great town. We had a couple indies here as well, but I do feel like it’s just time. It’s equity, as you know. It’s putting your time in making the most out of the time you’re given, and that’s all you can do.”
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article, please credit with an h/t toSEScoops for the transcription.
Johnny Gargano made his return to WWE NXT on Tuesday’s Roadblock special and set up his match at NXT’s next special.
There was a Grayson Waller Effect segment with special guest Shawn Michaels where Michaels was trying to figure out why Waller had targeted him after losing to NXT Champion Bron Breakker in a steel cage match at Vengeance Day a few weeks ago.
The Segment
They traded words where Waller accused Michaels of holding him back and not seeing how he is NXT’s biggest star. Michaels pushed back and proved him wrong. Waller said Michaels was the new “Vince” [McMahon] and how Michaels only had his spot in WWE because his best friend had a health issue, referring to Triple H’s heart issues.
Michaels said Waller is not the guy because he lost to Breakker and he took his shot at being the guy and missed. After Waller said Michaels is sending the brand into an iceberg, it fired up Michaels. He demanded to know what Waller wanted. That was a match at Stand & Deliver.
Michaels said that people have asked him for a decade to come back, but he knows that people will just keep asking every year. Michaels introduced Gargano, leading a brawl with Gargano standing tall.
The event will take place on Saturday, April 1, 2023, at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California
Fans eager to see a new United States Champion crowned at WWE Elimination Chamber 2023 may be in for a disappointing night in Montreal.
WWE Elimination Chamber will be the promotion’s next stop on the road to WrestleMania 39, and the first Montreal PLE since Breaking Point 2009.
The show will be headlined by Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns defending against Sami Zayn.
United States Championship
For the first time in history, the WWE U.S. Title will be decided inside an Elimination Chamber match.
Current and two-time champion Austin Theory will defend against Seth Rollins, Johnny Gargano, Montez Ford, Damian Priest and Bronson Reed.
In the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, it is reported that Theory has filmed content for WWE that is due to air in March and is holding the U.S. Title in the footage, making a title change unlikely.
Meltzer said that while the footage does not rule out a title change entirely, the line-up in the chamber does not suggest a title change will happen. He adds:
“Gargano and Ford are unlikely to win unless the plan is to split up the Street Profits, which has been talked about but unless they have a major plan for Ford there is no reason to do so. Reed is a longshot but they could and probably will try to portray him in a manner to become a bigger star. Priest could win at this stage and would probably be the favorite aside from Theory.”
WrestleMania 39
Theory may be leaving the Elimination Chamber as United States Champion, but there will be no rest for the wicked.
Current plans for WrestleMania will see Theory face John Cena, in a match that was teased throughout 2022.
Meltzer noted in his report that Cena Vs. Theory does not need the United States title, though it was John’s first title he won in 2004.
Johnny Gargano has been in the professional wrestling industry for a long time, and he has competed in some very interesting places.
Speaking during an interview with Beat Of Sports, Gargano revealed that he has actually competed in professional wrestling shows several times that took place inside prisons. Gargano explained that it was, as expected, a “wild” experience.
“I (wrestled in) an actual prison. Before my time in WWE, I was an independent wrestler, so I would wrestle on a bunch of random shows here and there. They had a show booked in a prison. I’ve wrestled multiple times in prisons, which is a wild crowd.
“Wild environment. They ran a wrestling show in the middle of the yard where they had all their activities and stuff like that. ‘Hey, come watch a wrestling show,’ and we wrestled in a prison. It was wild.“
Gargano has been with WWE since 2015 where he was a big part of the company’s developmental NXT brand. Alongside Tommaso Ciampa forming DIY, they became one of the biggest fan-favorites on the program.
After a tremendous run in NXT, which included an NXT Championship win, three NXT North American Titles, and an NXT Tag Team Title run, Gargano made his WWE main roster debut in August.
Gargano’s contract with WWE initially ran out, and after nine months of testing free agency, he eventually re-signed with WWE before debuting on the main roster. Now, Gargano is gearing up to challenge for the United States Title inside the Elimination Chamber later this month.
On tonight’s episode of RAW, Johnny Gargano was supposed to compete in a tag team turmoil match. During the show, it was announced that Gargano is suffering from a grade two AC sprain.
Backstage, Candice LeRae said that Gargano was “really bummed that he couldn’t participate in tag team turmoil, but he’s taking doctor’s advice to get back to 100 percent. So, that’s our goal right now to get him back to 100 percent.”
Johnny Gargano hopes to be back by the Royal Rumble
“Johnny Wrestling” took to Twitter to talk about his injury. He says it happened at a house show in Toronto. That’s the city where Gargano made his WWE return last August. He said that the “medical team is going to protect me from myself for a bit.”
There is no timetable for his return, but Gargano hopes to be back in time to compete in the Royal Rumble.
I injured my shoulder at a live event in Toronto (ironic?), and the medical team is going to protect me from myself for a bit.. but you better believe I'm going to do EVERYTHING I can to get back in that ring so I can be that guy you all know I can be. Just let me in that Rumble!
WWE higher ups are quite pleased about the return of two top free agents.
This past week’s Monday Night Raw saw the return of Candice LeRae, who wrestled her first matchup since July of 2021 after temporarily stepping away from the sport to have a child. She defeated Nikki ASH in quick fashion.
LeRae’s husband, former triple-crown NXT champion Johnny Gargano, had made his return on Raw a few weeks prior, and has regularly appeared on programming since.
WWE were very impressed at how professional Gargano and LeRae acted towards the end of their first tenure with the company, according to a new report by Fightful. It is noted in the report that the duo were considering offers from other companies, with IMPACT being the only promotion they didn’t seem interested in.
LeRae and Gargano were two of NXT’s top acts, where they would eventually form the heel faction The Way. The couple was lauded for helping put over a fresh batch of talent at that time, especially Gargano, who worked heavily with Austin Theory, Indi Hartwell, and Dexter Lumis prior to his exit. Gargano had publicly stated how much he loved working for NXT under Triple H and Shawn Michaels.
It’s believed that Vince McMahon’s retirement and Triple H taking over as the Chief Content creator for WWE it made Gargano and LeRae’s decision much easier.
There was one big reason why Johnny Gargano decided to make his return to WWE after hitting free agency.
Gargano had his contract with WWE expire back in December, and was a free agent for several months after. Much was made about his future, with some speculating Johnny Wrestling could make the jump over to All Elite Wrestling like so many other former WWE stars have.
However, the former NXT Champion ultimately returned to WWE on the August 22 episode of RAW, officially having signed back with the company. Speaking to Ryan Satin on his “Out Of Character” podcast, Gargano he on his decision to return to WWE.
Gargano noted he was perfectly content staying at home with his family during the several months he was off. However, when he heard about the head of creative change, putting Triple H at the helm after having worked with “The Game” for so long in NXT, it was a no-brainer to return to WWE.
Gargano was quite the figure in NXT. During his five years with the brand, Gargano amassed an NXT Title run, three NXT North American Title wins, and an NXT Tag Title run.
Undoubtedly one of NXT’s best creations, it will be interesting to see if Johnny Gargano is able to replicate that success now that he’s on the main roster.
Johnny Gargano stepped back inside the squared circle for the first time in several months on Monday night.
Gargano ended his tenure in WWE NXT in December of last year as he decided not to re-sign with the company. Ahead of the birth of his first child, Quill, Gargano took time off to be with his wife, Candice LeRae.
Gargano made his return to WWE last month. Between the two stints, Gargano didn’t work a single match and got out of shape a bit to let his body recover. On Raw, Gargano beat Chad Gable in a singles match.
Johnny Gargano Opens up on the Body Transformation
In a post on Instagram, Gargano shared photos and discussed his body transformation.
Here is an excerpt from the lengthy post that you can see below:
“When I left wrestling in December I decided I wanted a complete mental and physical break from everything that I correlated with wrestling. Diet and training goes hand in hand with that to me. It’s unfortunately a cosmetic business and a part of the job. I’ve been “dieting and training” (probably horribly wrong my first 10 years) for my entire wrestling career. That’s almost 18 years. I grew incredibly tired of it and didn’t enjoy it. My inner fat kid missed being able to eat whatever I wanted without counting macros or “planning a cheat day” and then feeling guilty and feeling gross half naked on TV. It was a vicious cycle that gave me a horrible relationship with food. The thing I looked forward to the most being off.. was being able to eat and not being judged.
In the same way I wanted to miss wrestling.. I wanted to miss diet and exercise. In hopes that my passion would reignite and when I was ready to come back I could be completely re-energized and attack this thing with everything I got. To be the best version of myself possible. From December to April.. I ate anything I wanted daily! Me and Candice (pregnant for a few of those months) tore up Uber Eats! It was great! I wanted to go full “Dad Bod” and I did! I trained here and there but with no rhyme or reason. As the months went on though.. it turned out like I hoped.. Food wasn’t special anymore. I missed being dialed in.. and having abs.
So in April I decided I wanted to get to work. I didn’t know where or when I was coming back but I wanted to get ready and I knew it would take time given the damage I did. How my career ended up was out of my control but the thing I could control is the work I put in and how I looked when the time came..”
Johnny Gargano wrestled his first match in 9 months on this week’s episode of Monday Night Raw from Moda Center in Portland, Oregon.
The former NXT champion made his triumphant return to WWE during the August 22 episode of the show. He was then announced for a match against Chad Gable this week.
This week’s episode of the Red Branded Show saw Gargano putting on a great wrestling match against the former American Alpha member.
The ending of this bout saw Gable reversing a crossface into an ankle lock. However, Johnny managed to escape. He sent Chad out of the ring and delivered a taupe suicida through the middle rope.
Johnny Gargano then hit a DDT on Chad Gable to pick up his first victory in 9 months since the WarGames match back in December.
Gabel’s tag team partner Otis tried to attack Gargano after the match but he escaped. Though before he could reach the entrance ramp, Theory attacked Gargano from behind using the Money In The Bank briefcase. Theory then took a selfie with him.
The segment with Gargano ended here but Theory stayed in the ring and took some shots at the former NXT star. Kevin Owens then came out to confront the Mr Money In The Banks.
Johnny Gargano was living a peaceful life at home and contemplating the idea of never returning to wrestling at all. This was until he heard a song.
The former NXT champion appeared on After The Bell podcast. Among other things, he discussed his time away from wrestling and how he was enjoying his stint as a stay-at-home dad. When Vic Joseph asked Gargano if he considered just calling it a career at the time, Gargano noted that he was considering the possibility, until he heard the song Running Up That Hill by Kate Bush:
“This is when I knew what I wanted to do. I was watching Stranger Things and the song came on. The first thing that popped into my head was ‘Wait a minute, that’s Shawn vs. The Undertaker song from WrestleMania.’ That’s where my mind went. I was like, ‘I remember that.’ That’s right and I watched a hype video for Shawn and Taker from Mania.”
‘It Just Hit Me’: Johnny Gargano
Johnny Gargano recalled watching the video on his kitchen table. It reminded him of what he originally got into wrestling for:
“I sat there in the kitchen. Candice was right there. She can tell you this. I sat there in the kitchen. I watched this hype video. She’s doing baby stuff. It just hit me watching this video. I was like, ‘This is what I want to do.’ I want this. This is where I want to be and this is what I want to do. This is why I got into this. To have videos like this about me but also to have these WrestleMania stories and matches, and I haven’t had that yet. “
You can watch the promo that inspired Johnny Gargano’s return below:
Johnny Gargano made his return to WWE recently after spending nine months as a free agent.
He and his wife, former NXT Superstar Candice LeRae, welcomed a baby into the family and exited the company. Johnny returned on the August 22nd edition of WWE RAW from Toronto, Canada. He got a tremendous reaction from the crowd and claimed that he wanted to become Intercontinental Champion, United States Champion, and perform at WrestleMania and WWE was the only place to do that.
Money in the Bank winner Theory, now known as Austin Theory, interrupted and got a Superkick to the face.
Johnny Gargano’s Return Match Announced For RAW Next Week
Gargano was interviewed backstage tonight during RAW and was interrupted by Theory once again. Austin attempted to cash in his Money in the Bank contract during the WWE Undisputed Universal Championship at Clash at the Castle between Roman Reigns and Drew McIntyre.
Both WWE Superstars were down and it appeared that he picked the perfect time to cash in. Unfortunately for Theory, he was unable to cash in because he received a massive right hand to the face courtesy of Tyson Fury.
The 25-year-old came up short once again tonight against Kevin Owens and was pissed off when he interrupted Gargano’s interview backstage. Johnny announced that he will be returning to the ring next week to Theory but did not name him as the opponent.
Next week live on Monday Night RAW, Johnny Wrestling after nine months returns to in-ring action.
Johnny Gargano returned to WWE this past Monday on RAW after leaving the promotion nine months ago.
He arrived during the show’s final hour and got a terrific reaction from the crowd in Toronto, Canada. Johnny said he decided to return to WWE because it is the only place he can become Intercontinental Champion, United States Champion, WWE Champion, and perform at WrestleMania.
Money in the Bank winner Theory interrupted and mocked Gargano. Theory suggested that Johnny be his errand boy on the main roster. Johnny opted to deliver a Superkick to Theory’s face instead and left him laying in the ring to end the segment.
The former NXT Champion’s return was kept a secret from talent until just a few minutes before his entrance at the Scotiabank Arena. WWE reportedly felt they had a good chance of re-signing Johnny after Triple H took over as Head of Creative.
Jim Cornette on Johnny’s Return to WWE
On the latest edition of Jim Cornette’s Drive Thru, he discussed Johnny’s return to the promotion. Cornette has never been a fan of Gargano’s, often citing his lack of facial expressions in the ring.
He noted that while there are certain fans that will be excited about Johnny’s return because of his in-ring skill, overall the 35-year-old does not represent a game changer for WWE.
“Obviously, this is the furthest thing from a game changer in any wrestling war that Johnny Gargano… has returned to entertain us with his generic build, his diminutive body, his pale complexion, his undemonstrative face, and his general overall silly demeanor.”
Cornette also believes that Theory should be playing a more important role on the show after winning the Money in the Bank contract at the premium live event on July 2nd.
“Theory needs to be in the mix with top guys in order not only to learn the style of working that the top guys there, but also to be brought up in the people’s eyes, the fans’ eyes. As he’s an upper echelon guy to mix with the top talent. Instead of here’s this guy who just came back after his glorious run in NXT a year and after his wife just had a baby.”
WWE managed to keep a major surprise under wraps for last night’s Monday Night RAW, as Johnny Gargano made his return.
The former NXT star made his shock return during last night’s show, cutting a promo and declaring his intentions to win multiple titles on the WWE main roster. This led to a confrontation with Theory, who Gargano left laid out in the ring after a super kick.
Gargano returning was a big shock to everyone, as there were no indications that he would be returning this week. PWInsider reports that Gargano was hidden from everyone backstage, and wasn’t even mentioned on the run sheet for the show.
WWE Talent Surprised by Gargano’s Return
Most of everyone backstage didn’t even know he was there until he was brought to the gorilla position. Gargano was reportedly flown into Canada on WWE’s corporate jet in order to keep him from being spotted by fans.
Also, many within the company noted that Gargano was brought back without a name change. This could be an indication that the old Vince McMahon way of refusing to use real names or independent names is now a thing of the past.
It was also noted that Gargano’s wife, Candice LaRae, was not backstage with him. It remains to be seen if she returns alongside him in the near future.
Johnny Gargano made his shocking return to WWE on tonight’s RAW after leaving the promotion in late 2021. His promo was interrupted by Theory, who was in “The Way” faction with Gargano in NXT.
Theory was disrespectful towards Johnny and suggested that he carry his bags now that he is a part of the main roster. The 25-year-old wanted a high-five from Johnny Wrestling but got a Superkick to the face instead.
Following this week’s edition of RAW, Gargano was interviewed backstage in a WWE Digital Exclusive. The former NXT Champion said that he was still at a loss for words following his return and was concerned that people weren’t going to remember him after being away for so long.
Gargano added that even though he accomplished a lot in NXT, there was still a part of him that was a nervous wreck leading up to his return. Gargano also discussed why he chose to return to the company after he stepped away nine months ago:
“I said that I came back for a lot of different reasons, but first of all I wanted to be Intercontinental Champion, United States Champion, WWE Champion, and I want to wrestle at WrestleMania. There is only one place you can do that, and that is here in WWE. That is why I came back. That is why I am beyond proud to be here.”
Bonus: ‘Baby Wrestling’ Also Reacts
Johnny noted that there was a “Baby Wrestling!” chant during his promo from the WWE Universe and that his son will appreciate that when he gets older.
He appeared during the final hour of RAW, just a few moments after The Miz was kidnapped by another returning NXT star, Dexter Lumis. Johnny Wrestling made his way to the ring to a great reaction from the Toronto crowd and delivered a promo on he decided to return to the company after nine months away.
The 35-year-old stated that he wanted to become the Intercontinental Champion, the United States Champion, the WWE Champion, and perform at WrestleMania. He added that he wanted to teach his newborn son to chase after his dreams, no matter how impossible they may seem. Money in the Bank winner Theory then interrupted and Johnny hit him with a Superkick to the face to end the segment.
In a new report from Fightful Select, Johnny’s name did not appear on any rundowns before the show as WWE wanted to keep the return a secret. Most of the talent was unaware Johnny was in the Scotiabank Arena until a few minutes before he made his way to the ring.
Fightful added that WWE was patient and respected Gargano’s wishes for time off. Johnny’s wife, former NXT Superstar Candice LeRae, gave birth to their son six months ago. WWE felt they had a significantly higher chance of bringing Johnny back to the promotion after Vince McMahon departed the company and Triple H took over creative.
There were no “advanced conversations” between Johnny and All Elite Wrestling during his free agency, despite several people pushing for the promotion to sign him. IMPACT Wrestling was reportedly never seriously considered as a potential landing spot for Gargano.
In the third hour of Monday’s WWE Raw, Johnny Gargano walked out to the ring to a big ovation.
Gargano cut a promo about his accomplishments in NXT before telling a story about how he wondered for a long time if he even wanted to do this still. Gargano recalled having big dreams as a kid and becoming the Intercontinental and WWE Champion. He said he can never fail if he bets on himself, and that’s what he is doing. He said that he’s back in WWE and just getting started.
The Way Reunion
Theory walked out and said a lot has happened in the last nine months. Gargano said it’s great to see how much Theory has changed. Theory said he’s on his way to becoming the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion and brought up everything he’s accomplished. Theory said everything he’s done is everything Gargano has dreamed of doing. Theory thanked him for what he did for him in NXT, but noted that he’s now the veteran, and Gargano is now the rookie. Theory said Gargano can get behind him or go away. Theory wanted a high five, and Gargano super kicked him to end the segment.
Following an assault by Grayson Waller intended to put Gargano out of commission on television, he ended his tenure in WWE NXT in December of last year as he decided to not re-sign with the company.
Ahead of the birth of his first child, Quill, Gargano took time off to be with his wife, Candice LeRae. He had previously teased that he “caught the itch” to pick up wrestling once more and has participated in meet-and-greet events.
Gargano previously stated that he still had unfinished business with the WWE, but he also believed that all of his options are open to him. Therefore, he had not yet made up his mind about what to do next and had remained a free agent.
It was recently reported that following Triple H being put into charge of talent relations and creative, he wanted to bring Gargano back and put Shawn Michaels up to the task to get it done.
Former WWE NXT star Johnny Gargano has been on the free agent market since last December, but he has yet to join a major promotion nor wrestle a single match, and it has left fans wondering when he will make his big move.
Cassidy Haynes of BodySlam.net reports with Triple H now in control as Head of Creative in WWE that, Gargano is open to a WWE return. It was noted that Gargano is also interested in talking to Triple H and “seeing how things would be changing.”
Why Gargano Walked Away
Gargano reportedly wasn’t a fan of the schedule, especially now that he’s a father. However, the “overarching factor for him walking away was dissatisfaction with his position/direction with no set plan for how he’d be used.” Haynes’ sources stated that Gargano has also been in talks with AEW.
Gargano most recently appeared as part of a live panel at Starrcast V in Nashville called “What’s NeXT? With Johnny Gargano.”
In interviews, Gargano stated that he still has unfinished business with the WWE, but he also believed that all of his options are open to him. Therefore, he had not yet decided what to do next and had remained a free agent.
WWE reportedly tried to poach a talent from All Elite Wrestling (AEW) recently.
Since Triple H has assumed control of WWE creative, there have been several returns made on television. Former NXT stars such as Karrion Kross, Scarlett Bordeaux, B-Fab, Dakota Kai, and Hit Row have all been brought in.
Of course, it seems like this is only the beginning of the main roster Triple H has envisioned moving forward. While more NXT stars are expected to be brought up, some desired talents Triple H has his eyes on might not even be under the company’s umbrella at the moment.
Some could be with AEW, such as former WWE stars Adam Cole, Daniel Bryan, and more. Apparently, WWE tried to make a move on a current top AEW star to bring them into WWE.
Fightful Select reports that a notable AEW star “reported to AEW management that WWE had reached out to them about coming to WWE.” The reported talent made it clear that they’re happy in AEW and wanted upper management to know about the situation.
The talent added that they have no desire to leave AEW. It was noted that the talent received a call from one of WWE’s talent relations department members. The talent responded by referring them to their representation rather than speaking directly.
A source also notes in the report that there were no mistakes made in regards to knowing that the talent was under contract with AEW on a full-time basis. We’ll keep you updated as we learn more.
Ciampa is faring quite well at the start of this new era for WWE.
The former NXT Champion recently transitioned to the Raw brand as part of an unlikely pairing with The Miz. Any fears that he “wouldn’t translate” on the main roster have dissipated.
Since joining Raw, her’s scored wins over Dolph Ziggler, Chad Gable and AJ Styles. He also challenged Bobby Lashley for the United States championship. Although the challenger came up short, the battle against “The Almighty” turned a lot of heads.
With his momentum building, I had a chance of catching up with Ciampa over SummerSlam weekend. Below are some highlights from our discussion.
Ciampa and The Miz
You’ve been aligned with The Miz, which brings a unique dynamic. He is this over-the-top entertainer where you’re this straight-laced tough guy. It somehow works. How has it been working with him?
Ciampa: “I love it. I think it might have been my idea. I don’t remember. I know he was up there on my list of, ‘Hey, if you’re going to do the first program with somebody. Who would that be?’ He was right at the top. I just have a lot of respect for him. I think he is fantastic. He has been in this system for a long time and knows how the system works, as far as headlining WrestleMania, being a main-eventer and winning different titles.
He has faced adversity and overcomes it. I’m excited I get to be part of all the stuff we’re doing on Raw. We have our talks. He is a good dude to be around. He has earned his spot. He is very unselfish as far as giving to new talent. You come from a new world to Raw and SmackDown. He is really good at helping talents navigate through that.”
Ciampa’s Raw Talk Promo
Everyone began really talking about your Raw Talk promo. What were you channeling there?
Ciampa: “The main thing that stood out to me, and it’s going to sound arrogant, but I’ve been doing this for a long time. That’s how I saw it. That I’ve been doing these promos forever. It goes to show the reach of Raw and SmackDown from NXT. I’ve been doing sitting in a chair promos on NXT for five years now. Some of those were really freakin’ good.
I know when something is good. Good is good, bad is bad. You do it on Raw Talk, and all of a sudden, the machine gets behind it and more eyes are on me. That was for me eye-opening. I thought this is great and exactly what I was asking for.
Let’s be honest, when Miz gets attention and Logan Paul gets attention, well, if I’m in that bubble, I’m going to get that attention too. They gave me the opportunity to talk. That’s the best thing you can do for a guy like me. I’m not going to win you over with my backflip. If you give me a microphone and tell me I can go for 60 seconds, I’ll win you over.”
Johnny Gargano’s Future
There is a lot of buzz surrounding Johnny Gargano. Do you think we’ll see him back in a WWE ring down the line?
Ciampa: “You are one hundred percent going to see him in a ring again. I don’t know which ring. I would think it’s tough to say. I don’t know if Candice [LeRae] is interested in wrestling again or not. It’s a lot of decisions to be made with a child at home. He has got to be getting close to wrestling somewhere. The itch has got to be getting there.
We’re almost at a year in now since he has been in the ring. I think at some point he’ll make his way back to WWE. I feel like everyone does at some point. Never say never.”
