How WWE SCRAPPED Major Reunion Months Ago

WWE fans came within a hair of missing out.

by Andy H Murray
Johnny Gargano Tommaso Ciampa DIY
WWE

Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa put the band back together on this week's WWE Raw, reuniting as DIY to close a long-rumoured saga - but it almost didn't happen.

Fightful Select reports that WWE had originally cancelled plans to reunite DIY several months ago. While the promotion intended to put them back together during the summer, this was scrapped along with Ciampa's set-up to wrestle for the World Heavyweight Championship, which was to go down in a Seth Rollins-issued open challenge in June.

That match was to be ruined by the Judgment Day, per Fightful. Gargano, making his own return (in his Cleveland, Ohio hometown, no less), would have saved Ciampa, triggering the reunion.

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Fightful states that WWE's plans changed "heavily" in the days leading up to the 19 June Raw. They were eventually scrapped, leading to frustration.

Gargano hadn't been used on WWE television for several months until returning on this week's Raw. While there were rumours of him not being cleared to compete during this period, Fightful states that this wasn't the case. Simply, WWE wasn't using him - Johnny had been good to go since April.

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Channel Manager
Channel Manager

Andy has been with WhatCulture for eight years and is currently WhatCulture's Wrestling Channel Manager. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.