More Details On Johnny Gargano's WWE Return
Backstage update on Johnny Gargano, who returned on this week's Raw.
Johnny Gargano is listed as a babyface on the Raw side of WWE's internal roster following his return to the promotion this week, reports PWInsider's Mike Johnson.
The former NXT Champion made a surprise appearance on this week's Raw. Featuring on WWE television for the first time since December 2021, when his original contract expired, Gargano appeared to enter a program with former developmental stablemate Theory. Their interaction closed with Mr. Money in the Bank taking a superkick from Gargano in a crowd-popping WWE comeback.
PWInsider note that Johnny's name was omitted from the Raw runsheet, with many WWE personnel unaware he was coming back until they saw him at the Gorilla position. This effectively corroborates Fightful's report on the return's secretive nature.
Interestingly, Johnson cites internal WWE talk that Gargano was flown to Raw on the company's corporate jet, thus preventing fans from seeing him travel to the event. That Johnny hasn't had his ring name changed has also been taken as an indication that Vince McMahon's recent decision to alter ring names preceding the wrestler in question signing with WWE is no longer being adhered to.
Gargano has not wrestled since originally departing WWE in 2021, opting instead to spend time with his family around his and Candice LeRae's first child's birth in February.