WWE Kept Johnny Gargano’s RAW Return A Big Secret Backstage

Johnny Gargano was touted as the heart and soul of NXT by many fans due to his excellent feuds with the likes of Tommaso Ciampa, Adam Cole and more. He competed in numerous solid matches and truly made NXT what it was for so many years. Gargano recently made his surprise return to WWE, which was kept under complete wraps.

Click here for our complete coverage of WWE RAW this week

Sean Sapp reported on Gargano’s WWE return via Fightful’s paywall. He said that Gargano’s name did not appear on any rundowns prior to the August 22 show. Many of the performers present did not know, and many members of the production team were not informed of his appearance.

Many others there found out when Gargano strolled through backstage a few minutes earlier. Throughout Johnny Gargano’s free agent status, WWE remained interested in re-signing him. Fightful was informed that throughout the procedure, the business was understanding and considerate of Gargano’s needs and vacation time.

When Triple H seized authority, WWE believed they had a much stronger chance of re-signing Gargano, who is plainly another name. IMPACT Wrestling was never given significant consideration, and there wasn’t any ongoing conversations between Gargano and All Elite Wrestling. When questioned, AEW sources said they didn’t think Gargano would join the company this year, despite the fact that he was being supported by a number of people there.

Gargano’s name didn’t appear on any rundowns ahead of the show as to keep the appearance secret. There was much of the talent that was there that didn’t know, and much of production was not briefed on him appearing. When Gargano walked through backstage a few minutes before is when many people there found out.

We’re told that WWE maintained continued interest in re-signing Johnny Gargano throughout his free agency period. During that process, we were told that the company was patient and respected Gargano’s wishes and time off. Gargano was another name (obviously) that WWE thought they had a significantly higher chance of re-signing when Triple H gained power.

We haven’t heard of any advanced negotiations between Gargano and All Elite Wrestling, and were told that IMPACT Wrestling was never a serious consideration. AEW sources when asked told us they didn’t believe that Gargano was going to end up coming into the company throughout this year, though he did have several people in the company pushing for him.

Gargano delivered a superkick to Theory before performing a brief HBK dance during his sequence. As Triple H added another of his favorites to the WWE main roster, this came as a major surprise. Stay tuned to Ringside News for latest WWE news and updates.

Are you excited about Johnny Gargano’s WWE return? Sound off in the comments!