Tag: Johnny Gargano

#DIY Make Shocking NXT Return, Celebrate 10 Years With WWE

The black-and-gold brand got a huge blast of nostalgia this week as #DIY — the beloved duo of Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa — made a surprise return to NXT. The reunion wasn’t just a homecoming, though. It turned into a heated confrontation with none other than TNA World Champion Trick Williams.

Williams, who’s now held the TNA World Title for over 100 days, has been boasting nonstop about being the top star to ever set foot in NXT. Even after coming up short in a recent bid to earn a shot at Je’Von Evans’ NXT Championship, he continued to hype himself as “untouchable” in the brand’s history. During this week’s promo, he even admitted that he didn’t care much about NXT anymore, claiming he’ll have the same mindset once he gets to the main roster.

That’s when the music hit — and out came Gargano and Ciampa to mark their 10-year anniversary with WWE. The two reminded Williams of their own championship accolades, stacking up their resumes against his. Ciampa, a two-time NXT Champion, and Gargano, a record-setting three-time North American Champion, made it clear that Williams still has plenty to prove before he can lay claim to being the best NXT has ever seen.

The war of words quickly broke down into action, and fans got the payoff they were waiting for. #DIY stood tall to close the segment, dropping the TNA World Champion with their signature tandem superkick.

With #DIY back in the mix — at least for now — and Trick Williams continuing to stir the pot, NXT could be on the verge of one of its most intriguing cross-promotional feuds in years.

Johnny Gargano Returns, Reunites With Tommaso Ciampa Against Imperium On WWE Raw

At long last, Tommaso Ciampa has found Johnny Gargano — and all he had to do was catch a group beating from Imperium to make it happen.

After searching high and low for Gargano for months on end to no avail, Ciampa was reunited with his former DIY tag team partner/arch nemesis at the end of Monday’s “WWE Raw.” Gargano hit the ring to fend off Ludwig Kaiser and Giovanni Vinci from beating Ciampa to a pulp following his unsuccessful Intercontinental Championship challenge against GUNTHER, as the champion casually waltzed away while his minions put the boots to the challenger.

But then Gargano’s music hit, and the former “NXT” Champion saved the day, warding off Kaiser and setting up for Meeting In the Middle, and the reunion was finally complete (though, in a matter of unfortunate timing, “Raw” faded to black before they could hit their finishing move).

Ciampa and Gargano, as DIY, won the “NXT” Tag Team Championships together at “NXT” TakeOver: Toronto in 2016, defeating The Revival (now known as reigning AEW World Tag Team Champions FTR) in a two-out-of-three-falls match. The pair would split less than a year later, when Ciampa attacked Gargano following a loss to The Authors of Pain, and they’d go on to feud for the better part of the next year. They’d reunite to make their debuts on both “Raw” and “Smackdown,” but that was short-lived. It wasn’t until Monday night that the two seemed back together, full time, and ready to shake up the tag team division on the main roster.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Shawn Michaels Names Johnny Gargano As Grayson Waller’s Opponent At WWE NXT Stand & Deliver

The ongoing feud between Grayson Waller and WWE Senior Vice President of Talent Development Creative Shawn Michaels has escalated to the “NXT” Stand & Deliver premium live event. During Tuesday night’s special Roadblock episode, Michaels was a guest on “The Grayson Waller Effect.”

During the segment, Waller challenged Michaels to a match, which is when Michaels revealed that former “NXT” Champion and current “Raw” Superstar Johnny Gargano was going to be Waller’s opponent instead. Gargano and Waller have a history that goes all the way back to Gargano’s farewell to “NXT” in December 2021. As he was ending his farewell speech, Waller came out from behind and attacked him. Gargano’s last “NXT” match before he went to the main roster was at the “NXT” WarGames 2021 event.

Waller started his feud with Michaels when he crashed the Vengeance Day post-show media call and was “suspended” for his behavior. Waller returned on the February 14 episode of “NXT,” when he was kicked out of the arena after confronting Michaels backstage. While Waller was being escorted out of the building, he called the WWE Hall of Famer “a hypocrite and a suit” and that “HBK doesn’t exist anymore.”

“NXT” Stand & Deliver is set for April 1 at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California. It will be on the same day as night one of WrestleMania 39 and will be starting at 1 PM ET. The only other match announced for Stand & Deliver is Bron Breakker defending the “NXT” Championship against Carmelo Hayes in the main event.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Johnny Gargano Out Of Action With Shoulder Injury

Johnny Gargano is out with an injury.

The self-proclaimed “Johnny Wrestling” took to Twitter to announce that he suffered a shoulder sprain during a recent WWE live event in Toronto, Canada.

On Monday night’s episode of RAW, the commentary team announced that Gargano is out with a Grade 2 AC sprain. Gargano wrote,

“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!”

https://twitter.com/JohnnyGargano/status/1612632529772724227

Source: ewrestlingnews

Johnny Gargano Returns To WWE On Monday Night RAW

Former NXT Champion, NXT Tag Team Champion, and 3-time North American Champion Johnny Gargano just made his return to the WWE last night on RAW.

Johnny Wrestling is back in the WWE!

Johnny Gargano was last on TV about nine months ago; he fought in NXT’s annual War Games match alongside LA Knight, Pete Dunne, and Tommaso Ciampa against Bron Breakker, Carmelo Hayes, Grayson Waller and Tony D’Angelo. On the following episode of NXT, Johnny Gargano bid an emotional farewell to the fans as his contract with WWE expired and he chose not to renew it.

For the past several months, Gargano’s future in wrestling was very much up in the air. He wanted to take some time off to help raise his newborn son, Quill (also known as Baby Wrestling), alongside his wife Candice LeRae. Tonight, he made his long-awaited return to the world of wrestling.

Gargano gave an impassioned speech to fans in Toronto last night about the importance of betting on yourself. Gargano said that both for his own dreams, and for his son, he wants to become a WWE champion. He was then interrupted by Money in the Bank briefcase holder Austin Theory, but Gargano swiftly dealt a superkick to his former protege and left the crowd happy.

https://twitter.com/WWE/status/1561900115526295553

Johnny Gargano Appears On Impact To Praise Alex Shelley (Via Video)

During last night’s episode of “Impact on AXS TV,” former NXT Champion  Johnny Gargano appeared on the show.

Gargano appeared via video, along with others, to praise Alex Shelley. Below is the clip:

In a recent report from Fightful Select, Gargano is not in talks with Impact Wrestling and his appearance in the video was more of a favor for a friend.

Gargano left WWE last December after deciding not to re-sign with the company. His last match with the promotion was at “NXT” Takeover WarGames 2021.

In June, while on Good Karma Wrestling, the former “NXT” Champion explained why he didn’t re-sign with the company.

“I had this guaranteed contract with WWE I could take for a lot of money, and I could come back and I could keep doing what I’m doing,” Gargano said. “I just knew that with the baby on the way, I didn’t want to have anyone else being in control of my time, because I’m really only getting one shot at this. Me and Candice only plan on having one kid, so I want to be there and try to experience everything I can with Quill for his first year before I do anything else.”

Gargano is set to be at this weekend’s Starrcast V event at the Nashville Fairgrounds. He has his own panel, “What’s NeXT,” where he will be revealing his future in pro wrestling.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Johnny Gargano Reportedly Rejects Multiple WWE Contract Offers, Becomes Free Agent

Johnny Gargano will reportedly become a free agent at midnight on Thursday, December 9 after rejecting WWE’s attempts to re-sign him.

Johnny Gargano has reportedly rejected several contract offers from WWE and is set to officially part ways with the company. Fightful Select’s Sean Ross Sapp reports that Gargano’s current WWE contract is set to expire at midnight on Thursday, December 9, at which point the former NXT Champion’s WWE tenure will officially come to an end after five years.

Gargano’s deal was initially due to expire on December 3, but he signed a brief extension that allowed him to tie up some loose ends on-screen.

https://twitter.com/JohnnyGargano/status/1467726092702294018

Gargano’s last WWE match was the men’s WarGames match at NXT WarGames on December 5. Johnny Wrestling teamed up with LA Knight, Pete Dunne, and his former DIY partner Tommaso Ciampa to represent the NXT old guard as part of Team Black & Gold in a WarGames match against Team 2.0 (Bron Breakker, Carmelo Hayes, Grayson Waller & Tony D’Angelo).

Gargano came out to his old “Rebel Heart” theme and was wearing gear that paid homage to some of his previous outfits. He had the adulation of the crowd, and the NXT commentary team appeared to imply that this was his last match in NXT … although they also used the word “if” a lot so it’s possible that Gargano hadn’t actually made a decision by that point.

https://twitter.com/WWE/status/1468988825624006660

The following Tuesday on NXT 2.0, Gargano cut an impassioned, emotional promo that felt very much like a farewell speech. Tragically, the NXT stalwart was unable to finish the speech because he was ambushed and brutally beaten down by Aussie upstart Grayson Waller. Waller’s attack on Gargano seemed to cause some confusion regarding whether Gargano was actually bidding NXT farewell, or whether the whole thing was just an angle.

https://twitter.com/SeanRossSapp/status/1469120452811448323

Source: TheSportster

Gargano Says Goodbye To WWE NXT, Kyle O’Reilly, Tommaso Ciampa And Shawn Michaels Say Goodbye To Johnny Gargano After NXT

Johnny Gargano’s potential NXT exit has been on the cards for a while now. As was the case with Adam Cole earlier this year, Gargano’s contract was coming to an end and WWE was keen to renew it. Again, just like Cole, Johnny Wrestling signed a short extension so that he could tie up some loose ends. In this instance, those loose ends were a WarGames match and the chance to say goodbye to the NXT Universe.

After losing what might be his final match in NXT on Sunday, Gargano promised fans he would tell them everything on NXT two nights later. That was sort of true, and it seems whatever Gargano has got going on next, he won’t be back on the formerly black and gold brand for a while. The segment ended with Grayson Waller cutting Gargano short by hitting him with a steel chair.

That might be where the episode ended, but the in-house show continued. Various other wrestlers and NXT staff came to the ring to share Gargano’s moment and say goodbye to him. Kyle O’Reilly was the first to join him, embracing his NXT peer. O’Reilly’s contract also comes to an end this week which means Tuesday’s episode could well have been a goodbye for him too.

Tommaso Ciampa was the next person to join Gargano and say goodbye. Best friends in real-life, the pair’s journey on-screen might well be one of the most iconic in NXT history. From a legendary run as the tag team DIY to their brutal and incredibly personal series of TakeOver matches. Gargano also embraced Shawn Michaels when he joined in on the goodbyes who came to the ring with the former NXT Champion’s wife, Candice LeRae.

That’s it for Gargano in NXT, at least for now. Although he promised to tell fans everything, there are still a few questions hanging over Gargano’s future. That might well be because he doesn’t know what that future holds himself. There’s a chance he could re-sign with WWE and be back for revenge on Waller, probably after the birth of his baby. However, if he allows his contract to run out later this week, Gargano will be free to show up anywhere he likes starting from December 11.

Source: TheSportster

https://twitter.com/WWE/status/1468413754513702912
https://twitter.com/kimberlasskick/status/1468422957512994820
https://twitter.com/WrestlingNewsCo/status/1468425217156558851
https://twitter.com/WrestleTalk_TV/status/1468569802293743621

Johnny Gargano Addresses Fans After NXT WarGames Amidst Rumors Of WWE Exit

It appears fans will have to wait until Tuesday’s NXT to know if Sunday’s WarGames event was Johnny Gargano’s final outing in WWE.

After Sunday’s show went off the air, fans at the Performance Center in Orlando, FL chanted “Thank You, Johnny” and “Please Don’t Go” to show their appreciation for Johnny Wrestling.

As seen in the video below, Gargano addressed fans after Team Black & Gold (NXT Champion Tommaso Ciampa, Gargano, Pete Dunne, LA Knight) lost to Team 2.0 (Bron Breakker, NXT North American Champion Carmelo Hayes, Tony D’Angelo, Grayson Waller) in the main event.

“Candice [LeRare] is going to be really upset that I just blew our undefeated streak,” Gargano began. “Our WarGames record in our house, so I mean that’s… I’m in trouble when I get home. Trust me, guys.”

An emotional Gargano proceeded to thank fans for their overwhelming support.

“You guys are saying ‘thank you’ to me when, really, I want to say ‘thank you’ to all of you,” Gargano said. “Without all you, there wouldn’t be a Johnny Wrestling, and that’s true. You guys know I love you right back. But, with that love, I am an open book to you guys, and I’m always 100% honest and 100% authentic with you. Because I feel like you guys aren’t just fans, we’ve know each other for such a long time, you guys are like my family. This is like my family.”

In conclusion, Gargano stated that he would address his WWE future on Tuesday.

“And, right now, I’m beat up, I’m sore, I’m tired, I’ve got a lot on my mind,” Gargano admitted. “But, I want to tell you guys everything and will tell you guys everything this Tuesday night. OK? Thank you. And we’ll come right back here Tuesday night and I’m gonna tell you guys everything, OK?”

Gargano’s WWE contract was previously set to expire on Friday, Dec. 3. However, he would sign a one-week extension to participate in the WarGames match. His contract expires on Friday, Dec. 10.

Johnny Gargano also tweeted a “thank you” message to his peers after Sunday’s event. You can watch a video of him addressing fans below.

https://twitter.com/theangleradio/status/1467709383488458757
https://twitter.com/JohnnyGargano/status/1467726092702294018

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Johnny Gargano And Candice LeRae Are Expecting A Baby

Johnny Gargano has revealed on Twitter that he and Candice LeRae are expecting their first baby.

The tweet comes complete with a couple of photos. One with what appears to be a baby pair of wrestling boots, and another of Gargano holding some scan photos along with LeRae and their dog. The first photo also includes the baby’s due date. February 2022, which means LeRae is currently about three months pregnant. That explains why LeRae hasn’t wrestled much for the past few months.

https://twitter.com/JohnnyGargano/status/1425818199673683968