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When Johnny Gargano‘s run in NXT came to an end at the culmination of his contract, fans wondered where the leader of The Way would wrestle next.
Would he stick around in WWE, returning to the promotion for another run in NXT or a spot on the main roster on RAW or SmackDown? Or would he go elsewhere, maybe AEW, maybe Impact/TNA, in order to try his hands at a different style of in-ring action?
Discussing his time away from WWE on Insight with Chris Van Vliet, Gargano revealed how his relationships with Shawn Michaels and Triple H played into his return to the promotion, as their interest in his family played a big role in his loyalty.
“I just kind of felt it. It felt like that’s where the wind was blowing. And I’ve had such a great relationship with Hunter. I can’t say enough great things about Hunter and Shawn. It sounds like I’m gonna make it sound like I’m just going on and on about Hunter and Shawn, which I am, I will. I have such a great relationship with them. Like so much so that I always kept in contact with them. Even when I was gone. The day Quill was born I got a text from Hunter and I got a text from Shawn, like, unprovoked. Quill was born they reached out and said, Congratulations keep in touch,” Johnny Gargano said via Wrestling Headlines.
“Hunter literally said when Quill was born, I can’t wait to meet him, I’m very excited. And I literally said that day do me a favour though, when you meet him, you need to do the fingerprint picture okay. He said, You got it, would be my honour. So, like I said, I just enjoy them so much as human beings, that I just really wanted to work with them again. And when the opportunity came up, where the world changed and everything went down. Shawn reached out to me and said, Hey, are you open to coming back? And I say I’d definitely talk about it.
“And literally a couple hours later Hunter called me. And then we had a conversation. And then he talked to my agent and things were in motion really, really quickly. He wanted Candice back as well. And then it just one of those things is Candice ready? Am I ready? And I wanted time to get ready too because I wasn’t ready to come back yet. So I needed to get in shape really, really quickly. Things like that. But everything happens so fast.”
Would it have been cool to see Gargano try his hand wrestling elsewhere, returning to the indies and going to bat against many of the top stars on the indie landscape today? Sure thing, but when you consider WWE wanted Daddy and Mama Wrestling back to continue The Way on the main roster, it feels like Gargano did what was best for him and holds no regrets regarding his decision.
Johnny Gargano had outside interest during his time away from WWE.
Speaking of interest from companies outside of WWE, did Johnny Gargano actually entertain wrestling elsewhere? Unsurprisingly enough, Gargano was asked this question by Chris Van Vliet and gave fans a very interesting answer indeed.
“I had an idea. I always had an idea. People ask me all the time, did you think about going to other places? Obviously, we all entertain the idea. But when I left, I always felt like I had unfinished business in WWE. And when the conversations were being had, it was one of those things where when I was a little kid growing up I watched WWE,” Johnny Gargano explained.
“I dreamed of wrestling at WrestleMania. I dreamed of becoming Intercontinental Champion. I think all these things I said in my return promo, pretty much. They’re all very real, very true. Those are very real dreams I still do have to this day and I can only do that one place.
“I am very lucky to call WWE my home because if you’ve watched my last night in the company it was sad for me because I spent so much time in NXT around those people. I saw them almost every single day for almost seven years. And I wasn’t gonna have that anymore. And that was my own choice because I felt like I needed to move on. And I needed that time away to be with Candice, to be with the baby. And just step away from wrestling for a bit and just recharge. But luckily everything worked out. And I think everything happens for a reason. We’re back.”
In professional wrestling, some performers dream of having matches at the Tokyo Dome, Arena Mexico, Wembley Stadium and the like, testing their abilities against the best in the world. Others dream of being in WWE, holding the brand's prestigious belts and wrestling on the promotion's top Premium Live Event. While taking care of his family was clearly goal number one, Gargano's other aspirations all involved WWE, which makes it a no-brainer why he opted to return for another run.
