Johnny Gargano’s comeback story apparently isn’t stopping with CM Punk. After Gargano declared that his September 4 SmackDown main event was the beginning of getting “Johnny Wrestling” back, a new update says WWE plans to feature him more moving forward.
Sean Ross Sapp addressed Gargano’s status during the September 8 Fightful Select Q&A after being asked whether fans were about to see a push or at least more television time for the former NXT Champion. Sapp said that increased exposure is indeed the plan.
“Johnny Gargano, we about to see a push or at least see him featured more? Yeah, the plan is for him to be featured more.”
Sapp also revealed that Gargano’s storyline never had much of a destination when WWE first kicked it off earlier this year. Gargano’s downward spiral began following his January 30 loss to Axiom, leading to months of backstage segments where he was shown lying around production cases and feeling sorry for himself.
“I was told back in January when they started his angle there was no real end in sight for it. No real end game.”
That finally changed when Gargano received a WWE Championship opportunity against CM Punk in Cleveland. Sapp felt the hometown main event was exactly the kind of match needed to bring Gargano back into the mix, although he questioned why WWE kept someone of Gargano’s caliber on the sidelines for so long.
“I will say him having a great first-time match against CM Punk in Cleveland was a great way to bring him back. But he should have never been literally on the shelf for like eight months. You know what I mean? Like, he’s an incredible wrestler.”
Sapp then poked fun at the storyline itself, joking about Gargano being depressed after his best friend left for AEW before taking a shot at Gargano’s beloved Cleveland Browns.
“And what was the angle? The angle was that his best friend left and went to AEW and that he was depressed about it because he couldn’t—because he couldn’t be in AEW. Is that it?”
“Because I certainly know that the gimmick wasn’t, ‘Well, this coincides with football season and he’s just so sad that the Browns season is over.’ The best thing that could ever happen to Johnny Gargano is that the Browns season ends every single year. It’s honestly probably the only thing that keeps him mentally sane as a Browns fan.”
Sapp closed the subject by once again making the key point clear, saying, “But yeah, he’s supposed to be featured more.” The comes just days after Gargano publicly said he was finished “laying down.” Following his match with Punk, Gargano admitted he had spent eight months feeling sorry for himself and said the Cleveland main event marked the beginning, not the end, of his comeback.
Now it looks like WWE is ready to give him the television time to prove it. Johnny Wrestling finally got off the box, went toe-to-toe with CM Punk, and if this update is any indication, WWE isn’t planning to send him right back to the sidelines.
What do you think WWE should do with Johnny Gargano now that he’s expected to be featured more? Let us know your thoughts and feedback.
This transcript was produced exclusively for Ringside News from the original recording. Republishing the transcription in full is prohibited. When using excerpts, provide prominent credit and a link to this article.
