WWE Star Teasing Return To Old Character?

WWE

A WWE star could potentially be teasing a return to their previous character, after spending much of this past year inactive between the ropes.

For the past six months, Johnny Gargano has been a shell of his former self, with the former NXT Champion spending the majority of his TV time lying down motionless backstage rather than competing in the ring.

Despite the best efforts of his wife Candice LeRae and Sami Zayn, there has seemingly been no end in sight for Gargano’s depression, which first arose after he lost Axiom’s mask – which he had claimed during their feud earlier this year – and his DIY tag team partner Tommaso Ciampa – who swapped WWE for AEW after his contract with the former expired.

With fans eager to see ‘Johnny Wrestling’ return to his former glory, the Cleveland native has shared a curious post, which could be interpreted a number of different ways.

Taking to Twitter, Gargano reposted WWE’s clip of his return to the company on the August 22, 2022 of Raw. There was no caption attached to the clip, leaving the meaning of the post up to interpretation.

Given that Gargano’s tweet came on the four year anniversary of his return, him posting it could simply be a case of him celebrating that. Or, alternatively, it could potentially be an indication that Gargano is keen to return to this past version of himself on WWE TV.

The latter is what fans in the comments of Gargano’s post are hoping for at least, but it remains to be seen whether we will see the former NXT favorite find his feet (literally) on WWE programming once again.

 

How Many Of Triple H’s 2022 Rehires Are Still Around In WWE?

From August 2022 through until the end of that year, Triple H made a statement upon taking over WWE’s creative picture by rehiring several names who had previously been let go by the company.

While some were high profile former main roster stars like Bray Wyatt and Braun Strowman, the majority were talent Triple H had previously worked closely with in NXT, but hadn’t received a fair shot on Raw or SmackDown before they were let go by the previous regime.

Gargano and Candice LeRae were among that list, as were current stars Michin, B-Fab and Bronson Reed.

In August 2026, these five are the only of the 16 that are still employed by WWE, (of course, not counting Bray Wyatt who tragically passed away less than a year into his second WWE run).

Dakota Kai, Dexter Lumis, Valhalla, Karl Anderson & Luke Gallows, Karrion Kross & Scarlett, Tegan Nox, Ashante Thee Adonis and Top Dolla are all no longer with the company, and it’s seeming like Gargano and LeRae may potentially join that list eventually given how poorly they’ve been used in 2026.

Bronson Reed is a true success story and appears to be set for a big return from injury in the near future, while B-Fab and Michin have a solid place on the roster due to their allegiance with Jade Cargill.

It’s sad to see so few of these returns pan out, as at the time it was one of the most exciting periods to be a WWE fan in recent memory, a time when it felt like anyone could show up any given week.

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• johnny gargano
• Character Change
• wwe

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