WWE: Johnny Gargano on Not Returning at Cleveland’s RAW Show, Jerry Lawler A&E Doc., More News

WWE

Sep 13, 2022

Johnny Gargano Comments on Not Making His WWE Return at RAW Show in Cleveland

A recent episode of the WWE After The Bell with Corey Graves podcast had Johnny Gargano as the guest. One of the topics discussed included Gargano’s thoughts about his recent return to WWE.

“It happened very fast, the whole thing. It was very fun to be able to, literally keep a secret, in a time period where that doesn’t happen. Everything leaks nowadays. Everything in wrestling leaks. That was the most important thing for me, for this secret for the return, was to make it a complete surprise. Obviously, I could have come back two weeks prior in Cleveland, but everybody believed that and thought that was going to happen. That’s probably why it didn’t happen. It would have been great, I would have loved to come back in my hometown, I still haven’t wrestled in that arena, which is mind-blowing to me. It was really important for me to keep this whole thing under wraps as much as possible and the fact that we were able to do that, the fact that I flew into Buffalo and was snuck across the border. Legally, not snuck. Snuck legally. Snuck across the border into Toronto and was in a room by myself for eight hours. I was in the Toronto Raptors locker room.”

Gargano also gave his thoughts about why he did not make his official return on the August 8th RAW show in his hometown of Cleveland, Ohio.

“A big part of me didn’t want to come back in Cleveland because I knew if I would have come back in Cleveland, I would have gotten an amazing reaction, but people would have been like, ‘he’s this little kid from NXT and he got the reaction because it’s his hometown. No one knows who he is because he’s from NXT. These Indie kids. Whatever.’ To come back in Toronto with like 16,000 people in the arena, it was really cool because a commercial break happened, we came back from a commercial break, and my music started playing. The reaction was such a cool reaction to experience because it was like, the music hit and everyone was like, ‘That’s familiar, what is this?’ My name came across the tron and everyone was like, ‘What’s going on right now? What’s happening?’ I walked out and everyone lost their minds. The ‘Johnny Wrestling’ chants started and everyone was super fun to play with. That will be one of the lasting memories to me. That gradual pop and reaction when people realized what was happening. It was really gratifying.”

Transcript h/t: Fightful.com

New WWE Legends Biography Episode Based on Jerry Lawler Currently in Production

A recent episode of the Johnny Dare Morning Show had WWE Hall of Famer Jerry “The King” Lawler as the guest. One of the topics discussed included Lawler revealing that cable television network A&E recently interviewed him for an upcoming WWE Legends themed Biography episode based on him.

“The A&E people were in town and they are doing a documentary for next season. They are doing my documentary for A&E. We had the Batmobile out, driving it over to the Midsouth Coliseum where we had all those famous matches and all that sort of stuff. It’s always fun to get the Batmobile out. I love looking over and people’s faces when they look over in their car and all of a sudden the Batmobile is sitting beside them at a red light.”

Transcript h/t: Fightful.com

WWE News & Notes

PWInsider’s Mike Johnson reported that his sources recently confirmed that the Wrestling Observer’s report of WWE holding two television tapings for their NXT brand this week is true. WWE reportedly is currently planning to tape tonight’s episode of NXT as a live show and then hold tapings the following night for the September 20th show. Johnson reported that WWE officials current plans are for their NXT brand to resume running weekly live shows on September 27th.

Former NXT writer Ryan Katz reportedly is currently expected to make his official return to WWE very shortly and as early as this week, according to PWInsider.

WWE and cable television network A&E reportedly filmed a new episode for their WWE Most Wanted Treasures series this past weekend in Pennsylvania, according to PWInsider. Mike Johnson reported that his sources stated that WWE Hall of Famer Rikishi, Samu, and Gene Snitsky were among those who participated in the filming.

As noted before, Major League Wrestling filed an antitrust lawsuit earlier this year against WWE. MLW is claiming that WWE illegally interfered in several of their business deals with television networks and engaged in contract tampering with several of their contracted talent. PWInsider’s Mike Johnson reported that the United States District Court, Northern District of California is currently scheduled to make a ruling regarding WWE’s motion to dismiss the lawsuit on September 29th based on recent court documents.

Heavy metal band Motionless In White revealed on Twitter that they recently produced a new entrance theme song for Rhea Ripley that will be debuting soon in WWE.