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Triple H's new WWE regime was flooded with opportunities and second chances for superstars, who were underutilized under the previous management. A five-time champion recently spoke about considering in-ring retirement ahead of his return to the main roster.
In August 2022, Johnny Gargano returned to WWE after nearly nine months and joined the main roster. The Rebel Heart received a warm welcome from the fans and management before starting his new journey on Monday Night RAW under Triple H's creative leadership.
However, the former NXT, North American, and Tag Team Champion was once unsure about his in-ring future. Speaking to Chris Van Vliet, Johnny Gargano discussed how he was considering in-ring retirement and his return to the promotion:
"I always said that I was gonna be done by 40. That was always my go-to age. And then as we get closer to that, I'm still four years away. But as we get closer to that, I think I got a little bit more in me. I mean, like I said, I came back to WWE for a reason. And obviously there were discussions to go other places. And my agent obviously had those discussions."
Gargano added why he returned to the promotion and said he's not sure about retiring at the age of 40, as he had initially planned:
"But at the end of the day, I told him, my heart was with WWE. Like, I still want to wrestle at WrestleMania. I haven't done that yet. I still want to be the Intercontinental Champion. Haven't done that yet. I haven't won a title on the main roster yet. I want to do that too. There's still a lot left for me to accomplish and a lot of stories I still want to tell. And I've been very excited to do that." [H/T - CVV]
Gargano also talked about the heartfelt moment he shared with Shawn Michaels, Road Dogg, and the rest of the NXT crew before he departed from the developmental brand.
Johnny Gargano praises several superstars from WWE NXT
In June 2015, Johnny Gargano made his first appearance for the developmental brand before they eventually signed him to the promotion. After spending several years on WWE's developmental brand, Gargano went on a hiatus before he joined the main roster.
The Rebel Heart's contribution to the developmental brand is unmatched, and very few superstars have accomplished what Mr. Wrestling has with the brand over the past few years. Speaking on WWE Espanol, Gargano praised several superstars from NXT, including Indi Hartwell.
"I think we're in an amazing time period right now and there is so much amazing talent especially a lot of great talent in NXT. Obviously Bron Breakkers, Creed Brothers, Cora Jade, Roxanne [Perez], and Indi [Hartwell], obviously, is ready-made for the main roster. I think there is a lot of great talent down in NXT that are going to get amazing opportunities in the future."
The interview was conducted after his return to WWE, and most of the names Johnny talked about are already on the main roster.
What are your thoughts on Johnny Gargano? Sound off in the comments section below.
