Backstage Details On Johnny Gargano's Surprise Return To WWE Raw

After months of speculation as to why he was not appearing on WWE television, Johnny Gargano made his return to "WWE Raw" Monday night to reunite with Tommaso Ciampa, saving him from an attack by Imperium's Giovanni Vinci and Ludwig Kaiser after a match with GUNTHER for the Intercontinental Championship. Now, PWInsider is reporting that Gargano's return was, in fact, a late decision by WWE creative.

According to PWI, plans for Gargano to return were "locked down" over the weekend; he traveled to the show in San Jose earlier in the day and was kept hidden. Though he had not been seen on TV for months, Gargano had recently been back in the ring, facing Omos at house shows several weeks back, according to the outlet. Gargano's last match was on the May 15 episode of "Raw," where he was part of a battle royal to determine the number one contender for the Intercontinental Championship. His DIY tag team partner has recently been posting "Missing" flyers for Gargano on social media.

Gargano had previously suffered a shoulder injury that kept him out of action, but it was reported back in July that the star was healthy. After taking time away from the ring after the birth of his first child in 2021, Gargano rejoined the company alongside a slew of other returning stars, including Karrion Kross and Dexter Lumis, in the summer of 2022.