The March 24 episode of WWE NXT on The CW delivered a major surprise as Johnny Gargano made his return and secured a championship opportunity in dramatic fashion.
The night featured a #1 Contender Gauntlet Eliminator Match to determine who would challenge Myles Borne for the NXT North American Championship at Stand & Deliver on April 4.
The match began with Shiloh Hill and Jackson Drake starting things off. Charlie Dempsey entered at number three, followed by Dion Lennox at number four. A mystery participant had been teased ahead of time, and the reveal brought a big reaction as Candice LeRae appeared on stage to introduce her husband, Johnny Gargano.
LeRae’s presence played a key role in the story. She was shown trying to help Gargano regain confidence after his recent struggles on WWE television following Tommaso Ciampa’s departure. However, Gargano’s return did not start well. Jackson Drake immediately attacked him, leaving him laid out in the ring, mirroring the position fans had recently seen him in during his slump.
The chaos continued as O.T.M., consisting of Bronco Nima and Lucien Price, interfered and took out Dion Lennox. That allowed Shiloh Hill to capitalize and eliminate Lennox from the match. Hill then built momentum by eliminating both Jackson Drake and Charlie Dempsey.
After Dempsey’s elimination, the group Birthright, including Uriah Connors, Channing ‘Stacks’ Lorenzo, and Dempsey, stormed the ring and attacked Hill. They threw him back inside, leaving him vulnerable. At that point, Candice LeRae urged Gargano to get back into the fight. While he still appeared out of it, LeRae took matters into her own hands and pushed Gargano on top of Hill.
The referee counted the pin, giving Gargano the win in unexpected fashion.
With the victory, Gargano is now officially set to challenge Myles Borne for the NXT North American Championship at Stand & Deliver. The result adds a major title match to the card and marks a significant moment in Gargano’s return story.
Johnny Gargano Returns to NXT, Earns North American Title Shot
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