Johnny Gargano just went from spending months lying on a box backstage to challenging CM Punk for the Undisputed WWE Championship on SmackDown.
The bizarre storyline finally paid off Friday night when Punk approached Gargano backstage and offered him a championship opportunity, prompting Gargano to suddenly get back on his feet. The hometown favorite then stepped into the main event in Cleveland for his first match in months.
The timing couldn’t be much more interesting. Gargano’s sudden return to prominence comes as legitimate questions have emerged about his WWE future—and whether Johnny Wrestling could soon be headed elsewhere.
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What We Know About Johnny Gargano’s WWE Contract
Fightful Select has reported that Gargano has not signed a new contract with WWE and is currently set to become a free agent. Additional reporting this week indicated that Gargano’s existing WWE deal is nearing its expiration.
That makes Friday night’s SmackDown main event especially interesting.
Gargano challenged Punk for the Undisputed WWE Championship in his hometown of Cleveland, marking his first match since April. It was a dramatic change of direction for Gargano, who had spent months appearing silently backstage as part of one of WWE’s strangest ongoing storylines.
The match also comes after weeks of speculation surrounding Gargano’s status.
Some fans recently pointed to Gargano’s social media bio, which does not mention WWE, as evidence that he could be preparing to leave the company. However, Fightful previously reported that the bio was not a recent change and that Gargano had used the same description for years.
Former WWE creative team member Road Dogg added more fuel to the speculation when he described Gargano as a “Hunter guy” before writing, “the times they are a changing.”
There is also an interesting wrinkle from the SmackDown taping itself.
After the show, Gargano addressed the Cleveland crowd and said he turns to Cody Rhodes when facing “significant career choices.” Gargano did not say that he was referring to his WWE contract, and connecting the two definitively would be speculation. Given the reporting surrounding his contract, however, the timing is notable.
So, is Johnny Gargano leaving WWE?
That has not been decided—at least publicly.
Gargano remains with WWE, and Friday’s championship match with Punk certainly doesn’t suggest the company has no interest in featuring him. But Fightful’s reporting indicates that his contract is approaching its expiration and, unless the two sides reach a new agreement, Gargano is currently headed toward free agency.
