Johnny Gargano was just hanging out with his mom when he got the main roster call.
On Feb. 18, WWE shook things up by injecting NXT superstars Johnny Gargano, Tommaso Ciampa, Ricochet and Aleister Black into the main roster. The four men were the pillars of NXT in 2018 and their main roster debuts were surprising to many, including those on the roster.
Speaking to WKYC, Gargano revealed where he was when he got the call he would be appearing on Raw and SmackDown.
"I was actually in Cleveland when I got the call that I was going to be on Raw and Smackdown,” Gargano recalled. “I was at my mom’s house and it was in the morning. They said, ‘Hey, you’re going to be on Raw and Smackdown in a couple days,’ which is pretty crazy. It seems like all of my biggest life events happen when I’m actually at home in Cleveland, around my family. I was there for my dad’s 77th birthday party, so I got to go to his party later that night and say, ‘Hey, I’m going to be on Raw and Smackdown in a couple days.’ It’s super cool, man. I know I’ve used the word, ‘cool’ a lot, but I’m still just a kid from Cleveland, and life is just cool.”
Prior to being called up to the main roster, Gargano made a surprise appearance in the 2019 Royal Rumble. Earlier in the night, Gargano's wife Candice LeRae was a surprise entrant in the Women's Royal Rumble.
“Everything is so mind-blowing,” Gargano said. “I kind of take one day at a time because you never know what the next day brings, and I found out I was going to be in the Royal Rumble the night before. Luckily enough, my mom was there for TakeOver, so I kind of had to tell her, ‘Hey, I think you have to stay now.’ Candice’s parents were there, so they got to see me and Candice in the Royal Rumble. For her to appear in the Women’s Royal Rumble and me to appear in the Men’s Royal Rumble, it’s just so cool.”
Gargano, teaming with Ciampa, picked up back-to-back victories over The Revival and The Bar on Raw and SmackDown two weeks ago. He did not appear on Raw or SmackDown this past week, but continues to be a focal point on NXT television.
