Backstage News On Status Of Johnny Gargano And Candice LaRae

There's a surplus of power couples in pro wrestling, and one couple looks ready to make their return to the squared circle shortly.

According to Dave Meltzer in the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter, it's expected that former "WWE NXT" stars Johnny Gargano and Candice LeRae will soon be ready to return to professional wrestling. And though he didn't indicate where the two would wind up, Meltzer did note that there were people in AEW pushing the company to bring in LeRae.

This isn't exactly surprising, as LeRae has a long history with top AEW tag team the Young Bucks. LeRae and the Bucks were rivals in the Southern California independent promotion Pro Wrestling Guerilla in the early 2010s, facing off in numerous tag and multi-person matches, most notably in 2014, when LeRae defeated the Bucks in a bloody Guerilla Warfare match to become one-half of the PWG Tag Team Champions. In the past, both Matt and Nick Jackson have named LeRae as the female talent they'd want to sign the most from WWE.

As for Gargano, Meltzer noted that the former "NXT" Champion has an open door with WWE, but speculated the promotion may not be the ideal landing spot for him due to "NXT's" move towards younger talent and the likelihood Gargano wouldn't receive a main roster push. However, he also speculated that AEW may not be an ideal landing place either due to the company's loaded roster and limited TV time.

Gargano departed from WWE in December of 2021 after his contract expired and has since laid low while LeRae gave birth to the couple's first child. LeRae's contract then expired in May, making both of them unrestricted free agents. Gargano will appear at a panel at Starrcast V this July, with the panel expected to focus on what his next career move will be.