The March 24, 2026, episode of WWE NXT had a big surprise as Johnny Gargano returned and became the No. 1 contender for the NXT North American Championship. He entered as the mystery fifth contestant in a Gauntlet Eliminator match and secured the win.
The NXT North American Champion, Myles Borne, has been looking for a challenger for Stand & Deliver. To decide that, NXT General Manager Shawn Michaels set up a Gauntlet Eliminator match. The match included Shiloh Hill, Dion Lennox, Jackson Drake, and Charlie Dempsey, along with one mystery entrant.
The match started with Shiloh Hill and Jackson Drake. Hill showed his power, while Drake used speed. Dion Lennox entered next. Then Charlie Dempsey joined in.
Shiloh Hill looked like the strongest competitor for most of the match. He eliminated Lennox and then took out both Drake and Dempsey with the same finisher. By the time the final entrant was about to come in, Hill had already eliminated three opponents and seemed like he was ready to win.
But things changed.
Johnny Gargano wins the Gauntlet Eliminator match
Just before the last entrant, Candice LeRae returned to NXT as the crowd cheered for her. She spoke about trying everything to bring back “Johnny Wrestling” and said bringing him back to NXT was her last hope.
Gargano then made his entry. He looked confused and unsure, still in his “depressive” state. In the ring, he struggled and couldn’t keep up. Throughout the match, he got hit by wrestlers, and he came back to his default position, lying flat on the mat.
However, the ending took a surprising turn. Members of Birthright interfered and attacked Hill outside the ring. When Hill was put back inside, Gargano still looked confused and slow to react. That’s when Candice stepped in again and pushed Gargano onto Hill. The referee counted to three, and Gargano won the match via pinfall.
With that unexpected win, Johnny Gargano defeated Shiloh Hill and became the No. 1 contender for the NXT North American Championship. Now, Gargano is set to face Myles Borne at Stand & Deliver.
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