Johnny Gargano Finally Wakes Up on WWE SmackDown Thanks to CM Punk

Johnny Gargano was finally back on his feet during the September 4 episode of WWE SmackDown in Cleveland, bringing one of the show’s longest-running backstage jokes to an end.

For several months, Gargano had been seen lying motionless on production cases while Candice LeRae and other WWE stars tried unsuccessfully to get a reaction from him.

The unusual storyline began following his loss to Axiom on January 30 and continued during his subsequent SmackDown appearances.

There were occasional signs that Johnny Wrestling was still alive and well. Gargano returned to NXT, earned an opportunity at the NXT North American Championship and competed at Stand & Deliver. However, whenever he returned to SmackDown, he found himself back on the production cases.

This week, CM Punk discovered exactly what was needed to wake him up.

Punk had been speaking with SmackDown General Manager Nick Aldis about finding a new challenger for his WWE Championship. With Sami Zayn repeatedly disrupting attempts to determine a number one contender, Punk decided to search for an opponent himself.

The WWE Champion soon spotted LeRae standing beside the motionless Gargano. Punk knelt beside the former NXT Champion and appealed to the competitor he believed was still in there, reminding Gargano that he was born and raised in Cleveland.

Punk then offered Gargano the chance to challenge for the WWE Championship later that evening.

There was initially no response, leading Punk to joke that he had at least tried. However, when the camera returned to Gargano, Johnny Wrestling was finally standing on his own two feet.

Gargano looked at Punk and said:

“Let’s do it.”

The championship match was then made official. Gargano later celebrated the end of his lengthy backstage slumber with a simple social media message:

“He’s alive.”

After months of lying motionless backstage, it appears that all Gargano needed was the chance to fight for WWE’s biggest prize in front of his hometown supporters.

He's alive.#JohnnyWressurected pic.twitter.com/ImZSlUEMfy

, Johnny Gargano (@JohnnyGargano) September 5, 2026