Johnny Gargano is back in NXT.
Tonight's episode of the development brand featured a gauntlet elimination match to determine the next challenger for the North American Championship.
Shiloh Hill and Jackson Drake started the bout, with Dion Lennox, and Charlie Dempsey entering at #3 and #4, respectively. The final contestant had been kept a mystery, and Candice LeRae showed up in the arena as the countdown neared its end.
The former Women's Speed Champion mentioned that she has tried everything to revitalize her husband, except bringing him back to the place where he built his name. Johnny Gargano, still in the funk, then entered the match as the final contestant.
The former NXT champion immediately ate a kick from Drake which left him out cold on the apron for the rest of the bout. Shiloh Hill got the first elimination as the match continued. He took out Dion Lennox with a neckbreaker for the pin.
Hill then got two more eliminations as he took out both Jackson Drake and Charlie Dempsey with the back suplex neckbreaker one by one. Birthright showed up after Dempsey's elimination and beat Shiloh up before throwing him back into the ring.
Candice LeRae did not waste the opportunity, and she threw her husband onto Shiloh Hill for the pin. The victory earns the former NXT Champion a shot at Myles Borne on the upcoming Stand & Deliver event on April 4.
