Former WWE champion reveals how Triple H hid him before critical moment

WWE goes to great lengths to present its fans with the best twists and drama. Due to the presence of a camera in every person's hand, the Stamford-based promotion must hide its superstars before they make a comeback. Interestingly, one name that had to stay in hiding revealed how Triple H had hidden him before a critical moment.

Johnny Gargano is a former one-time WWE Tag Team Champion who secured the title with his teammate Tommaso Ciampa. The DIY member left the company in 2021 but made a big comeback in August 2022. However, to surprise fans, he had to hide in the locker room of the Toronto Raptors of the NBA to make a completely covert entry.

He had already made the details of his hiding public back then. However, he has now talked about Triple H’s involvement in a recent post on Instagram.

“Two years ago today, around this time, I was hiding by myself in the Toronto Raptors locker room, waiting to return to @WWE on Monday Night RAW. Tommaso and Triple H did come to visit me, but only a handful of people in the world knew I was actually in the building that night. Genuine surprises are incredibly rare in this day and age, but I'll always be proud we were able to create such a cool moment!” he wrote.

Notably, Gargano hid for about eight hours in the locker room before being brought into the arena for his surprise return. Interestingly, WWE utilized the same tactics to keep the return of another top superstar a secret in July 2024.

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How did WWE hide Rhea Ripley before her surprising comeback?

The return of Rhea Ripley after an injury hiatus on RAW shocked everyone. Mami caught Dominik Mysterio red-handed as he had almost kissed Liv Morgan after defeating his father, Rey Mysterio. Notably, the Stamford-based promotion had to bring the Australian superstar back in extreme secrecy to preserve the shock value.

According to a report by PW Insider, Triple H flew Rhea Ripley into Ottawa, Canada, via a private plane. Later, when she reached the Canadian Tire Center, she hid backstage all day. It was only when the show was about to end that she came out, and her entrance theme was blasted in the faces of Dom and Morgan.

The effort paid off and built the ground for a highly successful SummerSlam PLE that has uplifted the Judgment Day storyline. It would be interesting to see what awaits in the next chapter of this storyline at Bash in Berlin.