Recently returned WWE Superstar reportedly "considered" signing with AEW before Triple H brought him back

Wrestling fans were shocked this past week when Johnny Gargano made his WWE return on Raw, especially given reports that he was considering joining AEW.

Gargano is one of many released WWE superstars who has returned to the company in the wake of Triple H taking over creative.

The likes of Karrion Kross, Dexter Lumis and Dakota Kai were all let go by WWE in 2021. But after Vince McMahon's retirement, they have all been given a second chance, with more expected to follow. Likewise, Gargano previously left the company in December, but now he's back.

In this week's Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer noted that Johnny Gargano did in fact consider joining AEW as he would not only have made a lot of money, but he would have had fun as well.

“Obviously when Gargano didn’t sign a contract when his old deal expired in December, he strongly considered AEW," wrote Meltzer. "His mentality at the time was that with a son coming, money was important but it was also about having fun and for him that is the ability to do the great matches that got him over in NXT." (H/T WrestleTalk).

However, the move never materialized, and All Elite Wrestling president Tony Khan never made Gargano or his wife Candice LeRae an offer.

“For whatever reason, AEW didn’t go after him and had a long time to make him an offer," he continued. "There were those in AEW interested but in the end Tony Khan had to make decisions of who he wanted. There was also interest in Candice LeRae from AEW but not sure if they’ve pursued it hard or what her current status would be." (H/T WrestleTalk).

Johnny Gargano really wanted to wrestle Kenny Omega in AEW

While fans are over the moon to see Johnny Gargano back in a WWE ring, the fact that he didn't go to All Elite Wrestling prevented a potential dream match from taking place.

As someone who goes by the name "The Best Bout Machine," it's obvious that Kenny Omega is high on the list of dream matches for people. This may have been a big reason why Gargano considered going to All Elite Wrestling.

“All Elite Wrestling was the place for that at that time, plus the schedule was favorable since his body has a lot of wear and tear," Meltzer continued. "He had openly talked about wanting to wrestle Omega and called Omega the best in the world." (H/T WrestleTalk).

Do you think fans will ever see Johnny Gargano vs. Kenny Omega? Let us know in the comments section down below!

Watch DDP and Vince Russo discuss whether Johnny Gargano's former stablemate Theory can be a top star: