This year’s SummerSlam will be one of the most intriguing WWE premium live events (PLEs) of the summer at Cleveland Browns Stadium.
The Cleveland area is home to United States Champion Logan Paul, his brother Jake, former Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce and his brother, Travis.
Johnny Gargano, one half of the tag team known as DIY, is also a Cleveland native and has been at Cleveland Browns Stadium in the past to welcome his favorite NFL team into the stadium. When the possibility of the Pauls and Kelces squaring off in a tag-team match was mentioned, Gargano seemed interested.
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WWE superstar Johnny Gargano breaks a custom painted Jacksonville Jaguars guitar before a game between the Jacksonville Jaguars and Cleveland Browns Dec. 10, 2023, at Cleveland Browns Stadium in Cleveland. (Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
“Yeah, that’d be big. You never know,” Gargano told Fox News Digital with a laugh. “Look, it’s in Cleveland Browns Stadium, I will say. There are members of the Cleveland Browns roster that are wrestling fans. I’ll mention David Njoku especially. I know Myles Garrett’s done a Shawn Michaels pose a few times as well. I would not rule out any Cleveland Browns being in attendance that night.
“But Paul brothers versus Kelce brothers, that is definitely box office. Big headlines. You never know.”
WWE’s last premium live event in Cleveland was Fastlane in 2019, and that was an arena show. This time around, the football stadium will play host to the premium live event. It will also be the first PLE in the U.S. WWE will hold most of them outside the country.
Andrade and Jason Kelce celebrating their win against Legado del Fantasma during WrestleMania 40 at Lincoln Financial Field April 6, 2024, in Philadelphia. (WWE/Getty Images)
Logan Paul is introduced before a triple threat match against Randy Orton and Kevin Owens at Lincoln Financial Field April 7, 2024, in Philadelphia. (Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)
To have it in Cleveland means more for Gargano.
“I heard a few months ago that it was a possibility. And when I heard it was a possibility, I said, ‘Please, just please,’” he told Fox News Digital. “You know how freaking cool that would be? This is something I’ve been waiting for, I don’t want to say my whole life, but essentially my whole life, for the majority of my life. A huge big four WWE event in Cleveland, Ohio. The fact that it’s in Cleveland Browns Stadium is something I never thought would happen.”
Gargano said he dreamed about possibly wrestling in the stadium when he was a child. But he didn’t think it would ever happen because Cleveland isn’t considered a major market, and doing open-air shows wasn’t really a thing years ago.
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“The fact that it’s actually happening, it’s actually a real thing, not just a daydream … the fact that SummerSlam is coming to Cleveland, Ohio, and I am an active member of the WWE roster, and I have a chance to wrestle in that stadium on that show, it feels like destiny, man. It really, really does.”
WWE just finished with Backlash in Lyon, France, and for those even watching at home, the crowd roared over commentators Michael Cole and Corey Graves.
Gargano said he has “faith” in the fans to bring their all and follow in the “footsteps of all the international PLEs.”
By the time Aug. 3 rolls around, it’s unclear where Gargano will be in the championship picture. He and his tag-team partner, Tommaso Ciampa, were recently drafted to SmackDown and have yet to capitalize on the opportunities to hold tag-team gold.
Tommaso Ciampa and Johnny Gargano celebrate their win during Monday Night RAW at the Bell Centre April 15, 2024, in Montreal. (WWE/Getty Images)
Gargano said he still believes he can win gold in 2024 and accomplish his goal of being a WWE champion.
“I just want to be on SummerSlam in any way, shape or form,” he said. “But if it were to shake out that way, if we were to get a shot at the WWE tag-team titles at SummerSlam in my hometown, and the fact that it’s in Cleveland Browns Stadium. I had my senior prom in Cleveland Browns Stadium. I had my 30th birthday party, thanks to my lovely wife, in Cleveland Browns Stadium.
“I trained for Takeover: New York for my NXT championship in Cleveland Browns Stadium. I have so much history in that building. I pride myself on being the Cleveland professional wrestler because I am very proud to rep it wherever I go.
“If I were to get the opportunity to win the WWE tag-team titles in that stadium for my family and friends, that would be … something I would remember for a very, very long time. Until the day I die really. That’s the culmination of years of work. So, who knows? We’ll see what happens.”
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WWE SummerSlam is scheduled for Aug. 3. Tickets went on sale earlier this week.
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