From the WWE Rumor Mill: Popular NXT star to undergo surgery
What’s the story?
It looks like kayfabe karma has come back to bite Tommaso Ciampa. The former NXT Tag Team champion – who turned on his partner, Johnny Gargano, after their loss at NXT Takeover Chicago – will now need ankle surgery and will be out an unspecified amount of time, which could be long depending on the diagnosis.
The background
Ciampa’s team with Gargano, DIY, was involved in a match with SAnitY mere days before Takeover, when Ciampa apparently suffered an ankle injury. The match was stopped, declared a no-contest, and Ciampa was helped to the back.
However, it appeared that the injury wasn’t enough to keep him out of the next NXT event, and the match went on as scheduled.
The heart of the matter
Shortly after Ciampa’s attack on Gargano, it was apparent that Gargano wasn’t the only one walking – no pun intended – out of Takeover with an injury. During the match, Ciampa injured his ankle again – this time, to the point it will require surgery.
At the following NXT TV tapings, Ciampa used this to explain his attack, telling the crowd that he knew he was injured and that, because of that, Gargano would replace him. Ciampa went on the explain that by attacking his partner, he would prove he was irreplaceable.
What’s next?
Ciampa also told the crowd that he was “going away for a while” but that when he returned, he would be “the most dangerous man in professional wrestling.”
Gargano is also recovering from an injury (both real and on TV), which means that both men will be off NXT TV for the foreseeable future.
Author’s take
It’s a bit disheartening to hear about the injuries to both these wrestlers considering how much potential a feud between them has. Let’s hope neither man is out of action for very long, lest the crowd forgets about them before they finally return.
We’ll have updates on the recovery of both of these awesome wrestlers as the details become available.