Ciampa shares "career ending" neck surgery message ahead of WWE WrestleMania XL
A month away from WrestleMania XL, Ciampa was grinding to make it to the match card of WWE's biggest spectacle of the year. Until he decided to take a moment to reflect on the rollercoaster of a year he had prior.
Ciampa suffered many injuries over the years, even during his time in NXT. He made his RAW debut in 2022, but a few months later got sidelined once again. After spending an entire year away, the former NXT Champion returned to WWE programming in June 2023.
One month later, Ciampa revealed that he genuinely thought his in-ring career was over at one point. Earlier today on Instagram, the 38-year-old shared a post highlighting his work ethic and hinting that a WrestleMania match may be on the horizon for the former NXT Champion:
"5 years post op from “career ending” neck surgery. 4 weeks out from Wrestlemania. My work ethic is my secret weapon. Always has been. Always will be," wrote Ciampa.
Ciampa and Johnny Gargano could very well be next in line for the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship based on where they have been positioned on the weekly shows by the creative team. He even proclaimed that DIY will become the new champions inevitably in 2024.
Ciampa is not interested in going back to WWE NXT
Much of the 38-year-old WWE Superstar's best run in the pro-wrestling juggernaut was while he wrestled in NXT. A section of the loyal fanbase of the former black-and-gold brand often brings up his remarkable contests with Johnny Gargano as some of the most notable ones in the last decade. He even held the NXT Championship twice and the NXT Tag Team Championship once.
Despite all of this, Ciampa is not looking to go back to Tuesday nights. While he does consider taking up non-wrestling jobs in NXT down the line, he feels there is a lot left to do on the main roster.
"I think there's a door that's very open for guys like myself and Johnny [Gargano] because of loyalty, because of the way we handle ourselves outside of the ring, professionalism, and stuff that like, there's a spot producing, coaching, something. Yeah, I'm just not done performing. Like, physically, I know, my body sometimes just tells me like, 'Hey, stop.' But really, mentally, I'm not anywhere close," Ciampa told Chris Van Vliet on INSIGHT. [H/T: Wrestling Inc.]
Damian Priest and Finn Balor have held the tag titles since regaining them from Cody Rhodes and Jey Uso in October 2023. Could #DIY be the next tag team to carry the belts? We may find out on the Road To WrestleMania XL itself.