Tommaso Ciampa says he'll retire over moving to RAW or SmackDown
It appears as though it's Full Sail University or bust for Former NXT Champion Tommaso Ciampa. "The Psycho Killer" made an appearance on Lilian Garcia's 'Chasing Glory Podcast' and confirmed that his recent neck surgery has put on a running clock on his wrestling career. He says by staying on NXT, he can keep his career going a little longer:
“I have a little one at home and my schedule is better in NXT than it would be on the road – and I had neck surgery and I’m not freaking stupid. I get that my window is smaller than it was and my bump card is ticking, and I just look at it like if I’m doing 200+ days a year on the road with Raw or SmackDown, or I’m doing a manageable load of 30 to 50 matches with NXT. […] So I can do four years of that in the time I do one year with Raw and SmackDown. So how long can my career and portfolio grow here as opposed to going there. Now it’s become a thing where I have legitimately vocalized to them that if I have to go to Raw or SmackDown, then I’m going to retire.
However, things could ultimately change in the near future. It's possible that NXT could go on the road when their contract with Full Sail comes to an end. It's unclear how that would impact Ciampa's future with the Black and Gold Brand.
When his in-ring career does ultimately come to a close, that doesn't mean his time with the company will. Ciampa says he's very open to the idea of being a coach or a producer. For the immediate future though, he's keeping his eyes on Adam Cole and Goldie.