In his latest, PWP Nation’s Editor-in-Chief Caden Moran discusses how the neck injury to Tommaso Ciampa hurts more than just him within NXT
Ever since the summer of 2016, there has been a long-term story brewing and building within WWE’s developmental brand, NXT. During NXT Takeover: Chicago two years ago, we saw one of NXT’s most popular duos, DIY, consisting of Tommaso Ciampa and Johnny Gargano, split in brutal fashion. Ciampa brutalized his former partner and friend, thus beginning one of the best stories in NXT’s history.
Fast forward three years later, and the story between Ciampa and Gargano is still going. The past three years of Ciampa and Gargano’s careers have been focused on each other. From being NXT Tag Team Champions to becoming bitter enemies, they have never left each others sight.
The story was supposed to lead to the inevitable crowning moment for Johnny Gargano as NXT Champion. However, as we now know, that inevitable crowning moment has come crashing down due to another serious injury suffered by the now former NXT Champion.
Even though Johnny Gargano will still be getting his opportunity at the NXT Championship at NXT Takeover: New York, Ciampa will no longer be his opponent. If you are interested in knowing who Gargano will face during Wrestlemania weekend, you can check that out here.
Tommaso Ciampa’s neck injury and surgery couldn’t have come at a worse time. NXT Takeover: New York was supposed to be the culmination of three years of hard work. The storytelling and matches that Ciampa put on with Gargano and others shouldn’t be forgotten.
However, even with Ciampa’s incredible run over the past year, his absence from New York in April will be felt by many.
The headline for this article reads the word “unsatisfied”, and here is why.
The long-term story of Johnny Gargano vs Tommaso Ciampa has been one of the greatest stories in not just NXT’s history, but WWE’s history as a whole. The story that both men were able to tell throughout their series of matches together was nothing short of phenomenal.
The idea of “Johnny Wrestling” finally overcoming the sadistic and manipulative “Blackheart” to claim the NXT title is what many fans have been waiting to see. However, now that Ciampa is out for at least six months due to his injury, we will never see Johnny Gargano overcome his former friend in NXT.
The injury to Tommaso Ciampa may hurt him, but it also hurts the story that was being told, it hurts Johnny Gargano, and it hurts the NXT Universe.
Don’t get me wrong, I am still looking forward to seeing Johnny Gargano have his moment at NXT Takeover: New York against his opponent. However, my interest in seeing what happens has decreased due to the lack of Tommaso Ciampa.
I can guarantee I’m not the only one who feels this way.
Perhaps it’s silly to think that way. Maybe Gargano doesn’t need Ciampa to have a fulfilling moment. Maybe Gargano winning the NXT title in April will be as satisfying as it would’ve been had he faced Ciampa.
Injuries happen all the time in the world of professional wrestling. They sometimes happen in the middle of times where an injury is the last thing you want. This has been one of those times.
When Tommaso Ciampa returns from his injury, I do expect him to go right back after the NXT title. I would expect a more sadistic and more manipulative version of Ciampa as well. When it comes to NXT, injuries in the middle of long-term stories have been blessings in disguise.
Not this time, however. The last three and a half years of this story have been leading to NXT Takeover: New York, and it was all for nothing. That is why this is all unsatisfying.
I am still looking forward to NXT Takeover in New York because the card is stacked and I am genuinely excited for Johnny Gargano regardless of everything that has happened.
I am also a big fan of Tommaso Ciampa, so this injury news hurt a lot. However, Ciampa came back from his ACL tear a new man, so I can’t imagine what he’ll be like when he returns from this injury.
Even though Ciampa’s injury may have derailed his momentum and the satisfaction level for Johnny Gargano and the fans, the story that was being told was incredible. There is no way it can end like this.
We will see Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa clash once again, but for now, it is almost time for the Johnny Gargano era in NXT to begin. It may not be as satisfying, but we can still very much enjoy it.