Why Tommaso Ciampa Hasn’t Been On WWE Television, Explained
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When Triple H took over creative control of WWE, fans were intrigued at what would become of Tommaso Ciampa, who was a clear favorite of Triple H back when the pair were in NXT. Ciampa was a multi-time champion in developmental under Triple H’s ruling, so fans were expecting an improvement in his presentation and booking after Vince McMahon stepped aside. However, before they could even begin to think about his future and booking, Ciampa was put on the shelf and has not been on WWE programming for many months - not since August of 2022. There will be some who wonder as to why Ciampa has been absent.
Tommaso Ciampa’s WWE Booking Was Improving Before His Absence
Unlike some wrestlers on the roster who are out of favor, Ciampa’s lack of presence on WWE programming hasn’t been down to a lack of creative plans - it has been due to injury. Prior to his absence, Ciampa was featured alongside The Miz as a kind of sidekick, but he was beginning to get more prominence individually under Triple H. Ciampa would pick up some big wins, notably one over AJ Styles, and he earned himself a shot at the United States Championship in a match that helped to elevate the prestige of the belt with some great video packages and a decent build.
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In the aftermath of this, Ciampa looked to perhaps further himself and escape The Miz’s shadow, but he unfortunately had to undergo hip surgery in October, with PWInsider reporting at the time that he would be out of action for the rest of the year. This was unfortunate for Ciampa, who could have well featured into WWE’s plans in the midcard division, or even alongside former tag team partner Johnny Gargano, who has returned to WWE since Ciampa was ruled out. With it being a new year and several months since his initial surgery, Ciampa is still not back.
Tommaso Ciampa Recently Underwent Stem Cell Treatment
Very recently, Ciampa took to Instagram to give details on his recovery process and to provide an update, stating, “They have this awesome tradition at @bioxcellerator where you write what you are hoping to achieve on your stem cell bag. I wrote “dance with buddies” which is Willow’s term for wrestling, and 'play tag' because it breaks my heart that I can’t run and play with my 4 year old. 130 million cells via IV 190 million cells via intraarticular (ankles, knees, hips, shoulders) 40 million cells via intradiscal (lumbar spine, facets, SI joints) 360 million stem cells in total. Let’s heal!”
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Ciampa certainly remains optimistic based on this, and following what looks to be his final stem cell treatment, he is aiming on an in-ring return, whenever that may be. For some time it was even in doubt whether Ciampa would ever make it to the main roster, but he has impressed in glimpses despite being saddled with a gimmick in which he has been by the side of The Miz, who is the complete antithesis to Ciampa’s gimmick and personality in NXT. Either way, he made it work, and he can hopefully make a comeback in the near future.
There are many wrestlers currently sitting on the sidelines through injury, including the likes of Big E, Randy Orton, Robert Roode, R-Truth, and others, who could all be beneficial to WWE programming upon a return. Right now, it isn’t entirely clear to see where Ciampa would fit in, whether it be realigning with The Miz, reuniting DIY, or going on a singles push by himself, but he is a strong enough competitor around the board to make anything work, and it certainly helps that he has been a favorite of Triple H for several years.
