Tommaso Ciampa has been one of the biggest stars in the current era of NXT, but he has also suffered multiple setbacks due to injury. While those injuries did not come at opportune times, they did turn out to be blessings in their own ways, he told CBS Sports' State of Combat podcast ahead of NXT TakeOver: WarGames 3 (Saturday, 7 p.m. ET, WWE Network).
In May 2017, Ciampa suffered a torn ACL during a ladder match where he and DIY teammate Johnny Gargano lost to the Authors of Pain. He turned on Gargano after the match but was sidelined by the injury until reigniting his feud with Gargano, making his in-ring return in April 2018. Ciampa went on to win the NXT championship, only to relinquish the title 237 days after his reign began so he could have surgery on his neck. Now back in action and set to take part in Saturday's big event, Ciampa said he found value in both times he was forced out of action, just as he found value and growth in being partnered with and against Gargano.
"Johnny Gargano, to me, he's the best professional wrestler in the world today," Ciampa said. "No doubt about it. Inside the ring, bell-to-bell, there's just nobody better. So having him as a teammate for years as part of DIY helped me tremendously. It helped me elevate my in-ring game. I just knew the entire time as DIY that I, unlike Johnny Gargano, am a sports entertainer. He's a professional wrestler. It sounds like it's the same thing, but it's slightly different. I just knew that I needed a slightly different platform and different stage to highlight all the things I can do, whether it be on the microphone or simply my presence and my aura.
"So, once we separated, yeah man, I knew it was just a matter of time until the world saw what I already knew. Unfortunately, the neck injury happened just like unfortunately the ACL injury happened. Sometimes injuries can be the best thing that happen to a guy because it allows you to freshen up and allows the crowd to miss you. Going from the top 'heel' in the industry, taking some time away to heal my neck and allow the people to miss me and understand what it was they had with me and just how special I am, allowed me to come back. I haven't changed a damn thing, I am who I am, but the people, I think they just understand now what they had with me."
For Ciampa, the fans "understanding" what he brings to the table is valuable: The crowd is allowed to miss him. With weekly TV and touring schedules, it's easy for wrestlers to become an expected part of the show, doing what they do so often as to lose some of their shine. Twice, at the hottest moments of his career, Ciampa has been shelved and fans were left wanting more.
"Both were blessings in totally different ways," Ciampa said. "With the ACL, I think it just allowed -- one, I'd been wrestling for two years on two shoulders that needed to be repaired -- so, it allowed me to heal my shoulders and get some work done on those. Just the timing of it, being that I would go away the day after turning on my best friend, it just allowed people -- in a world of instant gratification -- it forced everybody to wait. It forced everybody's hand. It forced us not to pay everything off right away and it forced the crowd to wait. In that time away, those nine months total, Johnny Gargano took on a new life of his own in one of the best singles runs probably in NXT history and that match with Andrade was just icing on the cake. He had at TakeOver in January. It was just kind of like a perfect storm.
"This time around, it was a blessing in a completely different way. I don't think it's any secret anymore that I have a family away from the business. My wife and I had just had a baby girl in September, and I went down with my neck injury and took some time off in March. The baby was six months old at the time, so it just allowed me to be home and kind of get away from wrestling, step away from the whole world of it and just take time at home and watch all of her firsts and be a part of everything. Two completely different reasons, but both times just kind of gave me a chance to hit the reset button. There's nothing better for a performer in an industry that doesn't have an offseason than to take time off and be missed. Not too many people get that luxury."
Check out the rest of Ciampa's interview on the State of Combat with Brian Campbell podcast. Ciampa discusses his 2005 WWE debut across from The Undertaker, what to expect at WarGames and what the future holds for him in NXT and WWE. Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast for WWE episodes each week.
