Tommaso Ciampa update (potential spoilers): New injury suffered at TakeOver requires surgery

Heading into last Saturday’s NXT TakeOver: Chicago event, word of an injury Tommaso Ciampa suffered at a house show in Kentucky caused a lot of concern among fans. But in his pre-TakeOver conference call, Triple H said he’d be good to go. Sure enough, when it was main event time in Allstate Arena on May 20, the Sicilian Psychopath was there, doing crazy ladder spots and kickstarting a hot angle by betraying his tag partner Johnny Gargano with a brutal beatdown after their loss.

In the aftermath, Haitch did his usual post-TakeOver Facebook Live chat with Cathy Kelley. There, Trips introduced the idea Ciampa’s injury was an ongoing concern. But since that interview is usually kayfabe - and because whatever was ailing the ex-#DIY-er was discussed as possible motivation for his turn - it still wasn’t clear what it all meant:

I just walked by Tommaso Ciampa, who is furious about everything, but in the trainers room with what looks like a significant injury as well...which I think might have fueled some of where this is coming from.

On Thursday night at Full Sail (and this is where we enter spoiler territory, so... last warning), the Psycho Killer appeared on crutches and said he would be out “for a while” due to an injury suffered in Chicago. He vowed to be the most dangerous man in pro wrestling when he returns.

Initially, it was believed this was due to Ciampa having re-aggravated the ankle he sprained prior to TakeOver. Not so, says PWInsider, who is reporting whatever happened during the ladder match is a new injury. While they did not have information about what the injury is, it’s said to require surgery, and Ciampa will be in Birmingham, Alabama for that and post-surgical rehabilitation.

Without knowledge of the prognosis and course of treatment, it’s difficult to know how to react. But just in general, this is horrible timing, both for Ciampa and Johnny Gargano, the tag partner he attacked last weekend. Fans have been anticipating this program for almost a year, its launch came off almost flawlessly and every move the principals have made online since has raised excitement.

A storyline injury for Gargano buys them some time, and crowds will always pop for a surprise return (something the lack of info about Ciampa’s recovery time helps), but it will be a shame if the injury forces them to put over the feud for more than a couple months.

Stay tuned.