It sounds like Tommaso Ciampa’s recovery process is going better than expected.
To recap, the former NXT Champion was forced to relinquish the developmental brand’s top title due to a neck injury. The “Blackheart” of NXT was scheduled to finish off his rivalry against Johnny Gargano at Takeover: New York, but unfortunately, Ciampa’s injury didn’t allow him to continue.
Back in his documentary on the WWE network, Ciampa wasn’t too sure about his wrestling future due to this being his second major injury within a five-year time span; however, a recent update regarding the former NXT Champion brings hopeful news of his return.
Triple H spoke to the media following Saturday’s show and provided them with a positive injury update for the former DIY member (transcript courtesy of
wrestletalk.com):
“Cleared for non contact means you can’t do anything in this business. He can talk which is what was doing in this moment. He’s ahead of schedule and doing extremely well. Ahead of schedule on all of it and moving along. But with the type of injury he had and the type of surgery he had, especially in this from a physicality stand point, you’re not doing anything until you’re 100 percent. It’s not like you can go in there and lightly take suplexes. You have to be 100 percent. So, he’s still got a ways to go but he’s way ahead of the curve and the schedule.”
In terms of a return date, Triple H never gives a exact time or month, but ensures that "he’ll be back soon”:
“He’ll be back soon …and I’m sure when he does he’ll be ready to claim his spot.”
Ciampa was part of the pre-show panel for Takeover 25 and Triple H said this could help with his mental recovery:
“For him, chomping at the bit every day is too long and he’s chomping at the bit to come back. I called this week and had him come here cause I wanted him to be here and just talking to him, I felt like he just needed to be around this. He’s at the Performance Center every day and he’s around it but this is different. I wanted him to come here and be around it, so it was a good call. Sometimes when you first get injured, you don’t want to be around it for a minute. Everybody’s different. But he’s a guy now, I think he’s in a good headspace where now he wants to start being around it.”