WWE NXT superstar Tommaso Ciampa is reportedly undergoing ACL surgery this week at a facility in Birmingham, AL. Ciampa originally injured his knee in a spot at a live event days before NXT TakeOver: Chicago, but he reportedly made it worse by competing in the tag team match with former tag team partner Johnny Gargano against The Authors of Pain.
The Authors of Pain retained the NXT Tag Team titles, and, after the match, Ciampa shocked the WWE Universe by turning on longtime partner Gargano in epic and brutal fashion. We may not see the follow-up to this angle for a long time, though, depending on the severity of his ACL.
PW Insider confirmed that Ciampa is having ACL surgery of some kind, but they haven't reported on any specifics as of this writing.
"WWE NXT star Tommaso Ciampa is in Birmingham, Alabama this week to undergo ACL surgery, PWInsider.com has confirmed."
"There is no word yet on the severity of the injury or how long Ciampa will be out of action as of this writing."
Ciampa gutting out his knee injury to compete at NXT TakeOver: Chicago was incredible, especially keeping it together long enough to perform the angle on Gargano after the match, but it certainly looks as though it came at a hefty cost.
ACL injuries are never good, and at the very least, Ciampa will be out for a month or two, but some ACL injuries sideline athletes for up to a year before they're able to return to action.
Ciampa returned to the WWE in the summer of 2015, before ultimately signing a full-time deal in early 2016 and has competed exclusively on the NXT brand.