Tommaso Ciampa
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Tommaso Whitney (born May 8, 1985) is an American professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown
brand A brand is a name, term, design, symbol or any other feature that distinguishes one seller's goods or service from those of other sellers. Brands are used in business, marketing, and advertising for recognition and, importantly, to create and ...
under the
ring name A ring name is a type of stage name or nickname used by an athlete such as a professional wrestler, mixed martial artist, or boxer whose real name is considered unattractive, dull, difficult to pronounce or spell, amusing for the wrong reasons ...
Tommaso Ciampa () and is one-half of #DIY with Johnny Gargano. Whitney began his career in 2005, working on several independent promotions. In 2011, he began to work with
Ring of Honor Ring of Honor (ROH) is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Jacksonville, Florida. The promotion was founded by Rob Feinstein on February 23, 2002, and was operated by Cary Silkin from 2004 until 2011; the promotion was subs ...
until 2015. He later appeared on WWE in 2015 as part of the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic, a tag team tournament. He formed a tag team, #DIY (Do It Yourself), with Johnny Gargano. The following year, he signed a contract with WWE and participated in the Cruiserweight Classic, a tournament for cruiserweight wrestlers, but Gargano defeated him in the first round. Ciampa is a two-time NXT Champion and one-time NXT Tag Team Champion. Outside of WWE, he is best known for his work in
Ring of Honor Ring of Honor (ROH) is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Jacksonville, Florida. The promotion was founded by Rob Feinstein on February 23, 2002, and was operated by Cary Silkin from 2004 until 2011; the promotion was subs ...
(ROH), where he is a one-time ROH World Television Champion. He has also wrestled for several other
independent promotions In professional wrestling, the independent circuit (often shortened to the indie circuit or the indies) is the collective name of independently owned promotions which are deemed to be smaller and more regionalized than major national promotions. ...
, including Beyond Wrestling (BW),
Chaotic Wrestling Chaotic Wrestling, stylized as CHAOTIC, is an American independent wrestling promotion, which has been operating throughout New England since 2000; with its current home base in North Andover, Massachusetts. Chaotic Wrestling is known for p ...
(CW), Top Rope Promotions (TRP), and
Pro Wrestling Guerrilla Pro Wrestling Guerrilla (PWG) is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Los Angeles, California. As of 2024, it is on an extended hiatus. It was created by pro wrestlers Disco Machine, Excalibur, Scott Lost, Joey Ryan, Super ...
(PWG).


Early life

Tommaso Whitney was born on May 8, 1985, in
Boston, Massachusetts Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...
. He is of Sicilian descent.


Professional wrestling career


Early career (2005–2007)

Whitney was trained by
WWE Hall of Fame The WWE Hall of Fame is a List of halls and walks of fame, hall of fame which honors professional wrestlers and professional wrestling personalities maintained by WWE. Originally known as the "WWF Hall of Fame", it was created in 1993 when An ...
r
Killer Kowalski Wladek Kowalski (born Edward Władysław Spulnik; October 13, 1926 – August 30, 2008) was a Canadian professional wrestler, known by his ring name Killer Kowalski. Kowalski wrestled for numerous promotions during his career, including the ...
, and debuted in January 2005. He predominantly wrestled for
independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in Pennsylvania, United States * Independentes (English: Independents), a Portuguese artist ...
promotions located in Massachusetts, most notably
Chaotic Wrestling Chaotic Wrestling, stylized as CHAOTIC, is an American independent wrestling promotion, which has been operating throughout New England since 2000; with its current home base in North Andover, Massachusetts. Chaotic Wrestling is known for p ...
and Top Rope Promotions. On May 22, 2005, he wrestled an IWF Junior Heavyweight Championship match against champion Sean Royal, but was unsuccessful. Later that day he also failed to win a
battle royal Battle royal (, also battle royale) traditionally refers to a fight involving many combatants, usually conducted under either boxing or wrestling rules, where the winner is the one who registers the most wins. In recent times, the term has been ...
to earn the number one contendership to the IWF Heavyweight Championship. Whitney debuted in Chaotic Wrestling as "Tommy Penmanship" in 2005. On April 1, he lost a qualifying match for entry in the Chaotic Wrestling Heavyweight Championship Tournament to Fred Sampson. In June, Penmanship teamed with Arch Kincaid to unsuccessfully challenge the Logan Brothers for the Chaotic Wrestling Tag Team Championship. Penmanship won his first championship on August 8, by defeating Chase del Monte for the Chaotic Wrestling New England Championship. He held it for half a year, successfully defending it against former del Monte, Jason Blade, and Psycho, before eventually losing it to Psycho at ''Cold Fury 5''. Penmanship then spent a couple of months without winning a singles match losing to Matt Logan and Psycho, but alongside Psycho, he won a Lethal Lottery Tournament first round match. Penmanship and Psycho qualified for a battle royal to determine the number one contender to the CW Heavyweight Championship, but the match was won by Luis Ortiz. At ''Breaking Point 2006'' Penmanship lost to Psycho once again in a ''Psycho Rules'' match with Tommy Dreamer as the special referee. On May 19, Penmanship defeated Handsome Johnny and became Chaotic Wrestling Heavyweight Champion. As the Chaotic Heavyweight champion Penmanship defeated Bryan Logan, del Monte and Max Bauer. He held the Championship until February 2007, when he lost it to Brian Milonas in a "Loser leaves CW" match.


World Wrestling Entertainment (2005–2007)

He appeared on the July 14, 2005, episode of ''
SmackDown! ''WWE SmackDown'', also known as ''Friday Night SmackDown'' or simply ''SmackDown'', is an American professional wrestling television program produced by WWE. It airs live every Friday at 8 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on USA Network in the United ...
'' as Thomas Whitney, ESQ one of Muhammad Hassan's lawyers and confronted
The Undertaker Mark William Calaway (born March 24, 1965), better known by his ring name the Undertaker, is an American retired Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. Widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, Calaway ...
. Tommaso read a statement from Hassan before being attacked by The Undertaker. On the December 17 episode of ''
Velocity Velocity is a measurement of speed in a certain direction of motion. It is a fundamental concept in kinematics, the branch of classical mechanics that describes the motion of physical objects. Velocity is a vector (geometry), vector Physical q ...
'', under the ring name Demarso Whitney, he was defeated by Jamie Noble. On the August 25, 2006, episode of ''
Heat In thermodynamics, heat is energy in transfer between a thermodynamic system and its surroundings by such mechanisms as thermal conduction, electromagnetic radiation, and friction, which are microscopic in nature, involving sub-atomic, ato ...
'' he and
Kofi Kingston Kofi Nahaje Sarkodie-Mensah (born August 14, 1981) is a Ghanaian-born American professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw (WWE brand), Raw WWE brand extension, brand under the ring name Kofi ...
had a dark match against Lance Cade and Trevor Murdoch. On February 4, 2007, it was announced that Whitney signed a developmental contract with WWE and was sent to
Ohio Valley Wrestling Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW) is an American professional wrestling promotion, professional wrestling promotion and former developmental territory based in Louisville, Kentucky. The company is currently run by Al Snow, Matt Jones (radio host), Ma ...
. He debuted on February 21 and wrestled as ''Tommaso''. After suffering an injury, he was forced to step away from in ring competition and became known as Dr. Thomas, Anger Management Specialist – during which time he managed Bolin Services (Charles Evans and Justin LaRouche), winning the OVW tag team titles. Dr Thomas would eventually make his in ring debut during a 6-man tag at Six Flags, tagging with Bolin Services to take on Elijah Burke and Cryme Tyme. On June 27, 2007, Whitney debuted a new gimmick when he began wrestling under a
mask A mask is an object normally worn on the face, typically for protection, disguise, performance, or entertainment, and often employed for rituals and rites. Masks have been used since antiquity for both ceremonial and practical purposes, ...
as Prodigy. On August 9, Whitney was released from his WWE developmental contract.


Independent circuit (2007–2016)

In late 2007, he returned to the independent circuit. On September 29 Tommaso defeated A.J. Styles and Eddie Edwards to become the MWF Television Champion. In September 2008 Ciampa debuted in
Harley Race Harley Leland Race (April 11, 1943 – August 1, 2019) was an American professional wrestler, professional wrestling promotion, promoter, and trainer. Race wrestled in the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA), the American Wrestling Association (AW ...
's World League Wrestling. In October he took part in Nine Man Battle Royal for the vacant WLW Heavyweight Championship, which was won by Go Shiozaki. Ciampa also unsuccessfully challenged WLW Tag Team Championship twice: on November 22, 2008, alongside Steve Anthony and on March 21, 2009, alongside Marc Godeker. After returning to New England in 2008, Ciampa went on to compete in the ECWA Super 8 Tournament in 2009 and 2010 before finally winning the tournament in 2011 when he defeated
Adam Cole Austin Kirk Jenkins (born July 5, 1989), known by the ring name Adam Cole, is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is the leader of The Paragon (professional wrestling), ...
. On August 30, 2013, Ciampa made his debut for
Pro Wrestling Guerrilla Pro Wrestling Guerrilla (PWG) is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Los Angeles, California. As of 2024, it is on an extended hiatus. It was created by pro wrestlers Disco Machine, Excalibur, Scott Lost, Joey Ryan, Super ...
(PWG), when he entered the 2013 Battle of Los Angeles, losing to Brian Cage in his first round match.


Ring of Honor (2011–2015)

At ''Honor Reclaims Boston'' he, Alex Payne and Ernie Osiris lost a dark match to Bobby Dempsey, Grizzly Redwood and Rhett Titus. Ciampa appeared in dark matches for
Ring of Honor Ring of Honor (ROH) is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Jacksonville, Florida. The promotion was founded by Rob Feinstein on February 23, 2002, and was operated by Cary Silkin from 2004 until 2011; the promotion was subs ...
in both 2007 and 2009. In January 2011, Ciampa began working regularly for ROH. On the January 22 '' Ring of Honor Wrestling'' tapings, he defeated Mike Sydal. He joined Prince Nana in his
heel The heel is the prominence at the posterior end of the foot. It is based on the projection of one bone, the calcaneus or heel bone, behind the articulation of the bones of the lower leg. Structure To distribute the compressive forces exerted ...
stable A stable is a building in which working animals are kept, especially horses or oxen. The building is usually divided into stalls, and may include storage for equipment and feed. Styles There are many different types of stables in use tod ...
The Embassy. He later defeated
Adam Cole Austin Kirk Jenkins (born July 5, 1989), known by the ring name Adam Cole, is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is the leader of The Paragon (professional wrestling), ...
and Grizzly Redwood. On April 1 he debuted on internet pay-per-view at Honor Takes Center Stage Night One, taking part in a Four Corners match that was won by
Homicide Homicide is an act in which a person causes the death of another person. A homicide requires only a Volition (psychology), volitional act, or an omission, that causes the death of another, and thus a homicide may result from Accident, accidenta ...
. Ciampa went on to defeat Homicide twice, once on the second show of Honor Takes Center Stage and again on May 6, at ''ROH Revolution: USA''. The next day, at ''ROH Revolution: Canada'', Ciampa was part of the first "Double Danger Scramble" match, which was won by
Michael Elgin Aaron Michael Frobel (born December 13, 1986) is a Canadian professional wrestler and promoter, better known by his ring name Michael Elgin. He is known for his work with New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he was a List of IWGP Intercontinent ...
. On July 13, Ring of Honor announced that Ciampa had signed a contract with the promotion. On September 17 at Death Before Dishonor IX, Ciampa pinned Homicide in a tag team match, where he teamed with
Rhino A rhinoceros ( ; ; ; : rhinoceros or rhinoceroses), commonly abbreviated to rhino, is a member of any of the five extant taxon, extant species (or numerous extinct species) of odd-toed ungulates (perissodactyls) in the family (biology), famil ...
and Homicide with Jay Lethal. At an ROH house show on January 21, 2012, Ciampa defeated ROH World Television Champion Jay Lethal in a Proving Ground Match to earn a future match for the ROH World Television Championship. On March 4 at the 10th Anniversary Show, Ciampa's match with Lethal for the ROH World Television Championship ended in a fifteen-minute time limit draw. Ciampa continued his feud with Lethal on March 31 at Showdown in the Sun, where he interfered in his match with Roderick Strong and cost him the title. On the April 7 episode of ''Ring of Honor Wrestling'', Ciampa defeated Lethal, Adam Cole and Mike Bennett in a four-way final to win the 2012 March Mayhem tournament. On May 12 at Border Wars, Ciampa's undefeated streak was ended, when he was defeated by Lethal in a singles match. On June 24 at Best in the World 2012: Hostage Crisis, Ciampa received another shot at the ROH World Television Championship, but was defeated by Roderick Strong in a three-way elimination match, also involving Lethal, following interference from Prince Nana. Afterward, Ciampa turned on Nana, after it was revealed that he had struck a deal with Truth Martini to keep the Television Championship on Strong, broke away from The Embassy and adopted R.D. Evans as his new manager. The feud between Ciampa and Lethal culminated on August 11 at
Boiling Point The boiling point of a substance is the temperature at which the vapor pressure of a liquid equals the pressure surrounding the liquid and the liquid changes into a vapor. The boiling point of a liquid varies depending upon the surrounding envi ...
, where Lethal defeated Ciampa in a Two Out of Three Falls match. During the match Ciampa tore his
anterior cruciate ligament The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is one of a pair of cruciate ligaments (the other being the posterior cruciate ligament) in the human knee. The two ligaments are called "cruciform" ligaments, as they are arranged in a crossed formation. In ...
, sidelining him indefinitely from in-ring action. On September 7, Ciampa announced that his injury required surgery, which would sideline him for a year. Ciampa made an appearance on December 16 at Final Battle 2012: Doomsday, trying to get his hands on R.D. Evans, after he had defeated Prince Nana in a match. Ciampa returned from his injury on May 4 at Border Wars 2013, chasing Evans and his new associate, Q.T. Marshall, out of the ring. On August 3, Ciampa entered a tournament to determine the new ROH World Champion, defeating Silas Young in his first round match. On August 17, Ciampa defeated Michael Bennett to advance to the semi-finals of the tournament. On September 20 at Death Before Dishonor XI, Ciampa was eliminated from the tournament by Adam Cole. At Final Battle 2013 on December 14, Ciampa began his first reign as ROH World Television Champion, when he defeated Matt Taven for the title. The following month Ciampa successfully defended the title against Taven and Jay Lethal in a three-way match. At the 12th Anniversary Show in February 2014, he retained the championship against Hanson. On April 4, at Supercard of Honor VIII, Ciampa lost the title to Jay Lethal following outside interference from Truth Martini. After an extended period of absence, Ciampa returned on July 19 with a new look, having increased his muscle mass and sporting an untrimmed full beard. He promptly defeated Adam Page of The Decade, then followed it with a promo hinting at a
heel The heel is the prominence at the posterior end of the foot. It is based on the projection of one bone, the calcaneus or heel bone, behind the articulation of the bones of the lower leg. Structure To distribute the compressive forces exerted ...
turn stating that he felt under-appreciated and wanted a shot at the ROH World Championship before being interrupted by Silas Young. He followed this up on August 9 by losing to Rocky Romero by disqualification due to not releasing the Sicilian Stretch at the referee's count of five. After unsuccessfully challenging
Michael Elgin Aaron Michael Frobel (born December 13, 1986) is a Canadian professional wrestler and promoter, better known by his ring name Michael Elgin. He is known for his work with New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he was a List of IWGP Intercontinent ...
for the ROH World Championship on August 23, Ciampa was (
kayfabe In professional wrestling, kayfabe (pronounced ) is the portrayal of staged events within the industry as "real" or "true", specifically competition, rivalries, and relationships between participants. The term has evolved to become a code word ...
) suspended indefinitely by ROH for attacking the ring crew and ring announcer Bobby Cruise, thus cementing his heel status. At the ROH 13th Anniversary Show, Ciampa suffered two fractured ribs during his match, forcing him out of action. He later said he'd finished the match "on autopilot" as the pain was more intense than when he'd torn his ACL. He missed several Ring of Honor shows before returning to action (albeit with taped ribs) at an independent show in Toronto. On March 29, 2015, Ciampa announced his departure from ROH. His final match was a failed effort to win the TV title from Jay Lethal who retained after delivering a low blow to Ciampa. Ciampa then attacked referee Todd Sinclair with a low blow as payback for not calling a DQ for the illegal move.


Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (2015)

Ciampa made an appearance for
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (abbreviated as TNA Wrestling or TNA) is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Nashville, Tennessee. It is a subsidiary of Anthem Sports & Entertainment, a Canadian media company owned by busines ...
(TNA) on the September 30, 2015, episode of ''
Impact Wrestling Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (abbreviated as TNA Wrestling or TNA) is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Nashville, Tennessee. It is a subsidiary of Anthem Sports & Entertainment, a Canadian media company owned by busine ...
'' in a triple threat match also involving DJZ and Trevor Lee, which was won by Lee. Ciampa wrestled for TNA once again on the October 17, 2015, edition of '' Xplosion'', defeating Crazzy Steve.


Return to WWE


#DIY (2015–2017)

Although not re-signed to WWE, on September 2, 2015, Ciampa was announced as part of the NXT Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic tournament. On September 9, he successfully advanced in the first round of the tournament alongside his new partner Johnny Gargano, defeating the also newly formed duo of Tyler Breeze and Bull Dempsey. On the September 16 episode of ''NXT'', Ciampa and Gargano lost to Baron Corbin and Rhyno thus eliminating them from the tournament. On the September 30 episode, Ciampa lost to Breeze in a singles match. He appeared on the December 2 episode of ''NXT'', losing to
Samoa Joe Nuufolau Joel Seanoa (born March 17, 1979), better known by the ring name Samoa Joe, is an American professional wrestler and actor. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is a member of the Opps, and is one-third of the AEW Worl ...
. Ciampa won a match against Danny Burch on the January 13, 2016, episode of ''NXT'' and defeated Bull Dempsey on the February 24, episode. On March 15 tapings, Ciampa scored another win, this time against Jesse Sorensen. On April 2, it was confirmed that Ciampa had re-signed with WWE earlier in the week. Ciampa's NXT contract was a so-called "Tier 2" contract, which allowed him to continue working independent dates alongside his now regular NXT bookings. On June 23, Ciampa entered the Cruiserweight Classic tournament, losing to Johnny Gargano in his first round match. The following month, Ciampa announced that his final independent booking was set for September as he was entering a new exclusive NXT contract. On August 20 at NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn II, Ciampa and Gargano unsuccessfully challenged The Revival ( Dash Wilder and Scott Dawson) for the NXT Tag Team Championship. Ciampa and Gargano, now collectively billed as " #DIY", received another title shot in a two out of three falls match on November 19 at NXT TakeOver: Toronto, where they defeated The Revival to become the new NXT Tag Team Champions. DIY went on to successfully defend their championships against the team of Tajiri and Akira Tozawa and TM61 in Japan and Australia, respectively. They retained their titles against The Revival on the January 11, 2017, episode of ''NXT'', but were attacked by
The Authors of Pain ''The'' is a grammatical article in English, denoting nouns that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The ...
( Akam and Rezar) afterwards. Ciampa and Gargano lost the championships to The Authors of Pain at NXT TakeOver: San Antonio. They would get their rematch on the March 1 episode of ''NXT'', which ended in a no contest after The Revival interfered and attacked both teams. This led to NXT TakeOver: Orlando, a triple threat elimination match between all three teams for the titles, but DIY were unsuccessful after being the first team eliminated. At NXT TakeOver: Chicago, DIY faced The Authors of Pain in the first-ever
ladder match A ladder match is a type of match in professional wrestling, most commonly one in which an item (usually a title belt) is hung above the ring, and the winner is the contestant who climbs a ladder and retrieves the item. The ladder itself become ...
for the NXT Tag Team Championship, which they lost. After the match, Ciampa attacked Gargano, turning
heel The heel is the prominence at the posterior end of the foot. It is based on the projection of one bone, the calcaneus or heel bone, behind the articulation of the bones of the lower leg. Structure To distribute the compressive forces exerted ...
and disbanding #DIY. It was later revealed that Ciampa had suffered a ruptured ACL in his right knee during the ladder match and would await surgery in
Birmingham, Alabama Birmingham ( ) is a city in the north central region of Alabama, United States. It is the county seat of Jefferson County, Alabama, Jefferson County. The population was 200,733 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List ...
. In a further update, it was reported that his surgery was successful and the timetable for his return was estimated for early-to-mid 2018.


NXT Champion and injury (2018–2022)

On January 27, 2018, Ciampa returned at NXT TakeOver: Philadelphia, attacking Gargano with a crutch to close the show. He then cost Gargano his
NXT Championship The NXT Championship is a men's professional wrestling championship created and promoted by the American professional wrestling promotion, promotion WWE, defended as the top men's championship of NXT (WWE brand), NXT, the promotion's Farm team, de ...
match against Andrade "Cien" Almas on the February 21 episode of ''NXT'', forcing Gargano to leave NXT as per the pre-match stipulation. Ciampa made his in-ring return in the main event of NXT TakeOver: New Orleans, losing to Gargano in an unsanctioned match, resulting in Gargano being reinstated to NXT. Their feud would continue throughout the following weeks in which they attacked each other and interfered in each other's matches, leading to a Chicago Street Fight at NXT TakeOver: Chicago II, which Ciampa won. On the July 18 tapings of the July 25 episode of ''NXT'', Ciampa defeated Aleister Black to capture the
NXT Championship The NXT Championship is a men's professional wrestling championship created and promoted by the American professional wrestling promotion, promotion WWE, defended as the top men's championship of NXT (WWE brand), NXT, the promotion's Farm team, de ...
after Gargano interfered and accidentally hit Black with the title belt. This made Ciampa only the second wrestler to hold both the NXT Championship and NXT Tag Team Championship, after Neville. At NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn IV, he was scheduled to defend the title against Black and Gargano in a triple threat match, but Black was removed from the match due to being ambushed in the arena parking lot by an unknown assailant (in reality, Black had suffered a legitimate groin injury). The match was changed to the first-ever Last Man Standing match for the NXT Championship between Ciampa and Gargano, where Ciampa retained his title. At NXT TakeOver: WarGames, Ciampa retained the championship against Velveteen Dream. Ciampa defended the title against Black at NXT TakeOver: Phoenix in a winning effort. Ciampa debuted on '' Raw'' on February 18, 2019, with three other fellow NXT stars Johnny Gargano, Aleister Black and Ricochet. In his debut match on Raw, he and Gargano defeated former rivals Raw Tag Team Champions The Revival. The next night on '' SmackDown Live'', Ciampa and Gargano defeated The Bar ( Cesaro and Sheamus). On March 6, it was reported by
Dave Meltzer David Allen Meltzer (born October 24, 1959) is an American journalist, author, and historian who reports on professional wrestling and mixed martial arts. Since 1983, he has been the publisher and editor of the ''Wrestling Observer Newsletter' ...
of The Wrestling Observer that Ciampa would have to undergo neck surgery, as well as forcing him to vacate the NXT Championship and the injury would put him out of action for at least six months. At that point, he had not wrestled since February 19. WWE later confirmed the story saying he would undergo an
anterior Standard anatomical terms of location are used to describe unambiguously the anatomy of humans and other animals. The terms, typically derived from Latin or Greek roots, describe something in its standard anatomical position. This position pro ...
cervical fusion. Meltzer later reported that due to the injury, WWE had to cancel the main roster feud that was planned between Ciampa and Gargano. The two were also scheduled to face each other at NXT TakeOver: New York. Ciampa relinquished his NXT Championship due to injury on the March 20, 2019, edition of NXT, ending his reign at 237 days. On April 1, he revealed that doctors had told him that he will be wrestling on "borrowed time" if he is even able to return to the ring at all. He made a surprise appearance at NXT TakeOver: New York on April 5 after Gargano defeated
Adam Cole Austin Kirk Jenkins (born July 5, 1989), known by the ring name Adam Cole, is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is the leader of The Paragon (professional wrestling), ...
to win the NXT Championship, embracing Gargano to celebrate his victory and turning
face The face is the front of the head that features the eyes, nose and mouth, and through which animals express many of their emotions. The face is crucial for human identity, and damage such as scarring or developmental deformities may affect th ...
in the process. On the October 2 episode of ''NXT'', Ciampa returned from injury, confronting Adam Cole, who had become the longest-reigning NXT Champion. After Ciampa saved Matt Riddle and Keith Lee from a beatdown at the hands of The Undisputed Era (Cole, Bobby Fish, Kyle O'Reilly, and Roderick Strong) on the October 30 episode of ''NXT'', a
WarGames match WarGames is a specialized steel cage match in professional wrestling. The match usually involves two teams of four or more wrestlers locked inside a steel cage that encompasses two rings placed side by side. The cage may or may not have a roof, de ...
was scheduled between Ciampa's team against The Undisputed Era. At NXT TakeOver: WarGames on November 23, Team Ciampa (Ciampa, Lee, Dominik Dijakovic, and Kevin Owens) defeated The Undisputed Era. This led to a match between Ciampa and Cole at NXT TakeOver: Portland on February 16, 2020, for the NXT Championship, which Cole won after Gargano cost Ciampa the match, thus re-igniting their feud. On the April 8 episode of ''NXT'', this culminated in a No Holds Barred match between Ciampa and Gargano, which Gargano won after interference from Candice LeRae. Ciampa then entered a feud with Karrion Kross, who attacked him backstage during an interview. At TakeOver: In Your House, Ciampa was quickly defeated by Kross. After a brief hiatus, Ciampa returned as a
heel The heel is the prominence at the posterior end of the foot. It is based on the projection of one bone, the calcaneus or heel bone, behind the articulation of the bones of the lower leg. Structure To distribute the compressive forces exerted ...
on the August 26 episode of ''NXT'', where he defeated Jake Atlas and continued his post-match assault on Atlas. He would then compete in a losing effort in the fatal four-way 60 minute Iron Man match for the vacant NXT Championship, tying with Gargano at one fall a piece. Ciampa turned
face The face is the front of the head that features the eyes, nose and mouth, and through which animals express many of their emotions. The face is crucial for human identity, and damage such as scarring or developmental deformities may affect th ...
again when he began a feud with Timothy Thatcher, leading to a match at NXT TakeOver: WarGames where Ciampa won. On the January 20, 2021, episode of NXT, Ciampa fought and lost to Thatcher in the Fight Pit. After the match, Thatcher and Ciampa showed respect to one another and Ciampa asked Thatcher to be his partner for the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic which Thatcher accepted. They defeated Ariya Daivari and
Tony Nese Anthony Nese (born August 6, 1985) is an American professional wrestler signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW). He also appears for AEW's sister promotion Ring of Honor, where he is a member of The Premier Athletes stable. He is best known for his ...
in the first round and The Undisputed Era (Adam Cole and Roderick Strong) in the quarter finals, before losing to the Grizzled Young Veterans in the semi-finals. At NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver, Ciampa was defeated by
Walter Walter may refer to: People and fictional characters * Walter (name), including a list of people and fictional and mythical characters with the given name or surname * Little Walter, American blues harmonica player Marion Walter Jacobs (1930–19 ...
for the NXT UK Championship. On the June 15 episode of ''NXT'', Ciampa and Thatcher defeated the Grizzled Young Veterans in a tornado tag match to earn a future NXT Tag Team Championship match. They faced the champions, MSK on July 6 at The Great American Bash but were defeated. Thatcher was written off TV on August 24 due to a kayfabe throat injury from Ridge Holland, ending the team; this was his final appearance as he was eventually released from the company in January. On the September 14 episode of ''NXT'', Ciampa defeated L. A. Knight, Pete Dunne, and Von Wagner in a fatal 4-way match to win the vacant
NXT Championship The NXT Championship is a men's professional wrestling championship created and promoted by the American professional wrestling promotion, promotion WWE, defended as the top men's championship of NXT (WWE brand), NXT, the promotion's Farm team, de ...
. At
Halloween Havoc Halloween Havoc is a professional wrestling List of NWA/WCW closed-circuit events and pay-per-view events, event currently produced by WWE. Since 2020, it has been held annually for the company's WWE brand extension, developmental brand, NXT (WWE ...
, Ciampa retained against Bron Breakker. At WarGames, Ciampa teamed with Johnny Gargano, L. A. Knight and Pete Dunne (as "Team Black & Gold") against Breakker, Carmelo Hayes, Grayson Waller, and Tony D'Angelo (as "Team 2.0"), but lost when Breakker pinned Ciampa. At New Year's Evil on January 4, 2022, Ciampa lost the title to Breakker in a rematch, ending his second reign at 112 days. They both appeared on the March 7 episode of ''Raw'', where they defeated Dolph Ziggler and Robert Roode. On April 2 at NXT Stand & Deliver, Ciampa lost to Tony D'Angelo in his final match in NXT.


Main roster (2022–2023)

On the April 11 episode of ''Raw'', Ciampa was officially called up to the
brand A brand is a name, term, design, symbol or any other feature that distinguishes one seller's goods or service from those of other sellers. Brands are used in business, marketing, and advertising for recognition and, importantly, to create and ...
while also participating in a backstage segment with
Ezekiel Ezekiel, also spelled Ezechiel (; ; ), was an Israelite priest. The Book of Ezekiel, relating his visions and acts, is named after him. The Abrahamic religions acknowledge Ezekiel as a prophet. According to the narrative, Ezekiel prophesied ...
and Kevin Owens. On the April 25 episode of ''Raw'', now under the shortened ring name "Ciampa", he attacked Mustafa Ali after his match against
The Miz Michael Gregory Mizanin (born October 8, 1980) is an American professional wrestler, actor, and television personality. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name The Miz. Mizanin first gained fame a ...
, turning
heel The heel is the prominence at the posterior end of the foot. It is based on the projection of one bone, the calcaneus or heel bone, behind the articulation of the bones of the lower leg. Structure To distribute the compressive forces exerted ...
for the first time since 2020. On the July 4 episode of ''Raw'', Ciampa aligned himself with Miz after helping him attack
AJ Styles Allen Neal Jones (born June 2, 1977), better known by his ring name AJ Styles (or A.J. Styles), is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw (WWE brand), Raw WWE brand extension, ...
after their match. On the August 1 episode of ''Raw'', he defeated Chad Gable and Dolph Ziggler in a triple threat match while also defeating Styles later that night to earn an opportunity to face Bobby Lashley for the United States Championship. Ciampa faced Lashley for the title the following week in a match dedicated to
Harley Race Harley Leland Race (April 11, 1943 – August 1, 2019) was an American professional wrestler, professional wrestling promotion, promoter, and trainer. Race wrestled in the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA), the American Wrestling Association (AW ...
, but lost. On the September 5 episode of ''Raw'', his ring name was reverted back to Tommaso Ciampa. Ciampa then suffered a hip injury in October.


#DIY reunion (2023–present)

On the June 19, 2023 episode of ''Raw'', Ciampa returned (with his iconic NXT theme, No One Will Survive) to answer The Miz's open challenge, which Ciampa won, thus ending their alliance and turning
face The face is the front of the head that features the eyes, nose and mouth, and through which animals express many of their emotions. The face is crucial for human identity, and damage such as scarring or developmental deformities may affect th ...
once again. Ciampa soon after began a feud with Intercontinental Champion Gunther, losing a match for the title on the October 2 episode of ''Raw''. Post-match, he would suffer a beatdown from
Imperium In ancient Rome, ''imperium'' was a form of authority held by a citizen to control a military or governmental entity. It is distinct from '' auctoritas'' and '' potestas'', different and generally inferior types of power in the Roman Republic a ...
until Johnny Gargano returned after a five-month hiatus and saved him, reforming DIY in the process. On the January 8 episode of RAW, Ciampa beat Finn Balor. Winning that match earned DIY a tag team title shot. They got the match on the January 29th episode of RAW but they were defeated by The Judgment Day. On the March 18 episode of RAW, DIY defeated the Creed Brothers to qualify for the Six Pack
Ladder Match A ladder match is a type of match in professional wrestling, most commonly one in which an item (usually a title belt) is hung above the ring, and the winner is the contestant who climbs a ladder and retrieves the item. The ladder itself become ...
for the Tag Team Championship at WrestleMania XL, which they were unsuccessful. On the April 15 episode of ''Raw'', DIY defeated The New Day and the Creed Brothers to face Awesome Truth (The Miz and
R-Truth Ronnie Aaron Killings (born January 19, 1972) is an American professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he performs under his real name, stylized as Ron Killings and R-Truth. Killings worked for World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE) ...
) for the renamed
World Tag Team Championship In professional wrestling, a championship or title is a recognition promoted by professional wrestling organizations. Championship reigns are determined by professional wrestling matches, in which competitors are involved in predetermined rival ...
, where Awesome Truth retained. On night 2 of the 2024 WWE Draft, both Ciampa and Gargano were drafted to SmackDown. On the May 31 episode of ''SmackDown'', Ciampa defeated one half of the WWE Tag Team Champions
Austin Theory Austin Tyler White (born August 2, 1997) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler and Bodybuilding, bodybuilder. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw (WWE brand), Raw WWE brand extension, brand under the ring nam ...
. On the July 5, 2024 episode of
WWE SmackDown ''WWE SmackDown'', also known as ''Friday Night SmackDown'' or simply ''SmackDown'', is an American professional wrestling television program produced by WWE. It airs Live television, live every Friday at 8 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on USA Netwo ...
Ciampa and Gargano as #DIY defeated A-Town Down Under (Austin Theory and Grayson Waller) to become the new WWE Tag Team Champions. On the August 2 episode of ''SmackDown'', DIY lost the titles to The Bloodline ( Fatu and Tama Tonga) after interference from Solo Sikoa and Tonga Loa, ending their reign at 28 days. Over the next few months, DIY vowed to win back the titles, but there were signs of dissension between Ciampa and Gargano as the former took on a more aggressive character. On the November 15 episode of ''SmackDown'', Ciampa interrupted a title match between
The Street Profits The Street Profits are an American professional wrestling tag team consisting of Angelo Dawkins and Montez Ford. They are signed to WWE, where they perform on the SmackDown (WWE brand), SmackDown WWE brand extension, brand, and are the current WWE ...
(
Angelo Dawkins Gary Gordon (born July 24, 1990) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown (WWE brand), SmackDown WWE brand extension, brand under the ring name Angelo Dawkins. He is one- ...
and Montez Ford) and defending champions Motor City Machine Guns (
Alex Shelley Patrick Kenneth Martin (born May 23, 1983), better known by the ring name Alex Shelley, is an American professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown (WWE brand), SmackDown brand. He is widely known for his tenure ...
and
Chris Sabin Joshua Harter (born February 4, 1982), better known by the ring name Chris Sabin, is an American professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand. After being trained by Scott D'Amore, Sabin debuted in 2000 f ...
), attacking both teams, but Gargano restrained him. On the December 6 episode of ''SmackDown'', DIY defeated Motor City Machine Guns to win the titles for the second time after Gargano hit Sabin with a low blow, and subsequently revealing all the recent arguments to be a ruse, turning both Gargano and Ciampa
heel The heel is the prominence at the posterior end of the foot. It is based on the projection of one bone, the calcaneus or heel bone, behind the articulation of the bones of the lower leg. Structure To distribute the compressive forces exerted ...
for the first time as a team, as well as marking Ciampa's first heel turn since 2022. At the
Royal Rumble The Royal Rumble is a professional wrestling event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. It is named after, and centered on, the Royal Rumble match, a modified Battle royal (professional wre ...
on February 1, DIY successfully defended the titles against Motor City Machine Guns in a 2 out of 3 falls match with interference from The Street Profits who attacked them after the match. On the March 14 episode of ''SmackDown'', #DIY lost the titles to the Street Profits, ending their second reign at 98 days. On the April 25 episode of ''SmackDown'', they would attempt to regain the titles against the Street Profits in a critically acclaimed
tables, ladders, and chairs match A tables, ladders, and chairs match, often abbreviated as TLC, is a type of professional wrestling match that originated within the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE). The TLC match is a variation of a ladder match, which is modified to c ...
also involving the Motor City Machine Guns, where the Street Profits retained.


Other media

As Tommaso Ciampa, he made his
video game A video game or computer game is an electronic game that involves interaction with a user interface or input device (such as a joystick, game controller, controller, computer keyboard, keyboard, or motion sensing device) to generate visual fe ...
debut as a playable character in ''
WWE 2K18 ''WWE 2K18'' is a professional wrestling video game developed by Yuke's and published by 2K (company), 2K. It is the nineteenth instalment in the WWE 2K, WWE game series (fifth under the ''WWE 2K'' banner) and a follow-up to ''WWE 2K17''. It wa ...
'' and has since appeared in '' WWE 2K20'', '' WWE 2K22'', '' WWE 2K23'', and '' WWE 2K24''.


Personal life

Whitney married former professional wrestler Jessie Ward in September 2013, having been introduced to her by their mutual friend
Samoa Joe Nuufolau Joel Seanoa (born March 17, 1979), better known by the ring name Samoa Joe, is an American professional wrestler and actor. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is a member of the Opps, and is one-third of the AEW Worl ...
. They have one daughter together named Willow. Whitney held a part-time job managing a fitness studio until March 2014, when he left to focus on a full-time career in professional wrestling.


Championships and accomplishments

*
CBS Sports CBS Sports is the American sports programming division of Paramount Global that is responsible for sports broadcasts carried by its broadcast network CBS and streaming service Paramount+, as well as the operator of its cable channel CBS Sports N ...
**Feud of the Year (2018) vs. Johnny Gargano *
Chaotic Wrestling Chaotic Wrestling, stylized as CHAOTIC, is an American independent wrestling promotion, which has been operating throughout New England since 2000; with its current home base in North Andover, Massachusetts. Chaotic Wrestling is known for p ...
** Chaotic Wrestling Heavyweight Championship ( 1 time) ** Chaotic Wrestling New England Championship ( 1 time) * East Coast Wrestling Association ** Super 8 Tournament (2011) * Millennium Wrestling Federation ** MWF Television Championship ( 1 time) *''
Pro Wrestling Illustrated ''Pro Wrestling Illustrated'' (''PWI'') is an American professional wrestling magazine that was founded in 1979 by publisher Stanley Weston. ''PWI'' is headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, and published by Kappa Publishing Group. The maga ...
'' ** Feud of the Year (2018) vs. Johnny Gargano ** Ranked No. 13 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the '' PWI 500'' in 2019 *
Ring of Honor Ring of Honor (ROH) is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Jacksonville, Florida. The promotion was founded by Rob Feinstein on February 23, 2002, and was operated by Cary Silkin from 2004 until 2011; the promotion was subs ...
** ROH World Television Championship ( 1 time) ** March Mayhem Tournament (2012) *''
Sports Illustrated ''Sports Illustrated'' (''SI'') is an American sports magazine first published in August 1954. Founded by Stuart Scheftel, it was the first magazine with a circulation of over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellen ...
'' **Ranked No. 9 of the top 10 men's wrestlers in 2018 – tied with Johnny Gargano *UPW Pro Wrestling **UPW Heavyweight Championship (1 time) * ''
Wrestling Observer Newsletter The ''Wrestling Observer Newsletter'' (''WON'') is a newsletter that covers professional wrestling and mixed martial arts. Founded in print in 1982 by Dave Meltzer, the ''Wrestling Observer'' website merged with Bryan Alvarez's ''Figure Four Wee ...
'' ** Feud of the Year (2018) * WWE **
NXT Championship The NXT Championship is a men's professional wrestling championship created and promoted by the American professional wrestling promotion, promotion WWE, defended as the top men's championship of NXT (WWE brand), NXT, the promotion's Farm team, de ...
( 2 times) ** NXT Tag Team Championship ( 1 time) – with Johnny Gargano **
WWE Tag Team Championship The WWE Tag Team Championship is a men's professional wrestling world tag team championship created and promoted by the United States, American professional wrestling promotion, promotion WWE, defended on the SmackDown (WWE brand), SmackDown WWE ...
( 2 times) – with Johnny Gargano ** NXT Year-End Award (3 times) *** Match of the Year (
2016 2016 was designated as: * International Year of Pulses by the sixty-eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly. * International Year of Global Understanding (IYGU) by the International Council for Science (ICSU), the Internationa ...
) *** Male Competitor of the Year (
2018 Events January * January 1 – Bulgaria takes over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, after the Estonian presidency. * January 4 – SPLM-IO rebels loyal to Chan Garang Lual start a raid against Juba, capital of ...
) *** Rivalry of the Year (2018) *Xtreme Wrestling Alliance **XWA Heavyweight Champion (1 time)


References


External links

*
Ring of Honor profile
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Ciampa, Tommaso 1985 births Living people American male professional wrestlers American professional wrestlers of Italian descent NXT Champions NXT Tag Team Champions People of Sicilian descent ROH World Television Champions Professional wrestlers from Boston 21st-century male professional wrestlers 21st-century American professional wrestlers WWE Tag Team Champions