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WWE

Reigning NXT champion Tommaso Ciampa will undergo neck surgery on Thursday, WWE confirmed on Wednesday. The company revealed that, following an evaluation by the medical staff, Ciampa will undergo a procedure known as an anterior cervical fusion. According to the Marina Spine Center, the average return timetable for athletes from such a procedure is 9.5 months. News of Ciampa's surgery was first reported by Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio. 

Ciampa, 33, has reigned as NXT champion since he shockingly defeated Aleister Black -- who was departing to deal with an injury of his own at the time -- for the title on the July 25 NXT television taping in 2018. In addition to finding success as the top champion on WWE's unofficial third brand, Ciampa was recently one of the four top NXT superstars called up to the main roster (along with Black, Ricochet and Johnny Gargano). He's appeared on both Raw and SmackDown Live, teaming with #DIY partner Gargano. Their first night competing on the main roster, they defeated reigning Raw tag team champions The Revival. 

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The injury to Ciampa during such an inopportune time as WrestleMania season leaves a couple questions. The obvious first one becomes: What happens with the NXT championship? WWE will likely address the status of the title as soon as possible, with a tournament being the safe/entertaining route. Also, on last week's NXT TV, Ciampa and Gargano officially reunited as #DIY to take part in the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic, with a slew of the opening matches already having been taped leading into the upcoming NXT TakeOver: New York event on WrestleMania weekend. So there will be some explanations needed there, as well. 

This is just the latest injury that will put Ciampa on the shelf for an extended period of time during his NXT run which began in 2015. On the same night in which he infamously turned on Gargano in the closing moments NXT TakeOver: Chicago in May 2017, Ciampa suffered a ruptured ACL that required surgery. He wouldn't return until January 2018 at NXT TakeOver: Philadelphia to rekindle the feud with his former partner.