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Tommaso Ciampa returned with a bang to accept The Miz's open challenge on the latest episode of RAW. As The A-Lister claimed he was ready to answer Seth Rollins' open challenge, he set forth one of his own.
The former NXT Champion's old music hit and he smiled as he walked to the ring. The Miz also smiled until Ciampa blasted him in the face. With Ciampa back on RAW after missing nine months, why was he out of action?
As his partnership with The Miz was still growing, The Blackheart was forced to undergo hip surgery. Being an important joint of the body required nearly a year of healing and rehab for Ciampa.
He was left out of the 2023 WWE Draft but is now back on RAW? Where will The Blackheart go after his triumphant return?
It's likely that The Miz won't let this go since the two were allied before the hip surgery. Whatever happens for Tommaso Ciampa, RAW got back another serious worker and a potential Champion.
Tommaso Ciampa was just getting started in WWE
The former NXT Champion joined the main roster last year after anchoring NXT for several years. He stayed with the brand until his farewell match against Tony D'Angleo at last year's Stand & Deliver event.
As he joined the main roster, he allied himself as a heel with The Miz. The two targeted Mustafa Ali and other faces of RAW. Tommaso Ciampa also endured what many stars had to do under Mr. McMahon's rule - a name change.
Instead of having a full name, he was referred to simply as Ciampa. As he rolled with the alterations, he endured an unfortunate hip injury that has kept him on the sidelines since last summer.
Now that he's back on RAW, he'll likely first start with a feud against The A-Lister. The Miz was truly shocked that Ciampa didn't warmly hug him as he returned to the ring.
Once he's finished with the former WWE Champion, anything is possible. He could once again challenge former foe Gunther for the Intercontinental Champion. The two battled over the NXT UK title while both were under the NXT banner.
Another possibility is that he crosses paths with former friend and foe, Johnny Gargano. He has a storied history with Gargano and could encounter Johnny Wrestling as a friend - or as a foe. Stay tuned to see what's next for Tommaso Ciampa.
