After spending the better part of seven years on WWE’s developmental brand, NXT, Tommaso Ciampa has officially been called up to the main roster, appearing on Raw in recent weeks following his exit from NXT 2.0, when he went out on his back in a defeat to Tony D’Angelo. Ciampa is a highly talented performer, helping to turn NXT into WWE’s third brand, but he quite simply does not fit in on Raw. Of course, he could prove everyone wrong and be a huge success, but he has a lot working against him if he wants to make it as a star on Raw.
Ciampa Was A Perfect Fit On The Old NXT
When Ciampa debuted in NXT, he was already an accomplished performer with years of experience. His NXT journey may have made him one of the best of all time on the show, with his storyline with Johnny Gargano being a huge highlight of WWE as a whole – not just NXT. The grittier nature of the NXT product, along with a focus on smaller guys who do most of their storytelling inside the ring, was the perfect place to house someone like Ciampa.
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Over time, he became such a compelling performer, with the less-scripted nature of promos serving him well as one of the best talkers on the black and gold show, with him having great matches against the likes of Gargano, Aleister Black, and Adam Cole, showcasing how great of an in-ring talent he is too. His matches with Gargano in particular, with the level of both storytelling and violence involved, would only work in NXT.
Raw and Smackdown are more family-friendly products, and whilst the boundaries can be pushed and prodded on occasion, it is usually the veterans and trusted mainstays on the roster who are allowed to do that. In terms of matches, most are formulaic without much story, unless you’re Roman Reigns, who gets a lot of creative leeway. When Ciampa’s strong suit is wrestling in physical matches full of story, he will not be able to thrive on the main roster in the same way that he did in NXT. Names such as Shinsuke Nakamura, Keith Lee, Finn Balor, Ricochet, and many others, all suffered from the transition from NXT to the main roster, with them not able to showcase their talents in the most effective way.
Ciampa’s First Appearance On Raw Was A Bad Omen For Things To Come
If Ciampa’s first appearance following his official main roster call-up is anything to go by, he doesn’t look set for too much success. He appeared backstage for an interview, but before he could even say a word, he was interrupted by Ezekiel, Elias’ younger brother. The old Ciampa would have been insulted by this interruption, and he may have beaten the hell out of Ezekiel, Elias’ younger brother. Instead, Ciampa was passive and bland.
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Kevin Owens arrived shortly after, with his storyline with Ezekiel, Elias’ younger brother, overshadowing Ciampa’s interview completely. All Ciampa did was take the side of the babyface, acting a little goofy, and that was that. To the casual viewer who doesn’t follow NXT, seeing this as their first impression of Ciampa will have left them with nothing to think about. He didn’t wrestle in a squash match to look strong, he showed zero personality, and he didn’t make any reference to what his character or intentions would be on the main roster. Of course, the argument could be made to let things develop and play out, but WWE have shown time and time again that this isn’t something they can be trusted with.
Main Roster Success Will Be An Uphill Battle For Tommaso Ciampa
In the case of Ciampa, he has a lot going against him right now. WWE has been making a push for younger and bigger wrestlers, namely people from a sporting background rather than the independent wrestling scene, and Ciampa really doesn’t fit the bill of what WWE and Vince McMahon want in a “superstar”, even though he is great at what he does.
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In the wrestling world, Ciampa isn’t especially old, at 36. But starting out on the main roster at that age could be something that works against him, especially with this new direction from WWE when it comes to finding new stars in developmental. If Ciampa is given the time and tools to show what he can do, then he can become a star in any company and on any show, but WWE are unlikely to commit to him, as they rarely do with anyone on the roster to a high degree. Ciampa looks set to get lost in the shuffle, with Raw being completely the wrong place for him to find success.
