INJURY FORCES RAW REWRITE, COULD HAVE EVEN GREATER IMPLICATIONS

WWE NXT Champion Tomasso Ciampa has a neck injury that has forced him out of action, resulting in a rewrite of this past Monday’s episode of Raw, PWInsider.com has confirmed with multiple sources.

Originally, Ciampa and Johnny Gargano were slated to compete in a four-way tag match that would have also featured Zack Ryder & Curt Hawkins as well as Aleister Black & Ricochet and another team PWInsider.com has not confirmed. Raw Tag Team Champions the Revival were slated to be ringside for the match but once it was confirmed Ciampa would not be cleared to wrestle, it was changed to the Revival vs. Black and Ricochet. Ciampa and Gargano instead appeared in a non-wrestling roles on the show.

Ciampa is not on the road this weekend.

We are told the neck issue has been a lingering thing for at least 4-5 weeks, possibly longer. Depending on if and when Ciampa is cleared to return, WWE will have to be creative regarding the NXT Championship and the 2019 Dusty Rhodes Tag Classic, which Ciampa is competing in. We are told all options are on the table, depending on what the final determination is regarding his injury, but as of Monday he was not cleared to wrestle medically.

Ciampa, 33, has been with WWE NXT since 2015, when he debuted as half of DIY with Johnny Gargano. Despite several injuries, he has emerged into one of the best villains in all of WWE over the last year.

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