Tommaso Ciampa is officially part of the red brand as announced on the April 11th Monday Night Raw.
Confirming a report from PWInsider earlier today, it was announced on the April 11th episode of Monday Night Raw that Tommaso Ciampa is officially part of the red brand moving forward.
It is OFFICIAL.
@NXTCiampa is officially a member of the #WWERaw roster! pic.twitter.com/vAjp1hIwhF
— WWE (@WWE) April 12, 2022
As he was being introduced by interviewer Kevin Patrick, Ciampa was interrupted by Ezekiel, who “debuted” on last week’s episode of Raw, confronting Kevin Owens and claiming to be Elias’ younger brother. Kevin Owens came to join the interview, adamant that Ezekiel was indeed Elias without a beard. Ciampa, however, said that he understood how Owens could confuse the two, but that Ezekiel is clearly Elias’ younger brother.
.@NXTCiampa is officially on #WWERaw, Ezekiel is still Elias' younger brother and @FightOwensFight might be going insane.
Just a normal Monday night on the red brand. pic.twitter.com/m3We2xBaKR
— WWE (@WWE) April 12, 2022
This is not Tommaso Ciampa’s first appearance on Raw in recent months, as he appeared on the February 21st episode to team with a returning Finn Balor and take on the Dirty Dawgs. He once again faced Ziggler and Roode on the March 7th episode of Raw, this time teaming with Bron Breakker.
At NXT Stand & Deliver, Tommaso Ciampa said an emotional farewell to NXT, bowing out with defeat to Tony D’Angelo. Ahead of the match, a lengthy video package was shown, paying tribute to Ciampa and his accomplishments in NXT. On the way to the ring, the long-serving Superstar paid tribute to Triple H, spitting water into the air, before doing Shawn Michaels’ signature pose once inside.
With the action in the ring over, Ciampa saluted the fans on his way back up the ramp before being joined by Triple H who embraced the former champion.
Tommaso Ciampa’s journey with NXT began back in 2015, as he teamed with long-time friend Johnny Gargano to compete in the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic.
His friendship, turned rivalry with Gargano came to define his time in NXT, with the two men seemingly fighting forever. While his feud with his former was a near-constant presence, that didn’t stop Ciampa from claiming the NXT Championship in July 2018.
Despite the upheaval that greeted the launch of NXT 2.0, Ciampa remained, winning the NXT Championship for a second time on the inaugural episode. This victory put him in direct competition with rising star Bron Breakker, as the pair battled over NXT’s top prize.
However, after losing the championship to Breakker, Ciampa became a target for newcomer Tony D’Angelo. This led to the bout at Stand & Deliver.