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.jpg) Ciampa in 2025 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | Tommaso Whitney (1985-05-08)May 8, 1985 (age 40) Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.[3] |
Spouse | |
| Children | 1 |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | Ciampa Demarso Whitney Dr. Thomas Prodigy Thomas Penmanship Thomas Whitney, Esq Tommaso Ciampa Tommy Penmanship |
| Billed height | 5 ft 11 in (180 cm)[1] |
| Billed weight | 208 lb (94 kg)[1] |
| Billed from | Boston, Massachusetts[1] |
| Trained by | Killer Kowalski[2] Mike Hollow[2] Harley Race[2] Al Snow[2] |
| Debut | January 2005[2] |
Tommaso Whitney (born May 8, 1985), better known by hisring nameTommaso Ciampa (/ˈtʃɑːmpʌ/), is an Americanprofessional wrestler. He is signed toWWE, where he performs on theSmackDownbrand and is one-half of#DIY withJohnny Gargano.
Whitney began his career in 2005, working on several independent promotions. In 2011, he began to work withRing of Honor until 2015. He later appeared on WWE in 2015 as part of theDusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic, a tag team tournament. He formed a tag team,#DIY (Do It Yourself), with Johnny Gargano. The following year, he signed a contract with WWE and participated in theCruiserweight Classic, a tournament for cruiserweight wrestlers, but Gargano defeated him in the first round.
Ciampa is atwo-timeNXT Champion andone-timeNXT Tag Team Champion. Outside of WWE, he is best known for his work inRing of Honor (ROH),[4] where he is aone-timeROH World Television Champion. He has also wrestled for several otherindependent promotions, including Beyond Wrestling (BW),[5]Chaotic Wrestling (CW),Top Rope Promotions (TRP), andPro Wrestling Guerrilla (PWG).[6]
Tommaso Whitney was born on May 8, 1985, inBoston, Massachusetts. He is ofSicilian descent.[2][7]
Whitney was trained byWWE Hall of FamerKiller Kowalski, and debuted in January 2005.[2] He predominantly wrestled forindependentpromotions located in Massachusetts, most notablyChaotic Wrestling andTop Rope Promotions.[8][9][unreliable source?]
On May 22, 2005, he wrestled an IWF Junior Heavyweight Championship match against champion Sean Royal, but was unsuccessful. Later that day he also failed to win abattle royal to earn the number one contendership to the IWF Heavyweight Championship.[10]
Whitney debuted in Chaotic Wrestling as "Tommy Penmanship" in 2005. On April 1, he lost a qualifying match for entry in the Chaotic Wrestling Heavyweight Championship Tournament toFred Sampson.[11][unreliable source?] In June, Penmanship teamed with Arch Kincaid to unsuccessfully challenge the Logan Brothers for theChaotic Wrestling Tag Team Championship.[12][unreliable source?] Penmanship won his first championship on August 8, by defeating Chase del Monte for theChaotic Wrestling New England Championship.[13] He held it for half a year, successfully defending it against former del Monte, Jason Blade, and Psycho, before eventually losing it to Psycho atCold Fury 5.[14]
Penmanship then spent a couple of months without winning a singles match losing to Matt Logan and Psycho, but alongside Psycho, he won a Lethal Lottery Tournament first round match. Penmanship and Psycho qualified for a battle royal to determine the number one contender to the CW Heavyweight Championship, but the match was won by Luis Ortiz.[15] AtBreaking Point 2006 Penmanship lost to Psycho once again in aPsycho Rules match withTommy Dreamer as thespecial referee.[16][unreliable source?] On May 19, Penmanship defeatedHandsome Johnny and became Chaotic Wrestling Heavyweight Champion.[17] As the Chaotic Heavyweight champion Penmanship defeated Bryan Logan, del Monte andMax Bauer. He held the Championship until February 2007, when he lost it to Brian Milonas in a"Loser leaves CW" match.[18]
He appeared on the July 14, 2005, episode ofSmackDown! as Thomas Whitney, ESQ,Muhammad Hassan's lawyer and confrontedThe Undertaker. Tommaso read a statement from Hassan before being attacked by The Undertaker.[19][20] On the December 17 episode ofVelocity, under the ring name Demarso Whitney, he was defeated byJamie Noble. On the August 25, 2006, episode ofHeat he andKofi Kingston had a dark match againstLance Cade and Trevor Murdoch.[21]
On February 4, 2007, it was announced that Whitney signed a developmental contract with WWE and was sent toOhio Valley Wrestling.[22] He debuted on February 21 and wrestled asTommaso. After suffering an injury, he was forced to step away from in ring competition and became known as Dr. Thomas, Anger Management Specialist – during which time he managed Bolin Services(Charles Evans andJustin LaRouche), winning the OVW tag team titles. Dr Thomas would eventually make his in ring debut during a 6-man tag at Six Flags, tagging with Bolin Services to take onElijah Burke andCryme Tyme. On June 27, 2007, Whitney debuted a newgimmick when he began wrestling under amask as Prodigy. On August 9, Whitney was released from his WWE developmental contract.
In late 2007, he returned to the independent circuit. On September 29 Tommaso defeatedA.J. Styles andEddie Edwards to become the MWF Television Champion.[23]
In September 2008 Ciampa debuted inHarley Race'sWorld League Wrestling. In October he took part in Nine Man Battle Royal for the vacantWLW Heavyweight Championship, which was won byGo Shiozaki.[24] Ciampa also unsuccessfully challengedWLW Tag Team Championship twice: on November 22, 2008, alongside Steve Anthony[25][unreliable source] and on March 21, 2009, alongside Marc Godeker.[26][unreliable source]
After returning to New England in 2008, Ciampa went on to compete in theECWA Super 8 Tournament in 2009 and 2010 before finally winning the tournament in 2011 when he defeatedAdam Cole.[27]
On August 30, 2013, Ciampa made his debut forPro Wrestling Guerrilla (PWG), when he entered the2013 Battle of Los Angeles, losing toBrian Cage in his first round match.[28]
AtHonor Reclaims Boston he, Alex Payne and Ernie Osiris lost a dark match to Bobby Dempsey, Grizzly Redwood andRhett Titus.[29] Ciampa appeared in dark matches forRing of Honor in both 2007 and 2009.
In January 2011, Ciampa began working regularly for ROH. On the January 22Ring of Honor Wrestling tapings, he defeated Mike Sydal. He joinedPrince Nana in hisheelstableThe Embassy. He later defeatedAdam Cole and Grizzly Redwood. On April 1 he debuted oninternet pay-per-view atHonor Takes Center Stage Night One, taking part in a Four Corners match that was won byHomicide.[30] Ciampa went on to defeat Homicide twice, once on the second show ofHonor Takes Center Stage and again on May 6, atROH Revolution: USA.[31][32] The next day, atROH Revolution: Canada, Ciampa was part of the first "Double Danger Scramble" match, which was won byMichael Elgin.[33] On July 13, Ring of Honor announced that Ciampa had signed a contract with the promotion.[34] On September 17 atDeath Before Dishonor IX, Ciampa pinned Homicide in a tag team match, where he teamed withRhino and Homicide withJay Lethal.[35]
At an ROH house show on January 21, 2012, Ciampa defeatedROH World Television ChampionJay Lethal in a Proving Ground Match to earn a future match for the ROH World Television Championship.[36] On March 4 at the10th Anniversary Show, Ciampa's match with Lethal for the ROH World Television Championship ended in a fifteen-minute time limit draw.[37] Ciampa continued his feud with Lethal on March 31 atShowdown in the Sun, where he interfered in his match withRoderick Strong and cost him the title.[38] On the April 7 episode ofRing of Honor Wrestling, Ciampa defeated Lethal, Adam Cole andMike Bennett in a four-way final to win the 2012 March Mayhem tournament.[39] On May 12 atBorder Wars, Ciampa's undefeated streak was ended, when he was defeated by Lethal in a singles match.[40] On June 24 atBest in the World 2012: Hostage Crisis, Ciampa received another shot at the ROH World Television Championship, but was defeated by Roderick Strong in a three-way elimination match, also involving Lethal, following interference from Prince Nana.[41] Afterward, Ciampa turned on Nana, after it was revealed that he had struck a deal withTruth Martini to keep the Television Championship on Strong, broke away from The Embassy and adoptedR.D. Evans as his new manager.[42] The feud between Ciampa and Lethal culminated on August 11 atBoiling Point, where Lethal defeated Ciampa in aTwo Out of Three Falls match.[43] During the match Ciampa tore hisanterior cruciate ligament, sidelining him indefinitely from in-ring action.[44] On September 7, Ciampa announced that his injury required surgery, which would sideline him for a year.[45] Ciampa made an appearance on December 16 atFinal Battle 2012: Doomsday, trying to get his hands on R.D. Evans, after he had defeated Prince Nana in a match.[46] Ciampa returned from his injury on May 4 atBorder Wars 2013, chasing Evans and his new associate,Q.T. Marshall, out of the ring.[47]
On August 3, Ciampa entered a tournament to determine the newROH World Champion, defeating Silas Young in his first round match.[48] On August 17, Ciampa defeated Michael Bennett to advance to the semi-finals of the tournament.[49] On September 20 atDeath Before Dishonor XI, Ciampa was eliminated from the tournament by Adam Cole.[50] AtFinal Battle 2013 on December 14, Ciampa began his first reign as ROH World Television Champion, when he defeatedMatt Taven for the title.[51] The following month Ciampa successfully defended the title against Taven and Jay Lethal in a three-way match.[52] At the12th Anniversary Show in February 2014, he retained the championship againstHanson.[53] On April 4, atSupercard of Honor VIII, Ciampa lost the title to Jay Lethal following outside interference from Truth Martini.[54]
After an extended period of absence, Ciampa returned on July 19 with a new look, having increased his muscle mass and sporting an untrimmed full beard. He promptly defeatedAdam Page ofThe Decade, then followed it with a promo hinting at aheel turn stating that he felt under-appreciated and wanted a shot at theROH World Championship before being interrupted bySilas Young.[55] He followed this up on August 9 by losing toRocky Romero by disqualification due to not releasing the Sicilian Stretch at the referee's count of five.[56] After unsuccessfully challengingMichael Elgin for the ROH World Championship on August 23, Ciampa was (kayfabe) suspended indefinitely by ROH for attacking the ring crew and ring announcer Bobby Cruise, thus cementing his heel status.[57]
At theROH 13th Anniversary Show, Ciampa suffered two fractured ribs during his match, forcing him out of action.[58] He later said he'd finished the match "on autopilot" as the pain was more intense than when he'd torn his ACL.[59] He missed several Ring of Honor shows before returning to action (albeit with taped ribs) at an independent show in Toronto.[59] On March 29, 2015, Ciampa announced his departure from ROH.[60] His final match was a failed effort to win the TV title fromJay Lethal who retained after delivering a low blow to Ciampa. Ciampa then attacked referee Todd Sinclair with a low blow as payback for not calling a DQ for the illegal move.[61]
Ciampa made an appearance forTotal Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) on the September 30, 2015, episode ofImpact Wrestling in atriple threat match also involvingDJZ andTrevor Lee, which was won by Lee.[62] Ciampa wrestled for TNA once again on the October 17, 2015, edition ofXplosion, defeatingCrazzy Steve.[63]
Although not re-signed to WWE, on September 2, 2015, Ciampa was announced as part of theNXTDusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic tournament.[64] On September 9, he successfully advanced in the first round of the tournament alongside his new partnerJohnny Gargano, defeating the also newly formed duo ofTyler Breeze andBull Dempsey.[65][66] On the September 16 episode ofNXT, Ciampa and Gargano lost toBaron Corbin andRhyno thus eliminating them from the tournament.[67] On the September 30 episode, Ciampa lost to Breeze in a singles match.[68] He appeared on the December 2 episode ofNXT, losing toSamoa Joe. Ciampa won a match againstDanny Burch on the January 13, 2016, episode ofNXT and defeatedBull Dempsey on the February 24, episode. On March 15 tapings, Ciampa scored another win, this time againstJesse Sorensen.
On April 2, it was confirmed that Ciampa had re-signed with WWE earlier in the week.[69] Ciampa's NXT contract was a so-called "Tier 2" contract, which allowed him to continue working independent dates alongside his now regular NXT bookings.[70] On June 23, Ciampa entered theCruiserweight Classic tournament, losing to Johnny Gargano in his first round match.[71] The following month, Ciampa announced that his final independent booking was set for September as he was entering a new exclusive NXT contract.[72] On August 20 atNXT TakeOver: Brooklyn II, Ciampa and Gargano unsuccessfully challengedThe Revival (Dash Wilder andScott Dawson) for theNXT Tag Team Championship.[73] Ciampa and Gargano, now collectively billed as "#DIY", received another title shot in atwo out of three falls match on November 19 atNXT TakeOver: Toronto, where they defeated The Revival to become the new NXT Tag Team Champions.
DIY went on to successfully defend their championships against the team ofTajiri andAkira Tozawa andTM61 in Japan and Australia, respectively. They retained their titles against The Revival on the January 11, 2017, episode ofNXT, but were attacked byThe Authors of Pain (Akam andRezar) afterwards.[74] Ciampa and Gargano lost the championships to The Authors of Pain atNXT TakeOver: San Antonio. They would get their rematch on the March 1 episode ofNXT, which ended in a no contest after The Revival interfered and attacked both teams. This led toNXT TakeOver: Orlando, atriple threat elimination match between all three teams for the titles, but DIY were unsuccessful after being the first team eliminated.
AtNXT TakeOver: Chicago, DIY faced The Authors of Pain in the first-everladder match for the NXT Tag Team Championship, which they lost. After the match, Ciampa attacked Gargano, turningheel and disbanding #DIY.[75] It was later revealed that Ciampa had suffered a rupturedACL in his right knee during the ladder match and would await surgery inBirmingham, Alabama.[76] In a further update, it was reported that his surgery was successful and the timetable for his return was estimated for early-to-mid 2018.[77]
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On January 27, 2018, Ciampa returned atNXT TakeOver: Philadelphia, attacking Gargano with a crutch to close the show.[78] He then cost Gargano hisNXT Championship match againstAndrade "Cien" Almas on the February 21 episode ofNXT, forcing Gargano to leave NXT as per the pre-match stipulation.[79] Ciampa made his in-ring return in the main event ofNXT TakeOver: New Orleans, losing to Gargano in anunsanctioned match, resulting in Gargano being reinstated to NXT.[80] Their feud would continue throughout the following weeks in which they attacked each other and interfered in each other's matches, leading to aChicago Street Fight atNXT TakeOver: Chicago II, which Ciampa won.
On the July 18 tapings of the July 25 episode ofNXT, Ciampa defeatedAleister Black to capture theNXT Championship after Gargano interfered and accidentally hit Black with the title belt. This made Ciampa only the second wrestler to hold both the NXT Championship andNXT Tag Team Championship, afterNeville. AtNXT TakeOver: Brooklyn IV, he was scheduled to defend the title against Black and Gargano in a triple threat match, but Black was removed from the match due to being ambushed in the arena parking lot by an unknown assailant (in reality, Black had suffered a legitimate groin injury). The match was changed to the first-everLast Man Standing match for the NXT Championship between Ciampa and Gargano, where Ciampa retained his title.[81][82] AtNXT TakeOver: WarGames, Ciampa retained the championship againstVelveteen Dream.[83] Ciampa defended the title against Black atNXT TakeOver: Phoenix in a winning effort.[84]
Ciampa debuted onRaw on February 18, 2019, with three other fellow NXT stars Johnny Gargano, Aleister Black andRicochet. In his debut match on Raw, he and Gargano defeated former rivalsRaw Tag Team Champions The Revival.[85] The next night onSmackDown Live, Ciampa and Gargano defeatedThe Bar (Cesaro andSheamus). On March 6, it was reported byDave Meltzer ofThe Wrestling Observer that Ciampa would have to undergo neck surgery, as well as forcing him to vacate the NXT Championship and the injury would put him out of action for at least six months. At that point, he had not wrestled since February 19.[86][87] WWE later confirmed the story saying he would undergo ananteriorcervical fusion.[88] Meltzer later reported that due to the injury, WWE had to cancel the main roster feud that was planned between Ciampa and Gargano. The two were also scheduled to face each other atNXT TakeOver: New York.[89]
Ciampa relinquished his NXT Championship due to injury on the March 20, 2019, edition of NXT, ending his reign at 237 days.[90] On April 1, he revealed that doctors had told him that he will be wrestling on "borrowed time" if he is even able to return to the ring at all.[91] He made a surprise appearance atNXT TakeOver: New York on April 5 after Gargano defeatedAdam Cole to win the NXT Championship, embracing Gargano to celebrate his victory and turningface in the process.[92]
On the October 2 episode ofNXT, Ciampa returned from injury, confronting Adam Cole, who had become the longest-reigning NXT Champion.[93][94] After Ciampa savedMatt Riddle andKeith Lee from a beatdown at the hands ofThe Undisputed Era (Cole,Bobby Fish,Kyle O'Reilly, andRoderick Strong) on the October 30 episode ofNXT, aWarGames match was scheduled between Ciampa's team against The Undisputed Era.[95][96] AtNXT TakeOver: WarGames on November 23, Team Ciampa (Ciampa, Lee,Dominik Dijakovic, andKevin Owens) defeated The Undisputed Era.[97][98] This led to a match between Ciampa and Cole atNXT TakeOver: Portland on February 16, 2020, for the NXT Championship, which Cole won after Gargano cost Ciampa the match, thus re-igniting their feud.[99][100] On the April 8 episode ofNXT, this culminated in aNo Holds Barred match between Ciampa and Gargano, which Gargano won after interference fromCandice LeRae.[101][102]
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Ciampa then entered a feud withKarrion Kross, who attacked him backstage during an interview.[103] AtTakeOver: In Your House, Ciampa was quickly defeated by Kross.[104][105] After a brief hiatus, Ciampa returned as aheel on the August 26 episode ofNXT, where he defeatedJake Atlas and continued his post-match assault on Atlas.[106] He would then compete in a losing effort in the fatal four-way 60 minute Iron Man match for the vacant NXT Championship, tying with Gargano at one fall a piece. Ciampa turnedface again when he began a feud withTimothy Thatcher, leading to a match atNXT TakeOver: WarGames where Ciampa won.[107][108] On the January 20, 2021, episode of NXT, Ciampa fought and lost to Thatcher in the Fight Pit. After the match, Thatcher and Ciampa showed respect to one another and Ciampa asked Thatcher to be his partner for theDusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic which Thatcher accepted.[109][110] They defeatedAriya Daivari andTony Nese in the first round andThe Undisputed Era (Adam Cole andRoderick Strong) in the quarter finals, before losing to theGrizzled Young Veterans in the semi-finals. AtNXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver, Ciampa was defeated byWalter for theNXT UK Championship. On the June 15 episode ofNXT, Ciampa and Thatcher defeated the Grizzled Young Veterans in a tornado tag match to earn a future NXT Tag Team Championship match. They faced the champions,MSK on July 6 atThe Great American Bash but were defeated. Thatcher was written off TV on August 24 due to a kayfabe throat injury fromRidge Holland, ending the team; this was his final appearance as he was eventually released from the company in January.[111]
On the September 14 episode ofNXT, Ciampa defeatedL. A. Knight,Pete Dunne, and Von Wagner in a fatal 4-way match to win the vacantNXT Championship.[112] AtHalloween Havoc, Ciampa retained againstBron Breakker.[113] AtWarGames, Ciampa teamed withJohnny Gargano, L. A. Knight and Pete Dunne (as "Team Black & Gold") against Breakker,Carmelo Hayes,Grayson Waller, and Tony D'Angelo (as "Team 2.0"), but lost when Breakker pinned Ciampa.[114] AtNew Year's Evil on January 4, 2022, Ciampa lost the title to Breakker in a rematch, ending his second reign at 112 days.[115] They both appeared on the March 7 episode ofRaw, where they defeatedDolph Ziggler andRobert Roode.[116] On April 2 atNXT Stand & Deliver, Ciampa lost to Tony D'Angelo in his final match in NXT.[117]
On the April 11 episode ofRaw, Ciampa was officially called up to thebrand while also participating in a backstage segment withEzekiel andKevin Owens.[118] On the April 25 episode ofRaw, now under the shortened ring name "Ciampa", he attackedMustafa Ali after his match againstThe Miz, turningheel.[119] On the July 4 episode ofRaw, Ciampa aligned himself with Miz after helping him attackAJ Styles after their match.[120] On the August 1 episode ofRaw, he defeatedChad Gable and Dolph Ziggler in a triple threat match while also defeating Styles later that night to earn an opportunity to faceBobby Lashley for theUnited States Championship.[121] Ciampa faced Lashley for the title the following week in a match dedicated toHarley Race, but lost.[122] On the September 5 episode ofRaw, his ring name was reverted back to Tommaso Ciampa.[123] Ciampa then suffered a hip injury in October.[124]
On the June 19, 2023 episode ofRaw, Ciampa returned (with his iconic NXT theme, No One Will Survive) to answer The Miz's open challenge, which Ciampa won, thus ending their alliance and turningface once again.[125] Ciampa soon after began a feud withIntercontinental ChampionGunther, losing a match for the title on the October 2 episode ofRaw. Post-match, he would suffer a beatdown fromImperium untilJohnny Gargano returned after a five-month hiatus and saved him, reformingDIY in the process.[126] On the January 8 episode of RAW, Ciampa beat Finn Balor. Winning that match earned DIY a tag team title shot. They got the match on the January 29th episode of RAW but they were defeated by The Judgment Day. On the March 18 episode of RAW, DIY defeated theCreed Brothers to qualify for theSix PackLadder Match for the Tag Team Championship atWrestleMania XL,[127] which they were unsuccessful.[128] On the April 15 episode ofRaw, DIY defeated The New Day and the Creed Brothers to faceAwesome Truth (The Miz andR-Truth) for the renamedWorld Tag Team Championship,[129] where Awesome Truth retained.[130]
On night 2 of the2024 WWE Draft, both Ciampa and Gargano were drafted toSmackDown.[131] On the May 31 episode ofSmackDown, Ciampa defeated one half of theWWE Tag Team ChampionsAustin Theory.[132] On the July 5, 2024 episode ofWWE SmackDown Ciampa and Gargano as #DIY defeatedA-Town Down Under (Austin Theory andGrayson Waller) to become the newWWE Tag Team Champions.[133] On the August 2 episode ofSmackDown, DIY lost the titles toThe Bloodline (Fatu andTama Tonga) after interference fromSolo Sikoa andTonga Loa, ending their reign at 28 days.[134]
Over the next few months, DIY vowed to win back the titles, but there were signs of dissension between Ciampa and Gargano as the former took on a more aggressive character. On the November 15 episode ofSmackDown, Ciampa interrupted a title match betweenThe Street Profits (Angelo Dawkins andMontez Ford) and defending championsMotor City Machine Guns (Alex Shelley andChris Sabin), attacking both teams, but Gargano restrained him.[135] On the December 6 episode ofSmackDown, DIY defeated Motor City Machine Guns to win the titles for the second time after Gargano hit Sabin with a low blow, and subsequently revealing all the recent arguments to be a ruse, turning both Gargano and Ciampaheel.[136]
At theRoyal Rumble on February 1, DIY successfully defended the titles against Motor City Machine Guns in a 2 out of 3 falls match with interference from The Street Profits who attacked them after the match.[137] On the March 14 episode ofSmackDown, #DIY lost the titles to the Street Profits, ending their second reign at 98 days.[138] On the April 25 episode ofSmackDown, they would attempt to regain the titles against the Street Profits in a critically acclaimedtables, ladders, and chairs match also involving the Motor City Machine Guns, where the Street Profits retained.[139][140]
As Tommaso Ciampa, he made hisvideo game debut as a playable character inWWE 2K18 and has since appeared inWWE 2K20,WWE 2K22,WWE 2K23, andWWE 2K24.[141][142]
Whitney married former professional wrestlerJessie Ward in September 2013,[143] having been introduced to her by their mutual friendSamoa Joe.[144] They have one daughter together named Willow.[145] Whitney held a part-time job managing a fitness studio until March 2014, when he left to focus on a full-time career in professional wrestling.[143]
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