WALTER vs. Tommaso Ciampa
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By the spring of 2021, Tommaso Ciampa seemed to be a shell of his former self. The "Blackheart" that ruled atop NXT as champion in 2018, clutching his precious "Goldie" with a tyrannical grip had found himself a man now chasing ghosts. Forced to relinquish his championship in the early months of 2019, every attempt to regain the momentum he once had and the gold he never lost ended in frustration. Championship matches slipped through his fingers, reunions into betrayals, and the aura that once made him feel untouchable seemed to fade a little more with each passing setback.
Despite all this, Ciampa refused to be relegated to the background. He fought harder and harder to remind the world that he has been, and still is, one of the most dangerous men on roster. A hard hitting partnership with Timothy Thatcher was forged from their conflicts against each other, rekindling a lost flame somewhere deep inside Ciampa. A reminder that beneath the growing hair that made him look older than his years was still a fierce competitor, the same man who once terrorized NXT as the unscrupulous champion. Beneath the weathered visage, flashes of the Blackheart could be seen from time to time, but the question remained; would these flashes be enough to bring him to the summit once again.
Enter; WALTER. A mountain made flesh.
The reigning NXT United Kingdom Champion did more than just accept Ciampa's challenge upon his arrival on American soil, he dissected him. Tearing into the man he described as a once dominant and fierce champion, but someone who had grown soft and weak due to his time spent as a family man. To put it simply; the Blackheart was dead. Trading championship obsession with familial responsibility, being a husband and father meant more to Ciampa than being a ruthless ruler and killer. Following this biting assessment, WALTER ripped into Ciampa physically, tearing off the necklace gifted to him by his wife and daughter the day he went in for neck surgery before crushing his chest with a signature chop. Not just attacking his body, WALTER targeted the very life that now defined Ciampa.
At NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver 2021, Ciampa finds himself not only stepping into the ring with one of the most dominant wrestlers of the modern age, he finds himself at the base of the impossible mountain. WALTER is alone at the peak as an immovable king, a near-Biblical force that has flattened challenger after challenger with surgical precision and massive power. To come out the other side of this match the victor, Ciampa must do more than wrestle the match of his life, he needs to find that piece of himself that WALTER is certain is dead.
In one night, the question will be answered, can the Blackheart be resurrected? Or has the weight of injuries, a family, and time permanently changed Ciampa forever. As he stares up at the mountain before him, it's peak scraping the heavens, the former NXT Champion is forced to face a question that has haunted him since his return so many months ago. If WALTER is correct, Ciampa's greatest days are behind him. But if Ciampa can dig deep, if he can find the Blackheart and bring him back, then the king atop his throne may be about to learn what Ciampa warned him of before TakeOver: “It’s a long, long fall from the top of the mountain. Buckle up.”
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| How deep will Ciampa need to dig? NXT |
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| Tommaso Ciampa, 2021. NXT |
Debuting in NXT as a part of the 2015 Cruiserweight Classic, teaming with Johnny Gargano, the "Psycho Killer" found success as a tag team in #DIY as a beloved babyface. However, in a shocking turn, he betrayed his partner and found greater success as a singles wrestler as the "Blackheart." Winning the NXT Championship in a complete shock, 2018 was far and away Ciampa's best year, going on an incredible heel run on the top of NXT.
Sadly, he was forced to relinquish his NXT Championship in the beginning of 2019, ending his run prematurely. From that point on, Ciampa continually found himself chasing his "Goldie," the pet name he gave the championship he never lost.
Challenging again and again for Goldie, Ciampa found himself losing and suffering his own betrayal from the hands of Johnny Gargano after teaming together for a short run in 2019. A modicum of success came when he found himself facing Timothy Thatcher, someone who felt like genuine competition and was able to pull something out of Ciampa that was sorely missing. A short run teaming with Thatcher in the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic 2021 gave Ciampa new life, despite growing out his hair and looking rougher than he ever has, but an old friend of Thatcher appeared from the darkness to confront Ciampa one fateful evening.
"2018 was far and away Ciampa's best year."
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| WALTER, 2021. NXT |
The NXT United Kingdom Champion, WALTER, better known nowadays as GUNTHER. The leader of IMPERIUM, a faction comprised of Marcel Barthel, Fabian Aichner, along with Timothy Thatcher while on the UK indies while under the name Ringkampf. Currently on his 734th day as Champion, WALTER is one of the most dominant forces of the modern era. Dispatching challenger after challenger, WALTER finds himself confronting Ciampa after he beats Barthel on an episode of NXT.
Simultaneously giving Ciampa his flowers while putting him down, WALTER acknowledges that Ciampa was once a dominant champion, but is currently a shell of his former self, looking to have let himself go in recent months. Going further, he acknowledges that Ciampa has a family to look after and does not fault him for his change in focus, but does believe that the "Blackheart" that once ruled over NXT with an iron fist is gone. WALTER seemed to have found a weakness in Ciampa's game; making things personal.
Will WALTER live to regret his actions as he lays his gold on the line against Ciampa? Or will the Blackheart make his grand return for one more night on the biggest stage NXT has to offer?
"WALTER is one of the most dominant forces of the modern era."
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| Papa bear is watching and waiting. NXT |
Coming to the ring with a cold, vicious focus that has not been seen in some time, Ciampa has shaved his head clean and looks to be in the best shape of his career. Arguably, he is, as he was 2 and a half weeks away from competing in a bodybuilding show for the very first time, a frightening thing to do when you consider how much athletes need to cut and viciously they need to train in order to compete in one of those. Made even worse when you know you'll be facing WALTER around the same time. I wouldn't wish that kind of thing on my worst enemy, but Ciampa happily and willingly did it to himself. Insane.
Marching to the ring with a focus that has become all too familiar to the NXT faithful, WALTER has just surpassed 2 years as champion, a reign of such length has not been seen in the WWE since the 1980's, making this challenge tonight seem even more daunting. Barely acknowledging Ciampa as he passes through the ropes, WALTER stands firm in the centre of the ring, a champion undeterred by the vicious, psychotic challenger he finds himself facing tonight.
Beth Phoenix on commentary is quick to dispute Wade Barrett's comments about a family making someone soft, likening Ciampa to a papa bear saying "he's been slighted by WALTER and I wouldn't be surprised if Ciampa tore him apart."
Starting with a lockup, Ciampa finds himself being pushed into the corner by the much larger, more physically imposing WALTER. Winding back, WALTER fires off a chop, but Ciampa ducks the shot and resets in the centre, not wanting to get caught with a kill shot this early. Twisting the champion around, Ciampa goes from a wristlock to a front facelock, but the position allows WALTER to push him into the corner again, but Ciampa keeps the headlock on, taking WALTER back to centre. Getting shoved into the ropes, Ciampa rebounds and gets dropped to the canvas with a shoulder tackle.
Rolling away from a boot and ducking a chop once vertical again, Ciampa snipes another chop with a kick, playing defensive against the champion in the early moments. Another facelock puts Ciampa in the corner, with WALTER drawing the ire of Ciampa after piefacing him out of the corner, with Ciampa firing back with a swarm of strikes that drive WALTER along the ropes into a neighbouring corner. With Ciampa getting in the face of WALTER, bellowing at him that "you want the Blackheart!" he takes off for the ropes to rebound, with WALTER quick to his feet to catch Ciampa with a chop, dropping him to the canvas like a shotgun blast.
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| Like a lumberjack to a tree. NXT |
Gripping his hand, the kick from Ciampa earlier clearly doing more damage than WALTER would initially let on, WALTER drapes Ciampa on the top turnbuckle before laying into him with another heavy-handed chop. Standing on the ropes now, WALTER drives his boot into the chin and throat of Ciampa, dropping him to the floor. Joining him outside, WALTER shoves Ciampa down onto the announce table by his throat, bellowing in his face before winding back to deliver a chop. Thankfully, Ciampa is able to adjust his position, dodging the chop, but the table ended up taking the worst of it, with the shroud being snapped in half from the impact of the chop.
Fighting back with a boot to the head and chops of his own, Ciampa seizes on the wounded champion, giving him little chance to breathe as he swarms him. Grabbing WALTER by the head to bring him back to the ring, it's all the window the champion needs, picking up Ciampa and dropping him back first on the apron. Pulling himself up from the floor and back to the apron, WALTER makes the mistake of grabbing the rope with his right hand, with Ciampa quickly kicking the rope to damage his chopping hand further.
Doing his homework, Ciampa knows that one of WALTER's most dangerous weapons are his strikes. Honestly, everything about WALTER is dangerous, but his strikes are fast, can come out of nowhere, and surgically precise. Ciampa knows he can fight his way out of powerbombs and drag himself to the ropes when tied in a crab, but he can do little to stop a fast approaching chop. Wearing out the chop hand of WALTER is just about the only sure-fire way to make sure this weapon is removed from his arsenal.
Pulling WALTER up onto the apron and through the ropes, Ciampa looks for Willow's Belle, his signature DDT, but WALTER slips a leg through the ropes and rejoins Ciampa in the ring, avoiding certain disaster. Backing Ciampa to a corner, he lays into him with stiff forearms, still favouring the arm after leaving Ciampa groggy and punch-drunk. He backs out to centre, holding his arm, thinking he's found a window to lace Ciampa with a chop. Sliding back to the corner, he winds up and fires, but Ciampa is quick, getting an arm up just in time to block his chest, WALTER's hand meeting the vicious, bony end of his elbow.
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| Not the intended target. NXT |
Coming back with chops of his own, Ciampa staggers WALTER before attempting to pick the much larger man onto his shoulders. Nearly successful, WALTER drops his weight and twists Ciampa around with a cravat, but Ciampa grabs the damaged hand and twists WALTER around, laying into the limb with vicious, precise kicks. Taking WALTER's back as he rises to his feet, Ciampa nearly gets the Austrian up for a German suplex, but WALTER drops his weight again, shoving Ciampa off as he gets pushed forward into the ropes.
Rolling back before rebounding to his feet, WALTER launches himself off the ropes, colliding with Ciampa's jaw with a massive boot. Sometimes, that's all it takes, one massive shot. A dozen strikes from one can easily equal half a dozen, or sometimes one of another. Folding Ciampa in the middle of the ring, WALTER transitions from a single leg crab to a one-armed crossface, his damaged hand doing little to assist him in getting the hold held on properly.
Fighting to his feet, Ciampa gets dropped with another boot to the jaw, finding himself on the ropes as WALTER drives a boot into his throat again. From the floor to the apron Ciampa climbs, with WALTER watching in the centre, eventually moving to the ropes to meet his foe, returning him to the ring with a vicious vertical suplex.
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| Not the best way to return to the ring, honestly. NXT |
Another chop is fired off, with Ciampa ducking and landing a series of heavy lariat's on WALTER, rebounding off the ropes time and time again, even leaving his feet for one that backs WALTER to the ropes. Again and again Ciampa hits the ropes, colliding with WALTER with lariat after lariat, sometimes throwing a forearm into the mix, with WALTER staggered and stumbling off each shot. For a solid minute, Ciampa lays into WALTER, with the champion finally pulling himself off the ropes and landing a chop in the chest of a charging Ciampa, but it does little to slow his momentum!
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| Fighting for survival! NXT |
Hitting the canvas, Ciampa fires up to his feet! Another lariat takes WALTER off his feet, with Ciampa able to pick WALTER up off his feet and deliver the air raid crash (can I start calling it the Psycho Driller?) Making the first cover of the match, WALTER gets out at two, with Ciampa in disbelief. Looking for the Fairytale Ending, Ciampa has WALTER hooked up, but WALTER is able to stand out of it and flip Ciampa over, holding him down for a cover of his own, but Ciampa survives.
Not only does he survive, but he manages to roll out of the pin, rolling into the damaged arm of WALTER to force him to roll. Pulling him to his feet, Ciampa lands the Fairytale Ending, drilling WALTER face first into the canvas! Another pin, but WALTER escapes. Both men pull themselves to their feet, with Ciampa the first to react, running across the ring with a knee to the face of the Champion, taking off for the ropes again only to get caught in a sleeper hold in the centre of the ring.
Fighting out in the only way he can manage before passing out, Ciampa grabs the wounded hand of WALTER and bends the fingers to a vicious degree, but WALTER breaks the grip while maintaining the choke. Able to gain some footing, Ciampa makes it to the ropes and breaks the hold, but WALTER slaps the hands of Ciampa to break the grip, ripping him back with a vicious German suplex before crashing into Ciampa with a lariat when he rolls up to his feet.
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| A grizzly-bear sized one-two combination. NXT |
Pulling Ciampa off the canvas with a gutwrench, Ciampa drops his weight this time to break the hold, with Ciampa grabbing at the right arm of WALTER and biting the fingers to break his grip! Desperate, WALTER pulls at the head of Ciampa to bend him back, landing a kick in the small of his back and breaking his grip. One lariat is attempted, with Ciampa brushing it off, and a second gets turned into a fujiwara armbar on the canvas! Bending the fingers of WALTER, the champion squirms and drags himself to the bottom rope, with Ciampa maintaining his grip on the fingers until referee Stephon Smith nearly reaches a 5 count.
Mauling WALTER while he's down on the canvas with kicks and punches, Ciampa is forced to break as WALTER slips out to the apron, but he uses the positioning to try for Willow's Belle again, with WALTER grabbing the left arm of Ciampa and dropping to the floor, choking Ciampa against the ropes with vicious whiplash. Climbing back to the apron, WALTER lays into Ciampa's chest with sledgehammer-like forearm shots across the chest, with Ciampa catching the right arm and holding his hand against the top turnbuckle pad, assaulting him over and over with rapid, sharp punches.
A headbutt halts Ciampa's assault and drops him to the middle of the ring, with WALTER beginning to climb the corner. Ciampa slows him with a chop and climbs to meet him, able to get WALTER up for a massive Psycho Driller! Another cover is made, but WALTER gets free!
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| Drilled from up high! NXT |
With WALTER on his knees, Ciampa gets to his feet first, laying into him with chops. WALTER staggers, but ascends, absorbing the chops and begging for more. Shoulder blocking through a chop, WALTER fights back with his non-dominant hand, going blow for blow against Ciampa, his left hand seemingly equalling the power of Ciampa's right. Catching a Ciampa chop, WALTER drives him down to the canvas, with Ciampa bridging to keep himself off the canvas, Using his massive frame, WALTER mounts Ciampa to keep him down for a cover, but Ciampa bridges out again!
Dismounting, WALTER quickly drives a boot into the throat of Ciampa, the surgically repaired neck a well known weak point of his challenger. Acting quick, WALTER traps Ciampa's neck between his boots and twists, cracking Ciampa's neck viciously. Still moving with no wasted movement, he pulls up Ciampa and drills him with a pair of powerbombs, fully laying out on Ciampa for the cover, but Ciampa slips free at two!
With Ciampa using the ropes to pull himself to his feet, WALTER snatches a sleeper hold again and fucking rips him off the canvas with a sleeper suplex. Staggering from the ropes, Ciampa gets laced across the chest with a disgusting chop, one of the only right-handed chops WALTER was able to land the entire match. This time, it's the killing blow, with Ciampa held down for the three count.
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| The killing blow. NXT |
"Ciampa knows he can fight his way out of powerbombs and drag himself to the ropes when tied in a crab, but he can do little to stop a fast approaching chop."
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| After the dust settles. NXT |
Despite not coming out of this match with the title, Tommaso Ciampa did something that did not require a victory. He proved something with this match. Sure, you could say that "the Blackheart is back! 2018 Ciampa is back!" but I think a more accurate statement would be "Ciampa has always had this killer deep inside him, he just needed a reason to bring it out." Defending the honour of fatherhood and his status as a legitimate threat any day of the week and twice on Wednesdays forced Ciampa to dig deep again, to find that fire, to relight it and let it burn him up from the inside out.
For this, and so much more, WALTER vs. Tommaso Ciampa is a 5 star match.
Until next week. Be well, stay safe, and love one another.
cliffmorganwstl@gmail.com
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