On this week’s episode of RAW, former NXT Champion Tommaso Ciampa returned from injury and accepted The Miz’s open challenge.
Ciampa went on to defeat the former 2-time WWE Champion.
According to Fightful Select, Triple H originally booked Ciampa to answer Seth Rollins’ open challenge for the World Heavyweight Championship.
However, Vince McMahon felt that Rollins’ program with Finn Balor needed more heat, so he nixed HHH’s plan and booked Balor to attack Rollins before the open challenge.
Fightful also added the following:
“We haven’t heard that this was done so Ciampa wouldn’t lose his first match back, as there was a plan in order that this match would have been a non-finish.”
In an update from WRKD Wrestling, Ciampa is scheduled to reform his NXT tag team “DIY” with Johnny Gargano and go after Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn for the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship:
“While Johnny Gargano was noticeably absent from RAW, fans saw the return of Ciampa.
As we’ve reported in the past, there are still plans in the works to reform DIY.
We can now add current plans have this leading to a feud with Owens/Zayn over the tag titles.”
Together, Ciampa & Gargano held the NXT Tag Team Championship.
Owens & Zayn vs. DIY is expected to take place at SummerSlam 2023 in Ford Field on August 5th.
WATCH: Scarlett Bordeaux Groped By A Fan:
