This doesn't get an "Up" just because it was really funny for WWE kingmaker Triple H not to have any power for a change when he was made to announce that he was losing his four top guys, though that was magic on its own terms. It gets one because Tommaso Ciampa and Johnny Gargano are exactly where they should be to this day, despite being pulled away at the worst possible time.
The two weren't going to be a credit to the main roster but were likely to plug gaps in boring matches on Raw or SmackDown until they were handed an ill-fitting angle or storyline that didn't make use of their talents or one of them was made to dress like a basketball player action figure. Ciampa's injury resulted in both being pulled from that hellscape, back to the heavenly surrounds of Full Sail.
It's there they've remained as the heart and soul of NXT - pillars of the superworker era as friends and enemies with a backstory to revisit and bangers yet to have with any and everybody lucky enough to share the sacred black canvas with.
Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett
