5 Ups & 1 Downs From Last Night's WWE NXT (Mar 7)

by Andy H Murray

1. Blackheart

Tommaso Ciampa
WWE.com

Absolutely f*** this guy.

Tommaso Ciampa stepped back into the NXT realm last night. With Johnny Gargano finally gone, he made a silent arrival amidst a torrent of bile and hatred from the gathered masses, who chanted his former tag partner's name. What followed was a masterclass in crowd control.

'The Sicilian Psychopath' stood glaring at his crutch, drawing further hatred from those who'd watched him crack it across Gargano's spine a few short weeks ago. Again, they chanted for 'Johnny Wrestling.' Ciampa teased leaving, then stared out the crowd, before grabbing a Gargano sign, tearing it up, and battering it with the crutch. Nothing could silence the audience, though, and he left in an even pissier mood than when he'd arrived.

Without saying a single word, Ciampa had the crowd in the palm of his hand throughout. It was the perfect follow-up to Gargano's 'Loser Leaves NXT' loss. The fans didn't need a lengthy explanation; all they wanted was a chance to jeer the brand's biggest boogyman, and it played out without a single flaw.

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Andy has been with WhatCulture for six years and is currently WhatCulture's Senior Wrestling Reporter. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.