Former WWE NXT Champion Tommaso Ciampa has not appeared on SmackDown in recent weeks, and he was notably absent from last Friday’s show during Johnny Gargano’s United States Championship match against Carmelo Hayes.
According to BodySlam+, Ciampa’s WWE contract is nearing its expiration, and he plans to finish out his tenure without renewing it.
The report also noted that it is currently unclear whether Ciampa has decided not to sign a new deal to pursue opportunities elsewhere or wishes to take some time off without committing to a new contract, potentially leaving the door open to a future return.
Ciampa’s last appearance on WWE TV was on the December 19 episode of SmackDown, where he and Gargano lost to Ilja Dragunov and Carmelo Hayes.
A week earlier, Hayes had lost a WWE U.S. Title Open Challenge match against Dragunov.
Just over a year ago, #DIY defeated The Motor City Machine Guns to win the WWE Tag Team Titles on the December 6, 2024, edition of SmackDown.
They held the titles for 98 days before losing them to The Street Profits on SmackDown on March 5, 2025.
