WWE News: Tommasso Ciampa responds to loss at NXT Takeover: New Orleans 

What's the story?

Tommasso Ciampa was talking a big game heading into NXT Takeover: New Orleans, but it would be Johnny Gargano who emerged victorious in their match.

A day after his defeat, Ciampa claims he wasn't 100 percent in their match during WrestleMania Weekend.

In case you didn't know

After failing to regain the NXT Tag Team Championships at Takeover:Chicago in 2017, Ciampa turned on Gargano and brutally attacked him.

Upon his return from injury in 2018, Ciampa would cost Gargano his job with NXT, leading to their Unsactioned Match at NXT Takeover: New Orleans.

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The heart of the matter

Ciampa responded the day after NXT Takeover: New Orleans and said that his knee injury was the reason he lost to Gargano.

His comments about the match were taken to another level when Ciampa called Gargano a coward for "striking a man when he's injured" - which is blatantly ironic considering how many times Ciampa has attacked Gargano when he was tired or didn't see it coming.

Clearly, my knee is not 100% yet. If it was, then the outcome would have been different. A coward strikes a man when he's injured.The better man did NOT win.

— BLACKHEART (@ProjectCiampa) April 8, 2018

Ciampa tore his ACL during the aforementioned NXT Tag Team Championship match at Takeover: Chicago which put him out of action for the rest of 2017.

The match between Gargano and Ciampa was expected by many to take place at NXT Takeover: Brooklyn III, but Ciampa's knee injury pushed the match back to NXT Takeover: New Orleans.

Gargano was on Twitter before the fight, and was shown backstage with his wife Candice LeRea saying the words "It's over."

SmackDown Live General Manager Daniel Bryan was adamant about wanting Gargano to come to SmackDown if he lost to Ciampa. Gargano said he appreciated the offer, but that he had more to do in NXT.

I appreciate it, @WWEDanielBryan. Rain check? I have a few more things I need to accomplish in @WWENXT first..PS: I can't wait to watch you back in the ring where you belong today at the freaking Superdome! ❤ https://t.co/dCPenzEvLD

— Johnny Gargano (@JohnnyGargano) April 8, 2018

What's next?

Gargano might think it's over, but Ciampa has proven himself to be a man who won't let something like this go.

NXT Takeover: Chicago was the place where this feud started and with the next Takeover special returning to the Chicagoland area, it might be the place to finish it for good.

Author's take

Ciampa and Gargano had a fantastic match at Takeover: New Orleans and it was the right call to have their match main event.

Hopefully, we can see this match a few more times before one of them gets a callup to the main roster.