Tomasso Ciampa out for a year with a torn ACL

Ring of Honor star Tomasso Ciampa, who was injured at the “Boiling Point” iPPV against Jay Lethal back on August 11, posted the following injury update on his Facebook page:

Many of you may already know, but for those who do not, I was in fact injured during my match with Jay Lethal for ROH in Providence, RI on August 11th.

The injury occurred within the opening seconds of the match. I charged Lethal with a forearm and when I attempted to pivot on my left foot I felt a pop in my knee. I attempted with some success to finish the match. Over the next 20 minutes I could feel my knee pop about 5 more times.

First things first – I’d like to thank Todd Sinclair for being the ultimate professional. He is in fact the best professional wrestling referee alive today, and I wish more people would recognize his talents. A lot of people don’t realize the importance of a referee in wrestling. They can truly make or break a great match, and in this case he certainly helped make it.

Secondly – Jay Lethal is a master of his craft. Whether we like one another or not is besides the point. The man is a top notch performer and athlete. Hats off to you sir.

Lastly – the injury itself. My initial thought when the injury occurred was that something serious just happened. I never really considered ending the match. Even now looking back on the match it just doesn’t seem like an option. I think it’s fair to assume most people would have chosen to call it quits, but wrestlers are a different breed. And ROH wrestlers are the very top of that breed. It’s in our DNA and there is no real explaining it.

I remember when the final bell rang I felt all the air come out of me. I was relieved the match was over, but moreso, I was overcome with anxiety when thinking of how serious the injury may be. The days following the show I was surprised how good I felt and I decided to delay getting an MRI. Over the next couple weeks the swelling went down but my stability did not return. I decided an MRI was best and finally had one last week. My doctor told me the results were not very good, but suggested I see an orthopedic surgeon to get a second opinion.

Today I went to the specialist and unfortunately my knee will require surgery. I completely tore my ACL, tore my meniscus, and bruised my bone. I will require an ACL reconstruction and while the doctor is fixing it he will also repair my meniscus. The suggested recovery time is 1 year.

I am not sure where this leaves me with ROH or professional wrestling for that matter. I honestly do not have much of a game plan at the moment. My first step is to pick a surgeon (intelligent recommendations are welcome and appreciated). I plan to take it day to day from that point onward.

The thought of missing a year of wrestling creates a massive void in my heart. I have given ten years of my life to this sport. It is my passion.

I will try to give periodic updates as the mood strikes. And I would like to thank all the fans, wrestlers, family, and friends who have reached out to me over the last month. I appreciate your support.

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