Johnny Gargano has responded to Tommaso Ciampa's WWE departure announcement with a poignant Instagram post that speaks volumes without saying a word.
Shortly after Ciampa confirmed his exit on January 21, Gargano shared a photo of himself backstage watching his longtime tag team partner on a television screen. The caption consisted of a single black heart emoji—a fitting tribute that mirrors Ciampa's own heartfelt goodbye to his "black and gold" NXT family.
The partnership spanned over a decade. Gargano and Ciampa first teamed together in the NXT Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic in September 2015, officially signing with WWE in April 2016. They've been riding together ever since, from becoming NXT Tag Team Champions to their legendary rivalry that defined black-and-gold NXT, and eventually reuniting to capture the WWE Tag Team Championship twice on the main roster.
Ciampa's final WWE match came on the December 19 episode of SmackDown, where DIY lost to Ilja Dragunov and Carmelo Hayes. Since then, Gargano has continued appearing on SmackDown alongside his wife Candice LeRae, transitioning into a singles role.
In his departure statement, Ciampa wrote that his contract will end "very soon" and specifically thanked the black and gold era that made him a star: "I would be remiss not to give a special thank you to my black and gold family. You will forever hold an incredibly special place in my heart."
Gargano's black heart emoji response suggests those feelings are mutual.
