Former WWE Star Appears On TNA Impact After Over A Year Away From Wrestling

A former WWE star has officially returned to wrestling on last night’s episode of TNA Impact after more than a year away from the ring.

Giovanni Vinci made his surprise return during Thursday night’s episode of TNA Impact, appearing under his former ring name Fabian Aichner. The return came moments after Cedric Alexander defeated Leon Slater in a 2-out-of-3 falls match to capture the X-Division Championship and end Slater’s 298-day title reign.

Slater picked up the opening fall early in the match, but Alexander battled back with two consecutive falls to secure the championship victory. However, Alexander’s celebration was quickly interrupted when Aichner appeared on the stage and stared down the new champion as the show went off the air, strongly teasing a future X-Division Championship feud.

The 35-year-old had largely disappeared from the wrestling world following his WWE release in February 2025. Last month, he resurfaced on social media and confirmed he had stepped away from wrestling after leaving WWE, but insisted he was not permanently finished with the business.

When Did Fabian Aichner Last Appear In Wrestling Prior To His TNA Impact Debut?

Before Fabian Aichner’s TNA Impact debut, he had not wrestled since a WWE dark match in December 2024 and had not competed in a televised match since September of that year. Before his WWE release, Vinci was best known as part of Imperium alongside Gunther and Ludwig Kaiser. Outside WWE, Aichner previously built a strong reputation across the European wrestling scene before signing with the company in 2017.