ZooMaa Retires From CDL Due To Injury
Thomas "ZooMaa" Paparatto of the New York Subliners has announced his heart-breaking retirement from competitive Call of Duty due to a resurgent wrist injury he sustained during his time at FaZe.
The Italian Stallion announced his retirement via Twitter, stating "This is the hardest thing I've ever had to write, I am stepping down and will no longer compete in competitive Call of Duty for the foreseeable future".
ZooMaa's career has been a resounding success despite being cut short, with "Pappy" securing a number of championships wins and top-three finishes on the world stage. Having represented sides such as Denial Esports, Team Envy, OpTic Gaming, FaZe Clan, and most recently the New York Subliners, ZooMaa has also become one of the most influential streamers in the scene, combining skill with a flared personality.
The injury causing him to retire is one that was previously put to bed, but with the vigorous schedule of the competitive scene and relentless grind, the demon escaped the closet once more. Writing in his statement, ZooMaa stated: "a few years back while on FaZe, I struggled with weakness in my thumb/wrist and needed surgery. Going through that process of getting healthy again was one of the hardest things I ever had to do both physically & mentally, which led to a lot of stress and anxiety.
"Unfortunately, the injury has returned making it really hard for me to compete at the highest level against some of the best players in the world. Playing through the weakness and pain in my hand just isn't possible anymore".
ZooMaa will be a sad omission for the 2021 season, especially so close to the league's inaugural event.
As for New York, their roster is now in turmoil, with the French youngster Paco "HyDra" Rusiewiez not being available yet due to Visa issues either.
It is suspected that the Subliners will bring in Hamza "GloFrosty" Shaikh (not the Frosty previously of Florida Mutineers) to replace the absent Hydra for the looming Kickoff classic, and pull Conor "Diamondcon" Johst up from the Subliners Academy. With such a young powerful roster at their expense, all eyes will now be on James "Clayster" Eubanks to steer the ship.
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