Tomaso Ciampa has elaborated on his reasons for signing with AEW following on from his surprising WWE departure earlier in the month.
After confirming that his WWE deal was set to expire imminently, Ciampa wasted little time in letting the fans know what was next for him as he made his shock debut on the January 28 episode of Dynamite. Interrupting TNT Champion Mark Briscoe, the former NXT Champion answeredthe open challenge and will face Briscoe for the title on the January 31 episode of Collision.
Speaking with Rick Ucchino of The Takedown on SI in what is his first interview since becoming All Elite, Ciampa first spoke about the conversations he had when his WWE contract was nearing its end:
“It’s something I’ve been leaning towards for quite some time. I don’t know that I can say there’s one sole factor that led to it or caused it. I think it’s one of those things when your contract is coming to an end, you naturally have discussions.”
The article then notes that after Ciampa had discussions with his family over what to do next, which led to AEW being the logical next step:
“If I wrestled in the 90s, I’d wanna be a part of ECW… Early 2000s, you wanna be a part of Ring of Honor. I was lucky I got to do that a little bit. 2010s, I think for me at least, I wanted to be part of NXT Black and Gold. And when I looked at the landscape of professional wrestling in the 2020s… the answer was AEW, man. That’s what I want to be a part of.”
Following his debut, Ciampa cut a promo online that noted that “The Psycho Killer” is back. Addressing his new character, the latest AEW signing admitted that it was something he tried to push for in WWE, but was unable to get it greenlit. However, AEW is a different brand:
”There were a lot of times I tried… and for one reason or another [over the years in WWE], it just wasn’t something that I could do. But for Tony [Khan] and the whole crew to just collaborate the way they did and have open arms, and see the vision and just allow it to breathe and have a chance, I’m already thinking six months, 12 months ahead on the evolution of the Psycho Killer.”
Often referred to as “The Blackheart” during his time in NXT, Ciampa became one of the most despised heels in all of wrestling in 2017 and 2018 following his betrayal of longtime friend and tag team partner Johnny Gargano. After both men settled their differences on NXT, the duo were eventually moved to the main roster and competed as the tag team DIY. Gargano and Ciampa won the WWE Tag Team Championships during their main roster run.
Tommaso Ciampa Looking Ahead To AEW Debut Following WWE Departure
When asked about his upcoming match against TNT Champion Mark Briscoe on Collision, Ciampa spoke about the respect he has for the legendary tag team, adding that he is hoping to give the fans a match to remember:
“I love the Briscoes so much. I always have. I have so much respect for them. Mark has always been, to me, the ultimate babyface. He’s impossible to dislike. His fire, his charisma. The fact that we haven’t stepped foot in a ring for 13 to 15 years together, the second I saw him and locked eyes, it was just perfect. And Saturday night, man, we’re just gonna tear the house down.”
