Tommaso Ciampa made a striking debut in AEW by accepting the TNT Championship open challenge issued by Mark Briscoe on “AEW Dynamite.” Briscoe had just defended his title against El Cron, securing his third successful defense after previously overcoming Kyle Fletcher at Full Gear. During the match, Briscoe landed his Froggy Bow and Jade Driller moves, but El Cron managed to survive and counter, nearly clinching the win before Briscoe rolled him up for the three-count.
El Cron, who debuted in AEW last October, was challenging for a title for the first time. He has built momentum with wins over Angelico and The Commander, and recently participated in a victorious trios match alongside Josh Alexander and Kyle Fletcher. Following the bout, Briscoe announced he would continue with open challenges for the belt. Surprisingly, his next challenger wasn’t from the Don Callis faction, which had previously seen Fletcher, Hexero, and El Cron as challengers. Instead, Ciampa made his presence known by stepping up to accept the challenge, officially confirming his AEW arrival concurrent with the end of his WWE contract.
Ciampa spent a decade in WWE, announcing his departure on January 21st. During his tenure, he claimed the NXT Championship, held the WWE Tag Team Championship twice, and was also an NXT Tag Team Champion once. His move to AEW signals a major addition to the roster.
Fan Take:
Ciampa’s transition from WWE to AEW is a huge deal for wrestling fans, as it injects fresh star power into AEW’s title scene and hints at exciting new rivalries. This moment underlines AEW’s growing status as a premier wrestling promotion capable of attracting top talent and reshaping the industry landscape.
