Tommaso Ciampa wants fans to forget the version of himself they admired during his prime. He stated that the “2018 Champa” is a thing of the past, and what he has planned next in AEW will “shock the world.”
In an interview with Rick Ucchino for Sports Illustrated, Ciampa directly addressed those who still view his 2018 NXT run as the pinnacle of his career. He said, “For a long time, I had to hear people say 2018 was the best Champa, more online than in person. I’m 100 times better now than I was then. It was nothing. Absolutely nothing.”
Now officially signed with AEW, Ciampa emphasized that this new phase will change how fans perceive him—not only as a competitor but also as a storyteller and a dominant presence in the ring. “Physically, I’m better. I’m mentally sharper. My storytelling, my psychology, is on a whole different level than it was back then… What people are about to see is going to blow their minds. It’s going to shock the world because I finally have a chance to find out if I’m as good as I think I am,” he shared.
This statement came the day after Ciampa’s AEW debut on Dynamite, where Tony Khan officially introduced him as “All Elite.” He is set to challenge Mark Briscoe for the TNT Championship on Collision, but Ciampa has ambitions far beyond just one match—he’s determined to rewrite his entire legacy.
Fan Take: This development is huge for WWE fans because it signals that top talents who made their name in WWE’s NXT are now evolving and thriving in other major promotions like AEW. Ciampa’s commitment to raising his game could push the industry’s storytelling and in-ring standards even higher, benefiting wrestling fans overall.
