Tommaso Ciampa has been with AEW for just over a week, yet his journey in the company has been eventful. He made a surprise debut on the January 28 episode of “AEW Dynamite,” answering Mark Briscoe’s challenge for the AEW TNT Championship. Just three days later, on January 31 at AEW Collision, Ciampa stunned fans by defeating Brisco to capture the title. This rapid rise came shortly after his WWE contract ended. In a recent interview with Sports Illustrated’s “The Takedown,” Ciampa revealed that family plans played a role in the quick turnaround of his AEW debut.
He shared that when it became clear months ago that he wouldn’t be staying with WWE, he decided to bet on himself. His contract expired at midnight on January 26, but no one else knew the timing. AEW was set to be in Texas that Wednesday, coinciding with a family trip he and his wife had planned to Blue Hill Ranch—a giraffe safari that also positioned them perfectly between the locations of AEW Dynamite and Collision. Ciampa explained, “I said, ‘Babe, why don’t we book a family trip? Hopefully we can go to AEW that Wednesday. It’s a two-hour drive, but if not, let’s just enjoy the trip.’”
Once his WWE deal expired, Ciampa began discussing potential appearances in AEW with QT Marshall and RD Evans. Already in Texas for the AEW events, he quickly attended both shows and found himself signed by AEW before he even realized it.
Presentation was paramount for Ciampa when joining AEW. The “Psycho Killer” revealed that both he and his wife were impressed while listening to his new entrance theme in the car, especially praising AEW’s in-house composer Mikey Lucas for his passionate work on the track. Ciampa also credited the final six weeks of his WWE contract—when he was mostly off TV—as crucial preparation time for the next stage of his career.
During this period, he focused heavily on licensing his trademark and collaborated with the same artist from WWE who helped design the famous “Blackheart” logo to create a new “Psycho Killer” skull emblem. Ciampa expressed excitement about finally working with this artist after years of wanting to. He believes his time working quietly in the background allowed him to craft his character carefully, and the presentation AEW delivered has exceeded his expectations.
“All I wanted for a long time was a presentation, and what they put together was incredible—absolutely smashing it,” Ciampa said. Looking ahead, former AEW TNT Champion Kyle Fletcher made an appearance to congratulate Ciampa post-victory, hinting at a potential showdown between the two, possibly at the upcoming AEW Grand Slam Australia on February 14 or the Revolution pay-per-view on March 15.
If quoting from this article, please credit “The Takedown” and give a hat tip to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.
Fan Take: Tommaso Ciampa’s swift transition to AEW and immediate championship success signals a major shake-up in the promotion’s landscape. For AEW fans, this not only brings fresh energy and high-profile matches but also showcases AEW’s ability to capitalize quickly on talent departures from WWE, potentially raising the bar for storytelling and in-ring competition in professional wrestling.
