Coming off his exit from WWE, Tommaso Ciampa wasted little time to make an impact in his new home, All Elite Wrestling. In fact, it only took him three days to claim the TNT Championship following his AEW television debut. According to AEW CEO Tony Khan, Ciampa’s transition to AEW has been a smooth one, especially given his existing history with Ring of Honor, AEW’s sister company, and proven track record in the ring.
“I think that AEW is where the best wrestle, and Tommaso Champa is a fantastic wrestler,” Khan told “YoJoshMartinez.” “Our fans like to see the very best wrestling against the very best. So Tommaso Ciampa is somebody that can come into AEW. Immediately now, he’s the TNT Champion. It reflects very well on AEW and our media partners to have such a fantastic wrestler with his credentials coming into the AEW company. Also, he has a great history in Ring of Honor. So even though he had never been in AEW, he’s a big part of the history of the Ring of Honor promotion. As the owner of ROH, having one of the legends coming back, somebody that has great accomplishments and been a champion in ROH, now a champion in AEW as well.”
From a business standpoint, Khan noted that the most important qualities in potential new hires for his wrestling promotion include solid in-ring work, versatility, and the ability to elevate the AEW roster around them. In Ciampa’s case, he fit that criteria “to a tea.”
So far in his TNT Championship reign, Ciampa has conquered Claudio Castagnoli and Roderick Strong. Kyle Fletcher, however, made it clear that he was next in line right after.
If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit “YoJoshMartinez” with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.