Tommaso Ciampa: "The answer was AEW"

Tommaso Ciampa starred in one of the biggest surprises of recent months by making his debut in All Elite Wrestling during the latest episode of AEW Dynamite. His appearance came just one week after confirming his departure from WWE.

The decision to leave the Endeavor-owned company and sign with Tony Khan's company was not taken lightly. Ciampa himself explained the process that led him to change course after a decade in WWE during a recent interview with Sports Illustrated.

"It was something I had been leaning towards for quite some time. I don't know if I can say there was a single factor that led me to it or caused it. I think it's one of those situations where, when your contract is coming to an end, conversations naturally arise," Ciampa said.

"If I had wrestled in the 90s, I would have wanted to be part of ECW... In the early 2000s, you would have wanted to be part of Ring of Honor. I was lucky enough to be able to do it a bit. In the 2010s, I think at least for me, I wanted to be part of NXT Black and Gold. When I looked at the landscape of professional wrestling in the 2020s... the answer was AEW, brother. That's what I want to be a part of," he stated.

Tommaso Ciampa's new professional stage officially began last night when he answered Joe Briscoe's open challenge. The former NXT champion also debuted a new theme song for the occasion. The same one that will play this coming Saturday when he makes his in-ring debut on AEW Collision, where he will have a shot at the TBS Championship.