Tommaso Ciampa: Explains why he made the switch to AEW

In the ever-shifting landscape of professional wrestling, the jump from WWE to AEW has become a defining narrative of the decade, yet few transitions feel as calculated and deeply personal as Tommaso Ciampa's.

For a man who became the beating heart of NXT’s "Black and Gold" era, the decision to walk away from the global juggernaut wasn't sparked by a single moment of frustration or a sudden fallout. Instead, it was the natural conclusion of a chapter. As his contract neared its end, Ciampa found himself at a crossroads that every elite performer eventually faces: the desire to be where the pulse of the industry beats loudest. Ciampa Tommaso Ciampa revealed to Rick Ucchino of Sports Illustrated why he left WWE for AEW had this to say about it all:

“It’s something I’ve been leaning towards for quite some time. I don’t know that I can say there’s one sole factor that led to it or caused it. I think it’s one of those things when your contract is coming to an end, you naturally have discussions.”

Ciampa Continue by giving this thoughts on where he would have been in the 90s wrestling scene.

“If I wrestled in the 90s, I’d wanna be a part of ECW… Early 2000s, you wanna be a part of Ring of Honor. I was lucky I got to do that a little bit. 2010s, I think for me at least, I wanted to be part of NXT Black and Gold. And when I looked at the landscape of professional wrestling in the 2020s… the answer was AEW, man. That’s what I want to be a part of.”

When it comes to his take on what the online universe had to say about his career. Ciampa didn't hold back at all he let everyone know he's at the highest level in ring now. He stated:

“For a long time, I had to listen to people tell me, not so much directly to my face but more so online, that 2018 was prime Ciampa. I’m a hundred times better now than I was then. That was nothing. That was absolutely nothing. I’m physically 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 gonna shock the world, because I finally have a shot to find out if I’m as good as I think I am.”

After years of operating within a specific system, Ciampa is stepping into a landscape defined by freedom and a different kind of pressure. He isn't just looking for new opponents or a change of scenery; he is looking for validation of his own self-belief.

By his own admission, he is ready to shock the world and prove that his best days aren't captured in low-resolution highlights from years ago, but are happening right now. He is finally giving himself the shot to find out if he truly is as good as he thinks he is, and for the AEW locker room, the emergence of this "Psycho Killer" is a terrifying prospect.

Kimster AFW