Tommaso Ciampa, now a prominent figure in AEW, shared his thoughts during an episode of Close-Up with Renee Paquette about the uncertainty surrounding his arrival in the company. Speaking candidly, Ciampa admitted that he was unsure if he would secure a spot with AEW despite his strong desire to join.
The Emotional Experience Leading to AEW Debut
Ciampa revealed the emotional intensity he experienced in the weeks before joining AEW, describing a mix of hope and anxiety. He explained how the uncertainty about his next career step weighed heavily on him, stating,
“Yeah, I mean it certainly feels that way now. It’s one of them fun things too, where the unknown is terrifying. So I had no clue what the next step was to do that too, and I didn’t even know if I was going to land here. I wanted to, but I didn’t know.”
?Tommaso Ciampa, AEW Wrestler
He further described how his emotions surfaced during his training sessions, particularly while doing cardio workouts. Ciampa mentioned how envisioning his entrance in AEW alongside producer Mike Mansury sparked a wave of powerful feelings.
“So there was a lot of emotions for six to eight weeks leading up to it. And it’s funny, like I’m an emotional guy. I’m super emotional. We always say with [his daughter] Willow, it’s like, ‘You can have big emotions, cry it out, whatever it is, you have it.’ And for me, it’s like if I have big, big matches or just, something I’m really looking forward to, I start to get it when I train. I’ll be doing my cardio and I start to just well [up]. And then I train, and I’m fine, but it’s it’s always that cardio. And I hadn’t had that in a bit. And as I was just approaching just the hope of maybe this is going to happen, like I would start to really feel it. And then once we actually discussed the entrance, and me and Mike Mansury started to piece together the silhouette, I remember being in the gym at my house and just kind of envisioning it, and literally like welling. And I was like, ‘Holy, — okay, wow.’ Which to me is a trigger that like we’re on to something.”
?Tommaso Ciampa, AEW Wrestler
Significance of Ciampa’s AEW Arrival
Ciampa’s reflections reveal the personal and professional challenges wrestlers face when transitioning to new opportunities, highlighting the mix of excitement and uncertainty involved. His openness about these emotions offers fans a deeper understanding of the determination required to succeed in the wrestling industry. As he continues to make his mark in AEW, Ciampa’s journey could inspire others facing similar crossroads in their careers.
