A former WWE champion has made their debut on AEW Dynamite.
Tommaso Ciampa has officially arrived in AEW, making his debut on Wednesday’s episode of AEW Dynamite and immediately landing himself a championship opportunity.
The appearance came after Mark Briscoe successfully defended the AEW TNT Championship against the previously unbeaten El Clon. Following the win, Briscoe took the microphone and issued an open challenge for Saturday’s AEW Collision.
Ciampa answered the call, walking to the ring in full gear for his first AEW appearance. He did not speak, instead stepping nose-to-nose with Briscoe before kissing him on the cheek and leaving the ring. Moments later, the TNT title match was made official for Collision.
Later in the night, Tony Khan confirmed that Ciampa had signed with the company, declaring the former NXT Champion officially “#AllElite”.
When Did Tommaso Ciampa Leave WWE?
Tommaso Ciampa announced his departure from WWE last week after his contract expired and he chose not to re-sign. In his statement, he said he was excited for what comes next and confirmed he was accepting independent bookings. A report in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter also suggested that NJPW could be among his future destinations.
The 40-year-old had two separate stints with WWE, the most recent lasting a decade. During that run, he became a two-time NXT Championship holder and also captured both the WWE Tag Team Championship and NXT Tag Team Championship alongside Johnny Gargano.
Before joining WWE, Ciampa spent four years with Ring of Honor from 2011 through 2015, where he held the ROH Television Championship and established himself as a top independent star.
Now officially signed with AEW and already set for a TNT Championship match, Ciampa’s next chapter begins immediately with gold in his sights.
