Tommaso Ciampa’s move from WWE to AEW may have surprised several fans because it was planned very quietly behind the scenes, according to the former NXT Champion.
Ciampa said earlier that he had been interested in AEW for a few years, especially as he pursued more creative freedom. After joining WWE in 2015, he became one of the most popular faces of the “black and gold” NXT era. His NXT Championship reign from 2018 to 2022 enhanced his reputation.
However, his move to WWE’s main roster in 2022 was more difficult. While he had strong moments, Ciampa struggled to fully bring his “Psycho Killer” character to life on RAW and found himself in less serious storylines. He reunited with Gargano as #DIY during his final run, but when his contract expired in January 2026, he chose not to re-sign.
He didn’t waste any time in joining AEW and won the TNT Championship in his first match. For Ciampa, keeping his exit quiet was all part of a bigger plan.
Tommaso Ciampa Didn’t Even Tell His Former Partner
In a recent chat with Renee Paquette on Up Close, Tommaso Ciampa explained how he kept his contract details completely private before showing up in AEW.
On January 21, Ciampa posted on social media that his WWE contract was about to expire and that he would be leaving the company. Just a few days later, on the January 28th episode of AEW Dynamite, he made his debut.
“We knew my contract end date,” Ciampa said, talking about himself and his wife. He even admitted that his tag partner at the time, Gargano, might not have known the exact day his deal ended.
“I was very very private about that. No one knew that date. I don’t even know that my tag partner at the time knew the specific date. I just didn’t tell anyone. ‘Okay, contract ends midnight the 26th.’ I already had the plan of what I wanted the next evolution to be and the presentation to be. Whether or not AEW was going to be the place to do it was kind of wishful thinking,” Ciampa said.
However, the timing worked out quite perfectly. Ciampa and his wife had planned a trip to Blue Hills Ranch in Texas, and AEW happened to be running shows in Texas that same week. Behind the scenes, things moved fast, and the deal and creative plans came together within a few days.
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