Tommaso Ciampa began laying the groundwork for his AEW presentation before his WWE contract had even expired.
The former NXT Champion revealed that as he prepared for life after WWE, one of his first calls was to Adam Cole — and that conversation led him to AEW’s in-house music producer, Mikey Rukus.
Ciampa explained that entrance music was a major priority as he mapped out his next chapter. “When I knew I was wrapping up at WWE, Adam’s one of the first people I reached out to,” Ciampa told Haley Miller of Vice. “I just said, ‘Hey, who made your music? Is there a way to get in touch with them?”
At the time, Ciampa was still under contract, so he did what he described as “a lot of the work in the dark” for six to eight weeks. He researched Rukus’ style and clipped pieces of music that inspired him, building a blueprint before officially making contact.
Ciampa said in another interview (with Renee Paquette) that Johnny Gargano didn’t even know about his WWE contract status.
“We [Ciampa and his wife] knew my contract end date. I was very very private about that. No one knew that date. I don’t even know that my tag partner at the time [Johnny Gargano] knew the specific date.”
Tommaso Ciampa Instantly Clicked With AEW’s Mikey Rukus
Once the two finally connected, the chemistry was immediate. “By the time Mikey and I got ahold of one another, we clicked instantly,” Ciampa said. Their first call lasted about 20 to 30 minutes, and Ciampa noted that Rukus understood his vision without hesitation.
What followed was a 36-hour creative sprint. Rukus delivered a rough version within hours, and after seven back-and-forth revisions, Ciampa had the finished product. For a performer long focused on in-ring work and promos, the collaboration marked a shift toward presentation — a key ingredient in today’s wrestling recipe.
Ciampa officially departed WWE on January 21, 2026, and signed with AEW shortly after. He has since captured and lost the TNT Championship, most recently dropping it to Kyle Fletcher on the February 11 episode of Dynamite.
As Ciampa checks names off his AEW “list,” one thing is clear — he didn’t just change companies. He changed the soundtrack, too.
READ MORE: Tommaso Ciampa Reacts To Shocking AEW TNT Title Loss
