Tommaso Ciampa made his surprise AEW debut on Wednesday\’s Dynamite, confronting TNT Champion Mark Briscoe and answered the challenge for this Saturday\’s Collision.
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The former WWE star wasted no time making an impact, marching to the ring to stare down the champion. Ciampa pointed at the TNT Championship and declared, \”I\’m coming for that!\” before leaving Briscoe with a kiss on the cheek in a bizarre but memorable moment.
TNT Championship Match Set for Saturday
The confrontation set up an official TNT Championship match between Ciampa and Briscoe for this Saturday\’s AEW Collision. The show airs live from the Esports Stadium in Arlington, Texas on TNT and HBO Max.
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Ciampa\’s arrival ends speculation about his post-WWE future. The 40-year-old announced his departure from WWE earlier this month after 11 years with the company, filing new trademarks for \”Psycho Killer\” and \”Psycho King\” that hinted at a character reboot.
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Ciampa Brings Championship Pedigree to AEW
Ciampa arrives in AEW as a two-time NXT Champion and former WWE Tag Team Champion alongside Johnny Gargano as part of the legendary team #DIY. His run in NXT established him as one of the brand\’s most influential champions, and his \”Blackheart\” persona made him one of wrestling\’s most compelling characters.
Briscoe captured the TNT Championship at Full Gear 2025, defeating Kyle Fletcher in a No Disqualification match. He has defended the title via open challenge in recent weeks, successfully turning back challengers including CMLL star Hechicero.
Saturday\’s match marks Ciampa\’s first televised match outside of WWE since 2015.
