Tony Khan is excited to see Tommaso Ciampa in his company.
The AEW President wasted no time in signing the former NXT Champion after he announced his WWE exit. The wrestling veteran made his debut for the promotion on the first AEW show after becoming a free agent. This move seems to be paying off for the company as Ciampa has already established himself as a major player, winning the TNT title in his very first match under the banner.
During a recent interview with Josh Martinez, the wrestling executive was asked about the latest AEW signing. Tony Khan claimed that Ciampa's arrival reflects very well on AEW as a place where the best wrestle:
“I think that AEW is where the best wrestle, and Tommaso Ciampa is a fantastic wrestler. Our fans like to see the very best wrestling against the very best. And so, Tommaso Ciampa is somebody that can come into AEW immediately. Now, he’s the TNT Champion. It reflects very well on AEW and our media partners to have such a fantastic wrestler with his credentials coming into the AEW company."
Are You A Great Wrestler? : Tony Khan
Tony Khan then mentioned that while Ciampa had not wrestled for AEW before this, he has a long history with ROH. He noted that Tommaso Ciampa is now on the short list of people who have held both the ROH TV Title and the TNT Championship, including Samoa Joe and Brody King:
"And I think that as a TNT Champion, or in any role in AEW, the most important thing when we bring somebody in like a Tommaso Ciampa is: are you a wrestler? Are you a great wrestler? Is there a place for you here where you can really add to the AEW roster and set up great matches for the future? And Tommaso Ciampa fits that really to a tee, literally. I think he will be a great addition for us, and now I’m very excited that he’s the TNT Champion in AEW.”
The new TNT Champion announced the continuation of the Open Challenge for the title on Dynamite this week. It was then revealed that both Roderick Strong and Claudio Castagnoli have answered the challenge, and a triple threat match will be taking place on Collision with the title on the line.
