Tommaso Ciampa explains AEW debut, why he turned down WWE deal: 'I've had a foot out the door'

You haven't seen the best of Tommaso Ciampa yet. For nearly a decade, he's been told that his peak came and went in 2018. As he embarks on his third and final chapter, this time in AEW, Ciampa insists he's saved the best for last.

Ciampa made an explosive debut on Wednesday's AEW Dynamite, becoming the latest wrestler to jump from WWE to All Elite Wrestling. For Ciampa, a cornerstone of NXT's black-and-gold era, the move represents more than fresh scenery. It's an opportunity to execute ideas that were never fully realized.

"I've heard for seven or eight years that 2018 was peak Ciampa. Lightning in a bottle," Ciampa told CBS Sports after his AEW debut. "That makes me sick to my stomach because I'm better than that guy in every aspect. Every single measuring stick in the business, I blow 2018 Ciampa out of the water.

"For seven to eight years, I've had to hear that was the best version of me. It wasn't. It was just the best opportunity I had at putting my vision forth." 

Eclipsing that run won't be easy. Ciampa's feud with Johnny Gargano was named CBS Sports' 2018 Feud of the Year, a defining chapter of NXT's golden era. Ciampa believes his creative input made the best version of himself at the time. While rehabbing a torn ACL, he had nine months to refine his character and a creative team willing to let him drive.

Now, Ciampa believes he's more complete than ever: armed with experienced, sharper instincts and a character refined over years, not months.

"I've had six or seven years to think about, 'What if I really rode out the 'Psycho Killer' gimmick?' I was doing it on the indies, and it was hot," Ciampa said. "I signed with WWE, and it never hit its peak. 

"I had to let it go. I had a lot of ideas for how to incorporate it, but it didn't come to fruition and wouldn't unless I went out and did it. I have a warranted chip [on my shoulder] because, for seven years, I've thought, 'You have no idea.'"

Ciampa confirmed he turned down a contract renewal with WWE after 10 years in the company. There's no animosity between the sides. The decision, he said, came down to where he could be at his best.

"We chatted a handful of times in the last two or three months. I just needed to do what was right for my wife and me," Ciampa explained. "I have not one bad word to say about WWE. They gave me an incredible opportunity and platform. Over the last 10 years, I learned a ton. I evolved a ton. It's time for me to take all that and really apply it. The biggest part was the leap." 

He didn't take that leap lightly. Ciampa had security, comfort and a family to consider. Ironically, it was his family that pushed him toward risk rather than safety.

"My interest in doing this has been for at least two or three years. For the last six months, I've had a foot out the door," Ciampa said. "It was one of those things: do you bet on yourself, see this through and see if you were right, or do you stay put and take the safe bet? 

"I have a seven-year-old. I want her to know that you get one life. You get one career, you get one chance at this. You don't want to leave it with 'What if?' That was the final determining factor."

Any lingering doubt vanished the moment his name flashed across the screen during his AEW debut. The reaction from the crowd affirmed his decision.

"The anxiety I had going into it was out of this world. I've had 30 or 45-minute matches, and I've never felt the anxiety that I felt last night. All I could think was, 'I hope they care.'"

"Man, am I happy that I made the decision... Last night was one of the best experiences of my entire career."

Check out the full interview with Tommaso Ciampa below. 

Don't let the salt-and-pepper beard fool you. Retirement tours may be fashionable in wrestling, but Ciampa isn't here to replay hits. For years, he's meticulously mapped out every layer of the 'Psycho Killer' persona. This may be his "final destination," but he's only beginning his third decade in the business.

"I'm really drawn to underground, passionate fanbases who have an 'us vs. the world' mentality," Ciampa said. "It's something I've always liked, especially in professional wrestling. For quite some time, I kept looking at AEW and thinking, 'Wow, that looks cool. That was special.' Last night was my first taste of it."