When Samoa Joe had to vacate his NXT championship days before the debut episode of rebranded NXT, there would have been very little doubt on who would be the person to take charge and be the face for the brand as it ushered in the new era. That Tommaso Ciampa never lost his title may have weighed in on the decision to put the belt on him, but it largely would have come down to the fact that there is nobody deserving and or could represent the brand better than Ciampa. Maybe, Johnny Gargano can be added to this conversation, but Ciampa’s body of work is near unbeatable in NXT. The vision with which NXT 2.0 debuted a couple of weeks back is clear, push fresh talent, make stars and for the while have somebody to hold the fort and be the guiding light. News18.com caught up with the now two-time NXT Champion to talk about the need for this rebranding, his own personal journey to reclaim ‘Goldie’ and on wrestlers who he thinks are future superstars in the making
Excerpts:
On the need to rebrand NXT …
It is very exciting time for us as performers in NXT. The energy in the locker room last week (before the debut episode of NXT 2.0) was extremely high, morale was extremely high. Everyone is ready to adapt and kind of rolling with the punches. There are a lot of hungry young talent right now who have been on the cusp for so long, scratching and clawing for a long and NXT 2.0 has kind of opened the door for them and you could just feel it last week that were ready to pounce all over the opportunity. It reminded me so much of the NXT I walked into in 2015, just so many young hungry competitors ready to really make a name for themselves.
More to do with keeping pace with the competition…
More so, it was an internal decision. I am not part of that, so I can only speculate. Someone like me who has been here for six years; even I felt, ‘Hey, we could use a little bit of a shuffle of the cards’. It’s just a natural part of the business. If you look at any 5-year cycle or a decade of any brand across the country, this is just a natural occurrence, whether the roster gets shaken up from a draft, or whether you have an influx of people entering, like debuts sometimes on RAW, Smackdown or NXT, it was something that felt needed. Especially when you walk around the performance center where all the guys and girls are training and watch their matches or promo classes, and see we have got 20 odd talents who are ready to go, and where else they are going to go other than stepping on to the stage on NXT 2.0? I think more so than anything, it was just an internal decision that was needed to be done to shake things up and let a lot of these guys and girls who are ready to sink or swim. That is what we are going to see for the next six months and I think a whole lot of them will end up swimming really well.
On his second title reign…
The journey is never the same and that’s what makes each journey, each moment so special. The first time, getting to the NXT title, running with the blackheart persona and walking to the entrance music with the boos and stuff; it was quite different from what it is now. I think I am more of a fan favourite and a lot of that comes from people following my journey and being part of it. There were part of it, really, for the past 5-6 years in NXT, especially when I had to relinquish the title for my neck surgery, and then returning, and working so long and hard for the past two year and to get back. This time around it is some of the old fans and a whole lot new fans out there now. I am excited to be a fighting champion and represent the brand to the absolute best of my abilities. There are so many guys who I would like to step in the ring and defend the title. There are so many people in NXT who I feel like are worthy and wanting a title shot and I am happy I am the guy who gets to have the moment and be the flag bearer for NXT 2.0.
On NXT’s Tag team Divison when you were part of DIY and to now…
I think it is hard to compare any era, or any time frame. Also, it is so different in so many ways. Right now, I look at the tag division and just last week we saw the Creed Brothers jump in the scene; I have not seen anyone quite like them. It is hard to compare them to anything in the past because they are their own men, right? It is unique and it is fun for me to watch. When I look at MSK and the Creed brothers, they are younger, and that’s awesome – they are fresh, hungry and we are hoping to see one of those scenarios where the best is yet to come and I am excited to watch the tag division continue to evolve. There are a lot of really talented men and women around – some who we have seen the beginnings of, some the crowd have not seen yet and it is going to be a really exciting time, and hopefully five years on people look at this roster and this core group of talent, and go on to say that this was the best they ever seen of NXT. I think if we continue to plug away and what we do best and let our passion speak for itself, I do think people will say, ‘there right there, it would be hard to top that’.
On NXT’s unqiue brand of engaging, engrossing storytelling …
That’s what we are at the end of the day – call it pro-wrestling or sports entertainment or whatever you what – we are story tellers. And that’s what drew me into wrestling as a kid, with the stories, attached to heroes, villains, seeing people overcome, and that to me makes it so beautiful; As a fan you live through those moments with the talents and I do think that is something that has worked to this date in NXT and NXT 2.0 is going to carry forward that. Watching the Ind-Dex storyline, about six months’ worth of build to a wedding that, I mean for my money, was the best wedding in sports entertainment history – it had a happy ending and the views were incredible. Looking at my own personal journey for two and half years chasing the title that I never lost and finally on the debut episode of NXT 2.0 having a second shot to represent NXT to its fullest. These are storylines that sometimes, you cannot draw it on a paper; it is real life intertwining with what we do out there for a living. So, I think that what we specialize in WWE as a whole, but specifically in NXT, and we are going to do that to the best of abilities and that is tell a story.
On Sticking to NXT and switching brands…
Well there are two parts to that, to slightly correct you, I am not opposed to doing anything with RAW or SmackDown or switching brands for what it maybe. It is one of those things when the opportunity is presented to me, the decision will be made; but right now, it is hard to look beyond anything that’s not NXT 2.0, specifically when I am holding the title. Obviously, this is where I built my name and build up the brand of Tommaso Ciampa, so it has a very special place for me. It is my home, really is. We think we are NXT, and Tommaso Ciampa is NXT. This is where I changed my entire life, and not just my career; livelihood. It holds a very special place in my heart. Do I want to step in the ring with the likes of Randy Orton, Edge, Roman Reigns, and Big E? Yes, I do, but when it happens, where it happens, how it happens is out of my control. Right now, I am the NXT champion, and I look at Survivor Series and it is only two months away, who knows at Survivor Series I get into the ring with Roman Reigns or Big E and I get to prove to the world that I am as good as I say I am. But, for now it is hard to worry about things not in my control.
On NXT’s future stars…
The names that jump out are Bron Breaker, Odyssey Jones, and of course Carmelo Hayes. I have known Hayes for a long time as he came up in the New England wrestling scene, same place I came up in – his trainers and stuff are people I am very close to, so I am little bit invested and interested in his developmental and so far he has been knocking it out of the park. Then there are the Creed brothers – I don’t think I even want to step in the ring with them, watching them how physical they are in the ring. But, I am happy to watch from the sidelines and see how they evolve, especially when you put them with someone like Rodrick Strong, because that’s a learning tree everyone stood under at some point in their career. When I look at Ridge Holland with Pete Dunne, for my money I don’t think there is a better pound-for-pound professional wrestler than Dunne on the planet right now; he is just at different level, he is in a class of his own and Holland now gets to walk out of the curtain with him week in and week out and learn from him. So it is a cool time across the board, because we are literally watching this evolution process with people who have been around the block a bit, people who are veterans of the craft and they are taking these young guys under the wing and teaching them. It is really awesome and for me as a fan it is really exciting and I really enjoy watching this development process. Six months on, people will be saying ‘oh, we thought NXT was dead, but really it was just a rebirth and this place is alive and well and doing better than it was doing in the past.
About Indian fans and one day traveling to India to perform…
I have not travelled to India or performed there, but it sure is on my bucket list. There is a certain level of excitement from many interactions I had with many of the fans there on social media and it is an awesome contagious enthusiasm that I have experienced. And for a performer it is one of the best things that you can get from the crowd; when they are just excited and wanting to see us. And I get a lot of that from fans from India and I would love to travel and sometime in the future when NXT 2.0 gets back on the road we can hopefully do something, it will be just fantastic. To all the fans out there, who are supporting us, thank you so much and really do appreciate it and we really hear you voice, we really do.
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