Felix Upton on March 8, 2026
Tommaso Ciampa’s heel turn on AEW Collision is getting plenty of attention — but not for the reasons AEW probably hoped. Instead, many fans are accusing the company of ripping off WWE because the segment involved Ciampa.
Following the angle, several fans took to Twitter and accused the company of recycling one of Ciampa’s most famous moments from WWE’s NXT Black and Gold era. Many pointed out similarities between the Collision segment and Ciampa’s infamous betrayal of Johnny Gargano at NXT TakeOver: Chicago. One fan mocked the moment outright, arguing the angle looked like a straight replay of the classic NXT turn.
“Ripping off the Ending of NXT Takeover Chicago. You really can't come up with anything different can you 🤣🤣🤣🤣”
Another fan went even harder, claiming the segment proved AEW relies too much on past ideas: “Proving once again that this company is nothing more than a glorified nostalgia act.” Others argued that former NXT stars keep revisiting their biggest moments instead of creating something new.
“LOL another NXT Black and Gold alum rehashing the hits from yesteryear because without HHH these guys are directionless.”
This comes after Ciampa lost to Daniel Garcia, after which he suddenly attacked Briscoe on the entrance ramp, smashing him into the video screen before delivering a devastating running knee that left him laid out. FTR stood nearby watching the entire scene unfold and appeared pleased with the attack, hinting at a possible alliance going forward.
The segment clearly positioned Ciampa as a heel in AEW — but judging from the reaction online, many fans couldn’t help but compare it to one of the most memorable betrayals of the NXT Black and Gold era.
Do you think AEW copied Tommaso Ciampa’s NXT heel turn, or are fans overreacting to the similarities? Let us know what you think.
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