Felix Upton on February 4, 2026
Tommaso Ciampa didn’t just show up in AEW—he arrived, fought, and left with gold. But the real story is how fast it all came together behind the scenes. In a new update from The Battleground Podcast, AEW President Tony Khan gave a detailed explanation of how Ciampa’s debut and title win came to life almost overnight.
Khan revealed that severe weather disrupted AEW’s Dallas-area events, and with the final Collision in the Arlington residency approaching, he needed something big for the fans who stuck through the chaos.
“It was our last Collision in the Dallas residency. We were in Arlington around the Dallas Metroplex, and we'd had these great events. And because Dallas had been hit hard with the weather and the fans were unable to come out, you know, a lot of events got canceled… so I wanted to give the fans something really, really special.”
That’s when everything changed. Ciampa became available, and according to Khan, the decision was made swiftly.
“And when Ciampa became available, I thought that was such an exciting development. He’s such a great wrestler. He has great history in Ring of Honor, and he’s never been in AEW. And talk about somebody who is a fantastic wrestler—AEW is where the best wrestle.”
Not long after, Ciampa was signed, booked, and crowned TNT Champion in a brutal debut match against Mark Briscoe.
“Whether it’s somebody who’s never wrestled in AEW before, like Tommaso Ciampa—the new TNT Champion after this fantastic match he had versus Mark Briscoe for the TNT Title—I thought that was just outstanding.”
The update sheds light on how AEW moved quickly behind the scenes, blending real-life conditions with wrestling opportunity. Ciampa’s debut wasn’t just luck—it was lightning-fast execution.
What do you think about AEW pulling the trigger on Ciampa so quickly? Should more big debuts happen like this? Drop your thoughts below and join the conversation.
Please credit Ringside News if you use the above transcript in your publication.
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