Why Tommaso Ciampa Won TNT Title in AEW Debut Match

Tommaso Ciampa surprised AEW fans by winning the TNT Championship in his first-ever match for the company—but now AEW President Tony Khan is explaining exactly why it happened.

During a February 4, 2026 interview with Josh Martinez, Khan broke down the logic behind Ciampa’s rapid rise and why putting gold on him right away was the right call for AEW.

“I think that AEW is where the best wrestle, and Tommaso Ciampa is a fantastic wrestler,” Khan began. “Our fans like to see the very best wrestling against the very best. Tommaso Ciampa is somebody who can come into AEW immediately. Now he’s the TNT Champion, and that reflects very well on AEW and our media partners to have such a fantastic wrestler with his credentials coming into the AEW company.”

Ciampa’s debut match aired on the January 31 episode of AEW Collision, where he defeated Mark Briscoe in a brutal contest that ended with a German suplex and running knee combination. But Khan made it clear the decision wasn’t just about making a splash—it was about Ciampa’s wrestling pedigree, especially his connection to Ring of Honor.

“He also has a great history in Ring of Honor. So even though he had never been in AEW before, he’s a big part of the history of the Ring of Honor promotion,” Khan said. “As the owner of ROH, having one of the legends come back—somebody who has great accomplishments and has been a champion in ROH and now a champion in AEW as well—puts him on that impressive list of people who have held both the ROH TV Championship and the TNT Championship.”

But above all else, Khan made it clear that Ciampa’s debut title win boiled down to pure talent and the confidence AEW has in him as a top-tier performer.

“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 this: are you a wrestler? Are you a great wrestler?” Khan continued. “Is there a place for you here where you can really add to the AEW roster and set up great matches for the future? Tommaso Ciampa fits that to a tee, literally. I think he will be a great addition for us, and I’m very excited that he’s now the TNT Champion in AEW as well.”

Ciampa joins Mercedes Moné as the only AEW talents to win championships in their debut matches—a rare vote of confidence from company leadership. With Kyle Fletcher already eyeing the title, Ciampa’s reign is off to a hot start.

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