Tommaso Ciampa is one of the major players in NXT and helped facilitate the growth of that brand to new heights. As such, he is a good authority to speak on new Superstars and new ideas for the brand.
Recently, Ciampa spoke with ProWrestlingSheet.com about how he feels concerning WWE taking a new approach with their audience during the coronavirus pandemic, and his upcoming match at NXT TakeOver: In Your House against the wicked Karrion Kross.
Pro Wrestling Sheet passed along the following highlights to WrestleZone.
Tommaso Ciampa on NXT wrestlers being used in the crowd and whether he wants them at “In Your House”
“NXT wrestlers, no. PC students would be great. I don’t know that there’s rights and wrongs to a lot of this stuff. It’s all opinions. It’s wrestling. It’s ice cream. Because of our situation, we have at least 50 or 60 people in the Performance Center living in Orlando who aren’t ready to be on television as a performer. They’re just not. They can’t really do a whole lot right now with what’s going on. I think it’s awesome to have those people come on. It’s almost like that Japanese young boy style. Come to ringside, watch Kobayashi have this match. Feel it, feel the energy. Feel it all. Awesome idea. I don’t know that I like the idea of having NXT television superstars in the crowd.”
“I don’t want to have people from Raw and SmackDown in the crowd while I’m wrestling. Maybe I’m young, but I still have an old school feel to me. Just because there’s other options. I’d love to have some PC people back there, though. Great experience for you and it doesn’t diminish you in the slightest. That feels good to me.”
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Tommaso Ciampa on Karrion Kross
“He’s very big. There’s a lot of him that reminds me of AOP. That didn’t end so well for me. His music is unreal. His entrance is great. Something comes along with being the guy who becomes the test for people. I feel like that’s the position I’m in this one. Not to say it will happen like this, but you have the match and people say ‘hey, how’d he do?’ It feels a lot like that. Man, is he big. He’s big! You know how some people say they’re strong? He’s strong.”
Tommaso Ciampa on in-ring segment with Kross last week
“There’s a moment, if you watch the promo back, I don’t know exactly the wording that I chose, but I wanted to say ‘I wanted to come out here and look you eye-to-eye,’ but I think I just said ‘I want to come out and look you in the eyes’ because I’m like, I’m not eye-to-eye with you. I’m like eye-to-chest or eye-to-chin. I don’t want to go into all that, but that’s the thought process that I had while I’m speaking, like ‘what the hell’s going on up there?’ He definitely knows that it’s raining before I do.”
You can view the full interview by clicking here.
