Tommaso Ciampa has had a remarkable career on WWE NXT, and he’s widely viewed as the face of the brand. “The Blackheart” has practically done it all on the show, but he enjoyed a new milestone this past weekend when he competed at Madison Square Garden.
On December 26, as part of WWE’s holiday tour, Ciampa competed in his first singles match in the legendary arena, and in an interview with Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated, the reigning NXT Champion explained why the experience was especially meaningful to him. He noted that he was honored to join the impressive list of individuals who have performed at the venue.
“Any time I get asked to do the Garden, I’ll always say yes,” said Ciampa. “So many legendary performers have played here. It means a lot to share a piece of that history and it means a lot to represent NXT against Pete Dunne.”
Ciampa later said it was “amazing” to wrestle at Madison Square Garden before he specifically shared his thoughts on his match. He defended the title against fellow NXT veteran Pete Dunne, and “The Blackheart” sang the praises of “The BruiserWeight.”
“Pete Dunne is one of the best professional wrestlers in the world,” said Ciampa. “This was only our second time ever wrestling a singles match, with the first being for his UK title in England. It’s a pleasure to share a ring with him. He’s a world-class person in and out of the ring.”
As for his current run on NXT, Ciampa made it clear that he appreciates his spot atop the card because he worked hard for it. The champion knows that his competition is more intense than ever, but he’s enjoying the ride.
“I never take this for granted, especially being the face of NXT,” Ciampa said. “It’s hard to come by these opportunities. The competition is through the roof. I have worked real hard to get to this point, so it’s been a fun time for me, one that I’m really enjoying.”
Ciampa is set to defend the title in a heated rematch with Bron Breakker at WWE NXT New Year’s Evil on January 4.
