A recent episode of 98.5’s Stick To Wrestling with Jimmy Stewart podcast featured former WWE and current AEW talent Tommaso Ciampa as the guest. One of the topics discussed included Ciampa’s thoughts about how the leaked online report of him not renewing his WWE contract and leaving the company was the best thing to happen to him.
“The best thing to happen to me is that there was a leaked internet report when I had about two or three months left on my deal that said, ‘Ciampa is leaving WWE. We don’t know why, but when his deal is up, he’s leaving.’ I have no idea where that came from, but it was the best thing that ever happened to me. It raised this interest, and I started to get a lot of inquiries. ‘Oh, look at these options I have.’ AEW wasn’t even part of that because, in Tony’s defense, he is very adamant that there is no tampering.”
This report originated this past January from Cory Hays of then BodySlam+ who had stated that Ciampa was not planning on renewing his contract with WWE when it would expire. Ciampa later confirmed that same month that he would be leaving WWE. Ciampa made his official debut for AEW at the January 28th episode of AEW Dynamite.

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