Tommaso Ciampa Debuts On AEW Dynamite Days After WWE Contract Expires

That didn't take long. Tommaso Ciampa is All Elite.

The former NXT and WWE Tag Team Champion debuted Wednesday Night on AEW Dynamite, just days after his contract with WWE came to an end.

The Psycho Killer stunned the crowd in Austin, Texas when he stepped into an AEW ring for the first time and went face-to-face with Mark Briscoe.

The "Psycho Killer" Tommaso Ciampa has answered @SussexCoChicken's challenge #AEWCollision for THIS SATURDAY NIGHT!

Watch #AEWDynamite LIVE on TBS & HBO Max pic.twitter.com/YPnzLL2hZo
— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) January 29, 2026

Briscoe had just successfully defended his TNT Championship against El Clon, when he hopped on the mic and issued an open challenge for this coming Saturday night on Collision. The only caveat was that no member of the Don Callis Family could answer.

He could have expected anyone else in the All Elite Wrestling locker room to answer the call, but instead, his old ROH rival was the one who stepped up.

It was a little over a week ago when Tommaso Ciampa announced his departure from WWE. He released a statement on social media that his contract was set to expire and he thanked everyone who contributed to the last 10 years of his career.

pic.twitter.com/yrQ5rIcKwE
— Tommaso Ciampa (@CiampaWWE) January 21, 2026

Ciampa also made it very clear, that he still has a lot left in the tank.

"I spent the first decade of my career traveling the world on the independent scene. I spent the second decade of my career traveling the world with WWE. I have one decade remaining and I'm beyond excited for whatever challenges lie ahead."

His final match in WWE came on the December 15 edition of Friday Night SmackDown, when he and longtime tag team partner Johnny Gargano lost to Carmelo Hayes and Ilja Dragunov. This followed an unsuccessful chase of the Men's United States Championship. Now his pursuit of gold will continue in All Elite Wrestling.

Tommaso Ciampa got the graphic!

Roughly 20-minutes after his debut, AEW President Tony Khan took to social media to confirm that Tommaso Ciampa had officially signed with the company.

When he issued his WWE departure statement, Ciampa said he was making himself available for all types of appearances across the board, including signings, seminars, movies, TV appearances and fitness collaborations. He debuted new merchandise on the pro wrestling tees website on Tuesday, an indication that he was getting ready to hit the independent circuit.

AEW wrestlers tend to have more freedom to explore outside opportunities, such as independent bookings, so those plans are likely still a go for Ciampa. Details about his deal with AEW are not known at this time. We will provide more information as soon as it becomes available.

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