"I think I'm the best alive" - MSK to deal with an extremely confident Tommaso Ciampa at Great American Bash [Exclusive]
Tommaso Ciampa is looking to become a two-time NXT Tag Team Champion Tuesday night, when he teams up with Timothy Thatcher to take on MSK at NXT: The Great American Bash.
To say that Ciampa is excited for this match-up would be stating the obvious. It's a big match, on a big stage. Every pro wrestler dreams of these kinds of opportunities. However, for Tommaso Ciampa, there's a little something extra for him to sink his teeth into - fresh competition.
Until last Tuesday's face-to-face, Tommaso Ciampa had never even stepped foot in the same ring with either Nash Carter or Wes Lee, let alone locked up with them. Speaking to Sportskeeda Wrestling ahead of the Great American Bash, Ciampa peeled back the curtain a bit on what it's like going against a new opponent:
"There's an excitement to it because I love the unpredictability. It's something I really was missing without having a big live crowd for the last year," Ciampa said. "I love adapting and I love the improv that comes with having a live reaction. It's a very similar setting when you're in there with an opponent for the first time. I'm really good at adapting and improving. I can have a game plan, but also have a plan B, C, D, E, F. And I don't know that many other wrestlers have that."
Confidence was the tone of our entire conversation with Tommaso Ciampa. The former NXT Champion is firing on all cyclinders right now. He and Timothy Thatcher have found their groove as a team in relatively quick fashion, and the very talented MSK may have to step up their game come Tuesday night:
"I don't think anyone's better than me. I genuinely don't. I don't think anyone in the world is better me. I don't think they're better than me on the mic. I don't think they're better than me in the ring. I think I'm the best alive," Ciampa said. "So for MSK, it's just kind of like, damn. I mean, if you're in there with the best alive, you're kind of screwed. That's pretty much how I feel. No offense, you've done great. You won the Dusty Classic. You're Tag Team Champions. That's awesome. Congrats. Now you get to go home and take a break for a little while."
These are two teams with very conflicting styles. Nash Carter and Wes Lee love to fly around. They love to take risks and put their bodies on the line. So expect Ciampa and Thatcher to try and keep MSK on the ground and control the tempo of the fight.
It should be a fascinating story to watch unfold, no matter which team is victorious in the end. Tommaso Ciampa is aiming to win gold for the first time since having to relinquish the NXT Championship in 2019 due to neck surgery. While he still has aspirations as a singles competitor, he's hoping Tuesday night will be the launching point of a special run for himself and Timothy Thatcher.
Tommaso Ciampa still has his eyes on Goldie, but says there's no need to rush
Less than a year removed from surgery, Tommaso Ciampa returned to NXT on a quest to win back the NXT Championship he never lost. The pursuit of his precious Goldie, however, was derailed when Johnny Gargano turned his back on his former friend and tag team partner at NXT TakeOver: Portland.
Ever since Gargano struck him with the title belt, costing him the match against Adam Cole, Ciampa has slowly drifted away from the NXT Championship picture. Last September's Four-Way Iron Man Match, which ended in a draw, remains Tommaso's most recent opportunity to reclaim the Black and Gold Brand's top prize.
When asked about possibly finding a path back to Goldie, and potentially a rematch with Karrion Kross as well, Ciampa said he did not expect that to happen in the near future. And that's just fine with him:
"If you asked me six months ago, before this Timmy thing, I think I'd have a different answer," Tommaso Ciampa said. "Sometimes you just have to play the cards you're dealt. And Timmy and I are enjoying what we're being dealt right now. It's not to say that I value the Tag Team Titles more than the NXT Title, but I also know that there's not a timeframe on this. My career is not ending in the next six months or a year or two years. So, I really, really, really enjoy what we're doing. And winning the Tag Team Titles at the Great American Bash puts a real good stamp on us as a tag team. It kind of solidifies this duo. And then it gets fun, because then it becomes - how far can they push this?"
Tommaso Ciampa believes that he and Timothy Thatcher have the potential to be the best tag team in all of WWE. Furthermore, he'd love the opportunity to prove it. He says there are a number of teams he wants to face in NXT, NXT UK, RAW and SmackDown.
A brand switch would have to happen for many of those match-ups to come to fruition. However, with the annual WWE Draft rumored to be in the very near future, Ciampa may just get his wish.
Check out PART ONE of our conversation with Tommaso Ciampa in the video above. Also, follow Sportskeeda Wrestling on Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube for PART TWO and more exclusive interviews when they drop in the future.