Where Tommaso Ciampa May Be Headed Next

In a recent social media statement, Tommaso Ciampa made clear that he will be leaving WWE and accepting independent bookings. As he sees it, there’s a decade left in his career and he wants to try other stuff. Unstated is the fact that WWE’s use of him has made it pretty clear they see him as a tag team or mid-card guy. If he wants to win a world title, it’s going to be somewhere else.

In the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer has an update on the 40 year-old’s future. Apparently, he’s trying to get into New Japan. His push for indie bookings is said to be an indicator that he’s not going to suddenly show up on AEW right away.

On the other hand, he is the kind of free agent who, like Ricochet and Swerve Strickland, might be better suited to the All Elite environment. The downside is that there’s already a stacked roster there, and he could get lost in the shuffle if he were merely added to a clique like the Death Riders.

Ciampa, a former NXT Singles and Tag Team Champion, is also a former World Television champion in Ring of Honor, now owned by AEW.