Kemo
11-19-2019, 08:53 PM
Tommaso Ciampa is primed to take part in this weekend’s WarGames matchup at NXT TakeOver. Since becoming an NXT Superstar, Ciampa has risen through the ranks and become synonymous with the black-and-gold brand. Prior to this Superstardom, however, Ciampa made sporadic appearances for WWE early in his career. One such moment occurred in 2005, where he portrayed a lawyer on-screen during a segment featuring The Undertaker. Speaking with the State of Combat podcast, Ciampa recalled his first-ever on-screen WWE role.
He explained how he used to train at Killer Kowalski’s training school, which acted as a “feeding ground” for WWE. Ciampa noted that anytime the company was in the northeast area, they would contact Kowalski’s school to source extra talent. At the time, a 20-year-old Ciampa happened to be one selected.
“Luckily for me, I have always felt comfortable around the microphone, so in that part I wasn’t nervous, particularly because I had a script that I was reading off of because I was acting like a lawyer that day so I didn’t even have to memorize the lines,” said Ciampa. “But the day itself was crazy, because once I got picked, it was probably 4 pm at the time. It was an important angle for WWE because maybe a week or two prior, Mohammad Hassan and Davari had done something to upset the executives or whatever it was at the time, or maybe it was UPN, or whatever it was. It was around the time of the terrorists so it just didn’t sit well with people.”
He continued, “This lawyer thing had to be an apology that came off sincere, and also in the wrestling world, it had to make sense and also for The Undertaker to come out. I rehearsed that script in front of everybody. I did a solo in front of Vince McMahon in his office. I did an in-ring with The Undertaker, Vince McMahon and Triple H. Looking back now, it’s like I see how big of a deal it was and how crazy it was to have that one-on-one time with everybody as a 20-year-old kid on the independents. It was wild. Everyone treated me incredibly well. I remember that they didn’t like the suit that I had on so they went and bought me a suit and let me keep it.”
Ciampa shared that being in the ring with The Undertaker is one of the notable highlights of his career. He added that his time spent backstage with Stephanie McMahon, Triple H, and Vince McMahon as well as how he was treated had a more significant impact than anything else that took place that day.
He explained how he used to train at Killer Kowalski’s training school, which acted as a “feeding ground” for WWE. Ciampa noted that anytime the company was in the northeast area, they would contact Kowalski’s school to source extra talent. At the time, a 20-year-old Ciampa happened to be one selected.
“Luckily for me, I have always felt comfortable around the microphone, so in that part I wasn’t nervous, particularly because I had a script that I was reading off of because I was acting like a lawyer that day so I didn’t even have to memorize the lines,” said Ciampa. “But the day itself was crazy, because once I got picked, it was probably 4 pm at the time. It was an important angle for WWE because maybe a week or two prior, Mohammad Hassan and Davari had done something to upset the executives or whatever it was at the time, or maybe it was UPN, or whatever it was. It was around the time of the terrorists so it just didn’t sit well with people.”
He continued, “This lawyer thing had to be an apology that came off sincere, and also in the wrestling world, it had to make sense and also for The Undertaker to come out. I rehearsed that script in front of everybody. I did a solo in front of Vince McMahon in his office. I did an in-ring with The Undertaker, Vince McMahon and Triple H. Looking back now, it’s like I see how big of a deal it was and how crazy it was to have that one-on-one time with everybody as a 20-year-old kid on the independents. It was wild. Everyone treated me incredibly well. I remember that they didn’t like the suit that I had on so they went and bought me a suit and let me keep it.”
Ciampa shared that being in the ring with The Undertaker is one of the notable highlights of his career. He added that his time spent backstage with Stephanie McMahon, Triple H, and Vince McMahon as well as how he was treated had a more significant impact than anything else that took place that day.