Tommaso Ciampa Talks Highs And Lows Of Pro Wrestling: "It's Time To Evolve"

By Joshua Gagnon

Tommaso Ciampa posted a photo on his Instagram earlier today of him holding the NXT Championship, aka "Goldie." Ciampa was champion for 237 days, but in March of last year underwent neck surgery and was forced to relinquish his title.

Ciampa posted some thoughts with the photo, noting that giving up the title was among his "career lows," and since doing so, much of what he's done "has been a disappointment."

Since returning from injury, he failed at capturing the title against Adam Cole at TakeOver: Portland, lost an Empty Arena Match against Johnny Gargano, as well as his TakeOver: In Your House bout against Karrion Kross. That last match took place on June 7, and he hasn't had one since.

Below is Ciampa's full post:

This got me thinking:

1. I miss 2018 Ciampa

2. The wrestling business, like life, is full of waves. Highs and lows. One moment you feel untouchable, the next you come crashing down. Giving up the Title is definitely one of my career lows. And to be honest, damn near everything that's happened in my career since has been a disappointment.

A few glimpses of highs here and there: my face off with Adam when I returned and War Games come to mind. But lots of lows: the chase to reclaim Goldie, the final chapter with Johnny, and most recently my encounter with Kross.

3. Motivation is a fascinating trait. Throughout my career, I've often found that creating false dialogue has led to my greatest internal motivation. In 2018, I created a scenario in my head in which "nobody believed in me." It drove me.

In 2020, after weeks of being left off television (yes, I'm healthy), I find myself with a new false dialogue. "Creative has nothing for you." Whether or not this is true really doesn't matter. Because in my head, it's true.

In 2018, I willed my vision into existence. Well, today I have a new vision. And surprisingly enough, I'm hungrier than ever. It's time to evolve. It's time to catch that next wave and reach that next high.

View this post on Instagram

Photo shared by @instawrestlingfans__ This got me thinking: 1. I miss 2018 Ciampa 2. The wrestling business, like life, is full of waves. Highs and lows. One moment you feel untouchable, the next you come crashing down. Giving up the Title is definitely one of my career lows. And to be honest, damn near everything that's happened in my career since has been a disappointment. A few glimpses of highs here and there: my face off with Adam when I returned and War Games come to mind. But lots of lows: the chase to reclaim Goldie, the final chapter with Johnny, and most recently my encounter with Kross. 3. Motivation is a fascinating trait. Throughout my career, I've often found that creating false dialogue has led to my greatest internal motivation. In 2018, I created a scenario in my head in which "nobody believed in me." It drove me. In 2020, after weeks of being left off television (yes, I'm healthy), I find myself with a new false dialogue. "Creative has nothing for you". Whether or not this is true really doesn't matter. Because in my head, it's true. In 2018, I willed my vision into existence. Well, today I have a new vision. And surprisingly enough, I'm hungrier than ever. It's time to evolve. It's time to catch that next wave and reach that next high.

A post shared by Tommaso Ciampa (@nxtciampa) on

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