NXT superstar and former world champion Tommaso Ciampa recently appeared on the ViBe and Wrestling program to discuss Samoa Joe’s return to the yellow and black brand, as well as thoughts on his role as a lawyer in the Muhammad Hassan and Undertaker feud back in the day. Highlights are below.
Comments on Samoa Joe’s return to NXT:
“I would love it if he would be just in the ring. I know right now Mr. Regal needed some help, an enforcer. Hopefully over time things settle down, though now Cole and Kyle are having something hot and heavy and there is a lot of chaos going on. When things do settles down I much rather see Samoa Joe ‘the wrestler’ more than Samoa Joe the ‘Authority figure’. I’d would love to get in the ring with him. We had, like you said, one televised match back on 2015 or 2016, was short 6 to 8 minutes or so. He is one of the guys I’ve followed for so long and the idea of wrestling him on a TakeOver, on a big stage or in front of a live crowd? I would be lying to you if I tell you that is something I’ve never thought of. That’s the Joe I’d love to see. I’d love to see a ‘Joe is gonna kill you’ versus ‘Ciampa is gonna kill you’ type of match. I don’t know if it would ever happen but if the opportunity presents itself I would sign myself up.”
On his role as a lawyer in the Muhammad Hassan and Undertaker feud:
“Looking back it’s insane. In the moment everything is going so fast and you just have to go with it, you don’t have the chance to panic. I am 20 at that time, I have only been in wrestling for a year or so. I think the reason I got chosen is because of the promos and talking came always natural for me. I was in New England at that time and they (WWE) were in town, so they contact Killer Kowalski and asked for some suggestions. A few of us went there and without any tryout, just based on appearance I got chosen to portrait the lawyer that day. The day was nuts. One of the stories I’ve told before, which looking back now is just crazy, is that Stephanie McMahon took it upon herself to give me a full tour of the venue, backstage, everything. She spent like 30 minutes with me.”
On reading a script for Vince McMahon:
“I remember one of her comments that comes to my mind till this day is when she said ‘nah, he is just an indie’ and I am sitting there like ‘yeah, just like that’. I’ve never met somebody whose is such successful, powerful, high up. That just made me feel so comfortable. I remember going into Vince McMahon’s office, doing my run through, basically my tryout and I had to do my script in front of him. I walked in and it was the first time I met him. Hunter was also there. Now when I look back it’s kind of crazy. I passed the tryout with Vince in his office and I went to the ringside and I had to do like a live one with Vince and Hunter. And Undertaker was there. Maybe I was lucky I was only 20 so you’re not as nervous when you are a kid. I just kind of went with the flow and by the end of the night you are just: ‘h, I was just on television doing this thing’. It was crazy. I don’t know many guys that got to get into the ring with The Undertaker 6 months into the business. It was absolutely amazing.”