Quotes from Tommaso Ciampa

It took me a while to open up to the idea that you don't have to be a wrestler to have ideas. Jim Ross isn't a wrestler and you will learn a lot from Jim Ross.

In wrestling, obviously, you can get better, but you have to have a bit of an it factor.

The wrestling that I grew up on was this; it was NXT. Definitely not the athleticism factor or the in-ring factor - that's evolved tremendously. But the storytelling part of it, that's what grew up on.

I did a thing for Progress for a tournament and I started using 'Psycho Killer' by Talking Heads as my entrance music. That became my thing and Psycho Killer was my pseudo personality and in one year it just took off.

So for a guy like Karrion Kross to set his sights right at the top of the card and want to get right into a big program and make a name for himself and make an impact, I fully get it, it makes sense that the two of us got paired together because I think that, for the fans, it's one of those match-ups that they just wanted to see.

I'm in Ring of Honor about four years. I was cast as The Sicilian Psychopath there and right from the start one thing that felt weird where I got signed after a tryout because Jim Cornette saw me and 'Delirious' Hunter Johnston and they really liked my promo. The match was fine, but they really liked my promo.

Sometimes, there are spots that need to be filled and you just have to be at the right spot at the right time or the wrong spot and the wrong time.

Thomas Penmanship is my Dude Love. When I become very successful in WWE as Tommaso Ciampa, one day I'm going to pull out Tommy Penmanship and suddenly develop a split personality.

I single-handedly turned NXT into the 'A Show.'

I'd never want a fan who is completely invested to feel like I dismissed his thoughts or how they feel.

If one thing is very clear - in order to get my life back, there can be no Johnny Gargano in NXT.

I told them that I would sign for five years, I would sign for 10 years, I will make my career here in Ring of Honor if you guys show me that you are looking to invest in me the way that I will invest in you. And the conversation, which I thought was going well, just randomly took a real hard turn.

Maybe I'm young, but I still have an old school feel to me.

If you are teaching your child to be content with a participation award, then you already failed at life.

The reaction from the fans has, quite possibly, been the most rewarding part of the journey thus far. I feel as though the fans have grown with me over the past 12 years through both triumph and disappointment.

I was my high school football team's captain, not because I was the guy who scored the most touchdowns, but the guy who was in the midst of every play.

I try as much as possible to take a moment every so often, pause, and enjoy the journey.

Sometimes injuries can be the best thing that happen to a guy because it allows you to freshen up and allows the crowd to miss you.

My Instagram took on a life of its own and became very different from my Twitter. I never used Instagram to post. I'm into fitness, I used it to follow a few people in the fitness world to see exercise ideas and or nutrition ideas. All of a sudden I felt like I was a part of that community.

In May of 2017 they told me that no one has ever had 3 major surgeries in a 12 week span and returned at a competitive level. I returned to the most successful run of my career.

I know that everybody understands how excited the fanbase is for 'In Your House.' It's one of those weird ones right? It just stuck with all of us. Yeah, I think everyone's gonna be happy with what's been produced.

I feel like, 20 years from now, if I can look back at a 15-year NXT career, it just means more to me. It means a lot to me to have that be something that, yeah, that was my stamp.

I wouldn't do autographs - I had a stamp with my signature with, of course, perfect penmanship.

Going from the top 'heel' in the industry, taking some time away to heal my neck and allow the people to miss me and understand what it was they had with me and just how special I am, allowed me to come back.