Tommaso Ciampa recently spoke with WWE.com about facing Zack Sabre Jr. in his final indy match at last Sunday’s PROGRESS Wrestling event. Here are the highlights.
WWE.COM: What has it been like for you over this past summer, going back and forth from NXT and CWC to the indies? What has the reaction from fans been like?
“I try as much as possible to take a moment every so often, pause, and enjoy the journey. NXT and CWC have truly changed my career, my life and my family’s 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. They are genuinely happy for my recent success. I can see it and I can feel it. I also feel fairly confident that years from now, both Johnny and I will look back on 2015 and 2016 and realize just how special of a time it was in both our careers.”
WWE.COM: You’re wrestling Zack Sabre Jr. on Sunday. How do you prepare to wrestle someone like him?
“I’ve faced Zack twice now in PROGRESS (and even once in the US). He’s one of the best technicians in wrestling today. Our styles clash in such a perfect way, it makes for some wonderful art. I realize that Zack will be prepared to go to uncharted territory performing in front of the sold-out crowd of 2,400 at the historic Brixton Academy. I can only hope that my A-game surpasses his A-game on Sunday night.”
WWE.COM: After your match with Zack ends on Sunday, and your time as an independent wrestler comes to a close, what are you going to be focusing on for the future in WWE?
“Winning the NXT Tag Team Championship alongside Johnny. That’s our number one goal. We want to be the guys every single fan goes home talking about. We want to be major contributors to the continued growth of NXT on every show, every tour and every TakeOver.”
