Tommaso Ciampa did an interview with Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated following his match with Pete Dunne after Sunday’s WWE house show at Madison Square Garden. This was done as a late-minute addition due to the COVID-19 outbreak in the company. Here are the highlights:
The match:
“Any time I get asked to do the Garden, I’ll always say yes,” said Ciampa. “So many legendary performers have played here. It means a lot to share a piece of that history and it means a lot to represent NXT against Pete Dunne.”
The arena:
“Stepping through the curtain, I immediately thought about Reggie Miller coming in here and playing the Knicks, scoring eight points in nine seconds [in the 1995 NBA playoffs],” said Ciampa, who has played the role of instigator and agitator in NXT just like Miller did with the Indiana Pacers. “I’m a huge Boston sports fan, so I thought about games between the Celtics and Knicks. It’s just amazing to be at Madison Square Garden.”
Pete Dunne:
“Pete Dunne is one of the best professional wrestlers in the world,” said Ciampa. “This was only our second time ever wrestling a singles match, with the first being for his UK title in England. It’s a pleasure to share a ring with him. He’s a world-class person in and out of the ring.”
