Tommaso Ciampa is the best heel on the WWE roster

Tommaso Ciampa’s current run is an amalgamation of talent, timing, story telling and a level of character development that is widely missing in WWE today.

There’s something special about watching a wrestling exceed expectations and hit a point of success that many thought would be out of their range. Tommaso Ciampa is enjoying such a moment as he is now the NXT champion after snatching the belt away from Aleister Black.

Ciampa is doing something very special in today’s wrestling industry and his run deserves all the praise that’s coming his way.

Ciampa is not new to the WWE Universe, but this second run with the biggest promotion in professional wrestling has been captivating and enjoyable. First there was the run with Johnny Gargano, but it’s his performance as a heel that has helped Ciampa show the wrestling community that he’s talented in a very special way.

He and Gargano got over as the underdog tag team that finally secured the NXT tag titles, but his current run is forcing that into a distant memory.

Everything has led up to the moment where Ciampa won the NXT title a few days back (the spoiler was leaked well before the match this past Wednesday). When NXT TakeOver: Chicago occurred many expected that DIY would lose to the Authors of Pain; securing AOPs run as a monster tag team.

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But many were concerned about what would be next for Gargano and Ciampa – two men that shined on independent circuits. Ciampa’s turn on Gargano came at the right moment; and it was a turn that was teased way back during the Cruiserweight Classic where Gargano defeated Ciampa in 2016.

From that moment forward, we knew this turn was coming but we didn’t know it would be so epic. When coupled with the injury that forced Ciampa out for an extended period of time, this was an inadvertent opportunity for the WWE to take their time in telling a story; something they’ve seem to have lost the ability to do in recent years. And that has made what we are getting today so captivating to watch.

Ciampa is easily the best heel in the WWE today; with Samoa Joe as a very close second. What makes Ciampa so intriguing as a heel is that he’s living the gimmick in such a way that’s a throwback to the wrestling stars of yesterday.

Any moment he gets, whether it’s in front of a camera or on social media, he’s serving up some sort of heelish antics that make you cringe and sometimes shake your head in disbelief. Unlike some of his peers, he’s not presenting himself as a “regular” person through his interactions. Instead, he’s sticking to a character that’s become one of the most hated on the roster.

But it’s the little things that have made Ciampa so compelling to watch. He’s refusing to allow the WWE to create merchandise in his name; cutting into his revenue from the sales of such items.

Coming out to the match without any theme music creates an atmosphere that he’s not here for the fun and games. So many wrestlers today have theme songs that elicit excitement from the crowd; Ciampa completely cut that possibility out by walking to the ring to a chorus of boos.

Finally, Ciampa’s in-ring psychology is top notch. There’s moments he adds subtle aspects to his matches that just build the story and engagement from the fans.

Take when he pulled Gargano’s ring off of his finger and spat on it. That set the tone for the second half of the match, up to the climax. With the NXT title around his waist it will be interesting to see how he continues to elevate this aspect of his game.

Tommaso Ciampa’s NXT run has been a testament to what makes this brand so special. He’s a throwback to an old style heel that everyone in the crowd loves to hate and sometimes hates too much.

His ability to draw nuclear-level heat is something that should be praised in this era where the WWE has struggled with consistent character development. Here’s to an athlete on the WWE roster that has clearly exceeded expectations to the enjoyment of everyone watching around the world.