10 Things We Learned From Tommaso Ciampa On Edge & Christian’s Podcast

7. Tommaso Told WWE Not To Sell Merch

When he did finally turn rogue on Gargano in May 2017 at NXT TakeOver: Chicago, Ciampa had a plan, and it wasn't one that included quick cash grabs. He knew how WWE business operated in the modern era, and he fancied bucking that trend for a while. So, Tommaso told WWE he didn't want to sell any merchandise.

Faces probably dropped backstage.

The genius in this is that Ciampa realised how mystique could work to his advantage. If fans didn't have any way to relate to him, then they'd continue trying to worm their way in. He said on the pod that it was a conscious, daily effort to keep WWE's sales department at bay and stop them from producing Ciampa merch.

Some did pop up in the end, albeit sparingly and only after much protest from the heel himself. He didn't want the audience to have anything they could grasp hold of. No ownership over his work, and no relatability that'd make him a flash in the pan.