10 Ways Wrestlers Became The Most Badass Versions Of Themselves
7. Tommaso Ciampa: Bet On Himself
One of many world-class wrestlers to inexplicably miss out on a major push while working for Ring Of Honor, Tommaso Ciampa's success comes from (rightly) valuing himself higher than any promoter did prior to 2015.
He was great in ROH, but ROH wasn't necessarily great for him by the end. It was there that he started assembling the early version of what he'd eventually become in NXT, returning from injury with a wild, unkempt build and major muscle mass, before living up to the old 'Sicilian Psychopath' moniker. Uncaged and uncontrollable, the under-appreciated Ciampa would eventually batter everyone from his opponents to referee Todd Sinclair, but found his way out of the company in April 2015, sensing, perhaps, that they would never go all in on him.
Ciampa bet on himself. It paid off when WWE came calling that September, and while neither were officially signed until April 2016, the start of one of WWE's greatest modern stories began when Tommaso and Johnny Gargano were paired up as DIY. Post-split, the rechristened 'World's Greatest Sports Entertainer' became the best heel in the business as NXT Champion.