Tommaso Ciampa has made an immediate impression during his early AEW run, but the TNT Champion is already looking far beyond the opponents he has faced so far. With a roster full of established champions, rising names, international stars and former world titleholders, Ciampa sees a long list of potential matches that could define the next stage of his time in the company.
Ciampa has already shared the ring with Claudio Castagnoli, Darby Allin, Chris Jericho and Kyle Fletcher since arriving in AEW. Those matches have helped establish the former champion as a major player, and his victory to capture the TNT Championship gave him a clear place near the top of the promotion. Still, Ciampa made it clear that he is not short on ambitions when it comes to the names he wants to face next.
During an appearance on the Battleground Podcast, Ciampa was asked about the AEW talent he would most like to work with. He separated the question into two categories: individual dream matches and lengthy rivalries capable of carrying significant emotional weight over a period of months.
MJF and Jon Moxley top Ciampa's program wishlist
For Ciampa, the two clearest choices for a sustained feud are MJF and Jon Moxley. Both men have been central figures in AEW's biggest stories, and both possess the kind of verbal presence and in-ring intensity that could make a rivalry with Ciampa especially volatile.
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“If we're talking not just a match, if we're talking like a program, six months, I mean, top of the list is MJF. Second, or I guess 1A and 1B, would be Jon Moxley,” Ciampa said. “If it's going to be a blood feud, per se, or something that's long-lasting, those are the two guys that on the mic, I would love to go battle with them, in the ring, I'd like to battle with them.”
The choices make sense based on what Ciampa wants from a rivalry. MJF is among AEW's most prominent talkers and has built many of his defining programs around personal attacks, escalating animosity and high-stakes championship issues. Ciampa has long excelled in stories rooted in obsession, resentment and psychological warfare, making a confrontation between the two a potentially combustible proposition before they ever stepped into the ring.
Moxley represents a different kind of threat. His AEW career has been marked by endurance, violence and a willingness to turn major matches into punishing wars of attrition. Ciampa specifically pointed to the possibility of a “blood feud,” and Moxley is a natural name to invoke in that context. A clash between them could be built around toughness and pride as much as titles, with each wrestler bringing a reputation for refusing to back down.
Neither possible program was announced, and Ciampa was discussing personal goals rather than revealing imminent plans. However, his comments underline the scale of his aims. He is not merely seeking a place on the roster; he is looking toward rivalries with two performers whose names are closely associated with AEW's highest-profile main events.
A rematch with Kyle Fletcher remains on Ciampa's mind
While MJF and Moxley lead the conversation regarding long-term programs, Ciampa also singled out Kyle Fletcher as an opponent he wants to face again. The two wrestled earlier this year shortly after meeting for the first time, creating a match that Ciampa believes could have even more potential with additional familiarity between them.
“I'd like to get in there with Kyle again. You know, we had just met for the first time, and then next thing you know, ‘Hey, you guys are going to go out there and have whatever it was, 18 minutes or whatever.’”
Ciampa's point was not a criticism of the match itself. Instead, it spoke to the opportunity created when two wrestlers are able to build on an initial encounter. First meetings can create immediate energy, but rematches often allow competitors to develop a more specific rivalry, respond to what happened previously and reveal new layers of their chemistry.
Fletcher has become one of AEW's key younger names, and Ciampa's interest in revisiting that matchup shows he is looking in more than one direction. He wants programs with proven headline stars, but he also recognizes the value of returning to a matchup with someone who can offer a fast-paced and physically demanding challenge.
Okada, Andrade and Moxley fit Ciampa's championship pursuit
Ciampa also addressed his focus on pursuing another championship. As TNT Champion, he already holds a major prize, but his comments indicate that he is looking to continue climbing rather than settling into a single lane. That hunt naturally puts several important names in his sights.
“Okada, I've never shared a ring with. I'm kind of on a quest right now for a new title, so naturally that brings Andrade and Okada and Moxley right to the top of my list,” Ciampa said.
The prospect of Ciampa facing Kazuchika Okada is especially notable because they have never wrestled each other. Okada's reputation has been built through championship-level matches against many of the world's leading performers, and Ciampa views him as a major unexplored opponent. A first-time meeting would carry the appeal of two highly decorated wrestlers testing their contrasting approaches on an AEW stage.
Andrade also sits among the names Ciampa connected to his title ambitions. The two are established, versatile performers with the ability to make a championship matchup feel both technical and physical. Moxley, meanwhile, appears on both of Ciampa's lists: he is a desired opponent for an extended feud and a wrestler whose championship status makes him a compelling target in Ciampa's pursuit of more gold.
That overlap is important. Ciampa is not speaking about championship matches as isolated attractions. His preferred opponents are wrestlers he believes can create sustained stories, deliver on the microphone and raise the stakes inside the ring. In his view, the strongest title programs are ones where the personal conflict is as meaningful as the prize being contested.
Kenny Omega and Will Ospreay are the natural dream matches
When the discussion turned to pure marquee matchups, Ciampa named Kenny Omega and Will Ospreay. Both are widely regarded as among the most dynamic wrestlers of their generation, and both have been involved in some of AEW's most acclaimed in-ring contests.
“I mean, Omega and Ospreay are natural dream matches, you know? Whether that's a program or a one-off. There's just so many guys, man.”
Ciampa's wording leaves the door open to either direction. A one-night encounter with Omega or Ospreay would immediately have the feel of a major attraction. At the same time, Ciampa believes either matchup could support more than one match if the circumstances called for a bigger program.
Omega brings an unmatched blend of creativity, explosiveness and championship experience. Ospreay offers a different type of elite challenge, combining remarkable speed with a hard-hitting style and an ability to elevate the stakes of major matches. Ciampa's own deliberate, aggressive approach would create distinct matchups with each man, even if both belong in the dream-match category.
His comments also reflect the depth that has long defined AEW's upper roster. A performer can identify MJF, Moxley, Okada, Andrade, Omega, Ospreay and Fletcher as potential opponents without exhausting the list. For Ciampa, that variety means there are numerous paths forward as champion and as a contender seeking another title.
Ciampa believes his AEW story is still developing
Ciampa has already produced matches he clearly values, particularly his bout with Darby Allin. He previously described that clash as his “love letter to wrestling,” a statement that captures how personally he approaches his work in the ring. His AEW run has included meaningful opponents and a championship victory, yet Ciampa does not see those accomplishments as a finished statement.
Instead, he sees them as the beginning of a larger body of work. The TNT Championship provides him with a platform, while his interest in another title points toward an even broader set of goals. His desired programs with MJF and Moxley would place him in the center of deeply personal rivalries. First-time matches with Okada, Omega and Ospreay would offer high-level collisions that fans have not seen before. A second meeting with Fletcher could demonstrate how much two wrestlers can create after an initial encounter.
For now, Ciampa has laid out an ambitious vision rather than a confirmed schedule. What is clear is that he believes he has considerably more to offer AEW audiences. With the TNT Championship around his waist and a list of potential opponents that reaches throughout the company's upper tier, Ciampa is looking to turn his early momentum into defining matches, title pursuits and potentially career-shaping programs.
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Darryl Polo
Darryl Polo is a passionate wrestling fan covering WWE, AEW, TNA and beyond. He loves great rivalries, breakout stars and the moments that keep fans talking long after the bell. How we work.