AEW sources confirmed to Fightful Select that Tommaso Ciampa couldn't have appeared on the January 21 episode of "Dynamite" as he was still under contract with WWE. By January 28, when he made his surprise appearance, Ciampa had become a free agent.
The "Psycho Killer" revealed his AEW debut came together at the last minute while he was on a family vacation in Texas. He quickly prepared, appeared on both "Dynamite" and "Collision," won the TNT Championship, and completed his vacation before the next week's TV shows.