WWE NXT Champion Tommaso Ciampa recently spoke with Byron Saxton for the WWE website. The full interview is at this link and below are highlights:

You’ve managed to elicit a rather passionate response from the NXT Universe, especially by your earlier claims of being the greatest sports-entertainer of all time. Where does this belief come from?

I am a realist. I call it like I see it. I have the best physique in all of WWE; this is not by accident. I am the best in-ring performer in all of WWE; this is not happenstance. I am the best on the microphone in all of WWE; this is not a debate. I am your NXT World Champion. I am a god. You want something to believe in. Believe in me.

You’ve been very vocal on social media regarding your self-professed prowess. Specifically, you recently claimed you were the perfect role model for kids out there. Why is this?

In a society that believes every child deserves a participation award, one man sets himself apart, and that man just so happens to be the NXT World Champion. I am not interested in participating. I am interested in winning. If you are teaching your child to be content with a participation award, then you already failed at life. If you want your kid to be a winner, then tell them to look at Tommaso Ciampa for inspiration.

Where do you see this brand going with you as NXT Champion?

With Tommaso Ciampa as its ruler, NXT has officially become the “A-show.” There is no ceiling. No boundaries. No limits. I am writing my own legacy, and I am carrying NXT along for the ride. When my mission is complete, kids will no longer dream of their WrestleMania Moment. Kids will dream of their “TakeOver Moment.”