"He's got a hell of a hill to climb" - WWE legend on Ciampa's chances of defeating top champion

WWE Hall of Famer Booker T has given his thoughts on Ciampa's chances of defeating Bobby Lashley for the United States Championship.

The Sycillian Psycopath spent years on NXT, rising to prominence and becoming one of the biggest stars on the black and gold brand. After losing at NXT Stand and Deliver earlier this year, he officially made the move to WWE RAW. He spent months competing in singles matches before teaming up with The Miz.

The up-and-coming star defeated Chad Gable and Dolph Ziggler in a triple threat match before facing off against AJ Styles last night. After interference from The Miz, he defeated Styles to become the number one contender for Bobby Lashley's United States Championship. Speaking on WWE Digital Exclusive, Booker T weighed his opinion on the 37-year-old and his recent victory:

"To be able to capture that moment is one thing as well because a moment it could be there and a second later it could be gone," Booker T said. "Ciampa, he cashed in on that moment. He's so close to actually being able to perhaps live it out, you know, one of those dreams he had been dreaming about for years. You know, scratch out that title off the bucket list... He's got a hell of a hill to climb with Bobby Lashley." (From 1:38 to 2:05)

This is the rising star's first singles opportunity for a championship on the main roster. He is a former NXT and Tag Team Champion on the black and gold brand.

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Booker T talks about Ciampa's match with Bobby Lashley

Bobby Lashley is one of the most dominant superstars of all-time. He captured his third United States Championship when he defeated Theory at the Money in the Bank premium live event. The titleholder then defeated Mr. MITB again in a rematch at SummerSlam.

Last night, WWE held a series of qualifying matches to determine Lashley's next opponent for the championship. The Sycillian Psychopath defeated Styles in the final to become the next in line for a match against the champion. Speaking on WWE Digital Exclusive, Booker T spoke about the upcoming match with The Almighty:

"I'll tell you it's going to be tough for Ciampa just because Bobby Lashley knows having that US Championship keep him in the game. Almost got like, 'this is my chip'... But if he loses that championship, it's going to put him back at the end of the line and he's gonna have to work his way all over again back to the top... Bobby right now is as hungry as I've ever seen Bobby Lashley and I can't wait to see it. Good luck to Ciampa, but that's what he's gonna need." (From 2:13 to 2:45)

It will be interesting to see if Lashley holds onto his title by defeating the former NXT Champion next week on RAW.

Do you think Ciampa will defeat Bobby Lashley for the title? Sound off in the comments section below!

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