Gunther's rival on WWE TV reveals battle with depression

The longest-reigning WWE Intercontinental Champion, Gunther, is comprised of impressive wrestling tactics and possesses a unique style, which makes The Ring General stand out from the other wrestlers. He is quite difficult for anyone to dominate and come out on top effortlessly. However, that is exactly what former NXT Champion Tommaso Ciampa came close to doing this past week on RAW.

After a contract signing between the two went wrong midway through the show, they met in the main event of Monday Night RAW, just days before Fastlane. While The Ring General retained his belt and claimed that he respected Ciampa's motive to fight, the latter is still likely to go after the title. Moreover, the 38-year-old was singled out by viewers for his performance.

Ciampa was the latest guest on WWE After The Bell. During his appearance, he revealed about how he managed to tackle depression in the past.

"I don't think it's too secret to people, especially people who follow my career, like, I've dealt with quite a bit of depression in my life, and I don't believe that you defeat depression. I just believe you learn how to cope with it. You learn your triggers so you can avoid those triggers, and then you learn the things that help you grow out of them. So I say that because over the course of my entire adult life, I've had to learn that. That's not something that someone taught me," Ciampa said. [H/T: WrestlingNewsCo]

He then emphatically stated that not a single soul could break his confidence at this point, and his match against Gunther in the main event of RAW was an appropriate example.

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Ciampa knows his ground but the WWE RAW main event made a difference

Despite returning to WWE television a few months ago, Ciampa's run on the main roster was slow-burn. Prior to injury, he was nothing more than a lackey for The Miz, but things changed after he resurfaced following an injury that kept him away for months.

Talking about his match against the Intercontinental Champion, Ciampa feels that he was a long shot heading into it. But by the end of the contest, he earned the respect of viewers.

"So I walk into Monday Night Raw and I got a contract signing and I got a main event, my first time ever doing that for an Intercontinental title and I know that I'm going to have to walk out in front of San Jose and get this crowd to buy in because I haven't been, for the last year and a half, I have not been painted in a picture to them that it's viable that I can beat Gunther for the Intercontinental title. Not even a long shot. A zero shot, for real. I know. I'm a realist," Ciampa elaborated. [H/T: WrestlingNewsCo]

During their title contest, fans were audibly chanting 'This is Awesome' and 'Ciampa,' thus proving the former NXT Champion's point about earning the respect of the viewers. Another memorable moment was the return of Ciampa's longtime friend, Johnny Gargano.

One of the company's top rising stars credited Ciampa as a "mentor" during his early days. Read more about it here.

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What are your thoughts on Tommaso Ciampa and his fresh run on WWE RAW? Sound off in the comments section below!