Castagnoli was signed to WWE in 2011, and given the ring name of Antonio Cesaro. He was assigned to WWE'sdevelopmental territory,Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW), before making his debut for WWE's main roster in April 2012. Cesaro would hold theWWE United States Championship once, and won the inauguralAndré the Giant Memorial Trophy atWrestleMania XXX. In December 2014, he began ateam withTyson Kidd, with the pair later winning theWWE Tag Team Championship. After that team split, Cesaro would later form an alliance with Sheamus known asThe Bar; The Bar won the WWE Raw Tag Team Championship four times, and theWWE SmackDown Tag Team Championship once. The Bar split up in April 2019, and Cesaro joinedSami Zayn andShinsuke Nakamura to create a stable known as The Artist Collective. Cesaro and Nakamura won the WWE SmackDown Tag Team Championship once in July 2020, making Cesaro a seven-time WWE tag team champion in total. He left WWE in February 2022, and made his debut for AEW in June of that year, returning to his Claudio Castagnoli name and persona.
When playing avillainous character, particularly in the United States, Castagnoli has been known to emphasize his European origin as part of hisgimmick, proclaiming a superior intellect and fashion sensibility while regularly using moves such as theEuropean uppercut.[6][7] He gained a reputation for impressive in-ring feats of strength, and was called one of WWE's best and most underrated performers for much of his time there.[4] He was voted "Most Underrated Wrestler" for a record four years in a row (2013–2016), by theWrestling Observer Newsletter.[8][9]
Claudio Castagnoli was born inLucerne into aSwiss Italian family on 27 December 1980.[2][10] He played basketball, football, and tennis in his youth,[10] and supported his hometown football clubFC Luzern.[11] He became a fan ofprofessional wrestling after discovering it on a German TV station,[7] then found an advertisement on an online forum that encouraged him to train to become a wrestler.[10]
Castagnoli received his initial training in his homeland from fellow Swiss wrestler SigMasta Rappo,[4] and made his debut onChristmas Eve 2000 inEssen for the Germany-basedWestside Xtreme Wrestling under the name Double C, losing to SigMasta Rippo.[4][12] He first used a Japanesegimmick before changing it to a Swiss banker, along withAres, together known asSwiss Money Holding.[4] While performing in England, Castagnoli received training fromDave Taylor. In Switzerland, he metChris Hero andMike Quackenbush, who invited Swiss Money Holding to perform in the United States.[10] They competed inIWA Mid-South andChikara and received training from Hero before returning to Europe. In 2004, Castagnoli receivedpermanent United States residency in his first try at thegreen card lottery and moved to the United States,[6] where he began making regular appearances forRing of Honor and Chikara,[4] while Ares remained in Switzerland and formed the new Swiss Money Holding with Marc Roudin.[10]
Castagnoli and Ares made their Chikara debuts on 5 July 2003, at the2003 Tag World Grand Prix, from which they were eliminated after drawing with the SuperFriends (Chris Hero and Mike Quackenbush).[5] Castagnoli returned to Chikara in 2004 as a member ofLarry Sweeney's Sweet 'n' Sour Internationalfaction.[5] The following year Castagnoli teamed up withArik Cannon to form AC/CC. The team entered the2005 Tag World Grand Prix and ended up winning the tournament after Hero turned on his partner Quackenbush in the final of the tournament.[13] Together, Castagnoli, Cannon, and Hero formed theKings of Wrestling faction.[4] Cannon left the promotion at the end of 2005, leaving Hero and Castagnoli to form a regular tag team.[4] They entered the2006 Tag World Grand Prix, defeatingEquinox andHydra, Ranmaru andSumie Sakai, the North Star Express (Ryan Cruz and Darin Corbin), Incoherence (Hallowicked andDelirious), and finally Team Dragondoor (Skayde andMilano Collection A.T.) to become the inauguralChikara Campeones de Parejas.[5][14][15]
On 17 November 2006 at the Chikara showBrick inReading, Pennsylvania, Castagnoli and Hero lost the Chikara tag titles to Team F.I.S.T. (Icarus andGran Akuma) in atwo out of three falls match. Following the match, Hero and Team F.I.S.T.turned on Castagnoli and attacked him.[16] In November 2006, it was revealed that Castagnoli had signed a developmental deal with theWorld Wrestling Entertainment, having impressed them with an appearance onRaw (as apolice officer in a backstage segment) and a successful tryout forDeep South Wrestling. Shortly after, Castagnoli was released from his WWE contract.[4]
Castagnoli (right), upon his return to Chikara with Ice Cream Jr. (left) and El Hijo del Ice Cream
Castagnoli returned to Chikara on 16 February 2007 as a masked character named "A Very Mysterious Ice Cream", part of Los Ice Creams.[4][17] Afterward Castagnoli started feuding with his former partner Chris Hero. On 22 April 2007, atRey de Voladores Hero defeated Castagnoli and as per stipulation of the match Castagnoli was forced to re-join the Kings of Wrestling.[18] The following month Hero, Castagnoli and Larry Sweeney joined forces with Team F.I.S.T. (Icarus, Akuma andChuck Taylor) to form the Kings of Wrestling superstable, which was later joined by Mitch Ryder,Max Boyer and Shayne Hawke. On 22 September 2007, atCibernetico & Robin the Kings of Wrestling faced Los Luchadores in the annualtorneo cibernetico match. The Kings won the match with Hero, Castagnoli and Mitch Ryder as the survivors, but since the match could only have one winner, they were forced to face each other. Castagnoli forced Hero to tap out and then pinned Ryder to win not only the match, but also his freedom from the Kings of Wrestling.[5][19] On 9 December 2007, Castagnoli defeated Hero to finally end their long feud.[20] After the match, Hero left the company and Castagnoli took over his training duties at the Chikara Wrestle Factory.[5]
In 2008, Castagnoli started a new feud, this time withBrodie Lee.[5] On 7 September Castagnoli defeated Lee in the firststeel cage match in Chikara history to win the feud.[21] On 19 October 2008, Castagnoli won a seven-on-seven Global Gauntlet match where Chikara wrestlers faced off with wrestlers fromBig Japan Pro Wrestling.[22]
Castagnoli entered the2009 King of Trios teaming withBryan Danielson and Dave Taylor as Team Uppercut. The team advanced to the finals of the tournament, where they were defeated by F.I.S.T. (Icarus, Akuma and Taylor).[23][24][25] After the tournamentEddie Kingston, whose team The Roughnecks had been eliminated by Castagnoli and his team, claimed that he had been embarrassed and disrespected by Castagnoli.[5] On 24 May 2009, Kingston, who had claimed technical superiority over Castagnoli, pinned him cleanly with anOklahoma roll.[26] After Castagnoli defeated Kingston viacountout at the 2009 Young Lions Cup,[27] the two of them were booked in a "Respect Match" on 22 November 2009, at the season eight finaleThree-Fisted Tales, where the loser of the match had to show respect to the winner. Castagnoli won the match, but instead of showing respect, Kingston attacked him, claiming that both Castagnoli and his former partner (Chris Hero) were shady and did not deserve respect.[28] At the conclusion of the show Ares revealed himself as the man who had been stalkingUltraMantis Black, at which point Castagnoli turnedrudo by attacking Mike Quackenbush. After beating the entiretecnico roster Castagnoli aligned himself with Ares, Tursas, Pinkie Sanchez,Tim Donst,Sara Del Rey, andDaizee Haze to form theBruderschaft des Kreuzes.[28]
After picking up the three points needed in order to challenge for the Campeonatos de Parejas in just one weekend,[29] Castagnoli and Ares defeatedThe Colony (Fire Ant and Soldier Ant) on 20 March 2010, to win the championship, making Castagnoli the first two-time Campeon de Parejas in Chikara history.[30] In April Castagnoli, Ares and Tursas defeated the teams ofThe Osirian Portal (Amasis andOphidian) and Sara Del Rey, Team Perros del Mal (El Alebrije, Cuije and El Orientál), Team Big Japan Wrestling (Daisuke Sekimoto, Kankuro Hoshino andYuji Okabayashi) and The Colony (Fire Ant, Soldier Ant and Green Ant) over a three-day tournament to win the2010 King of Trios.[31] On 23 October Castagnoli represented BDK in thetorneo cibernetico match, where they faced a team composed of Chikara originals. He eliminated himself from the match by low blowing Eddie Kingston, but his plan did not work out as Kingston came back to eliminate Tursas and win the match.[32] At the season nine finale on 12 December, Castagnoli and Ares lost the Campeonatos de Parejas to Jigsaw and Mike Quackenbush.[33] On 13 March 2011, Castagnoli and Eddie Kingston finally faced each other in a grudge match fifteen months in the making, with Castagnoli emerging victorious after hitting Kingston with a chain.[34][35] In May, Castagnoli entered the12 Large: Summit to determine the first everChikara Grand Champion. During theChikarasaurus Rex weekend on 30 and 31 July, Castagnoli was involved in two main event matches, both of which were also a part of the12 Large: Summit. After losing to Mike Quackenbush on Night 1, Castagnoli suffered an upset loss against his BDK stablemate Sara Del Rey on Night 2, after which he turned on not only Del Rey, but also Daizee Haze as she was standing up for her regular tag team partner.[36] At the following event on 27 August, Castagnoli was defeated by Icarus, eliminating him from contention in the12 Large: Summit.[31]
In late 2004, Castagnoli made his way toCombat Zone Wrestling, where he teamed up with Chris Hero to once again form the Kings of Wrestling.[37] Eventually, on 10 September 2005 they defeated The Tough Crazy Bastards ofNecro Butcher and Toby Klein to win theCZW World Tag Team Championship.[38] While feuding withBLKOUT, Castagnoli and Hero lost the titles to Eddie Kingston andJoker. In September the Tag Team Championship was vacated when Joker left the company and on 14 October 2006, atLast Team Standing Castagnoli and Hero defeatedHuman Tornado and Justice Pain in the finals of a tournament to regain the championship.[39] With their victory, Castagnoli and Hero held the tag team titles of three of the top American independent companies simultaneously (CZW, Chikara, and ROH).
After news broke that WWE was interested in Castagnoli, he and Hero dropped the CZW World Tag Team Titles to the BLKOUT ofSabian and Robbie Mireno on 11 November 2006.[40] Castagnoli has not returned to the company since the loss.
Castagnoli made his Ring of Honor debut on 16 July 2005, atFate of an Angel.[41] For the rest of the year, he feuded withPure ChampionNigel McGuinness. On 17 December atFinal Battle 2005 McGuinness defeated Castagnoli in a match for the title and as a result Claudio could no longer challenge for the title as long as McGuinness was the champion.[41] At the beginning of 2006 Castagnoli's partner from other promotions, Chris Hero, along with other Combat Zone Wrestling wrestlers invaded ROH and started a cross-promotional war. Castagnoli initially sided with ROH, but on 22 April 2006, atThe 100th Show turned on the company and assisted Hero,Super Dragon and Necro Butcher in defeating Team ROH (Samoa Joe,B. J. Whitmer andAdam Pearce) in a six-man main event match.[42] On 15 July 2006, atDeath Before Dishonor 4 Team ROH defeated Castagnoli, Hero, Necro Butcher, Nate Webb and Eddie Kingston in aCage of Death match to end the feud.[41] Due to having a contract with ROH prior to the invasion however, Castagnoli was allowed to stay in the company, while the rest of Team CZW were forced out. Hero returned to the company during the August tour of United Kingdom[43] and on 16 September he revealed that he had stolen theROH World Tag Team Championship belts from championsAustin Aries andRoderick Strong in order to get himself and Castagnoli a match for them.[44] That match took place on 16 September 2006, atGlory By Honor V Night 2, where the Kings of Wrestling defeated Aries and Strong to become the new Ring of Honor tag team champions.[45][46]
With the news of WWE showing interest in Castagnoli, the Kings of Wrestling dropped the ROH World Tag Team Championship toChristopher Daniels andMatt Sydal on 25 November 2006, atDethroned.[45] On 23 December atFinal Battle 2006 theBriscoe Brothers (Jay and Mark) defeated Castagnoli and Hero in what was scheduled to be their last match together. After the match, Castagnoli announced that he would not be leaving for WWE after all, and promised great things for the Kings of Wrestling in 2007. Hero shook Castagnoli's hand, but left with his manager Larry Sweeney who promised Hero big things in 2007, thus ending the Kings of Wrestling.[47]
Castagnoli wrestled on Ring of Honor's firstpay-per-viewRespect is Earned on 12 May 2007, teaming with Matt Sydal to challenge the Briscoe Brothers for the ROH World Tag Team Championship.[48] Despite losing the match, Castagnoli was granted a rematch with the partner of his choosing. He chose former partner Chris Hero, but the duo lost to the Briscoes on 9 June.[49]
Castagnoli gained success in ROH singles competition on 28 July 2007, by winning Ring of Honor'sRace to the Top Tournament, a 16-man, two-night event. He defeated Hallowicked, Mike Quackenbush andJack Evans en route to the final, where he defeatedEl Generico.[50] He facedTakeshi Morishima for theROH World Championship atDeath Before Dishonor V: Night One on 10 August, but lost.[41] He received a second shot, this time athree-way match withBrent Albright, later that month, but was again unable to win the title.[51] On 29 December 2007, one year after Hero had abandoned Castagnoli, the two of them faced each other at the second ROH pay-per-viewRising Above. If Castagnoli won the match, he would get five minutes with Larry Sweeney, but if he lost, would have had to joinSweet 'n' Sour Inc. He won,[52] but was defeated by Sweeney the following night atFinal Battle 2007, whenSweet & Sour, Inc. memberDaniel Puder interfered.[53]
On 28 June 2008, Castagnoli scored one of his biggest victories in Ring of Honor by pinning Bryan Danielson in their first meeting in ROH.[54] The following month, on 26 July, Castagnoli received a match for the ROH World Championship against Nigel McGuinness, but lost. On 2 August, Castagnoli failed a Championship rematch against McGuinness. Along with Bryan Danielson and ROH World Tag Team ChampionTyler Black, he competed in a four-man elimination match. He wound up being the first eliminated by Danielson and afterwards snapped and beat Danielson down setting him up to be eliminated by the eventual winner McGuinness. After turning heel Castagnoli started referring to himself as "very European", joinedPrince Nana's heel stableThe Embassy and feuded with Brent Albright.[4]
Castagnoli performing thegiant swing as Hero waits todropkick the spinning opponent
On 19 December 2009, atFinal Battle 2009, ROH's first live pay-per-view, Castagnoli reunited with his former Kings of Wrestling partner Chris Hero as they attacked the new ROH World Tag Team Champions, the Briscoe Brothers.[55] The two adopted Shane Hagadorn as their manager and Sara Del Rey as an associate.[4][56] On 3 April 2010, atThe Big Bang! Castagnoli and Hero defeated the Briscoes to win the ROH World Tag Team Championship for the second time.[57] At the following pay-per-view,Death Before Dishonor VIII, on 19 June Castagnoli and Hero successfully defended their Championship against the Briscoes in aNo Disqualification match.[58] In July, ROH announced the return of Tag Wars, where 12 tag teams competed in three blocks to determine new challengers for the Kings of Wrestling in anUltimate Endurance match.[59] On 28 August the Kings of Wrestling defeated The Dark City Fight Club (Jon Davis andKory Chavis), The All Night Express (Kenny King andRhett Titus) and the Briscoes to retain their championship and win the 2010 Tag Wars.[60] On 2 September it was announced that Castagnoli had signed a contract with ROH, which gave the company priority in his independent bookings.[61]
At the following pay–per–view,Glory By Honor IX on 11 September, the Kings of Wrestling picked up a major victory by defeatingWrestling's Greatest Tag Team (Charlie Haas andShelton Benjamin) in a non–title match.[62] On 18 December atFinal Battle 2010 the Kings of Wrestling ended their feud with the Briscoe Brothers in a six-man tag team match, where Jay, Mark and their father Mike defeated Castagnoli, Hero and Shane Hagadorn.[63] On 4 January 2011 Castagnoli and Hero became the longest reigning ROH World Tag Team Champions by breaking the previous record of 275 days, set by the Briscoe Brothers.[64] On 26 February at the9th Anniversary Show, Castagnoli and Hero successfully defended the ROH World Tag Team Championship against The All Night Express.[65] On 1 April atHonor Takes Center Stage, the Kings of Wrestling lost the ROH World Tag Team Championship to Haas and Benjamin, ending their reign at 363 days.[66] Castagnoli and Hero received their rematch for the ROH World Tag Team Championship on 13 August at the firstRing of Honor Wrestling tapings under theSinclair Broadcast Group banner, but were unable to regain the championship from Haas and Benjamin.[67]
On 6 August 2005, Castagnoli made his debut forPro Wrestling Guerrilla, losing toJoey Ryan.[68] On 2 September 2006, Castagnoli entered his firstBattle of Los Angeles tournament, but ended up being eliminated in the first round by Jack Evans.[69] On 21 October, atHorror Business Castagnoli and Hero attempted to win thePWG World Tag Team Championship to hold four different sets of Tag Team titles simultaneously, but were unable to dethrone the Champions Super Dragon andDavey Richards.[70] They received another match for the Championship during the2007DDT4 tournament, but were defeated in the first round by the Briscoes.[71] In August 2007, Castagnoli competed in his secondBattle of Los Angeles. He defeatedDoug Williams in the first round, but lost toPac in the second.[72][73]
In late 2007, Chris Hero was involved in a feud with Human Tornado and when Hero's scheduled tag team partner Eddie Kingston turned on him in a mystery tag team partner match and sided with Tornado instead, Castagnoli came out and took Kingston's place as Hero's partner. However, when Hero went to tag Castagnoli, he nailed him with a European uppercut, turned heel and joined Tornado and Kingston. On 5 January 2008, atAll Star Weekend 6: Night One Tornado, Castagnoli and Kingston defeated Hero, Necro Butcher and Hero's girlfriend/valetCandice LeRae in a six-person tag team match to earn Tornado a match with LeRae.[74] On 21 March 2008, Hero defeated Castagnoli in a grudge match.[75] On 6 July 2008, at PWG's fifth anniversary showLife During Wartime Castagnoli wrestled his last match at the time for the promotion, defeating Phoenix Star.[76]
Castagnoli returned to the company for the annualBattle of Los Angeles Tournament on 4 September 2010.[77] Castagnoli made it to the semifinals of the tournament, defeatingRicochet and Roderick Strong, before losing to the eventual winner Joey Ryan.[78][79] Ryan should then have earned a match for thePWG World Championship, but as Davey Richards was stripped of the championship, Castagnoli and the three other Battle of Los Angeles semifinalists –Brandon Gatson, Chris Hero and Joey Ryan – were placed in a four-way match to determine a new Champion.[80] On 9 October'sThe Curse of Guerrilla Island, Castagnoli defeated Gatson, Hero and Ryan to win the PWG World Championship, his first major singles title in the United States.[81][82][83]
Castagnoli and Hero were scheduled to face PWG World Tag Team Champions, ¡Peligro Abejas! (El Generico andPaul London), in a non–title match at the following event. Due to Castagnoli's title win, the Champions agreed to put their belts on the line as long as Castagnoli agreed to give the victor a shot at the PWG World Championship, should the Kings lose. After Castagnoli had agreed to the stipulation, ¡Peligro Abejas! defeated him and Hero to retain the World Tag Team Championship and earn El Generico a shot at the PWG World Championship.[84] On 29 January 2011, during theWrestleReunion 5 weekend, Castagnoli made his first successful defense by defeating El Generico.[85] On 4 March Castagnoli and Hero entered the2011DDT 4 Tournament, defeating the Cutler Brothers (Brandon and Dustin Cutler) in their first-round match. However, in the semifinals of the tournament the Kings of Wrestling suffered an upset loss against the Nightmare Violence Connection (Akira Tozawa andKevin Steen) when Tozawa rolled Hero up for the win.[86] On 9 April Castagnoli defended the PWG World Championship against the Battle of Los Angeles winner, Joey Ryan, who had knocked him out of the previous year's tournament.[87] On 27 May, during the first night ofAll Star Weekend 8, Castagnoli successfully defended the PWG World Championship against his longtime tag team partner Chris Hero.[88] The following night, Castagnoli defeatedLow Ki to retain the title.[89] On 23 July at PWG's eighth anniversary show, Castagnoli defeated Hero in a rematch for the PWG World Championship. After the match Castagnoli accepted a challenge from Kevin Steen and ended up losing the title to him in the impromptu match, ending his reign at 287 days.[90]
On 20 August, after both Castagnoli and Hero were eliminated from the2011 Battle of Los Angeles in the first round, they challenged PWG World Tag Team Champions,The Young Bucks (Matt and Nick Jackson), to a match for the title. The match, which took place later that same evening, saw the Kings of Wrestling once again fail to win the PWG World Tag Team Championship.[91]
Castagnoli made his debut forPro Wrestling Noah on 15 February 2008, when he teamed up with Chris Hero in a losing effort againstJun Akiyama andKentaro Shiga.[92] He primarily wrestled in the promotion as Chris Hero's tag team partner and in January 2010 the Kings of Wrestling entered theGlobal Tag League, where they ended up losing all of their matches.[92] Castagnoli and Hero returned to Noah on 19 November 2010, for a three-week-long tour. The team went undefeated in tag team matches, before being defeated on the final day of the tour, 5 December, byTakuma Sano andYoshihiro Takayama in a match for theGHC Tag Team Championship.[92][93]
The Kings of Wrestling returned to Noah in April 2011 to take part in the2011 Global Tag League, where they managed to win two out of their seven-round robin matches, finishing seventh out of eight teams in the block.[94] On 15 May, he traveled to Germany to challengeTakashi Sugiura'sGHC Heavyweight Championship on "Genesis in Germany", co-promoted by local Westside Xtreme Wrestling and NOAH. However, he was unsuccessful in his challenge, losing after anOlympic Slam.[95]
In November 2006, he wrestledAntonio Thomas in one half of the main event at MXW Pro Wrestling'sCapital Collision show inAlbany, New York. In April 2007, Castagnoli represented Chikara in the inauguralKing of Europe Cup, a sixteen-man tournament held inLiverpool, England. He lost in the opening match against CZW's representative and former partner, Chris Hero.[96]
Later in September, Castagnoli competed in Independent Wrestling Association Mid-South'sTed Petty Invitational 2007 tournament. He defeated Nigel McGuinness in the first round, Davey Richards in the quarterfinals, and Brent Albright in the semifinals to compete in a three-way elimination match, with finalists Mike Quackenbush andIWA Mid-South Heavyweight Champion Chuck Taylor. He was first eliminated by the eventual winner, Quackenbush, being pinned following a Quackendriver II. Castagnoli replacedFergal Devitt in the eight-man NWA Australian Championship Tournament which was held in November 2007.
On 13 March 2010, Castagnoli made his debut forEvolve Wrestling, at the promotion's second event, defeatingBobby Fish.[99] At the following show on 1 May Castagnoli was defeated by Chuck Taylor.[100]
Cesaro made his WWE television debut on 20 April episode ofSmackDown, appearing in a backstage segment withAksana.[106] On 3 July live episode ofThe Great American BashSmackDown, Cesaro suffered his first loss when he and Aksana were defeated in a mixed tag team match byThe Great Khali andLayla.[107] On theSummerSlam pre-show on 19 August, Cesaro defeated Santino Marella to win the WWE United States Championship, his first singles title in WWE.[108] Cesaro retained the title againstZack Ryder on 16 September atNight of Champions.[109] On 21 SeptemberSmackDown, Cesaro ended his relationship with Aksana after an inadvertent distraction from her cost him his non-title match with Santino Marella.[110] This led to a title rematch between Cesaro and Marella the following week, where Cesaro was able to retain his title easily.[111]
AtHell in a Cell on 28 October, Cesaro successfully retained the United States Championship againstJustin Gabriel.[112] Cesaro then began feuding withR-Truth after Truth savedKofi Kingston from a post-match assault from Cesaro on 29 OctoberRaw.[113] On 18 November atSurvivor Series, Cesaro defeated R-Truth to retain the United States Championship.[114] The feud continued on the followingSmackDown, with Truth defeating Cesaro in a non-title match.[115] Cesaro then defeated Truth in two more matches, first in a four-way match, which also included Kofi Kingston andWade Barrett on 3 DecemberRaw and second on 16 December atTLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs in a singles match, to retain his title.[116][117] On 31 DecemberRaw, Cesaro issued a title challenge toSgt. Slaughter as part of the "Champion's Choice Night" and then defeated Slaughter in the match that followed to retain his championship.[118] At theRoyal Rumble pre-show on 27 January 2013, Cesaro defeatedThe Miz to retain the United States Championship.[119] On 17 February atElimination Chamber, he retained the United States Championship against Miz via disqualification after Miz accidentally hit him in the groin.[120] Cesaro and Miz faced off in a two-out-of-three falls match for the title on 1 MarchSmackDown, where Cesaro retained his title to end their feud.[121] On 15 AprilRaw, Cesaro lost the United States Championship to Kofi Kingston in an upset victory, ending his long-lived reign at 239 days.[122]
In 2013, Cesaro formed the Real Americans with Zeb Colter and Jack Swagger
In May, Cesaro started a feud withSami Zayn in NXT, where the two held some of what would later be considered the best matches of 2013.[6] On the 22 May episode ofNXT, Zayn scored an upset victory over Cesaro in his debut match.[123] Cesaro later defeated Zayn in a rematch on the 13 June episode ofNXT.[124] On the 17 June episode ofRaw, Cesaro began to work withZeb Colter and Jack Swagger as The Real Americans.[125][126] On the 21 August episode ofNXT, Cesaro defeated Zayn in a two-out-of-three falls match to conclude the feud.[127]
On 15 September at theNight of Champions pre-show, The Real Americans competed in a #1 contendersTag Team Turmoil match for theWWE Tag Team Championship, in which they were the last team eliminated byThe Prime Time Players (Darren Young andTitus O'Neil).[128] AtHell in a Cell on 27 October, they lost toLos Matadores (Diego andFernando).[129] The following night onRaw, The Real Americans defeated WWE Tag Team ChampionsCody Rhodes and Goldust in a non-title match.[130] On 18 NovemberRaw, a fan handed out a hundred simple black and white signs on standard printer paper with the words "Cesaro Section" printed on them. A group of fans held them up together in Cesaro's match and this made it to air and was remarked on by the commentators, as well as by Cesaro himself after the show; this was picked up by other fans, and the Cesaro Section phenomenon quickly spread from there to other arenas and events."[131]
During theWrestleMania XXX pre-show on 6 April, The Real Americans were the final team eliminated during afatal four-way tag team elimination match for the WWE Tag Team Championship.[138] Jack Swagger blamed Cesaro for the loss and put Cesaro in thePatriot Lock before Colter demanded that the duo to shake hands. Cesaro instead retaliated with aCesaro Swing on Swagger.[139] Later during the pay-per-view Cesaro was a surprise entrant in the inauguralAndré the Giant Memorial Battle Royal, which he won by making the final elimination of the Big Show, body slamming him over the top rope and out of the ring in a manner reminiscent ofHulk Hogan's body slam of André atWrestleMania III.[140] In a 2015 interview, Cesaro would describe this victory as his "career highlight" to that point.[6]
On the post-WrestleManiaRaw on 7 April, Hogan endorsed Cesaro's WrestleMania victory. Cesaro proceeded to dump Colter as his manager, instead revealing that he was aPaul Heyman guy.[141] After Cesaro was eliminated byRob Van Dam from a tournament for anIntercontinental Championship title shot,[142] he defeated Van Dam and Swagger in an elimination match atExtreme Rules on 4 May.[143] AtPayback on 1 June, Cesaro facedSheamus for the United States Championship in a losing effort.[144] AtMoney in the Bank on 29 June, he competed in a ladder match for the vacant WWE World Heavyweight Championship, which was won by John Cena.[145] On 21 JulyRaw, Cesaro ended his partnership with Paul Heyman.[146] In July 2014, WWE.com noted that one of Cesaro's signature moves, the Cesaro Swing, was "now a rarely used attraction" after previously being "a daily maneuver";[147]also that month, it was reported that WWE officials had told Cesaro to stop using the Cesaro Swing because it was making him too popular, and they did not want him being cheered as a heel.[148]
Cesaro "was on the verge of big things with fans getting behind what they expected would be a babyface turn... Then it fell apart. They did a heel turn to put him with Paul Heyman, and apparently figured that enabled them to not give him wins at all since Heyman was with him... but he'd stay over [... this was] before his big babyface turn fell completely apart and the turn was forgotten about".
Cesaro lost to Rob Van Dam at theSummerSlam pre-show on 17 August.[149] By defeating Van Dam in a rematch onRaw, Cesaro earned a United States title match against Sheamus,[150] but lost again atNight of Champions on 21 September.[151] Instead, Cesaro switched his sights to another title, the Intercontinental Championship held byDolph Ziggler, as Cesaro became #1 contender after winning a battle royal.[152] From September to November, Cesaro faced Ziggler in a title match on five occasions, onRaw,SmackDown and on 26 October atHell in a Cell, but lost every match, including three-way matches and a two-out-of-three falls match.[153][154]
In a December 2014 interview,Stone Cold Steve Austin askedVince McMahon why Cesaro had not gottenover yet and asked whether Cesaro was getting a properpush. McMahon replied that Cesaro was lacking in charisma, verbal skills, and the "it" factor, "might be because he's Swiss ... and the European style". McMahon concluded that he was not certain what could be done to restore Cesaro's momentum, but McMahon was not giving up.[155][156]
Cesaro began teaming with Tyson Kidd on the 1 December episode ofRaw and were eliminated from a gauntlet match for a tag title shot by The Usos.[157] At theRoyal Rumble pre-show on 25 January, Cesaro and Kidd defeatedThe New Day (Big E, Kofi Kingston andXavier Woods). Later that night, Cesaro entered the Royal Rumble match at #28 but was eliminated by Dolph Ziggler.[158] AtFastlane on 22 February, Cesaro and Kidd defeated The Usos to capture the WWE Tag Team Championship.[159] They retained their titles in a rematch the following night onRaw after theirvaletNatalya caused a disqualification.[160] Cesaro and Kidd retained their titles at theWrestleMania 31 pre-show on 29 March in a fatal four-way tag team match.[161] Cesaro also competed in theAndré the Giantmemorialbattle royal, but was eliminated by Big Show.[162] Cesaro and Kidd reignited their feud against The New Day, where a double turn took place; Cesaro and Kidd turned face by displaying a fighting spirit, marking Cesaro's first ever face turn in WWE, while The New Day turned heel by using underhanded tactics during their matches. AtExtreme Rules on 26 April, Cesaro and Kidd lost the titles to The New Day (Big E and Kofi Kingston).[163] They failed to regain the championship atPayback in a 2-out-of-3 falls match on 17 May due to Xavier Woods' interference.[164] AtElimination Chamber on 31 May, they failed to win the titles in the inaugural tag team Elimination Chamber match.[165] On 7 June, it was announced that Kidd had suffered alegitimate spinal injury and would be out of action for over a year.[166]
"... Cesaro's one main undesirable attribute: being a super talented wrestler whom the fans clearly want to see succeed, but is never given any serious push because of the decision of one man based on vague, shaky reasons."
Zach Dominello writing for theWrestling Observer website in 2015.[9]
On the 29 June episode ofRaw, Cesaro answered John Cena's United States Championship open challenge and won by disqualification afterKevin Owens interfered and assaulted Cesaro.[167] He unsuccessfully challenged Cena for the title again the next week onRaw. Both matches were critically praised,[6] and the second one was awarded theSlammy Award for "Best John Cena U.S. Open Challenge".[168] On the 13 July episode ofRaw, Cesaro confronted Kevin Owens andRusev about who should face Cena for the championship. This resulted in a triple threat match, where the winner would face Cena immediately after, which Rusev won.[169] On the 16 July episode ofSmackDown, Cesaro became only the second man (after John Cena) to pin Rusev in a singles match.[170] AtSummerSlam on 23 August, Cesaro lost to Owens.[171] Around this time, with Cesaro now firmly established as a fan favorite, the Cesaro Section phenomenon that originated in early 2014 again found traction, and home-made printed "Cesaro Section" signs again became circulated widely for fans to hold up during events to show their support for Cesaro.[172] Cesaro defeated Sheamus on the 9 November episode ofRaw to advance to the quarterfinals in a tournament to crown a new WWE World Heavyweight Champion atSurvivor Series after previous champion Seth Rollins injured his knee at a house show in Dublin, but lost to Roman Reigns in the semi-finals on 16 November. On 23 November, WWE announced that Cesaro needed surgery for atornrotator cuff muscle in his left shoulder that had been injured for at least two months, and that would leave him out of action for four to six months.[173][131]
Cesaro made his return from injury on theRaw afterWrestleMania 32 on the 4 April 2016 episode ofRaw, introducing a newJames Bond style entrance and attire to his character, including a tear-away business suit.[174] He replaced Sami Zayn as a surprise entrant in the main event, a fatal 4-way match between himself, Kevin Owens,AJ Styles andChris Jericho to determine the #1 contender for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, with the match being won by Styles.[175] On 11 April edition ofRaw, Cesaro defeated Kevin Owens to become the #1 contender for the Intercontinental Championship held by The Miz.[176] AtPayback on 1 May, Cesaro failed to win the title after a distraction by Zayn and Owens, allowing Miz to retain the title.[177][178] A fatal 4-way match for the title between Cesaro, Miz, Owens, and Zayn was then made for theExtreme Rules pay-per-view on 22 May.[178] The Miz ultimately prevailed by pinning Cesaro after Zayn executed a Helluva Kick on Cesaro.[179] The following night onRaw Cesaro defeated Miz for a spot in theMoney in the Bank ladder match.[180] On the following episode ofSmackDown, The Miz retained the title against Cesaro.[181] At Money in the Bank on 19 June, Cesaro was unsuccessful as the match was won by Dean Ambrose.[182]
On 19 July at the2016 WWE draft, Cesaro was drafted toRaw.[183] Afterwards, while being interviewed live on theWWE Network byJoJo, Cesarolegitimately complained about how he should have been drafted "at least top 10" and thought he would be a better fit on the more wrestling-orientedSmackDown brand, as well as criticizing the decision to have the storyline focus on the potential drama betweenStephanie McMahon and Raw General ManagerMick Foley as opposed to the wrestlers themselves. While WWE would eventually continue this as part of an angle, Dave Meltzer confirmed on Twitter that the interview was ashoot and that Cesaro had unexpectedly gone off-script.[184] After the draft, Cesaro would then begin a rivalry with Sheamus, and Mick Foley announced that the pair would face each other in a Best of Seven Series, with the first match taking place on 21 August on theSummerSlam kick-off show, which Sheamus won.[185] Sheamus would defeat Cesaro in the second and third matches,[186][187] but Cesaro defeated Sheamus in the fourth, fifth and sixth match, tying the series 3–3.[188][189][190] The two faced in the seventh and deciding match atClash of Champions, which ended in a no contest, leaving the result of their series unclear.[191] The next night onRaw, Mick Foley decided to make the two men partners.[192] In spite of the two not getting along, Cesaro and Sheamus received a match for the Raw Tag Team Championship against The New Day (Big E and Xavier Woods) atHell in a Cell on 30 October, winning the match by disqualification but not the titles since championships cannot change hands by disqualification.[193]
AtSurvivor Series on 20 November, Cesaro and Sheamus made up part of Team Raw as they defeated Team SmackDown in a 10-on-10 Survivor Series elimination tag team match.[194] The next night onRaw, Cesaro and Sheamus again failed to capture Raw Tag Team Championship from The New Day.[195] Following this, Cesaro and Sheamus finally began to co-operate with each other,[196] and the two defeated the New Day on 18 December atRoadblock: End of the Line to win the tag team championship.[197] Going into 2017, Cesaro and Sheamus began a feud withLuke Gallows and Karl Anderson.[198] At theRoyal Rumble on 29 January, Cesaro and Sheamus lost the championship to Anderson and Gallows.[199] The pair also competed in the Royal Rumble match later that night, but both were eliminated by Chris Jericho after getting into an argument.[200] AtWrestleMania 33 on 2 April, Cesaro and Sheamus competed in a four-teamladder match for the Raw Tag Team Championship, which was won by TheHardy Boyz (Matt Hardy andJeff Hardy).[201]
AtPayback on 30 April, Cesaro and Sheamus unsuccessfully challenged The Hardy Boyz for the championship and after the match, Cesaro turned heel for the first time since 2015, along with Sheamus by attacking The Hardy Boyz after the match.[202] The duo then christened themselves as "The Bar",[203] and again challenged The Hardy Boyz for the championship in a steel cage match atExtreme Rules on 4 June, which The Bar won.[204] They then successfully defended the championship against The Hardy Boyz onRaw,[205] and again on 9 July atGreat Balls of Fire.[206] However, atSummerSlam on 20 August, The Bar lost the Raw Tag Team Championship to Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins.[207] On 24 September atNo Mercy, The Bar were again defeated by Ambrose and Rollins in a rematch for the championship, during which Cesaro suffered an injury to his two front teeth.[208] WWE released a statement on Cesaro's medical condition stating that his teeth had been pushed up into his upper jaw by about 3 to 4 mm and that he would next go to see a maxillofacial surgeon.[209][210]
On 28 January 2018, The Bar won back the title at theRoyal Rumble, becoming record four-time champions as a team, and a record fifth reign for Cesaro individually.[215] Following consecutive losses to Titus Worldwide (Apollo Crews andTitus O'Neil) onRaw, they defended their title against the two on 25 February atElimination Chamber, retaining successfully.[216] On the 12 March episode ofRaw, Braun Strowman won a tag team battle royal to determine the number one contenders for their tag titles atWrestleMania 34, although he lacked a partner. Raw General Manager Kurt Angle still allowed Strowman to wrestle for the titles, under the provision that he reveal his mystery partner at the event.[217] At the event on 8 April, Strowman revealed his partner to be a 10-year-old fan called Nicholas (in reality the son of refereeJohn Cone).[218] The Bar were defeated by Strowman and Nicholas, therefore losing the tag team title and in turn making Nicholas the youngest champion of any kind in WWE history.[219]
On 17 April, as part of the2018 WWE Superstar Shake-up, Cesaro and Sheamus were both drafted to SmackDown.[220] Despite the trade, they still had an opportunity to challenge for the Raw Tag Team Championship as they faced Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt atGreatest Royal Rumble event on 27 April, but they were defeated.[221] AtSuper Show-Down on 6 October, The Bar challenged The New Day for the SmackDown Tag Team Championship, but were defeated.[222] However, on the 1000th episode ofSmackDown, The Bar won the titles from The New Day with the help of Big Show.[223] The Bar lost to Raw Tag Team ChampionsAOP in an inter-brand Champion vs. Champion match atSurvivor Series on 18 November.[224] On the 27 November episode ofSmackDown, they had a backstage argument with Big Show, causing him to break away from the team.[225] AtTLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs on 16 December, they successfully defended the championship against The Usos and The New Day in atriple threat tag team match.[226] AtRoyal Rumble pay-per-view on 27 January 2019, The Bar lost the championship to The Miz andShane McMahon.[227] On the following episode ofSmackDown, they lost a #1 contenders match to The Usos.[228]
AtWrestleMania 35 on 7 April, The Bar lost to The Usos in a fatal-four-way tag team match for the SmackDown Tag Team Championships, which also included the teams of Aleister Black and Ricochet and Rusev and Shinsuke Nakamura.[229] On 9 AprilSmackDown, Sheamus reportedly suffered aconcussion in a six-man tag team match with The New Day.[230] Cesaro wasdrafted to Raw a few weeks later, while Sheamus remained on SmackDown, bringing an end to the team.[231]
On the 20 May episode ofRaw, Cesaro debuted a new entrance theme and titantron separate from The Bar as he defeated Ricochet.[232] He also adopted a new part of his gimmick where he would only allow backstage interviewers to ask him only one question before walking away. Over the following weeks, Cesaro and Ricochet traded wins with each other.[233] Their series of matches received praise from critics.[234] AtExtreme Rules on 14 July, Cesaro lost toAleister Black.[235] Cesaro would go on to issue an open challenge atNXT UK TakeOver: Cardiff on 31 August, which would be answered byIlja Dragunov and Cesaro would go on to win the match.[236] Cesaro would enter the2019 King of the Ring tournament but was eliminated by Samoa Joe in the first round.[237]
As part of thedraft in October, Cesaro was drafted back to the SmackDown brand.[238] He lost toMansoor on 31 October atCrown Jewel.[239] In the following weeks, Cesaro would align himself with Sami Zayn andShinsuke Nakamura, teaming with Nakamura on several occasions, including challenging for the SmackDown Tag Team Championship, where they were unsuccessful.[240] On 26 January 2020, atRoyal Rumble, Cesaro entered at #9 but was eliminated byBrock Lesnar.[241] AtElimination Chamber on 8 March, Sami Zayn, along with Nakamura and Cesaro, defeated Braun Strowman in 3-on-1 handicap match for the Intercontinental Championship. Zayn became the new champion pinning Strowman.[242][243] On the first night ofWrestleMania 36 on 4 April, Cesaro defeated Drew Gulak on the kickoff show.[244] AtMoney in the Bank on 10 May, Cesaro was defeated by Jeff Hardy on the kickoff show.[245]
Following this, Cesaro began teaming with Nakamura more frequently as they feuded withThe New Day for the SmackDown Tag Team Titles. On the 10 July episode ofSmackDown, Cesaro and Nakamura challenged New Day for the titles but the match ended in a no contest after Cesaro and Nakamura put Kofi Kingston and Big E through a table.[246] On 19 July atThe Horror Show at Extreme Rules, Cesaro and Nakamura defeated Kingston and Big E in a tables match to capture the titles, marking Cesaro's second reign.[247] On the 9 October episode ofSmackDown, they lost the titles to Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods.[248]
In early 2021, Cesaro and Nakamura quietly disbanded after Nakamura turned face.[249] AtRoyal Rumble on 31 January, he entered at #28, but was eliminated by Braun Strowman.[250] On the 5 February episode ofSmackDown Cesaro gave Daniel Bryan a fist bump as a show of respect after their match, turning face for the first time since 2017.[251]
The following week onSmackDown, Cesaro began a feud withSeth Rollins, after Rollins attacked him from behind following a walkout by the SmackDown roster.[252] AtElimination Chamber on 21 February, Cesaro competed in the Elimination Chamber match where the winner would receive an immediateUniversal Championship match, eliminatingKing Corbin but was the second to last man eliminated byJey Uso.[253] On the 26 March episode ofSmackDown, he was challenged by Rollins to a match atWrestleMania 37, which Cesaro accepted.[254][255] On the first night of WrestleMania on 10 April, Cesaro defeated Rollins.[256] Cesaro faced Universal Champion Roman Reigns atWrestleMania Backlash on 16 May, but was defeated.[257] After the match, Rollins attacked Cesaro and would continue to ambush him on subsequent episodes ofSmackDown, culminating in Cesaro being taken out on a stretcher on the 21 May episode.[258] Cesaro would make his return on the 11 June episode ofSmackDown, attacking Rollins.[259] A rematch would be scheduled forHell in a Cell on 20 June the following week[260][261] in which Rollins defeated Cesaro.[262] He once again lost to Rollins on the 9 July episode ofSmackDown, failing to qualify for that year'sMoney in the Bank ladder match and ending the feud.[263]
In October, he entered theKing of the Ring tournament, where he lost toFinn Bálor in the first round.[264] AtSurvivor Series on 21 November, Cesaro participated in a 25-man dual-branded battle royal to commemorate the 25th anniversary ofThe Rock's debut at the1996 Survivor Series, which was won byOmos.[265] On the following episode ofSmackDown, he failed to win a Black Friday Invitationalbattle royal where the winner would become the #1 contender for the Universal Championship.[266] On 24 December (taped 17 December)[267] episode ofSmackDown, Cesaro competed in agauntlet match for #1 contendership to the Intercontinental Championship, but was eliminated by Sheamus.[268]
At theDay 1 pre-show on 1 January 2022, Cesaro and Ricochet lost to Sheamus andRidge Holland.[269] On the 11 February episode ofSmackDown, Cesaro was defeated byHappy Corbin in what would be his last televised match in WWE.[270] He quietly left WWE when his contract expired on 24 February, thus ending his 11-year tenure in the company.[271] Reports stated that he was not actively looking to leave WWE, but did not like the contract extension offer he received.[272]
All Elite Wrestling / Return to ROH (2022–present)
AtAll Out, Castagnoli and Yuta failed to win the AEW World Tag Team Championship from The Young Bucks. Later on in the show, Castagnoli and Moxley violently attacked Danielson and kicked him out of the BCC, turning them into heels in the process.[291] On 28 September at theCollision edition ofGrand Slam, Castagnoli, Pac, and Yuta successfully defended their titles againstKomander andPrivate Party.[292] In November 2024, the BCC rebranded to the "Death Riders", a nod to Moxley's nickname in NJPW.[293] On 24 November, Castagnoli was announced as a participant in the2024 Continental Classic, where he was placed in the Gold league.[294] Castagnoli finished the tournament with 9 points, but failed to advance to the playoff stage due to losing a tiebreaker toWill Ospreay.[295]
Castagnoli performing the "Giant Swing" during a house show in January 2015.
Castagnoli's wrestling ability has been praised by fellow wrestlers and wrestling icons such as Stone Cold Steve Austin, Mick Foley,Jim Ross, andWilliam Regal.[6][172] In 2019,Bleacher Report called him one of the best "pure wrestlers" in WWE.[234] Criticism was levied at WWE by fans for underutilizing Castagnoli creatively on their shows.[9][172] Later in his career, he became known as a "tag team specialist" due to his successful partnerships withJack Swagger, Tyson Kidd, Sheamus, and Shinsuke Nakamura.[234]
Castagnoli uses a "no-nonsense", European style as the basis for his move set.[172] He uses theGotch Neutralizer (abelly-to-back inverted mat slam)[310][311] andVery European Uppercut (apop-upEuropean uppercut) as finishing moves. He also uses the giant swing.[7] A big part of his wrestling style comes from his strength, which he has showcased by lifting heavier wrestlers such as The Great Khali,Brodus Clay, and Big Show, all of whom outweigh him by at least 100 lb (45.3 kg).[6][312] He has been credited as one of the strongest wrestlers in WWE.[172] His technical ability is also notable, and he has utilized thesharpshooter (adopted from his former tag team partner Kidd) as a signature move since 2015.[313]
Castagnoli has been usually labeled as an underrated wrestler. From 2013 to 2016, he won the "Most Underrated Wrestler" award byWrestling Observer Newsletter. In December 2020,Drew McIntyre called him the most underrated superstar in WWE.[314]
Around the time of Castagnoli's shoulder injury in 2015, a number of prominent wrestling legends had increasingly been calling for WWE to move him into a more significant role in the company.[131] In the months prior, former champion Mick Foley voiced strong support, declaring the day after Castagnoli's second United States Championship match with John Cena that "[Castagnoli] would make a great world champion".[315] Foley later added that he was baffled by WWE's treatment of Castagnoli, stating that if he could make one change to WWE, it would simply be to "push [Castagnoli]".[citation needed] Just days before the injury was announced,Ric Flair answered a question on which current wrestler he thought should have already been WWE World Heavyweight Champion by discussing how he thought Castagnoli was "phenomenal" and that "nobody [brought] more to the table as a performer".[316] Flair further stated that he thought Castagnoli could be built up for a major storyline with Brock Lesnar within two months, even suggesting for himself to become Castagnoli's manager to help with his work on the microphone.[317] Meanwhile, long-time Castagnoli supporter Stone Cold Steve Austin reiterated that he believed Castagnoli had what was needed "to go up on top of the card" and blamed WWE for not helping him more.[156]
Castagnoli resides inOrlando, Florida.[318] In addition to his nativeSwiss German, he is fluent in English, French, German, and Italian.[6][172][319] He is known for his love of coffee,[320] having maintained a blog andYouTube channel called Claudio's Café before joining WWE.[10][321] Claudio's Café is now the name of his secondaryInstagram page and hisTwitch channel, the former of which he uses to document his visits to coffee shops worldwide.[322]
Castagnoli has been in a relationship with American professional wrestling trainer and former wrestler Sara Amato, better known asSara Del Rey, since 2011.[323] He is close friends with Canadian professional wrestling producer and former wrestler TJ Wilson, better known asTyson Kidd, with whom he had originally been paired as a tag team by WWE without either man's input before the two became friends.[6][324] He is also close friends with his former tag team partner Ares and Ares' wifeAllison Danger.[323]
Castagnoli is a fan of franchises such asJames Bond, which he incorporated into his WWE gimmick from 2016 to 2018,[131][325] andStar Wars.[326] He also enjoys watchingfootball. Having once been a supporter of hometown clubFC Luzern, he no longer supports a professional club, instead preferring to follow the individual careers of players of theSwiss national team.[11] He has said that he prides himself on being a consummate professional in every aspect: "Older values of older times, that are not as much around anymore, are still very important to me. [...] You have to be a professional in every single thing you do."[6]
Noted for his exceptional physical strength and stating that he is completelysteroid-free,[10] Castagnoli has performed a one-armsnatch with 145 lbs (66 kg),[327] a one-armclean and jerk with 135 lbs (61 kg),[328] and a two-arm clean and jerk with 286 lbs (130 kg).[329] He described his training regime in 2015 as a mix of different approaches, with particular focus onCrossFit and variations ofOlympic weightlifting.[330] He has said that he continually tries to learn new ways to work out in order to keep improving.[330]
As an avid gamer, Castagnoli invested into mobile gaming esports organization Tribe Gaming in 2020.[331]
Castagnoli made a brief appearance in the 2008 drama filmThe Wrestler.[332] He regularly appeared on the WWEweb seriesThe JBL and Cole Show until its cancellation in June 2015.[333] He has also made brief appearances on theE! showTotal Divas.[334]
Castagnoli became a fan ofLeague of Legends after practicing the game prior to the WWE vs NXTLeague of Legends match, and has been a guest analyst during the North AmericanLeague of Legends Championship series.[citation needed]
^King of Europe Cup 2007 Day 1 results, Cagematch.net, retrieved 29 July 2007. "King Of Europe Cup 2007 First Round Match: Chris Hero [defeated] Claudio Castagnoli."
^Cesaro (5 April 2016)."Cesaro (@WWECesaro) Twitter Feed".Twitter. Self. Retrieved15 May 2016."The #professional is back. Incredible crowd made it extra special. Thank you" (includes animated gif of ring entrance with tearaway suit)
^Foley, Mick (10 July 2015)."I CHANGED MY MIND".Facebook. Self. Archived fromthe original on 26 February 2022. Retrieved12 January 2016.... after seeing [Castagnoli] in action these past few weeks, I've changed my mind, [Castagnoli] would make a great world-champion in ANY era, including the PRESENT WWE era!
^Cesaro (30 September 2015)."Cesaro (@WWECesaro) Twitter Feed (Retweet)".Twitter. WWE 2K @WWEgames. Retrieved12 January 2016.Wishing a happy #NationalCoffeeDay to @WWECesaro, the biggest coffee fanatic in all of @WWE!
^Wilson, TJ (22 December 2015)."TJ Wilson (@KiddWWE) Twitter Feed".Twitter. Retrieved11 January 2016.Teaming with @WWECesaro made me 'better' in every way. Friends like him come once in a lifetime.
^Cesaro (5 November 2015)."Cesaro (@WWECesaro) Twitter Feed".Twitter. Self. Retrieved12 January 2016.Landed in Dublin, worked out, went to see #SPECTRE. Who needs sleep when you can see @DaveBautista vs 007?
^Cesaro (19 December 2015)."wwecesaro Instagram Feed".Instagram. Self. Archived fromthe original on 26 December 2021. Retrieved12 January 2016.When I first moved to the US I didn't bring much, but I brought this #starwars (image of original Star Wars discs)
^Kidd, Tyson (22 September 2015). "Some Like It Hot".Total Divas. Season 4. Episode 12 (57 overall). 33 minutes in.Cesaro's strong. Nat, Cesaro can clean and jerk...135 with one arm. That's just like, to show off... I don't know what his actual max is. (on phone withNatalya Neidhart)
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