Cesaro leaves WWE

[Callum1993]

As per PW Insider:

By Mike Johnson on 2022-02-24 15:28:00

WWE star Cesaro has quietly exited WWE after his current contract expired, PWInsider.com has confirmed.    He last performed for WWE on 2/11, losing to Happy Corbin on an episode of Friday Night Smackdown.

We are told the two sides had been in negotiations but had not come to terms on a new agreement.  This would be a case of his contract expiring, so there would be no 90-day non compete.  Cesaro had been slated to be at tomorrow's Smackdown taping in Hershey, PA, but will obviously no longer be there.

Cesaro, 41, had been with WWE since 2011 when he inked a developmental deal with then-WWE developmental territory FCW.  Over the course of his run with the company, Cesaro won the first-ever Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal at Wrestlemania 30 and had a run with the WWE United States Championship as well as Raw and Smackdown Title runs with Sheamus, Shinsuke Nakamura and Tyson Kidd.

While had a long run, he was also consistently underutilized during his WWE run.  Among fellow talents, he's universally considered one of the best and toughest in-ring performers by any definition of the word in professional wrestling.  He can likely punch his own ticket anywhere he chooses to land, whether that be coming to terms with WWE or competing elsewhere.

Prior to his WWE run, the Swiss star, under his real name Claudio Castagnoli, had a tremendous run as one half of the Kings of Wrestling with Chris Hero in Ring of Honor, Pro Wrestling NOAH, CZW and CHIKARA. 
 

Another AEW signing you’d assume? 

[Jacko]

Can’t see what he would add they  have plenty of boring no personality workrate wrestlers as it is 

[d-d-d-dAz]

Where can AEW possibly keep all these people, should they pick him up? 
 

Keith Lee hasn’t wrestled in 2 weeks and he’s brand new and should be riding the crest of a wave.

[rollthedice]

I could see him in Impact before AEW.

I certainly wouldn't be against him vs Josh Alexander if Josh is coming back and Impact has a working relationship with NJPW/Strong so he could work there without having to work for AEW. 

Edit: I know he has a podcast now but other than that, what is Hero upto?

King's of Wrestling as Briscoes mystery opponents at Supercard of Honor? 

Edited February 24, 2022 by rollthedice

[69MeDon]

Yeah, not a lot of interest seeing him in AEW, to be honest. Yet he seems like exactly the sort of guy Tony Khan would sign so...

[DavidB6937]

He's bound to be on the dream indy wank list for TK. There's no way he won't make some sort of play for him. His fanboy side won't be able to just sit there.

Whether he's worth it or not is a whole other thing. It really is getting bloated over there. They have plenty of people who can put on great matches. So would Cesaro really get used any better there? And if he does then who suffers as a consequence?

[Infinity Land]

4 minutes ago, d-d-d-dAz said:

Where can AEW possibly keep all these people, should they pick him up? 
 

Keith Lee hasn’t wrestled in 2 weeks and he’s brand new and should be riding the crest of a wave.

AEW is basically a superindy bankrolled by a billionaire. Cesaro will get a decent payday work TV 20+ times a year. Do Twitch and whatever indy/international dates he likes. The guy is in his 40s now. He's hopefully been smart enough with his money he can now do what he wants.

AEW get a talent that will put on the kind of matches their fans like to see. Sell merch and benefit from Cesaro having a far bigger social media presence than a lot of AEW talent.

[wordsfromlee]

Has he ever worked for NJPW? Reckon he would be any good over there?

[BomberPat]

1 minute ago, wordsfromlee said:

Has he ever worked for NJPW? Reckon he would be any good over there?

Nope. When he was in Japan in the past, it was always for NOAH.

[Infinity Land]

Just now, wordsfromlee said:

Has he ever worked for NJPW? Reckon he would be any good over there?

Nah, think he missed the NJPW under decent management. He would have been around for the NOAH/RoH era and maybe early Zero1.

[Devon Malcolm]

Does he still wear those stupid fucking knee bands?

[Arch Stanton]

Would absolutely love for him to go to Japan, because I don't watch any of that stuff.

 

[Slapnut]

Straight to AEW please Tony. Cesaro is the best and you’re all wrong about him, he’s ace.

[d-d-d-dAz]

8 minutes ago, Arch Stanton said:

Would absolutely love for him to go to Japan, because I don't watch any of that stuff.

 

This should be framed. It’s the perfect post.

He really is the shits.

[Kamaras-Tash]

Is Hero still going? Get the Kings Of Wrestling back together if so, can't say I have any interest in him as a singles star what so ever