Claudio Castagnoli

He is currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) where he performs under his real name. He also performs for AEW’s sister promotion Ring of Honor, where he became the ROH World Champion. Castagnoli is best known for his 11-year tenure in WWE from 2011 to 2022, where he performed under the ring name Cesaro (shortened from his original ring name Antonio Cesaro). He has also performed for various independent promotions, including Pro Wrestling Guerrilla (PWG), Combat Zone Wrestling (CZW), and Pro Wrestling Noah (NOAH).

Castagnoli is an accomplished tag team wrestler, being a two-time ROH World Tag Team Champion with his partner Chris Hero as The Kings of Wrestling; their 364-day reign as champions was the longest in ROH history up to that time. As Cesaro, he held 7 tag team titles in WWE: a two-time WWE SmackDown Tag Team Champion, and a five-time WWE (Raw) Tag Team Champion.

Castagnoli and Sheamus were part of a tag team named The Bar together they were four-time WWE (Raw) Tag Team Champions and one-time WWE (SmackDown) Tag Team Champions. Castagnoli has also held various independent tag team titles, such as the Chikara Campeonatos de Parejas, the JCW Tag Team Championship, and the CZW World Tag Team Championship. The Kings of Wrestling (the tag team he had with Chris Hero) were voted the 2010 Tag Team of the Year by Wrestling Observer Newsletter readers.

He has additionally had success as a singles wrestler, being a one-time WWE United States Champion, the winner of the inaugural André the Giant Memorial Trophy at WrestleMania XXX, and a one-time PWG World Champion. He debuted for All Elite Wrestling as Bryan Danielson’s replacement against Zack Sabre Jr. at their joint pay-per-view with New Japan Pro-Wrestling, AEW x NJPW: Forbidden Door, on 26 June 2022.

When playing a villainous character, particularly in the United States, Castagnoli has been known to emphasize his European origin as part of his gimmick, proclaiming a superior intellect and fashion sensibility while regularly using moves such as the European uppercut. 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. He was even voted Most Underrated Wrestler in the world, for a record four years in a row (2013–2016), by the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.

Other Notable Achievements

CZW World Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Chris Hero

Chikara Campeonatos de Parejas (2 times) – with Chris Hero (1) and Ares (1)

wXw World Heavyweight Championship (2 time)

wXw World Tag Team Championship – with Ares

GSW Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Ares

JCW Tag Team Championship – with Chris Hero

IPW: UK Tag Team Championship – with Ares

CAPW Unified Heavyweight Championship

SWF Powerhouse Championship (2 times)

SWF Tag Team Championship – with Ares

IWA Switzerland World Heavyweight Championship