Claudio Castagnoli already feels like he's been in AEW for years.
At AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door, Claudio Castagnoli (formerly Cesaro in WWE) made his AEW debut, replacing Bryan Danielson in his scheduled bout against Zack Sabre Jr. Claudio left WWE in February when his contract expired and had been out of the spotlight since his WWE departure.
During the Forbidden Door post-show media scrum, Claudio commented on the decision to join AEW and when he knew it was the place he wanted to be.
"Sometimes, the stars align for a perfect moment. That’s what happened tonight. I hope Bryan is alright, I know Bryan will be back. It’s just a perfect fit. I just talked to Mox, we’ve been going back for 10-12 years, we’ve known each other for a long time. We used to ride together and work out together, we still do and still talk. It just fits. At the end of the day, I’m always looking for new challenges. Here in AEW, I’m like a kid in a candy store," he said.
As for potential dream opponents in AEW, Castagnoli says it's whoever the fans want to see him wrestle. That said, he did take the time to throw Kenny Omega's name out there.
"I was so excited to share the ring with Zack Sabre Jr. I wrestled him last time in 2009. There are so many guys that I’ve known for years like Orange Cassidy, we’re not talking about the one that yells and screams all the time like a little kid. What is most important is that the fans are excited. Who do you want to see me wrestling next? That was always the most important thing. Who is my dream opponent? I don’t care. Who do you want to see me wrestle? Here in AEW, all that stuff can happen. The last time I wrestled Kenny Omega was like 2008. We’ve grown a lot since then. That’s worth a mention. I could name literally every I ran into in the locker room and backstage. I can give you a shortlist of who I don’t want to step in the ring with and that is nobody. I don’t know if you can tell, I’m very happy. It fits. This is my first night here and I feel like I’ve been here for years. It’s awesome," he said.
Fightful Select has more details on Claudio signing with AEW.
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