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Claudio Castagnoli

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Claudio Castagnoli (born December 27, 1980) is a Swiss professional wrestler who is currently signed to All Elite Wrestling. Castagnoli also performs for AEW's sister promotion, Ring of Honor (ROH), where he is the current ROH World Champion in his second reign. Castagnoli is best known for his 11-year tenure in WWE from 2011 to 2022, where he performed under the ring names Antonio Cesaro. Later shortened to Cesaro.

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 (where their 364-day reign as champions was the longest in company history), as well as various independent tag team titles both with Hero and with Ares as Swiss Money Holding, such as the Chikara Campeonatos de Parejas, the JCW Tag Team Championship and the CZW World Tag Team Championship. Castagnoli and Hero were voted as the 2010 Tag Team of the Year by Wrestling Observer Newsletter readers.

In the WWE Castagnoli was the inaugural winner of the André the Giant Memorial Battle Royal he also held the WWE Tag Team Championship alongside Tyson Kidd. He also held the WWE United States Championship towards the end of 2012 and into early 2013. He has also had a brief reign as WWE Champion at the end of 2016. He is also a two-time Million Dollar Champion.

Particularly in the United States, when playing a villain character, Castagnoli has been known to emphasize his European origin as part of his wrestling gimmick, proclaiming a superior intellect and fashion sensibility, and by regularly using the European uppercut.

In Wrestling[]

  • Finishing moves
    • Crossface – 2015–2016
    • The Neutralizer (NXT/WWE) / Gotch Style Neutralizer (FCW) (Cradle belly-to-back inverted mat slam)
    • Ricola Bomb (Straight jacket powerbomb) (FCW); rarely used as a signature in NXT/WWE
    • Sharpshooter, usually transitioned from a Cesaro Swing – 2015–present; adopted from Tyson Kidd
    • Very European Uppercut (Pop-up European uppercut) (WWE); usually used as a signature move
  • Signature moves
    • Swiss-1-9 ( Tiger Feint Kick)
    • Cesaro Swing (Giant swing, with theatrics, sometimes preceded by a spinebuster)
    • Cranial Crank (Chinlock, sometimes while swinging the opponent)
    • Diving crossbody
    • Double foot stomp
    • Double underhook powerbomb
    • Dropkick
    • Fallaway slam, sometimes while bridging
    • Multiple European uppercut variations
      • Discus
      • Diving
      • Running to a cornered opponent
      • Springboard
      • Standing
    • Multiple suplex variations
      • Bridging German
      • Delayed gutwrench, sometimes from the top rope
      • Super to an opponent on the apron
    • Sitout scoop slam piledriver
    • Alpmare Waterslide / Swissblade (Side Death Valley driver)
    • Tilt-a-whirl backbreaker, as a counter to a diving opponent
  • Managers
  • Nicknames
    • "Double C"
    • "The Most Money Making Man"
    • "The Stalwart Swiss Powerhouse"
    • "Very European"
    • "The Swiss Sensation/Superman"
    • "Paul Heyman Guy"
    • "King of Swing"
    • "The Professional"
  • Entrance themes
    • "I've Got to Have It (Instrumental)" by Jermaine Dupri and Nas featuring Monica
    • "We Are the Champions" by Queen (used while teaming with Chris Hero)
    • "1812 Overture" by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
    • "Engel" by Rammstein (used while a part of the Bruderschaft des Kreuzes)
    • "KoW (Kings)" by Cody B. Ware, Emilio Sparks and J. Glaze (used while teaming with Chris Hero)
    • "Im Namen Der Bruderschaft" by Kenny Pickett(used while a part of the Bruderschaft des Kreuzes)
    • "Miracle" by Jim Johnston[ (August 2012–April 2014)
    • "Patriot" by CFO$ (July 2013–April 2014; used while teaming with Jack Swagger as the Real Americans)
    • "Swiss Made" by CFO$ (April 21, 2014 – present)

Championships and Accomplishments[]

  • Chikara
    • Chikara Campeonatos de Parejas (2 times) – with Chris Hero (1) and Ares (1)
    • Global Gauntlet (2008)
    • King of Trios (2010) – with Ares and Tursas
    • Tag World Grand Prix (2005) – with Arik Cannon
    • Tag World Grand Prix (2006) – with Chris Hero
    • Torneo Cibernético (2007)
  • Cleveland All-Pro Wrestling
    • CAPW Unified Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
  • Combat Zone Wrestling
    • CZW World Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Chris Hero
    • Last Team Standing (2006) – with Chris Hero
  • German Stampede Wrestling
    • GSW Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Ares
  • Juggalo Championship Wrestling
    • JCW Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Chris Hero
  • International Pro Wrestling: United Kingdom
    • IPW: UK Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Ares
  • Independent Wrestling Association: Switzerland
    • IWA Switzerland World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
  • Pro Wrestling Guerrilla
    • PWG World Championship (1 time)
  • Pro Wrestling Illustrated
    • PWI ranked him No. 9 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 2016.
  • Ring of Honor
    • ROH World Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Chris Hero
    • Race to the Top Tournament (2007)
    • Tag Wars Tournament (2010) – with Chris Hero
  • Rolling Stone
    • Most Painful Injury of the Year (2015) Shared with Daniel Bryan and Seth Rollins
    • Most Puzzlingly Pushed-Then-Buried Performer (2014)
  • Swiss Wrestling Federation
    • SWF Powerhouse Championship (2 times)
    • SWF Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Ares
  • Westside Xtreme Wrestling
    • wXw World Heavyweight Championship (2 time)
    • wXw World Tag Team Championship (3 times) – with Ares
  • Wrestling Observer Newsletter
  • WWE
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