Claudio Castagnoli is officially All Elite after making his debut at theAEWX NJPW: Forbidden Door pay-per-view on Sunday as Bryan Danielson’s hand-picked opponent for Zack Sabre Jr. In his debut, Castagnoli became the newest member of the Blackpool Combat Club and will compete this Wednesday as a member of the William Regal-led faction in Blood & Guts.
Prior to hisAEWdebut at Forbidden Door, Castagnoli was a member of the WWE roster for 11 yearsunder the ring name Cesaro. He departed from the company in late February after allowing his contract to expire. Since then, many had pondered when the next time Castagnoli would be inside a ring would be, and where he would appear. Castagnoli has also worked with other pro-wrestling promotions Ring of Honor, PWG, and Chikara throughout his career.
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Castagnoli made his AEW debut at Forbidden Door as the mystery opponent for Zack Sabre Jr. Castagnoli was the hand-picked selection tofill in for an injured Bryan Danielson, who Sabre Jr. had originally called out for a match. Danielson promised that Sabre Jr.’s mystery opponent at Forbidden Door was an in-ring technician, and Castagnoli’s reputation as one of the best professional wrestlers in the world proved Danielson’s statement correct. Both Castagnoli and Sabre Jr. showcased their immense skill on Sunday, but it was Castagnoli who scored the victory.
By debuting at Forbidden Door, Castagnoli has also become the newest member of the Blackpool Combat Club, which already consists of Danielson, Wheeler Yuta, and the current interimAEW World Champion Jon Moxley. Castagnoli will make hisDynamitedebut on Wednesday, where he will compete alongside Yuta, Moxley, Santana, Ortiz, and Eddie Kingston in Blood & Guts. They will compete against the Jericho Appreciation Society comprised of Chris Jericho, Daniel Garcia, Angelo Parker, Matt Menard, Sammy Guevara, and Jake Hager. This will be Jericho, Hager, Guevara, Santana, and Ortiz’s second Blood & Guts match in AEW, where they previously teamed together in a loss to The Pinnacle.
Castagnoli is a former Ring of Honor World Tag Team Champion, and givenAEW President Tony Khan’s purchase of the company, Castagnoli may seek more ROH gold. Castagnoli is also a former WWE Tag Team Champion, WWE United States Champion, and winner of the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royale. Even after winning several championships in WWE, the company’s treatment of Castagnoli was heavily criticized, as many believed he had the makings of a main eventer and future world champion. By aligning himself with the Blackpool Combat Club, Castagnoli looks to change that.
The Jericho Appreciation Societywill have the advantage going into Blood & Guts after Jericho, Guevara, and Minoru Suzuki scored the victory over Kingston, Yuta, and Shota Umino at Forbidden Door. At the end of the pay-per-view, Jericho and Garcia attacked Moxley, leading to a brawl between the two Blood & Guts teams, where Castagnoli made his second appearance of the night. Despite the advantage of the Jericho Appreciation Society heading intoDynamite, the Blackpool Combat Club will be at home in a match as violent as Blood & Guts, and Castagnoli will have a few scores of his own to settle, including with his teammate Eddie Kingston.
AEWDynamitewill be live from Detroit, Michigan on June 05, 2025, at 8 p.m. Eastern Time.
