Zack Sabre Jr.'s Mystery AEW Opponent At Forbidden Door Was...
Bryan Danielson's handpicked replacement makes his AEW bow at joint PPV.
Claudio Castagnoli is officially All Elite, and he debuted Sunday at Forbidden Door in a barn-burner of a match against Zack Sabre Jr.
The former Cesaro left WWE in February when his contract expired and has been one of the most high-profile free agents since then. However, Claudio has been tight-lipped about his destination, until Sunday.
Wednesday on Dynamite, Bryan Danielson announced that he was not medically cleared to compete at Forbidden Door or Blood & Guts this week. However, he said that he had found a replacement to face Sabre, who also would join the Blackpool Combat Club.
Enter Claudio, who matched ZSJ with technical prowess and neutralized him with sheer power. Castagnoli would pick up the win in his debut, putting Sabre Jr. down with a powerbomb.
The power of @ClaudioCSRO on display here at #ForbiddenDoor! Order the PPV right now! #AEWxNJPW pic.twitter.com/7y7mrmftrW
Advertisement— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) June 27, 2022
There's no rest for the weary, however, as Claudio will now team up with his new Blackpool Combat Club teammates Jon Moxley and Wheeler Yuta, and Eddie Kingston, Santana & Ortiz to take on the Jericho Appreciation Society in a Blood & Guts match. That's one hell of a 1-2 punch for a debut week for Castagnoli.