10 Former WWE Stars Who Have Flourished In AEW
9. Claudio Castagnolli
You don't need telling that Claudio Castagnoli is one of the best in-ring workers in the world. For years, whilst performing as Cesaro in the WWE, he was a frequent entry on any list discussing under-utilised talent.
Once he steps foot in the ring, the 'Swiss Superman' is absolutely electric, combining an impressive arsenal of power moves with his technical prowess, and polishing it off with expert timing and freakish strength. The man is and should be treated as a marvel, yet Vince McMahon was always hesitant to give him a proper shot.
And that's based purely on his mic skills.
Fortunately for Claudio, he has been able to show in recent years that was a mistake, and after being a steady hand in the tag team and midcard ranks for WWE, he was given a few small bites of the main event cherry. Then he decided to leave WWE and... well... it's gone pretty well, hasn't it?
Instantly installed as part of the Blackpool Combat Club, Tony Khan has done well to highlight Castagnoli as a major player from day one, and after winning high profile matches at Forbidden Door and Blood & Guts, the Swiss native upended Ring of Honour Champion Jonathan Gresham to win his first major World Championship.
It's safe to say that betting on himself was the safest bet Castagnoli could make, and he already feels like a bigger deal than at any point of his WWE run.