10 MORE Secret WWE Pasts Of AEW Wrestlers

8. Cezar Bononi

Ricky Starks
WWE.com

Cezar Bononi showing up in All Elite Wrestling was quite the shock, if only because even during his AEW matches he looks, works and even feels like a WWE can't-miss project.

Part of that might be because he was in the system so f*cking long.

Bononi debuted for NXT in 2016 and worked right up to the pandemic closedown, wrestling for the last time for the black-and-gold brand in March 2020 before his release shortly afterwards.

He's one of several on this list who serve as something of an indictment of Triple H's process rather than a retrospective celebration - for all the work he must have put in over four gruelling years in the Performance Center, it's honestly difficult as a fan to see exactly how developmental has...developed him.

Bononi's work is solid but unexceptional, and a natural charisma lurking under that incredible aesthetic has only really shown itself since rocking up in Jacksonville. He may not be be built to last, but being built should ensure he gets ample oppportunities to figure it out.

 
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Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett