Every WWE Cruiserweight Classic Wrestler - Where Are They Now?

Tournament result: Defeated in the second round by The Brian Kendrick.

What was he doing at the time?

Just...existing. Harsh, yet true, Tony Nese wasn't exactly a hot prospct when he got the call for the Cruiserweight Classic, though his entrance into the tournament itself was at least turned into a subplot of the pre-game buzz. Nese had to see off already-chosen entrants Johnny Gargano, TJ Perkins, Drew Gulak and Lince Dorado just to have a sniff at the spotlight. He advanced, but it was hardly the beginning of a winning journey.

What is he doing now?

Still just existing.

The curtain closed on Tony Nese's WWE career in June 2021, and 'The Premier Athlete' subsequently set up shop at Camp Khan later that year with a debut that immediately puzzled viewers. A suited and booted Nese was planted in the front row during the 23 October edition of Dynamite, and he was A) touted as the hottest free agent in the industry at the time, which was questionable, and was B) introduced to the viewing public during a match between Dustin Rhodes and Bryan Danielson.

Nothing came of it; Tony was quickly relegated to low-card fodder, is doing 205 Live-lite stuff with Ari Daivari, and has been working backstage as a coach for both of Tony Khan's outlets. It's not a bad spot per se, but it's still not the most ideal role for someone in his early forties.