The Sad Truth Behind Cesaro’s WWE Career

“Push Cesaro.”

You’ll read this sentiment everywhere.

In Reddit threads discussing Jon Moxley’s new lease of life in New Japan Pro Wrestling, when the subject turns to the colleagues who could or should follow him, Cesaro is invariably put forward as the man most capable of breaking into the super-acclaimed main event scene. The hardcore fandom longs to see Cesaro in a position consistent with his abilities as a mega-worker.

Cesaro holds something of a poisoned record—one that does far more for his legacy than his career. He holds the record for most consecutive wins in the ‘Most Underrated’ category in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Awards (2013-16). Bobby Eaton also won the award on four occasions—but not for four years in a row. This feat speaks to Cesaro’s cult popularity and the immense respect he commands.

It’s also more impressive than it appears on the surface.

Wrestling fans, your writer included, are fickle; wrestling is a pseudo-sport, but the “support” element rarely carries over—particularly since WWE does little to encourage it. This generation of talent, meanwhile, is unreal in both quality and depth. WWE, in the modern era, is practically defined by its systemic misuse of that talent. There are countless contracted WWE talents in the running for that award, and Cesaro won it four times in a row.

Maybe that “support” take is off the mark.

Cesaro claimed that award with good reason, when the best of his pro wrestling is extrapolated.

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