Claudio Castagnoli Discusses Why He Joined AEW

Claudio Castagnoli has only been ‘all elite’ for several weeks, but has already made a big splash, with high profile wins over Zack Sabre Jr. at Forbidden Door, and claiming the tap-out win at Blood & Guts II.

After his WWE release, many expected Claudio to join AEW, and whilst talking to Sports Illustrated’s Justin Barrasso, Claudio revealed why he signed with the company:

“I came to AEW for new challenges,” Castagnoli said. “That’s why I fit perfectly in the Blackpool Combat Club. Like [William] Regal said, ‘You either step up or get stepped on.’ I loved coming in with the BCC because I’ve known those guys for such a long time, and I know they have my back no matter what. It feels like everything here is clicking in AEW. It doesn’t feel like it’s only been a couple weeks. I’m extremely excited to find out what the future holds.”

Despite many fans feeling that Claudio was wasted in WWE, the ‘very European’ star refused to criticise his former place of employment:

“It can be hard to take the high road, but that’s the road I am going to take,” Castagnoli said. “All the memories, they matter. I’m grateful for everything I have accomplished and I’m grateful for all those opportunities. And they make me work so much harder to get where I want to be. Once I left, I knew what I wanted and where I wanted to go, I just didn’t know if it would happen. That was also time for me to take a break mentally, recharge, and come back better. My goal is always to be better than I was yesterday, to be better tomorrow than I am today. I want to be even better now than people remember.”