Former WWE SmackDown Superstar reveals the origins of one of AEW's most iconic gimmicks

A former WWE Superstar recently revealed the backstory behind one of AEW's most iconic gimmicks.

Due to his unique wrestling style and character work, Orange Cassidy is one of the most popular wrestlers in All Elite Wrestling. Cassidy, known as The King of Sloth Style, plays a lethargic and disinterested on-screen character and is known for an arsenal of slow and calculated in-ring movements and half-hearted attacks sprinkled with bursts of high-octane maneuvers. The AEW International Champion has a way of showing appreciation with a lazy thumbs up.

Speaking on Talk is Jericho, Best Friends member Trent Beretta credited a Chinese advertisement as the origin of Cassidy's thumbs-up pose.

The former WWE Smackdown Superstar told Jericho that they saw a billboard advertisement for Chinese Soda while traveling to China for a show, which had a person doing a half-hearted thumbs up. Beretta added that the thumbs became a thing during their tour and eventually became a part of Orange Cassidy's gimmick.

"We did this show in China, and it was an advertisement in an airport for whatever it was, Chinese Soda, and for whatever reason, his [billboard ad person] thumb was a sh*tty half-a**ed thumbs up. That was the thing the whole tour we were all doing. His [Ad Person] thumb looked great, he was just being lazy. It became a thing we did all tour. It fits him [Orange Cassidy] perfectly." ( H/t Fightful)

Trent Beretta, a long-time friend of Cassidy, is part of a tag team named Best Friends in All Elite Wrestling (AEW) alongside Chuck Taylor.

Orange Cassidy and Trent Beretta will compete in a Stadium Stampede match at AEW All In

All Elite Wrestling will hold one of the biggest pro wrestling events in history, All In, at Wembley Stadium in London on August 27, 2023. As per reports, the show will be attended by more than 80,000 wrestling fans.

On last week's episode of Wednesday Night Dynamite, Wheeler Yuta Challenged Orange Cassidy for the AEW International Championship. After successfully defending the title, Cassidy was attacked by Yuta and his stablemates from The Blackpool Combat Club, Jon Moxley and Claudio Castagnoli.

Chuck Taylor and Trent Beretta (Best Friends), The Lucha Bros, and a returning Eddie Kingston ran down to make the save. The Mad King then challenged the BCC to a Stadium Stampede match at All In.

Cassidy, Kingston, Best Friends, and Lucha Bros will take on Jon Moxley, Claudio Castagnoli, Wheeler Yuta, and three unknown partners in a Stadium Stampede match at AEW's upcoming PPV.