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WCW veteran Konnan has given his opinion on Claudio Castagnoli's AEW debut and inclusion in the Blackpool Combat Club.
The jam-packed United Center arena in Chicago roared with loud cheers as Claudio Castagnoli emerged for his AEW debut this past weekend. The former WWE Superstar was heavily anticipated to make his first appearance at Forbidden Door and Tony Khan didn't disappoint. Castagnoli's arrival produced immense energy as he defeated Zack Sabre Jr. in an exquisite bout.
A fan recently asked about Castagnoli's sudden inclusion into the Blackpool Combat Club, wondering why there wasn't any build-up ahead of his debut. Responding on the Keepin' It 100 podcast, Konnan responded that the former Cesaro needs no introduction:
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"I disagree. You don't need to f**king build him up coming in. Everybody knows who he is. He's has been on WWE." (01.29-01.37)
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The industry veteran used the reception Claudio received as evidence of his point:
"Everybody knew it was him and all the hardcores (fans) probably cheered all over the place when he came out." (01.39-01.47)
Claudio Castagnoli's debut wasn't originally planned for Forbidden Door
Cesaro's 11-year WWE stint ended in February as he opted not to renew his contract. He was brought in as a hand-picked opponent for Zack Sabre Jr. by the injured Bryan Danielson. Claudio Castagnoli also helped the Blackpool Combat Club to victory in a violent Blood and Guts match on Dynamite.
During the recent AEW post-show media scrum, Tony Khan revealed that the 41-year-old was originally slated to debut at the upcoming Ring of Honor event:
"So I figured that if Bryan made it back, that there was a good chance that he would have started at [ROH] Death Before Dishonor. It would have been great moment there but I think for the crowd here (at Forbidden Door) this is something very special." (Read more here)
Now that Castagnoli stands tall in AEW, there are several dream matches fans are eager to witness. It'll be interesting to see what lies ahead for The Swiss Cyborg under the AEW umbrella.
Please credit Keepin' It 100 and give a H/T to Sportskeeda when using quotes from this article.
