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Claudio Castagnoli made a surprise debut at the recent AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door pay-per-view. Details have now been uncovered about what the backstage reaction to Castagnoli's appearance from those in the WWE locker room was like.
Castagnoli was Bryan Danielson's handpicked replacement to take on NJPW's Zack Sabre Jr. at the cross-promotional event. The clash between the two was one of the most acclaimed matches of the whole show. To make his week even better, the former WWE Superstar picked up the decisive submission during the second-ever Blood and Guts match on the most recent episode of AEW Dynamite.
Given his lengthy run with WWE, it's fair to wonder what those in the company thought about his arrival in AEW. In the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer reported that plenty of talent was "shocked" that he signed with Tony Khan's promotion, as WWE had offered him a substantial contract.
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“A lot of talent in WWE was shocked that Castagnoli signed with AEW, based on the size of the offer WWE gave him. It was noted that this wasn’t a big deal with fans, but was a very big deal with a lot of the talent. The feeling is AEW must have matched or topped it and in WWE, the feeling was that AEW was no longer doing that and that Castagnoli could have made a very substantial amount of money in WWE even though there was little chance of a push.” [H/t WrestleTalk]
Could this signing possibly make a few WWE performers consider switching sides? Only time will tell.
Claudio Castagnoli is reunited with fellow former WWE Superstars in the Blackpool Combat Club
Now that he is "All Elite," Claudio Castagnoli has been reunited with some familiar faces in the Blackpool Combat Club. The Swiss star joins Jon Moxley, Bryan Danielson and William Regal in the dominant faction.
Castagnoli has got history with all three of these men thanks to his time in WWE, with some of the connections even dating back to before their time in the company.
Claudio was the final opponent of William Regal's career back in 2013 when they faced each other in NXT. The Englishman's final match on Monday Night RAW was also against Castagnoli a few months before the match on the then-black and gold brand.
His history with Jon Moxley stems from WWE, with the two battling on opposite sides for the majority of their time in the company given Moxley's previous association with The Shield.
ICastagnoli has the most history with Bryan Danielson, as they had a rivalry for the ages during their time in Ring of Honor in 2008. The two were also in a stable shortly after, they were named Team Uppercut in the now defunct promotion CHIKARA. The other member of the group was William Regal's former partner Dave Taylor.
Are you excited for the future of the Blackpool Combat Club? Stay tuned to AEW TV to see what they do next!
Please credit the Wrestling Observer Newsletter and give a H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling when using quotes from this article.
