"There is something there" - Former WWE star responds to reports about Vince McMahon not seeing the 'It Factor' in him
Current AEW star Claudio Castagnoli, fka Cesaro in WWE, has shared his thoughts on Vince McMahon not considering him as a top star.
Reports suggest that the former WWE Chairman did not believe Claudio had the 'It Factor' and thus decided against pushing him as a main eventer in the company.
While speaking on the latest episode of The Kurt Angle Show podcast, the current ROH World Champion claimed he was in the category of performers who had to earn their place at the top.
"It's really hard to see what the it factor is because the it factor for everybody is different. For you, the it factor is something different than it is for me. With this Cesaro section and the Andre the Giant Battle Royal, and even after that the fans clearly respond to me in a certain way. Obviously, you want to prove them wrong, and you want to do everything you can to be like, no, actually, there is something there. It's just something maybe different," said Castagnoli.
Speaking about the 'It Factor' issue, the 41-year-old added that there's kind of a factor for different people and maybe he's in that category that it takes a little bit longer.
"So, to me, it's just kind of like there's kind of a factor for different people. Some people have that over the top huge charisma. Other people kind of have the more chill laid back charisma. There's some people that are larger than life that you meet, and you're like, wow, when you see them. There's some people that just have to work for a long time to prove their longevity and equality and everything. So I feel like I'm maybe in that category that it takes a little bit longer. But then people will notice," Castagnoli added.
I’m the one who knocks🚪 https://t.co/p0nGSUgSW0
Claudio made his AEW debut at the Forbidden Door pay-per-view in June 2022 and is currently the ROH World Champion and a member of the Blackpool Combat Club.
Vince McMahon's thoughts of Cesaro during his WWE career
Earlier this year, when Claudio Castagnoli's exit from WWE was hitting the media, rumors and backstage news about the Swiss star came out.
One such report by WrestlingNews.co claimed that the former WWE Chairman, Vince McMahon, did not see a 'main eventer' in Claudio, and only saw him as a 'good hand'. The report stated:
"Vince McMahon was never on board with pushing him as a top guy and the feeling was that he was just a "good hand" but not someone who could be seen as a main eventer."
CESARO. IS. SUPERMAN.
#SDLive #TripleThreat @WWECesaro https://t.co/gp6qVrNcau
After a decade-long run at the Stamford-based company, Claudio moved to AEW in June 2022, following the expiration of his contract with WWE.
Will Claudio Castagnoli ever return to WWE now that Triple H is in charge? Sounds off in the comments section below!