Tracing Cesaro's Journey to WWE Breakout Star

WWE fans have caught on to what fans in Germany and Japan and from Ring of Honor and Chikara already knew—Cesaro is a master wrestler.

For Cesaro to be on the verge of superstardom for pro wrestling's biggest company is no surprise. His power, mat prowess and charisma have been valuable tools on a journey that has taken him around the independent circuit, across the world and up WWE's ladder.

Before he was Cesaro, "The King of Swing," he was Claudio Castagnoli, rugby player from Lucerne, Switzerland.

Something about the world of wrestling kept pulling him away from the pitch. In an interview with AUReview.com, Cesaro said that he "started wrestling in the off-season and kept with it and ended up wrestling full-time across Europe."

Maybe a part of him knew every time he stepped between the ropes that this was the industry he was born for.

Beginnings 

He found success in the ring early. Cesaro teamed with Ares in Essen, Germany, and the two called themselves "Swiss Money Holding."

That pairing earned the Westside Xtreme Wrestling Tag Team Championships in 2001.

He donned a tie and dress shirt back then. His hair was far longer, too, but even then, he was comfortable and compelling in the ring.

He was also a student of the game. Being 6'5'' and donning a chiseled frame would have been enough to earn him plenty of paychecks, but he looked to infuse lessons from the past and around the world.

Working a single style was not enough for him. The European version of pro wrestling is more mat-based, a rough, throwback style. Cesaro learned in that environment but sought out additional inspiration.

Cesaro told B/R's own Jonathan Snowden that he trained with Christian Eckstein and Tony St. Clair, "two of the cornerstones of the German 'beer tent' wrestling era" in Germany before traveling to Mexico and Japan where he found more styles to borrow from.

The United States also served as a training ground for him.

The Swiss strongman worked for Chikara, IWA Mid-South, ROH, Combat Zone Wrestling, Pro Wrestling Guerrilla and other independent promotions around the country. Each of those crowds desire and demand a different brand of wrestling.

Gathering experience from some varied sources likely led to his ability today to work well against any kind of wrestler, be it the high-flying Kofi Kingston, the Tasmanian Devil-like Daniel Bryan or a powerhouse like John Cena.

Partnerships

One of Cesaro's most memorable early runs came when he teamed with Chris Hero, who later became Kassius Ohno in NXT. Together, they were known as The Kings of Wrestling.

They competed in Chikara and Ring of Honor together.

The group began as a stable in the past, but it was Cesaro and Hero as a pair who generated the most attention. Their first run saw them win the Chikara Tag World Grand Prix in 2006. They later won and kept the ROH Tag titles longer than anyone in company history, wearing the belts from April 3, 2010 to April 1, 2011.

In 2010, Wrestling Observer Newsletter awarded the duo the Tag Team of the Year award.

Cesaro often found himself as part of team, whether it was as a member of Los Ice Creams or the intimidating Bruderschaft des Kreuzes (BDK).

Los Ice Creams were a Chikara favorite, often competing in the annual King of Trios tournament. They wore ice cream cones on their heads and colorful, outlandish outfits. Cesaro joined the group as "Very Mysterious Ice Cream."

The silliness that he had to take part with these guys no doubt prepared him for the circus-like atmosphere that is the WWE. Being a serious, intimidating wrestler is required for that company at times, but so is making the audience laugh.

BDK was a much more crowded group that included Sara Del Rey, Ares, Delirious, Lince Dorado and several others.

Cesaro helped them win Chikara's King of Trios tourney in 2010 and the Campeonatos de Parejas competition that same year. There is an interesting parallel to BDK and The Real Americans, the team he would join later in WWE, both being militant groups with signature salutes.

Mat Master

When Phil Strum of The Poughkeepsie Journal asked him the wrestlers he studied, Cesaro named Bruno Sammartino, Dave Taylor, Karl Gotch and Bob Backlund.

Those influences are clear when he competes. His throwback style has him grind his opponents into the mat and pull from an in-ring toolbox that includes moves current wrestlers just don't do anymore. That includes the Giant Swing.

His run through the indies allowed him to develop those skills.

In July of 2008, he clashed with Bryan (then Bryan Danielson) in Toronto. It was a lengthy, hard-fought battle, something that Cesaro would produce time and again.

Little did we know then, he was also prepping for a rival he would face in WWE. The indies also pitted him against Tyler Black (now Seth Rollins), Brodie Lee (Luke Harper) and El Generico (Sami Zayn). Working with talent like that led to his skills sharpening and his resume growing.

That resume also includes several trips to Japan.

Hero followed him there, taking The Kings of Wrestling to Pro Wrestling Noah. As he had done on previous legs of his journey, Cesaro had to adjust.

The Japanese style of wrestling is less showy than what is put on in the U.S. The strikes are harder. The suplexes are more violent.

Like he did everywhere else, Cesaro thrived there.

The Japanese audience appreciated his eclectic style, one that borrowed from Gotch, who was known as "The God of Professional Wrestling" in that country. His jaw-rattling uppercuts fit right in since Japan is a place chops, forearms and elbows are all swung with bad intentions.

His growing collection of impressive matches eventually caught WWE's eye.

Developmental Momentarily

Cesaro entered WWE's developmental system, Florida Championship Wrestling, in late 2011.

His first televised match saw him face Mike Dalton, who would later become Tyler Breeze. It began a winning streak that included victories over Leakee (Roman Reigns), Big E, CJ Parker and Xavier Woods.

Some of his most memorable moments in Florida came against Richie Steamboat.

The two rivals battled for the FCW 15 Championship on many occasions. The title required one to fight in 15-minute Iron Man matches, something that was a challenge for the greener prospects. For Cesaro, though, he had been putting on longer matches than that for years.

In his bouts with Steamboat, he seized fans' attention. There was something electric about him, a trait that made him stand out from the other WWE hopefuls.

FCW featured athletes like Reigns transitioning from football who were the equivalent of wrestling freshmen. Cesaro had been at it for a decade. As he put it to Aaron Oster of The Baltimore Sun, "So to speak, I have a PhD in professional wrestling."

Cesaro tore through WWE's minor leagues, impressing with his poise, in-ring psychology and endurance. He made his debut on the main roster just seven months after signing his developmental deal.

The Main Stage

WWE introduced him as Antonio Cesaro, a former rugby player who boasted about being able to speak five languages. In that way, the company emphasized his foreignness over his indy circuit experience.

Aksana, a sexy, black-clad Lithuanian, accompanied him to the ring.

He quickly went after the United States Championship, capturing it on the pre-show of SummerSlam 2012 against Santino Marella. As champ, he entered into a feud with Kingston that resulted in a number of spectacular matches.

The night he lost the title and his rematch on Main Event attempting to win it back were particularly memorable.

Up until that point, he had spent too much of his time against lesser competition. That included a comic-relief wrestler in Santino, a lumbering giant in The Great Khali and R-Truth, a solid midcarder. His matches with Kingston allowed him to amp up his performances and show a wider array of his skills.

WWE, though, was unsure of just how to present him.

The company had him leave Aksana, begin yodeling and at one point and even lurch toward the ring like some cartoon villain. This inconsistency and a lack of spotlighting Cesaro prevented him from connecting with the audience. 

He was not a part of WrestleMania 29. It felt like he was dangerously close to becoming a faceless member of the midcard when Zeb Colter took him in.

Colter had been campaigning against illegal immigrants and those he perceived to be not "real Americans." Cesaro, despite being Swiss, was asked to join his small militia alongside Jack Swagger. 

That pairing created new spark for him, but it was the Cesaro Swing that truly snagged the audience.

Swinging Santino around for an incredibly long time got folks talking. The Soup featured Cesaro taking Santino for a ride. He then began to administer the dizzying move to larger and larger foes.

One of the most impressive of these was against Khali at Battleground. 

Cesaro's power became a focal point. He tossed men into the air and uppercutted them. He delivered superplexes from the ring apron.

These moments began to create momentum for him, momentum that he carried into a number of great matches against Zayn and Bryan.

His 2014 has quickly surpassed his 2013. A big win against Randy Orton, a standout performance in the Elimination Chamber and a memorable showing against Cena on Raw have made it hard to boo him despite his heel status.

The cheers grew louder, and WWE noticed.

He turned against Swagger and Colter at WrestleMania 30 before entering and winning the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal, becoming the first man to win what is likely to become a WrestleMania tradition.

WWE put him with Paul Heyman, a move that has far more spotlight coming his way.

It now seems inevitable that Cesaro is set to become a headliner. World titles and center stage are on the horizon for him.

His popularity has caught up to his wrestling prowess, and WWE fans are beginning to appreciate him as much as his fanbase in the indys did. Like Bryan, he built a foundation in tiny wrestling shows in gyms and through a collection of experiences in a variety of countries.

From Essen to Japan, Chikara to FCW, he walked a long road, improving his mastery of wrestling with every step. Where he goes next will be must-watch material.