WWE Inching Closer to Maximizing Cesaro's Immense Talent

WWE is letting Cesaro swing away, and he's responding with out-of-the-park home runs.

Since The Swiss Superman's return from shoulder surgery, WWE has offered him a sizable part of the stage, giving him plenty of space to do what he does best. And after years of tweaking his character, the company has moved closer to finding the right fit for him on that front.

The process is far from finished, but Cesaro is clearly on the rise. WWE seems to finally be recognizing his unique athletic gifts and buying into his popularity.

For years, WWE didn't seem to know what to make of Cesaro. The Swiss bruiser's gimmick was in constant flux, shifting like the colors of a mood ring.

Cesaro was a proud polyglot, a yodeler, a Paul Heyman guy and a Real American. His various shticks ranged from underwhelming to cartoony, but none felt like his ideal role.

In the midst of all that, his booking never seemed to correspond with how much acclaim the audience sent his way. That hasn't been the case since his return in early April. WWE is presenting him as a man on a hot streak, a freak athlete with an uppercut capable of propelling him to a championship.

On Monday's Raw, Cesaro found himself in a crowded eight-man tag team matchup. Clearly, though, WWE wanted him to be a key component of the action. The King of Swing was the star of the match. 

And as Benjamin Tucker of PWTorch pointed out, the contest felt like evidence that WWE is recognizing Cesaro's talents:

The early stages of his booking in 2016 suggest as much. Each time out, WWE has let Cesaro and his opponents take up a good chunk of airtime, meaning the Swiss strongman has been allowed to show off plenty of his energetic offense.

He's wrestled in four televised matches this year so far, and each of them has gone well over the 10-minute mark.

Show	Date	Match	Match Time
Raw	April 4	Cesaro vs. AJ Styles vs. Chris Jericho vs. Kevin Owens	16:45
SmackDown	April 7	Cesaro and AJ Styles vs. Chris Jericho and Kevin Owens	12:19
Raw	April 11	Cesaro vs. Kevin Owens	14:48
Raw	April 18	Cesaro and The New Day vs. The Miz and League of Nations	13:28

It's worth nothing, too, that Cesaro is 3-1 in those bouts, per Cagematch.net. 

That's a small sample size, but the last time he won three times in a row was when he beat Adam Rose, Heath Slater and Bo Dallas on Superstars and Main Event last September. Those kinds of little-seen victories against low-level foes should really count as half-wins.

This time around, he main evented a Raw and a SmackDown. He was in the mix for a world title shot in his first match back and is now the No. 1 contender for the Intercontinental Championship.

Crowning him as champ has massive potential. It can be a means to both elevate the title and let Cesaro thrive as the company's workhorse.  

Cageside Seats' Sean Rueter had visions of a similar scenario, even if he has doubts that it will actually happen:

A stellar reign as IC champ could easily be a segue into a headliner spot. That's doubly true if many of Cesaro's title matches are the top-notch performances we have come to expect from him.

To take the next steps toward taking full advantage of Cesaro, WWE has to move on from his feud with The Miz and let him take on more impressive competition. The Miz has been a midcarder for so long and has won and lost these secondary titles so much that it's hard to take him seriously anymore.

Should Cesaro seize the IC crown and go on to face bigger names—from a returning Randy Orton to the emerging Bray Wyatt—he will be at his best. These more substantial rivalries will help him earn ample momentum. Classics are sure to come out of those feuds, but the same can't be said when he collides with The Miz.

As for Cesaro's gimmick, it's progressing in the right direction but is relying too much on goofiness.

A suit-wearing, Rolex-sporting, sauntering version of Cesaro is a stellar idea. He has always felt like a throwback wrestler, so why not have him emulate previous greats like Ric Flair and Nick Bockwinkel?

It's the tearing-off-his-suit part of his act right now that feels too gimmicky.

WWE has to strike a balance. Cesaro's antics should be fun, not silly. He needs to have elements of his gimmick that help him stand out but remain a convincing gladiator.

The company should find that sweet spot, continue to let him tear it up in the ring and offer him superior opponents. Cesaro will do the rest, climbing his way to a main event babyface spot, a place where he continually shows he belongs.