Cesaro departs after failing to agree a new deal

[Dale]

WWE star Cesaro has quietly exited WWE after his current contract expired, PWInsider.com has confirmed. He last performed for WWE on 2/11, losing to Happy Corbin on an episode of Friday Night Smackdown.

We are told the two sides had been in negotiations but had not come to terms on a new agreement. This would be a case of his contract expiring, so there would be no 90-day non compete. Cesaro had been slated to be at tomorrow's Smackdown taping in Hershey, PA, but will obviously no longer be there.

Cesaro, 41, had been with WWE since 2011 when he inked a developmental deal with then-WWE developmental territory FCW. Over the course of his run with the company, Cesaro won the first-ever Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal at Wrestlemania 30 and had a run with the WWE United States Championship as well as Raw and Smackdown Title runs with Sheamus, Shinsuke Nakamura and Tyson Kidd.

While had a long run, he was also consistently underutilized during his WWE run. Among fellow talents, he's universally considered one of the best and toughest in-ring performers by any definition of the word in professional wrestling. He can likely punch his own ticket anywhere he chooses to land, whether that be coming to terms with WWE or competing elsewhere.

Prior to his WWE run, the Swiss star, under his real name Claudio Castagnoli, had a tremendous run as one half of the Kings of Wrestling with Chris Hero in Ring of Honor, Pro Wrestling NOAH, CZW and CHIKARA.

 

[Chris]

Holy shit

 

[Chris]

Book him for Bloodsport @Josh Barnett

 

[Bad News Booty]

Holy holy holy fuck


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[Canadian Dragon]

YO WHAT THE FUCK

GET

TONY

ON

THE

PHONE

NOW

 

[Chris]

All these hack journalist gonna be hearing from my attorneys for not letting me know his contract was up soon

 

[Canadian Dragon]

All these hack journalist gonna be hearing from my attorneys for not letting me know his contract was up soon

@sean Ross Sapp

 

[Marty McFourth]

Good luck to Cesaro. Always a pleasure to watch him do his thing, and look forward to following his next chapter. Sure he won't be short of offers.

 

[Canadian Dragon]

So just Xavier left in Da Party?

 

[Dale]

Probably saw what KO & co had gotten themselves and wanted a piece of that. Could totally understand why they wouldnt re-sign him to a huge deal though as great as he is in the ring.

 

[Bobby Barrows]

Oh fuck, man.

 

[Apoho Creed]

Book him for Bloodsport @Josh Barnett

If you were front of me right now Chris I would kiss you in the lips love that comment. Get him to face Thatcher!!!

Pit stop there then go to Impact, New Japan, and finally land home with all that talent in AEW.

 

[Hidden Blaze]

Well holy shit

 

[Canadian Dragon]

^ I will agree in principle Cesaro is no Owens/Styles but hey, there's a shit ton of dream matches in AEW and Japan so I don't think he'll be single for long

 

[Canadian Dragon]

If you were front of me right now Chris I would kiss you in the lips love that comment. Get him to face Thatcher!!!

Pit stop there then go to Impact, New Japan, and finally land home with all that talent in AEW.

sounds wonderful!