I really don’t get what all the hate surrounding Antonio Cesaro is about. I may be a little biased, but he’s great and I see him being a refreshing part of the WWE. Cesaro debuted in a backstage segment as Aksana’s new eye candy, and it was used as a way to get her heat, and for people to feel bad for Teddy Long. I actually liked the approach they took introducing him, and it was a subtle way to bring him on instead of countless vignettes or a run in. Cesaro spent time in the Long program, but he slowly moved his way up the card and became the United States champion. I like that he is working his way up instead of being thrown at us; I think it will help him in the long run.
I see haters of Cesaro being in two different camps: you either think he’s boring, or you think he should go back to being ‘Claudio’ and team with Chris Hero again. I’d hate to be harsh, but get over it. That’s the reality in WWE. CM Punk was one of the few ‘indie’ guys who got to keep his identity when he signed on th WWE. Think about it: Tyler Black became Seth Rollins, Bryan Danielson became Daniel Bryan, and so on and so on. Why is Cesaro any different in thinking he wouldn’t be repackaged, or why is he subject to more hate? I understand the Kings of Wrestling meant something, but that was in Ring of Honor, and you need to move on. Chris Hero is Kassius Ohno, and WWE is rebuilding their tag team division without these two. It looks like they are doing a good job so far, in fact I would even say adding them to WWE’s tag division would hold them back.
Cesaro works because he is a unique heel that is missing from WWE’s shows. He is a foreigner, and he thinks he is better than Americans. (OK, I’m American, I will boo you. Job well done.) Cesaro is different than most heels in a face-friendly WWE because he is backing up what does just by winning. He comes out, says why he is better than his opponent, and convincingly beats them before leaving. Santino is a goofball character who showed a lack of skills as a face and a heel, and you could even say the same for Zack Ryder. Both are talented and their characters have grown, but would you pick them in a fight? Cesaro should win out every time. His track record in a young WWE career should already speak for itself, and he even looks good when he loses, like this past Monday on RAW. Cesaro put on a great match with Sheamus and there were many times where I thought he would pull off the win. He has looked strong at almost every point so far, which can’t be said for many guys. I strongly believe you should protect any guy in the match, win or lose, because they are the product and it’s what needs to sell the fans.
Cesaro is doing well right now, but I would even give him a bit more time to flourish. Like I already mentioned, his WWE career is young so he has a lot left that he can do. Give him the chance to impress you before you write him off. He impressed alot of people as Claudio Castagnoli, and he has a chance to do the exact same thing here. He has a good look, he’s strong, and he has a good moveset and character. He has an appeal factor.
Perfect example of this? I was watching RAW the other night with family, and like usually they ask me how I still watch ‘this shit.’ It has nothing to do with the state of the program, but everything to with the opinion of pro wrestling in today’s culture. Oh, I used to watch this years ago. Oh, people would rather watch UFC because it’s real. Oh this guy is champion? He would never succeed back in my day. I watched as Cesaro lifted Sheamus up and hit what I described as a ‘Torture Rack bomb’and I saw their heads turn. Then Sheamus went up top and Cesaro dropped him with a vicious looking (Very) European uppercut. The cheers and praise came out. Holy shit that was awesome. He hooked three casual people with one move. It’s something to look forward to, and Cesaro can be a ‘real’ guy in a fake promotion. He doesn’t need to be Brock Lesnar legit, he can just be himself and continue to take apart opponent’s with a hard hitting moveset. Give him the chance, he’s done a lot so far and I would say he’s already done more with the United States title than Cody Rhodes did reinventing the Intercontinental Championship. Maybe he didn’t hook long term fans with one uppercut, but is was enough for someone to take notice. Antonio Cesaro is a unique character that is strong and talented, and he’s what WWE needs and someone to look forward to on television.
