Following news that Cesaro has quietly departed WWE, fans have been thinking of the possibilities that lie ahead for "The Swiss Superman". Simultaneously, memories of Cesaro's pre-WWE days have been bubbling back to the surface as fans speculate on where he might go. Whilst Cesaro proved himself an incredible tag team wrestler in the WWE, winning championships with numerous partners, for many, his best pairing came on the independent scene.
Cesaro, who competed on the independents as Claudio Castagnoli, had many memorable runs in several promotions, such as Pro Wrestling Guerrilla, Combat Zone Wrestling, and Ring of Honor. Practically everywhere he went, there was one man in particular by his side; Chris Hero. Together, they were the Kings of Wrestling, and through incredible feuds and matches, they proved worthy of those crowns.
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The Kings Of Wrestling Were Formed In Chikara
Born continents apart, Hero and Castagnoli first met fairly early into their careers. Hero's time as a professional wrestler began in 1998 in his home state of Ohio. He would quickly expand his horizons, however, traveling the United States and beyond to train with the likes of Les Thatcher, Dory Funk, Jr., and Tracy Smothers. The early 2000s saw Hero establish a foundation of wrestling skills that facilitated him becoming one of the most prolific names on the burgeoning independent scene. He was on the ground floor of many promotions that would dominate the independent circuit, and most notably for the Kings of Wrestling, Chikara.
Most known for their King of Trios tournaments, Chikara gave many wrestlers their first proper break, such as Eddie Kingston, Brodie Lee, and Claudio Castagnoli. Castagnoli made his professional debut in 2000 for German promotion Westside Xtreme Wrestling. Competing across Europe, Castagnoli teamed with fellow countryman, Ares, as a duo with a banking gimmick, Swiss Money Holding. It was in his native Switzerland that Castagnoli met Hero in 2003. Hero played a pivotal role in bringing Swiss Money Holding to the USA, getting them booked for Chikara's Tag World Grand Prix that summer.
In 2004, Castagnoli got lucky, winning a green card lottery and moving to the USA to pursue his pro wrestling dreams. Having made the jump, he resumed appearances for Chikara and other independent promotions, finding a new tag partner in Arik Cannon. In the 2005 edition of Chikara's Tag World Grand Prix, the duo won the whole competition, thanks to Hero turning on his partner in the finals and aligning with Castagnoli and Cannon to form the Kings of Wrestling. Cannon would leave the promotion soon after, leaving Castagnoli and Hero to assume the throne.
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The Kings Of Wrestling Dominated The Indie Scene
It didn't take long at all for Hero and Castagnoli to make waves. Winning the Combat Zone Wrestling Tag Team Championships in 2005, their connection entangled them in the war between CZW and Ring of Honor. Though Castagnoli promised that his connection with Hero would not get in the way, Castagnoli turned on his ROH brethren, siding with the CZW contingent. Although the CZW forces would lose the war, falling to Team ROH in their own Cage of Death at Death Before Dishonor IV, the Kings of Wrestling quickly rebounded.
Running alongside the inter-promotional war, the Kings of Wrestling had become Chikara's first duos champions, the Campeonatos de Parejas. Two months following the Cage of Death, Castagnoli and Hero successfully challenged for the ROH Tag Team Championships at Glory By Honor V. A month later, they dominated CZW's Last Team Standing, completing a one-night tournament and claiming their tag belts for a second time. No team had ever held all three belts at once, cementing Castagnoli and Hero into the history books. The following year saw them embroiled in storyline drama that split the Kings for a time. But, Hero and Castagnoli reunited first in Pro Wrestling NOAH, before making an emphatic return to ROH at 2009's Final Battle. Now joined by the "Queen of Wrestling" Sara Del Ray, the duo once again won the ROH Tag Team Championships and held them for a record-breaking 363 days.
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The Memory Of The Kings Of Wrestling Lives On
The Kings of Wrestling teamed together right up until Castagnoli left for the WWE in September 2011, becoming Antonio Cesaro and debuting on SmackDown within six months. Hero followed soon after, arriving in Florida Championship Wrestling in February 2012 as Kassius Ohno. Although signed at a similar time, with medical reasons the cause of Ohno's delay, the two had very little interaction in WWE. They would face off against each other in FCW once, but that would be their only ever televised encounter.
Clearly, the WWE was well aware of their tag team history, which makes their lack of partnership even more infuriating. Twisting that knife, Cesaro and Ohno would reunite twice, but only ever for the fans in attendance. The first was from the famed image of CM Punk as WWE Champion endorsing Seth Rollins, the then NXT Champion. Whilst at Full Sail, Punk and Rollins paired up to take on Cesaro and Ohno, but the match was never broadcast. It wasn't until 2018, during Ohno's second stint in NXT, that fans were teased with a regal reunion once more. Following a house show match with Adam Cole, Ohno was attacked by the Undisputed Era, saved from the beatdown by a suddenly appearing Cesaro. Together, they hit some of their trademark offense and even hit their signature pose, Cesaro's uppercut interlinked with Ohno's elbow.
Though nothing ever came of it, perhaps the 2020s will finally see the Kings of Wrestling reclaim the throne. Hero has yet to return to the ring since being released by the WWE, and the very many question marks around Cesaro's future continue to have fans guessing. Could another reunion between Hero and Castagnoli be in the cards?
