Claudio Castagnoli Unsure Why He Did Not "Level Up" In WWE

While he was a popular talent on the roster and often regarded as one of the best professional wrestlers in the company, Claudio Castagnoli (FKA Cesaro) never cemented himself as a main eventer in WWE and he only challenged for a world title once during his 11-year run with the company.

Speaking about his time in WWE with Steve Fall of NBC Sports Boston, Castagnoli admitted he doesn't know why he was unable to "level up" in the company.

"If I would know the answer, we probably wouldn't have that discussion, right? [laughs]. It's just one of those things where I do not have the answer. There is obviously a lot of speculation going on, but if I would have known, I would have obviously done it. There was a lot of 'one step forward, two steps back.' I feel that's how life is for many people. You just have to keep going and learn from those experiences and make decisions based on that," Castagnoli began.

"That's why I'm where I'm at now and I'm very happy. I'm also very grateful for John Cena, sharing the ring with him. The experiences, the amount I learned, and the respect I have for him and I would like to think he has for me. That's something I built over the past 10 years. The same with the fans. I am here and they accepted me. I'm not the guy that is the 'former WWE guy.' They know I've been with Ring of Honor, I've been on the indies. They also know every single time I step in the ring, I always give it 100%, no matter if the match is two minutes or 35 minutes, I want to make it the best match possible," he continued.

"It's very important to me that it's authentic. I don't have an answer to that question, I don't know if anybody does, but if that journey brought me to where I am today, I am very happy and extremely grateful to have been on that journey and to be here today."

Castagnoli exited WWE earlier this year when his contract expired. He has since signed with All Elite Wrestling and he debuted in Tony Khan's promotion at Forbidden Door, being revealed as the latest member of Blackpool Combat Club. He then picked up the win for his team in Blood & Guts and Castagnoli will challenge for the ROH World Championship on Saturday, July 23.

H/T to Fightful