Wrestling legend Sheamus is leaving WWE after 19 years to become a free agent, sparking speculation he could join AEW. His best friend Claudio Castagnoli, formerly Cesaro, has now weighed in on the potential move.
Claudio on Sheamus' Future
Claudio exclusively told Metro: 'Sheamus is extremely passionate, and he always gives 100% when he's in the ring, and you can clearly see that with everything he's done. I think wherever he ends up, and whatever he decides to do for the future, I think it will be something to watch out for.'
Recent reports claim Sheamus turned down a new contract on renegotiated terms and will officially become a free agent at the start of October 2026. Claudio offered insight into Sheamus' mindset, adding: 'If you've been with people on the road for so many years, the people who are friends, they stay friends. We've been talking about the World Cup quite a bit, I feel that's kept him in good spirits as well.'
The Bar Reunion Hopes
Fans are calling for a reunion of The Bar, the tag team Sheamus and Claudio formed in WWE. When asked if he's open to the idea, Claudio said: 'I'm very happy with where I'm at. Whenever I'm asked about speculation, and this and that, I think that's what's fun about wrestling for the fans to do. For me, I'm trying to figure out what's best for what I'm doing right now. What's best for the Death Riders, what's best for our group, and whatever falls in our lap or whatever happens, happens.' He teased: 'So I guess we'll see.'
Claudio's Current Focus
Claudio's immediate focus is on this weekend's AEW Revolution event, where he and PAC will face Christian Cage and Adam 'Edge' Copeland for the tag team titles. After that, his attention turns to AEW's Wembley Stadium return on August 30 for All In London. Reflecting on the inaugural event in 2023, where he brawled into the Royal Box, Claudio laughed: 'Over my career, I feel I had a lot of moments that are surreal when you look back on it. The chance to brawl around in the Royal Box, that would not have been on my bucket list. It's a very, very, very cool memory.'
Claudio's Career and Mentors
Claudio, now a veteran and legend, has been mentored by Mick Foley earlier in his WWE career. Foley is now part of AEW's on-screen team, and Claudio is delighted: 'He's somebody that I've looked up to, and I've watched when I was a fan. To have again somebody believe in you when it may have seemed like you were at a point where you kind of didn't know what to do, and light that fire, that definitely helped.' He added: 'I feel that's one of the big strengths of AEW is that there's such a mix of different people that just love wrestling and want it to become the best it can be.'
Claudio also worked with John Cena in the mid-2000s, saying: 'I treasure the memory of those matches. We got the chance to really go out there and do something special, and he really wanted to as well.' Cena, who retired from wrestling in December 2025, namedropped Claudio during his farewell tour, and Claudio was 'very grateful' for his friend's 'kind words'.
When Will Claudio Retire?
When asked about the end of his own in-ring career, Claudio said: 'I've always thought that if the people will let me know. If I get that applause of like, "Oh, look at him, he's still trying", then it's then it's definitely time to hang it up. Obviously none of us gets any younger, but as long as I can perform at a high level, and add to AEW and the Death Riders, try to make it a better place, I would love to do this for a long time.'
AEW All In London returns to Wembley Stadium on Sunday, August 30. Tickets are available now at livenation.co.uk.
