Claudio Castagnoli is finally a world champion, as he defeated Jonathan Gresham to win the ROH World Championship at ROH Death Before Dishonor.
During the media scrum after the show, when asked what kind of champion he aims to be, Castagnoli made it clear that he intends to be a great one who lets his actions speak for him.
“A great one. This is my first world championship, and I said this before, I could be here and tell you guys all what I’m going to do and this and that. I feel like there’s a lot of people that talk a lot. I like to let my actions speak, so it’s gonna be a hell of a run. Hope you guys are ready.”
“The Swiss Cyborg” had an emotional reaction when he won the gold. When asked about the moment, Castagnoli explained that he was soaking in the crowd’s reaction. He also noted that he has had an “All-Star first month” with AEW/ROH, and he has been enjoying the ride.
“It’s just the years of hard work, and that moment, I actually just talked to Tony about that on the way up here, I had a hell of a run in this first month,” said Castagnoli. “It was like Forbidden Door, Blood & Guts, Fyter Fest, and now Death Before Dishonor, so I think that’s like an All-Star first month and topped it off with my first world championship. What made me so happy is the reaction that it got.
“To me, wrestling is about the fans, it’s about the interactiveness, it’s about feeding off the energy, and that’s what’s always been so much fun. To hear the crowd, to see it, and then I just wanted to take it all in and just soak it in because there’s no need to rush. Just sit there and enjoy it. I waited for a long time, so yeah, just wanted to enjoy it and it was amazing.”
Speaking of his first month, Castagnoli, when asked, described how having the freedom to work different styles and express himself has been a gift. He stated that he is happy to be with AEW, as it feels like it’s where he’s meant to be.
“Yes, I’ve had so much fun here,” said Castagnoli. “It feels like I’ve been here for years. It feels like this is the place that I’m supposed to be at. All the matches I’ve had were so different, which is, for me that’s a lot of fun. Styles make matches, and to have that challenge and to have that freedom to express yourself in the ring, on the microphone, everything, is a gift, and I’m very happy to be here. I’m very happy to represent Ring of Honor as the world champion, so yes, I love it, and I have a lot more freedom, and I’m enjoying it.”
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