Would You Push #2: Antonio Cesaro

Would you push Antonio Cesaro

  • Push: Yes

  • Push: No

  • Push: Yes and have him leave Colter


Results are only viewable after voting.

CultOfPersonality123

The Winter Soldier
I was recommended to ask about Antonio Cesaro for one of these and I figured he'll be number 2. I loved his performance with Daniel Bryan in the gauntlet match on Monday Night Raw. He's just a former United States Champion and is now teaming up with Colter and Swagger. Would you push him into the world title scene? If you do would keep him with Colter as he gets the push? I'm interested int this one seeing as how i see a lot of people liking this guy. Also, don't foget to leave a request on who should be #3.
 
The thing with Cesaro is he's great in the ring. One of the most fun guys to watch in the ring. But he doesn't connect with the crowd whatsoever. It's what people who love him so much just tend to gloss over even though it's blatantly obvious. He's like ADR in that manner. Good in the ring, can't get over on the mic.

That's why they stuck Cesaro with Coulter (though the logic is thin at best). At least Coulter will draw some heat towards him. I still don't see it as working that well though. Maybe a tag team push might help him (and Swagger), but the problem is every tag team today is heel except The Uso's and Funkadactyls. Every one of them. That's probably why they broke up Rhodes Scholars, to balance it out a little. Unless they turn face (which would require dropping Coulter) they're stuck in a division that's overcrowded from their angle anyways. To further this point, some of his defenders would say to make him go singles competitor again. One of the easiest ways to NOT get a guy over, is to change his character approach overly frequent. This would not help him. He would need to go away for awhile. He just joined up with Swagger and Coulter.

If I had to make a change today. No choice on holding off to see if he can get over. Between giving a push or not with or without Coulter, I would select none of the above. I would repackage him. Foreign heels just don't work very well right now. But he's too good in the ring to just bury or future endeavor.
 
He would really have to take promo classes. The whole "We the people" thing is kinda over, but not really so much. The only thing I could think of for him to try to get over is for him to turn on The Real Americans, turn babyface, and keep up the foreigner trying to act American kind of thing. In NXT it was over when he was there and he said the pledge before wrestling and said the "We the people"

People forget how Daniel Bryan wasn't connected at all to the fans when he first started, so it is possible for someone to improve. I think Cesaro after some work and practice may get over and if he does he should get a push. At this point in time though I don't think so because he doesn't draw at all. Put him in matches that are amazing on Raw and let people get fond of him first.
 
I saw yes. There's something about Cesaro I really like - fantastic in the ring and truly physical in nature.

I do like him in a tag team setting, though. He's had a terrific run as US Champ, and now, a tag team push makes sense. I'm not as fond of him with Swagger (I'm not fond of anything with Swagger other than a pink slip) but would love to see him with another powerhouse like Mark Henry or Big E Langston.

Langston and Cesaro would be a dangerous tag team of power houses. They could do some fun spots during matches where they tried to out-feat-of-strength one another.

Not sure Colter is right for Cesaro, though. I've lost interest in that whole dynamic pretty fast.
 
Definitely would push Cesaro. I see a lot more potential in him than most of the locker room and he has certain talents that others would salivate at. Him strength and stiffness has made for some pretty cool moments and his in ring work is very good.

The only thing about the guy is he doesn't seem to get much of a reaction yet he does mostly everything well. I think he (or creative) just needs to find a better character that he can sink his teeth into after that he could very well.

Unfortunately the foreign heel doesn't get the automatic heat like it used to and he seems to be all over the place these days (first he was Swiss who hates America, then a Swiss yodeler, then a German, then a Swiss who is pro American) and its hard to get into a guy when he goes through so many changes within a calender year. I think he will do alright with Colter but I think he needs to find a character that works for him and can get a reaction.

Some guys lack certain skills where all the gimmicks in the world can't save them but Cesaro is very good across the board, he just needs something that can connect with the audience better as I'm sure he could pull it off.
 
I voted yes simply because he has put on some of the best matches in the WWE since his debut. Very good in the ring but the problem is he just can't connect with the audience when on the mic. He needs to stay with Coulter and just hope that he can help him become an all-round talent.

Without Coulter; he is a mid-carder. There are better, more all-rounded superstars that aren't being used and while his ring-work is great, he isn't above Barrett, Sandow, Rhodes even Fandango in terms of all-round talent.
 
Push him. I don't give a damn if the marks are sitting on their hands. The fact that such an amazingly gifted performer isn't over with the crowds is proof that the WWE "universe" is just one big black hole of suck. :) He could have amazing feuds with both Cena and Punk.

Regardless, he's one decent feud away from a breakout.
 
Big yes for this one. One of the most talented men to step into the ring. There will need to be a big change in his "creative" direction though for that to work. He should never be teamed with Coulter and Swagger....it doesn't work for me and is, IMO, bad for his character. Anybody can have a match with Cesaro and it will look good no matter how crappy they are. He carries every man that steps into the ring with him. The awesome match with Daniel Bryan a couple weeks ago was mainly Cesaro putting Bryan over. Now he just needs to establish a great gimmick to start getting put over himself. If this man can get more of a reaction out of the crowd, good or negative, for his character and antics not just in ring ability, he would surely be worthy of a main event run.
 
As a European i actually really liked Cesaro when he started out. His anti-America stint and making fun of the US championship was pretty good despite his poor mic skills and it did involve international audiences a little more in the whole patriotic business that is Wrestling these days.

The step they took with Colter and Swagger though is beyond me. I really suspected Cesaro to rise up against their foreign bull and that he would team up with some non-americans to feud with Colter and his stable. It breaks down on both the delivery of bad guys Colter and Swagger and the proud European Cesaro. Worst. Choice. Ever.

But I do believe that if he gets some more time to work on his mic skills he could achieve a lot more than this. He sort of reminds me of Shaemus his early days in a way; Awkward on a mic, but there's just something about the guy...
 
There's no reason not to agree with many of you on the fact that Cesaro is struggling to connect with the crowd. However, I think if he's allowed to continue to showcase his talent it will more than speak for itself. WrestleZone reported a few weeks ago on how well his matches overseas went over, and I think that's why he was allowed so much in-ring time with Bryan recently on RAW. That, and I'm sure Bryan was allowed to hand pick his opponent. I just think the anti-America schtick is old overall, and We The People just isn't working like it should. I think the problem with We the People schtick is that either a lot of American wrestling fans probably agree with what Colter says, or they just don't care. Dutch Mantell is an untapped, old school resource. I think if they can find a way to use him correctly, he'll make for a perfect mouthpiece for Antonio. Regardless of all this, Cesaro has way too much talent to be wasted. I think in the future we'll get to see more of it. The talent always finds a way to make it to the top.
 
Sure push him. But cessaro will need to find some way to connect with the crowd, displays some charisma, and most importantly improve mic work and not his yodelling skills. His great in ring work aint gonna get him anywhere in the E.

Daniel Bryan and Cm punk didnt get themselves over due to their in ring work. Even D bryan agrees wwe is a whole different environment and it aint just about wrestling.

Character, Charisma, Mic work are what gets you over in the E. Good wrestling ability is important but not the main factor. History has pretty much proven.

His alliance with the colter is a start. But theres need to be progression cause so far cessaro is just a henchman to colter. Even then this whole anti american thing aint gonna make anybody a superstar.
 
Cesaro clearly has a future. You can't push everyone at the same time, but Cesaro continues to deliver match-after-match. Cesaro you have to remember hasn't been with the company that long. Was Rocky Maivia an instant star? Stone Cold Steve Austin was the Ringmaster, no??? HHH was Hunter Hearst Helmsley. Have some patience with Cesaro. IF you saw MITB he and Swagger actually can be a pretty effective team. Zeb Coulter keeps cutting these great promos and having both Swagger & Cesaro lose all of the time is what's killing the gimmick. People in the crowd are starting to chant WE THE PEOPLE!!! The Real Americans routine is getting over they just need to add a singles star to the mix and for them to start picking up some victories. Sheamus anyone??? The fact that he's been a legit World CHAMP already would give instant credibility to this faction. Sheamus, Swagger, and Cesaro would be seen as a legit threat.
 
A nationalistic american faction with an irish and a swiss born? I thought cesaro joining them was far-fetched already, let alone Sheamus joining them...
 
It has been done recently with Ziggler and Big E. Langston, but I think a great way to push Cesaro would be to have him be someone's Enforcer. When I look at Cesaro I see an Arn Anderson type of guy. He can go in the ring. Comes across like a legit tough guy. But, with his very European schtick, he also can come across as snobby or above you. The one thing that Arn never did was make it to the World Title Picture. I don't see Cesaro as a future World Champ. However, Arn was way better on the mic than Cesaro is and appears to have the capacity to be.

With that said, who would be good candidates for him to support??? My choices:

Damien Sandow: He could easily interject into the next phase of the Cody/Sandow feud. If Cody wins stage 1 of the feud, Sandow enlists Cesaro as the hitman to take out Cody. Logical progression from this could be that Cesaro helps Sandow cash in the MIB Briefcase to become the next champion. Sandow seems to be the type that could play the cowardly heel, handle my lightwork kind of champion that would feed off having an enforcer/body guard.

The Miz: I don't think anyone would argue that Miz is much better suited to be a heel than a face. Miz turns heel by enlisting Cesaro to take out someone. Cesaro as Miz's right hand man would help out both men. Miz will never truly be considered a legit tough guy capable of taking you out at any moment, but he had some of the biggest heat when he was cutting promos as the Most Must See Champion of All Time. Cesaro would be a great muscle man for him. Plus, Miz could help hide Cesaro's weaknesses on the mic.

Curtis Axel: He wouldn't be my pick because of his skills, but because of Heyman's. Cesaro supporting Axel or teaming with Axel would allow Heyman to do the talking for Cesaro. I was hoping Cesaro was going to be Heyman's client.

Another thing Arn and Cesaro have in common is I think they are also great as a tag team partner. Many of the same qualities that the body guard/enforcer have are what makes a great tag team partner. So, WWE could always continue to push Cesaro in a true tag team fashion. If that were the case, then I have a few picks for that also:

Cody Rhodes: Cesaro and Rhodes would remind me a lot of Arn and Tully. Cesaro is the muscle. Rhodes is the flashier one. But, both were tough and technically sound. These two could be a face team to start. They could also be the team to finally beat the shield. I think they'd pair well together.

Wade Barrett: These two guys are similar enough in that they are tough but technical. They could just legitimately be seen as guys that beat people up in the ring. Wade has enough skill on the mic to be the one to carry the promo's.

Drew McIntyre: Get this dude out of 3MB. Put him with Cesaro and you could have pretty great tag team. It might get McIntyre back on track. Although with this one, you could see this pulling Cesaro into the quagmire that McIntyre is in.

Tyson Kidd: When he returns these two could make one of the better in ring teams in recent memory. Now, the problem would be who does the talking. My answer...Paul Heyman. If not Heyman, then William Regal. Either could help get them over. Plus the One Big and One Small teams have always done fairly well. British Bulldogs, Hart Foundation, heck even Rollins and Reigns.

Kassius Ohno: The Kings of Wrestling were pretty over on the independent circuit. This won't happen though.

Sami Zayn: Similar thought process to Kidd. But, I think Zayn may have more talent in cutting promos than Kidd. They put on one heck of a match in NXT and appear to have great Chemistry. I could seem them getting over.

Finally, the last thing I'd do for Cesaro is get him some normal boots and some freaking knee pads. It's one thing to have a different look, but he just looks weird.
 
I would push Antonio Cesaro, but NOT in this tag team with Swagger and Zeb as the manager.

The decision to have Cesaro join Swagger and Zeb NEVER made any sense to me. Given the characters and promos Swagger and Zeb have, Cesaro should have been one of the very last candidates they would consider. I liked him a lot better when he was by himself doing the promos in multiple languages. He had a good US Championship reign up until it randomly ended. Another midcard title reign is not out of the question for him. After he's been built up a little more with a solid US/Intercontinental Championship reign I would move him further up the card.

I doubt he'll ever make it to the WWE Championship but he might be able to challenge for the World Heavyweight Championship someday. He is great in the ring so I wouldn't mind seeing him face guys like Daniel Bryan, CM Punk, Christian, Dolph Ziggler, or Alberto Del Rio for the World Heavyweight Championship in matches where they can steal the show. That's something I'd want to see. Before any of that can happen he needs to distance himself from Zeb and Swagger immediately. Him being allies with them makes absolutely no sense. Have him go back to bragging in multiple languages in his promos, that set him apart from the rest and he already has the in-ring skills to make it further than where he currently is.
 
Antonio Cesaro is the problem. Yes I am talking about the name and the character or lack thereof. He's an outstanding in ring worker, can put on great matches but does not have any charisma to connect with the crowd. Even with Coulter as his manager, he is still not getting over. I don't know about you guys but I personally don't see a guy with a name like Antonio Cesaro reaching the top.
 
Not sure Colter is right for Cesaro, though. I've lost interest in that whole dynamic pretty fast.

For sure. To me, the primary point is that people understand when a singles performer is placed in a group, it's technically a step down since the company must figure he's not making it on his own. Sure, there are exceptions to this, but I believe it applies to Cesaro, just as it does to Jack Swagger.

I'm alternately amused and turned off by Cesaro's inclusion with a couple of "true Americans," since Cesaro isn't one. Plus, the mission Colter is on certainly has nothing to do with Antonio. Yet, in some ways, the alliance works and I rather enjoy seeing them work a match once they get beyond the politics and start to wrestle.

Also, Cesaro has improved since his early days with the company. I thought he came off as extremely awkward, often botching spots. But, he's gotten better and I like to watch him in the ring.

Still, I can't help wondering what WWE has in mind for Antonio in the future, given that he's been placed with Colter, who's already been saddled with Jack Swagger.......who has proven himself a flop in two major pushes.

In other words, if this trio doesn't get the results the company wants to see, what do they do next with Antonio Cesaro?
 
Swagger is a great jobber and i quite like the mean streak he has right now on him. Semi-repackaging him was a smart move, cause the hole real american american thing he had before didn't work out for anyone and to me came across as a an insult to a already perfected character that Kurt Angle portrayed before.

Cesaro is a different story though. The guy has a certain mean look to him, an arrogance that fits him and helped him through his US championship reign. Just isn't working with Coulter and Swagger alongside him. He is, and never will be, a good team player unless he teams up with a better talker and likeminded guy. Cody Rhodes for example. The whole feud between Sandow and Rhodes would be a lot more interesting too if it was Cesaro in stead of Sandow from the beginning...

:EDIT:

I would suggest R-truth for the next Would You Push by the way. And i just want to say this is a cool concept too, props... :)
 
Cesaro is a fantastic wrestler and has a look that can be marketed easily enough, but he's not strong on the mic and they haven't found a hook yet to get him over.

I'd put him with Heyman and have Heyman play up his throwback style and the fact he's a physical freak, Heyman can present it and then in the ring Cesaro can sell it.
 
I say yes for Cesaro. Time & time again, I really love watching Cesaro wrestle. Everything about his style and his physical nature matches up perfectly with how the guy looks and carries himself. The only thing that Cesaro is missing in my eyes is strong mic work, though I do think it's something that can be improved on. A while back on Main Event, after he & Kofi had what was one of the best matches of the year thus far, he attacked Kofi backstage and yanked out one of his dreadlocks while talking smack about him. That was an aggressively fierce side of Cesaro that we hadn't seen and it felt natural. It didn't at all feel forced, unlike what we've seen with him thus far in terms of his character. Cesaro's character has been pretty limited but he's worked really hard with what he's been given and the fans obviously respect him for his abilities in the ring. Aside from his match with Kofi, Cesaro has been involved in some of WWE's best matches so far this year.

I like the idea of Cesaro as part of a tag team right now, however, as well. Being one half of the "Real Americans" seems like an odd fit when you look at the initial stance on immigration Coulter & Swagger had as characters. Even though they're now against "illegal immigration" rather than immigration as a whole, it still has a kind of awkward feel when you think of the kind of legit controversy that was initially generated. At the same time though, while it feels strange, I do see where WWE is coming from with the addition of Cesaro. In some ways, he embodies the "American Dream" of someone coming from a foreign land who works extremely hard and earns great success in America. Personally though, if WWE wants Cesaro as a major tag team force then, in my opinion, bring Kassius Ohno up from NXT and spend the next several months building them as a very strong babyface tag team not just in matches, but also give them promo time to work

I think one issue that WWE has right now, though it can be a pretty positive issue, is that there are a LOT of talented roster members carrying titles or in the midst of big pushes. As a result, as a fan, sometimes it can be hard for me to lock on someone that I'd personally like to see get pushed. The Shield is doing much to well overall to lose steam in my opinion at this point in time, the WHC is up in the air with possibly either Rhodes or Sandow looming to cash in MITB if they have a match for it, Christian just beat Del Rio on Raw so it's likely he'll be in the title picture soon, Ziggler is someone that could find himself in the WHC picture again soon, all signs are pointing to Daniel Bryan being a major player in the WWE Championship for much, if not the rest, of this year & beyond, CM Punk is looming around, Randy Orton has the WWE Championship MITB briefcase.

Generally speaking, I think the weakest title scene is probably the IC title right now. Axel has done a solid job thus far as a heel mid-card champ and he doesn't really have any challengers lined up at the moment. Axel doesn't have Dean Ambrose's presence, charisma or personality at this point in time but, then again, neither does Cesaro. I suppose they could always turn Cesaro babyface to feud with Axel but, in my eyes, it needs to be something other than a standard babyface. If WWE went in this direction then, and this is just my opinion & a little bit of fantasy booking, I think success MIGHT be found by having Cesaro embrace his indy roots. While I doubt WWE would do this, something like that could be accomplished with him renouncing his wrestling name and using his real one. Fans like babyfaces that have an edge about them and one who looks like he's lashing out against the establishment, in this case the WWE corporate machine, so it could inject some life into him.
 
How perfect it would be for Heyman to dump Axel and bring in Cesaro. He is one the best wrestlers in the company. One of the top five in my opinion.
Cesaro was never pushed right. He came in looking strong, but since the crowd does not connect well to actual wrestling, they missed his chance. There were many matches which should have made him if Vince really wanted to. When he picked up Khali and hit his finished, that was awesome. It showed him as a strong contender and should have went up from that.
I also remember him having a match with Orton or the Miz. Before or after I dont remember, but what I do remember is Cesaro picking Orton or Miz up by their legs and swinging them into the baricade a couple of times. ....Found the video on youtube, guess I really dont remember the match that image is burned into my mind as one of the coolest things I have seen in wrestling in a while. It made him look like a real heel, and not a PG heel. That again should have made him, along with his matches with Orton were one of the best Orton had in a while. Match with DB was amazing and ended by making both guys look good.
I dont know about most people who watch wrestling, but when he comes out I know I am getting my moneys worth because I am entertained by him.

The video.
http://youtu.be/heePaLlHmms
 
I would push Cesaro straight to the moon. In ring, he is unbelievable and they can make him serviceable on the mic. It's all based on finding a proper gimmick for him to run with. But as far as his actual talent goes, there isn't many people with more talent then this dude. He is one of the best WWE has to offer, in my opinion. As soon as WWE realizes that, I think he will become a big star. A mouth piece for him can be argued, but Colter isn't doing much to elevate him. His awesome match with Bryan on Raw a couple weeks ago had nothing to do with Colter on the mic. So, hopefully they can figure out an actual permanent gimmick for him, and let him get over on his in ring ability. Sometimes these things don't happen over night. All it takes is one match, or one Catch Phrase to change the way we see someone...
 
Absolutely yes. I like his work in the ring. I don't mind him with Coulter, since Cesaro needs help on the mike. I'd love him with Heyman. That would be a great pairing. Till then, Coulter will do. I like the Real Americans as a tag team. The tag division is a little weak and both Swagger and Cesaro can benefit if the tag team run is done right. I don't want either Swagger or Cesaro to be stuck in tag team hell. Give them a few runs as champions and then let them separate and try their luck in the single ranks.
 

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