Claudio Castagnoli Reveals Which Opponent Has Hit Him The Hardest

As a member of AEW's Blackpool Combat Club, Claudio Castagnoli is no stranger to the violence and hard-hitting nature of professional wrestling. Castagnoli has wrestled competitors from all around the world and is likely to have a good barometer of who truly stands above the rest in terms of strength and aggression. So, when Bleacher Report asked him which wrestler hits him the hardest, his former tag team partner was the only man to come to mind.

Sheamus was Castagnoli's partner for nearly three years in WWE, but their partnership came about following a long rivalry on "Raw" in 2016 that culminated in a fierce best-of-seven series. "I always said I prefer [teaming] with him than fighting," the former Cesaro stated about his friend and "The Bar" tag team partner. The duo ended up becoming a highly decorated team, winning the WWE "Raw" Tag Team Championships five times and the WWE "SmackDown" Tag Team Championships once before Sheamus was sidelined with an injury in 2019.

Castagnoli also believes his former tag team partner's work ethic set him apart from the rest and made him a great companion. "You will never see him take it easy. Never. And that's very inspiring to me." Castagnoli told Bleacher Report. The duo went their separate ways upon Sheamus' return to the ring in 2020 and now represent separate companies on top of that. Despite this, Castagnoli's respect for Sheamus still shines through to this day, ending his statement by saying, "that's [the kind of person] I want to surround myself with."