Paul Heyman recalled John Cena once telling former WWE Chairman Vince McMahon that he could main event WrestleMania with Claudio Castagnoli, the performer formerly known as Cesaro. Heyman shared the story while discussing past on-screen talent he worked with during a guest appearance on the latest episode of Insight with Chris Van Vliet.

Heyman's comments centered on Castagnoli and the level of respect he carried in WWE at that point in his career. According to Heyman, Cena felt strongly enough about Castagnoli's star potential that he went straight to McMahon after working with him.

Heyman said Cena returned backstage after a televised match with Castagnoli and told McMahon he believed the two of them could carry a WrestleMania main event.

You look at Cesaro, and he checked, especially at that moment in time, he checked every box to become a top star. Everyone who got into the ring with him came back into Gorilla saying, 'Give me him.' Everyone. I remember John Cena worked with him on television and came back and looked at Vince (McMahon) and said, 'I could main event WrestleMania with him,' and probably could have and should have.

Heyman framed Castagnoli as someone who had the full package for a top spot at that stage of his WWE tenure. He pointed to the universal praise Castagnoli received from peers after working with him in the ring, with Heyman stating that everyone who shared a match with him wanted another shot.

Castagnoli in AEW and Cena's 2025 WWE Mention

Castagnoli has been signed to All Elite Wrestling since 2022. His WWE run under the Cesaro name ended before that move, but the main event pitch Heyman described never came to pass on the WrestleMania stage.

Cena brought Castagnoli's name back into WWE conversation on television during the summer of 2025. That mention came while Cena was feuding with CM Punk on WWE programming.