The M.O. of Blackpool Combat Club may be one that favours no-nonsense violence and brutality, but do not be fooled by their hard hitting demeanours and straight shooting mic skills. These are also four men who can be true masters of buffoonery.
At least if their group chat is anything to go by.
During a recent exclusive chat with SPORF, Blackpool Combat Club member Claudio Castagnoli delved into the creative process that takes place between himself and his BCC stablemates. And we don’t think anyone was banking on adult diapers and tinkerbell t-shirts being serious considerations for the group’s future.
Before the former Ring of Honor champion pulled back the curtain on BCC’s WhatsApp shenanigans, he also discussed the similarly absurd potential of crossover content with Discovery+, who will now air AEW Dynamite in Germany every Friday night, with the free-to-air broadcast screening on DMAX every Sunday.
Given that Discovery is the home of the much loved ‘Shark Week’, I put it to the artist formerly known as Cesaro that this allowed for some potentially monstrous opportunities for AEW.
Castagnoli vs Jaws: Who You Got?
“Well, we already did it when we had Shark Boy on,” Castagnoli began, “and we did a match I think with a shark cage. I just hope the shark cages they use in the ocean work better than the ones we use in wrestling,” the big swinging Swiss superstar laughed, referencing the multiple occasions in which a disruptive run-in buddy has been suspended high above the ring for a grudge match to limit their interference, only for them to still somehow find a way to become involved in proceedings, usually involving the finish of the bout.
When pressed on whether the ocean’s heavyweight champions would be an ideal opponent for him, given that their tales would serve as the perfect appendage from which to initiate the most gigantic Big Swing the earth has ever seen, Castagnoli couldn’t deliver a definitive answer.
“Well, it really would depend how I get from the front to the back of the shark. That would take some doing. But I guess if anyone can do it, it could be me.”
Our conversation would soon move onto slightly more pressing matters. Namely, where do the Blackpool Combat Club draw their inspiration from and what sort of no holds barred, bats**t ideas are flying round their group chat?
“I feel like influence can come from everything,” the 42-year-old begins, “You know, it can come from movies, TV shows, video games. Somebody you see in the street, another match, whatever.
“Our entrance at Wembley was Boondock Saints inspired, You can always draw inspiration from different things. There’s always some crazy ideas, but I feel like we all complement each other really well.”
So, how crazy are we talking, here?
Well. Strap in…
Blackpool Combat Club: The Violent Tinkerbell Years
“I think right now we’re trying to figure out, we were talking the other day in our group chat, about a new Blackpool Combat Club shirt. And I think we want to have a slogan, like ‘Be Violent’, but then have like a fairy or something on it, like from a cartoon or from a children’s book or something.
“We don’t need more skulls on our shirts and blood and stuff. Let’s have something fun paired with something that’s completely, completely different. There would be a Tinkerbell type thing and then ‘Be Violent’. I think that would be brilliant.”
So, long story short, we may have found the new Austin 3:16 t-shirt. Tony Khan, if you’re reading this, book BCC to wear these tees in a Blood & Guts match immediately. Please and thankyou.
But the insanity didn’t stop there. There was much, much more to come. Poor Wheeler Yuta.
“There’s always holds and moves and stuff like that in the group chat. And it’s usually really, really old school holds. There was a picture of old school lifting techniques from like the 1920s, where they were wearing like, the guy was essentially wearing a diaper, kind of like a sumo, you know, around their waist lifting stuff. And we’re trying to convince Wheeler that’s his new gear.”
Some Things Are Better Left A Mystery
And while the ideas are almost non-stop going back-and-forth across the BCC chat, there are still some things that Castagnoli prefers to remain a mystery. The recent barn burner between Jon Moxley and Orange Cassidy for the AEW International Title that main evented All Out, for example.
“It’s a lot of fun, but I feel that’s how we again, flesh out ideas. We run them across each other. That’s how we all compete with each other because we’re still trying to make each other better. So, you know, that’s the fun part of being part of the BCC.
“We run stuff by each other and like, ‘hey, what do you think of this? Oh, that’s cool, okay, cool, let’s do that.’ And because we’ve had a few singles matches as well, it’s like, ‘hey, what do you think of this? What do you think of that?’ Or I just sit back and watch Orange and Mox wrestle and I didn’t want to know anything about that match.
“I was just like, ‘I don’t want to know nothing, I don’t want to hear it.’ Like I walked into the locker room and Mox was talking, kind of thinking out loud about stuff. And I was like, ‘alright, I’m leaving, I don’t want to know. I just want to watch and enjoy it.’”
Claudio Is A Freshly Squeezed Fan
Castagnoli wasn’t only full of praise for his fellow BCC buds either, reserving some glowing words for former AEW International Champion Cassidy.
“I think he’s come a really long way and I think people kind of see it for what he is now. He’s just a modern version of a classic good guy, you know? And he is, obviously really, really good at what he does.
“And to see that match with him and Jon after, you know, he defended that International Title for so long and put it onto a level that the fans would accept it to main event the pay-per-view, no questions asked. Then of course, you know, Jon was Jon. He’s just awesome. And it was a really fun match to watch. I watched it together with Brian and Yuta. So we were all just yelling and screaming. It was great.”
Whatever is next for Castagnoli post-ROH Title remains to be seen, although he’s been keeping busy with the likes of former MMA star Josh Barnett at the recent WrestleDream crossover event with New Japan Pro Wrestling. One thing you can guarantee, however, is that with the rest of the Blackpool Combat Club keeping him on his toes, the former ROH Champ isn’t going to keeping quiet after bringing the curtain down on his 15 year rivalry with Eddie Kingston.
Now, about those Tinkerbell t-shirts…
Featured Image Credit: AEW