Cezar Bononi

Cezar Bononi (June 15, 1986) is a Brazilian professional wrestler. He has wrestled in World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) on the NXT brand and All Elite Wrestling (AEW).
==Early life==
Bononi played as a tight end in Brazilian football for the São Paulo Storm. A standout athlete, he received many awards during the years of 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2012.
==Professional wrestling career==
===Training and early career===
Bononi trained under Brazilian wrestler Bob Jr., the owner of the Brazilian Wrestling Federation, in Sao Paul, Brazil, where he wrestled for two years during 2014 and 2015. In BWF, he was a one-time BWF Rei Do Ringue Champion.
===World Wrestling Entertainment ===
====NXT (2016–2020)====
Bononi signed with the WWE and made his debut on February 6, 2016 in NXT where he teamed with Kenneth Crawford in a tag match won by King Constantine & Thomas Kingdon. His first singles match was on April 9, losing to Sawyer Fulton. Beginning on August 27, Bononi formed a tag team with Adrian Jaoude, losing their first match against the team of Alexander Wolfe & Sawyer Fulton. Bononi and Jaoude won their first tag match on November 3, defeating The Ealy Brothers.
During 2017, Bononi spent most of his in-ring time, wrestling in singles matches including his first singles victory on March 3, defeating Kishan Raftar. Bononi also wrestled against his tag team partner Adrian Jaoude on April 21, where Jaoude defeated Bononi. His last match of the year was lost to Babatunde Aiyegbusi during the December 16 live event. 
Returning in 2018, Bononi and Jaoude wrestled against numerous different tag teams, including members of team SAnitY, the Street Profits, Heavy Machinery and the War Raiders. On April 5, during the first day of the 2018 WrestleMania Axxess weekend event, Bononi and Jaoude entered the NXT Tag Team Title Invitational tournament where they were eliminated in the first round by the Street Profits. Afterwards, Bononi returned to NXT live events teaming with Adrian Jaoude in tag matches against Big Boa & Rocky, SAnitY (Alexander Wolfe & Killian Dain), The Street Profits and the War Raiders. The following month, Bononi returned for the May 3 live event, teaming with Adrian Jaoude in a tag match lost to the War Raiders. For the remainder of the month Bononi and Jaoude wrestled in tag matches against teams including the War Raiders, Brennan Williams & Christopher Dijak and Danny Burch & Oney Lorcan. Two months later, Bononi and Jaoude returned for the July 12 live event, where they lost a rematch against the War Raiders. Five nights later, they returned during the July 19 live event, where Bononi and Jaoude lost to the War Raiders in second rematch. During the July 26 live event, Bononi and Jaoude won their first match of the month, defeating fellow NXT recruits Jeet Rama & Rinku Singh. They finished the month of July with a rematch lost on the July 28 live event against the War Raiders. At the August 4 live event, Bononi and Jaoude teamed with Taynara Conti in a mixed tag match lost to Jessie Elaban and team Heavy Machinery (Otis Dozovic & Tucker Knight). Six nights later, Bononi and Jaoude returned for the August 10 live event, where they wrestled and lost to new tag team opponents, The Forgotten Sons (Steve Cutler & Wesley Blake). Bononi and Jaoude made their first televised appearance in several months, during the September 12 episode of NXT, in a tag match lost to Danny Burch & Oney Lorcan. Between the August 25 and August 31 live events, Bononi and Jaoude finished the month with matches lost to teams Street Profits and Heavy Machinery.
During the month of September, Bononi experienced a change of pace, competing in a string of singles matches, three in total against Chinese rookie Big Boa. Their first match encounter was held at the September 27 live event, in which Boa defeated Bononi. At the following night's live event, Bononi defeated Boa. During the September 29 live event, Bononi scored his second victory over Boa, ending the month with a 2-1 win-loss record. Returning the following month during the October 6 live event Bononi and Jaoude returned as a tag team to face new opponents Johnny Gargano & Matt Riddle, whom they lost to. Six nights later, Bononi and Jaoude returned for the October 12 live event during which they were defeated by recruits Keith Lee & Luke Menzies. During the following night's live event, Bononi and Jaoude lost a tag match to Babatunde Aiyegbusi and newcomer Stacey Ervin Jr.. The team of Bononi and Jaoude finished the month at the October 20 live event with a Fatal Four-Way Elimination tag match for the Number One Contender to the NXT Tag Team Championship, competing against teams The Forgotten Sons (Steve Cutler & Wesley Blake), Danny Burch & Oney Lorcan and Heavy Machinery.
====NXT / EVOLVE Wrestling (2018)====
Due to WWE's business relationship with EVOLVE Wrestling, several NXT wrestlers were allowed to participate in an independent show produced by Evolve. On October 28 at EVOLVE 114, Bononi debuted as the corner man to his tag partner Adrian Jaoude in his match defeating independent wrestler Joe Gacy. 
The following month, Bononi and Jaoude returned for the November 1 live event, losing to the War Raiders. Two nights later during the November 3 live event, Bononi and Jaoude competed in a tag match lost to the Street Profits. 
Returning in January 2019 Bononi occupied the course of the year in live events, concluding 2019 with a match on November 15, losing to Nick Ogarelli. 
Bononi returned in 2020 beginning at the February 15 live event where he defeated Jake Atlas. He wrestled his final match during a March 6 live event teaming with Tino Sabbatelli in a tag match defeating Denzel Dejournette & Nick Ogarelli. As a result of WWE's budget cuts stemming from the 2020 Coronavirus Pandemic, it was announced on April 17, Bononi was released along with NXT wrestlers Tino Sabbatelli and Mars Wang.
===All Elite Wrestling (2020–present)===
Bononi made his All Elite Wrestling (AEW) debut on the September 29 episode of AEW Dark. During his debut he teamed with Shawn Dean in a tag match won by The Gunn Club. He returned to AEW Dark during the months of October and November in tag team action. 
Bononi returned in 2021 on the February 9 episode of AEW Dark, teaming with Peter Avalon in a tag team match defeating Carlie Bravo & Shawn Dean. The following night, Bononi debuted on AEW Dynamite where he and Peter Avalon wrestled members of The Nightmare Family Cody Rhodes and Lee Johnson.
==In wrestling==
*Finishers
**Chokeslam
**Hu3 Driver (Belly-to-back suplex lifted into a double knee backbreaker)
*Signature moves
**Big boot
**Falcon Arrow
**Gutwrench powerbomb
*Managers
**Erotica D'Vine
*Wrestlers managed
**Big Business
**Grim Reefer
**Murder-1
**Rasche Brown
**Ruckus
*Tag teams and stables
**Big Block Crew - with Big Business, Grim Reefer, Murder-1, Rasche Brown and Ruckus (as Big Block)
**Southern Wrecking Crew - with Eclipso, Erotica D'Vine, Freddie Rich and Ken Steel (as Big Block)
**Eh Nois - with Adrian Jaoude
*Nicknames
**"Big Block V8"
**"The Brazilian Bomber"
*Entrance music
**"Break in the Sky" by Modern Echo (WWE NXT; 2017)
==Championships and accomplishments==
*Brazilian Wrestling Federation
:*BWF Rei Do Ringue Championship (1 time)
==External links==
* Profile
* Profile
* Profile
* Facebook
* Twitter
Category:1986 births
Category:2004 debuts
Category:Brazilian wrestlers
Category:Former football players
Category:Living people
Category:Male wrestlers
Category:Brazilian Wrestling Federation alumni
Category:EVOLVE Wrestling alumni
Category:World Wrestling Entertainment alumni
Category:WWE NXT alumni
Category:All Elite Wrestling alumni