TJ Wilson Praises Claudio Castagnoli, Kris Statlander Was Backstage Throughout Her Recovery

In a recent appearance on the McGuire On Wrestling podcast, WWE producer TJ Wilson lavished praise on ROH World Champion Claudio Castagnoli while expressing his happiness for the Swiss wrestler’s recent success in wrestling.

Wilson and Castagnoli used to work as tag team partners in WWE.

Wilson said, “I’m always so proud of Claudio. He’s the best, man. This is a funny story to me. So, June 1 is the day I got hurt. So the other Thursday was June 1, and I was flying. I booked my travel wrong. I was flying to Hartford, and I needed to go to Pennsylvania. So when I landed, I had a three-and-a-half-hour drive that I did to myself. Anyway, earlier in the day, I got a text from Claudio, and he just said, ‘Hey, man, I hope you’re well,’ but it was kind of short. I didn’t text him right away. Then when I was on the plane, I realized, ‘Oh, it’s June 1 today.’ He knew before me. He figured it out. He is great at that. That day when I got hurt, I mean, that following day, and then when I have the surgery a few weeks later, he’s there for all this stuff. He is one of the most genuine human beings you’ll ever meet. He’s a great, great person, and I wish nothing but the most success for him. I’m just so happy for him, and I know he’s happy for me, and I’m just so happy for him.”

On a recent edition of Busted Open Radio, reigning AEW TBS Champion Kris Statlander reflected on attending AEW shows backstage during her recovery from a torn ACL.

Statlander was sidelined for almost nine months, however, she still maintained a locker-room presence during her time away from the ring. She said,

“I remember after we got the initial news that it was an ACL tear and I had to take the time off, they said … I remember people told me ‘If you want to travel, you were welcome to. We love having you around. You’re more than welcome to be here if you need a break from home.’ I don’t want to say I took advantage of that because I made it once or twice a month that I would show up. It helped remind me that I was still a part of the family, and to check in with the doctors so they could see my progress.”

You can keep up with all your wrestling news right here on eWrestlingNews.com. Or, you can follow us over on our Twitter and Facebook pages.