Claudio Castagnoli has made no secret of his enthusiasm for gaming, but the veteran wrestler does not believe a serious move into esports competition would be realistic while he remains active in professional wrestling.
Castagnoli, who has identified League of Legends as the game he plays most often at present, attended the 2026 League of Legends World Championship. The experience naturally raised the question of whether someone with his competitive mindset could eventually attempt to build a career in esports. For now, however, Castagnoli sees the two pursuits as difficult to reconcile at a high level.
Speaking on The Load-In with Paul Delos Santos, Castagnoli said the idea is something that will have to remain an open question rather than an immediate goal.
“I guess we have to wait and see, but it’s just fun to watch. For me, it’s… I don’t think I could do it while being active. It takes a whole lot of time and it takes a whole lot of effort, and I just know how hard it is for somebody to get into wrestling. So it’s probably the same. I mean, it is the same getting into the league, especially getting into the league at that level. So, you just have to wait and see.”
For more background on this topic, read Claudio Castagnoli Says Elite Esports Mouse Control Does Not Translate To The Ring.
Castagnoli recognizes the commitment required
The most notable part of Castagnoli’s answer was not merely that he enjoys watching esports. It was his immediate acknowledgment that playing a game casually and pursuing elite-level competition are entirely different commitments. That distinction is particularly meaningful coming from a performer whose career has been built through long-term discipline, training, travel, and adaptation.
Professional wrestling demands far more than time in the ring. An active wrestler must maintain conditioning, prepare for matches, travel, fulfill promotional obligations, and remain ready for a schedule that can change quickly. Castagnoli’s point is that esports has an equivalent standard of commitment for those hoping to break through competitively. Reaching the top levels of a game such as League of Legends requires sustained practice, deep understanding of the game, individual mechanical skill, teamwork, and the ability to perform in pressure-filled environments.
His comparison was therefore not framed as a casual observation about two forms of competition. Castagnoli understands first-hand how difficult it is to enter a demanding field and establish oneself within it. He indicated that the challenge of getting into “the league” at the highest level carries the same basic truth he knows from wrestling: interest alone is not enough, and a significant investment of effort is unavoidable.
League of Legends remains Castagnoli’s primary gaming interest
Castagnoli’s appearance at the 2026 World Championship reflects a genuine interest in the game rather than a passing connection to a major event. League of Legends is the title he has been playing the most, and the World Championship offers a chance to see the game presented at its most competitive level.
For fans of both wrestling and gaming, there is an understandable appeal in hearing an accomplished in-ring athlete discuss esports in serious terms. The two worlds differ greatly in presentation and skill sets, but both are shaped by preparation, repetition, strategy, focus, and the ability to deliver when the stakes rise. Castagnoli also addressed comparisons between esports accomplishments and athletic accomplishments in the wrestling ring during the same conversation, making clear that he has spent time considering the nature of competition across both spaces.
Still, his comments did not amount to an announcement of an esports transition, a plan to join a team, or a suggestion that such a change is imminent. Castagnoli instead offered a measured answer: he enjoys the scene, appreciates what its best competitors do, and is not ruling out what might happen later. At the same time, he does not see a workable path to chasing that ambition while continuing the demands of an active wrestling career.
Why an active wrestling schedule complicates a competitive gaming goal
Castagnoli’s reasoning is straightforward. Wrestling and esports are both performance-driven professions in which development cannot be easily compressed into spare moments. The time needed to become competitive in a game does not simply mean playing more often. It means studying, improving decision-making, keeping pace with changes, and consistently testing oneself against strong opponents.
That reality becomes more complicated for a wrestler who is already committed to a physical profession. Travel and wrestling appearances can disrupt routine, while the physical and mental demands of competition require recovery and focus. A person can be an avid gamer while managing those responsibilities, but Castagnoli was speaking specifically about pursuing esports at a meaningful competitive level. In his view, that would take more than the available space around an active wrestling life.
His answer also shows respect for esports competitors. Rather than treating competitive gaming as a side activity that an established athlete could simply enter on name recognition, Castagnoli emphasized the work required to earn a place at the top. He knows the barriers to entry that exist in wrestling and believes high-level League of Legends competition presents a comparable challenge.
That respect matters because the conversation around wrestlers and gaming can often center on personality, streaming, fan interaction, or leisure time. Those are all distinct from trying to become a professional competitor. Castagnoli’s comments addressed the latter, and he was candid in recognizing that a genuine attempt would need to be given the attention it deserves.
An open possibility, not a current commitment
Castagnoli ultimately left the door open without creating expectations. His repeated sentiment that people will have to “wait and see” gives him room to continue enjoying League of Legends and following its biggest events without setting a timeline for a potential esports endeavor.
For now, the clearest takeaway is that Castagnoli remains realistic about where his professional priorities lie. He is an active wrestler, and he believes a transition toward serious esports competition would likely need to come at a point when wrestling no longer requires the same degree of daily commitment. That is not a dismissal of the possibility. If anything, it is an acknowledgment that he would only want to approach it with the same seriousness he has applied to his wrestling career.
Castagnoli’s perspective may resonate with athletes and fans who balance a passion for gaming with other demanding careers. Being highly invested in a game does not automatically mean someone is positioned to pursue it professionally, particularly when another career already operates at an elite level. His comments recognize that tension without diminishing the enjoyment that comes from being part of the audience at a major esports event.
What comes next for Castagnoli and his gaming interest
There is no indication that Castagnoli is stepping away from wrestling to pursue esports, nor did he outline a specific future plan within gaming. The possibility remains exactly where he placed it: something to monitor over time.
In the meantime, his attendance at the 2026 League of Legends World Championship and his candid comments offer a glimpse into an interest outside the ring that he takes seriously. Castagnoli is clearly aware of the difference between appreciating elite esports and attempting to join its ranks. Having spent years in a profession where reaching the highest level requires sacrifice, he is not underestimating the work involved.
That measured approach is the central message from his remarks. Castagnoli may eventually explore an esports career, but he does not believe it is something he can properly pursue while he is still active in professional wrestling. Until circumstances change, he appears content to remain a fan, a player, and an observer of one of gaming’s biggest competitive stages.
Darryl Polo
Darryl Polo is a passionate wrestling fan covering WWE, AEW, TNA and beyond. He loves great rivalries, breakout stars and the moments that keep fans talking long after the bell. How we work.