Cezar Bononi Gets Candid About His WWE Release

While Cezar Bononi has recently gotten headlines for hiding Jordynne Grace and Ethan Page in his garage prior to their "NXT" debuts, he's also been known for his own wrestling career in AEW and WWE. Bononi's spent four years in WWE, working from 2016 to 2020, when Bononi was let go from WWE as part of a wave of cuts related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In an appearance on "Developmentally Speaking," Bononi talked about the hardships following his release, brought on by worries that he would have to leave the US and head back to his native Brazil.

"I had no idea what to do," Bononi said. "And I had thirty days to leave the country, cause my visa was linked to them [WWE]. So I had to [leave] and they were forcing me, 'Hey, you've got to decide whatever we're going to do. We have to buy you a ticket, because you cannot stay in the United States.' And I was very blessed to get the opportunity to apply for a green card, and it worked."

Bononi's issues weren't over, however, as he then had to figure out a way to make money while waiting out his non-compete clause.

"I had to wait until I could actually work," Bononi said. "So I was trying my best to find ways to meet end...I was baking some Brazillian desserts, and I was selling them to my friends. I was waiting for opportunities, [then] I got opportunities in AEW. And that started to get better, but then those opportunities went off, then my son was born, and my wife was diagnosed with leukemia. Then everything went even lower. But after that as well, I got more opportunities in AEW, and finally got a contract right there. So everything ended up good."

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit "Developmentally Speaking" and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription