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Former TNT Champion Christian Cage Discusses His Surprise Signing With AEW and Retirement

Christian Cage recently discussed why he signed with AEW and when he plans on retiring. In the last five years or so the wrestling world has seen so many wrestlers return from career-ending injuries. Cage is one of those wrestlers who was able to return to the ring and find success.
AEW Christian Cage and Adam Copeland

Christian Cage recently discussed why he signed with AEW and when he plans on retiring. In the last five years or so the wrestling world has seen so many wrestlers return from career-ending injuries. Cage is one of those wrestlers who was able to return to the ring and find success.

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Christian Cage is best known for his time in WWE. He wrestled for the promotion starting in 1998 until 2005 when he left for TNA. Eventually he returned to WWE in 2009. However, in 2014 he was forced to retire due to concussion issues. He made occasional appearances in WWE throughout the following years.

CHRISTIAN CAGE REVEALS THE DETAILS BEHIND HIS AEW SIGNING

In 2021 Christian Cage decided to enter into part two of his legendary wrestling career. He was recently a guest on INSIGHT With Chris Van Vliet and talked about the wrestler who encouraged him to talk to Tony Khan and sign with AEW.

“Jon Moxley called me, and we were talking and when he found out that I wasn’t signed [by WWE] he was blown away by that. He said, ‘You should have a conversation with Tony Khan.’ I was like, ‘I don’t know,’ and he said, ‘Well, you’re actually an idiot if you don’t. You hold all the cards here.’ He said, ‘You have the ability to pick the stage where you finish your career. You should at least have a conversation, don’t you think?’ I said, ‘If Tony [Khan] wants to talk to me then I would love to have a conversation with him.'”

H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription
AEW Christian Cage
Courtesy Of AEW

Later that day Cage received a text from Khan. In 2021 he made a full return to the AEW wrestling ring. He had previously only taken a few bumps and appeared in the Royal Rumble match. Cage admits that the hype around his signing was not all positive. He said many of the fans were hoping it would be someone else. He also revealed that many fans thought the hype was too big for someone like himself.

However, it didn’t take him long for Cage to insert himself as one of the top guys in the company. After losing to Jungle Boy Jack Perry in the finals of the Casino Battle Royale, he took Perry under his wing and began mentoring him.

AEW Adam Copeland Edge and Christian Cage
Courtesy Of AEW

Shortly after Cage was named as the number one contender for the AEW World Champion Kenny Omega’s title. At this time Cage was undefeated and the two men would have a match on the premier episode of AEW Rampage for Omega’s IMPACT World Championship and Cage would take that championship from Omega. The two men would meet again shortly after, but this time for Omega’s AEW World Championship. This time around Omega would come out the victor.

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Christian Cage eventually set his sights on the TNT Championship. He became arguably one of the best champions in the championship’s short history. He talked about making the TNT Championship mean something again. Christian Cage continued:

“I revived that title to make it at one point, I’ll die on this hill, that it was as prestigious, if not more prestigious than the world title when I had that run. We were main-eventing a pay-per-view, WrestleDream with it … there’s probably a lot of people in the room that thought that the [his AEW] signing was overhyped, and I just wanted to make them eat their words.”

H/T Wrestling Inc. for the transcription
AEW Adam Copeland Edge and Christian Cage
Courtesy Of AEW

Cage held the championship on multiple occasions. During his run as champion, he began feuding with his longtime friend Adam Copeland formerly known as Edge in WWE. The two men traded the championship back and forth. The championship is currently vacant after Copeland jumped off the top of a cage and broke his leg.

Cage is still going strong in AEW. His most recent high-profile match was against AEW World Champion Swerve Strickland at AEW Double or Nothing. Cage has shown that he can do anything and go after any championship in AEW. The sky’s the limit as far as what he can do next. However, the one thing Cage can’t overcome is age. As he is 50, retirement is something he has in the back of his mind. He revealed when he plans on retiring.

“I always said that I would do it till it wasn’t fun, that was my barometer on it. How can I not be having fun right now? I have no timeline. I signed a [new] contract, I think I have another three years left on this contract. So we’ll get to the end of that, and then see what happens. 

“But you know, I feel like I have a lot of knowledge. I feel like I don’t know everything, but I know a lot. And I feel like I think [about] the business differently and I layout matches and I see matches differently than other people do. I would like to, at some point, when the time is right, obviously, to give back to the business that has done what it’s done for me.”

H/T Wrestling Inc. for the transcription
AEW Christian Cage
Courtesy Of AEW

Now that Cage is titless it seems like only a matter of time before he holds the AEW World Championship. However, he could also grab the TNT Championship yet again.

What have you thought of Christian Cage’s run in AEW? What about his feud with Copeland? Would you like him to continue to go after the AEW World Championship again or the TNT Championship? Let us know on social media if you would like to see him have one last run in WWE before he retires.

SOURCE: Wrestling Inc., INSIGHT With Chris Van Vliet, Wrestling Inc., Wrestling Inc.

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Robert Watson

Just a guy reading comics, watching wrestling, and wondering if aliens exist