Christian Cage has become somewhat of an unlikely success story in 2023.
At the start of the year, few would have predicted that the ring veteran would have become the most despised wrestler and reign as one of the top champions within the promotion. Jack Perry, Wardlow, Darby Allin Nick Wayne and even longtime friend Adam Copeland were all victims of Cage’s unforgiving promos, often referencing relatives who have sadly passed away.
Despite many who have followed the career of Cage and have seen him play the villain in WWE and TNA, the work of the 50-year-old wrestler has been next level in All Elite Wrestling. Not looking to take it easy in the final years of his in-ring career, the TNT Champion has explained why.
Speaking with TSN, Cage addressed his first in-ring retirement back in 2014 and stated that he has increased his work rate in all areas to make up for lost time:
“My career was taken away from me, there’s no secret about that, and it was a gift to get it back. It wasn’t good enough for me just to get it back. I had seven years of lost time to make up for.”
Cage continued, believing that he is the best active wrestler in his age bracket and that he had one main goal upon returning:
“I feel like I’m in my prime and I just turned 50 years old. Nobody is doing it like I am at this age. The window is only open for a short amount of time and I wanted to come back and prove that I am one of the best, if not the best, to ever do it.”
Christian Cage will have another chance to prove he’s the best, as Adam Copeland has challenged his rival to a No DQ match at AEW Worlds End.
Why Was Christian Cage Never The Guy In WWE?
While being recognised for his accomplishments in AEW, Cage was never portrayed as a top star in WWE, even when he was the World Heavyweight Champion. Despite being in one of the top tag teams in the Attitude Era, it was clear that higher-ups viewed Edge as the solo star of the group. When asked about Christian Cage’s time in WWE, a Hall of Famer revealed why he overlooked.