In signing Christian Cage, AEW has scored a massive win over WWE. Since launching in 2019, All Elite Wrestling has brought together an eclectic collection of stars from across the professional wrestling spectrum, many of whom joined the company from industry big boys, WWE. From Jon Moxley to FTR, AEW has become somewhat of a haven for WWE’s myriad of underused talent. But the Tony Khan wrestle farm recently shocked the world by tempting Paul Wight, formerly known as Big Show, across the divide. As a veteran talent, Wight’s Dynamite debut was fairly understated, but he did promise a “Hall of Fame-worthy” signing for the upcoming Revolution pay-per-view.
Days of intense speculation ensured, with Kurt Angle and CM Punk among the favorites, but when the night arrived, it was Christian Cage (reverting to his former moniker) that strode out and signed on the dotted line. Christian was widely considered one of the greatest workers in wrestling before his retirement due to injury in 2015. Despite no longer being active, Christian continued to work for WWE as a media personality, but began taking bumps and performing moves in 2020, culminating in an unsanctioned match against Randy Orton in June. With plenty of unfinished business, Christian is a fantastic acquisition for AEW – an experienced hand with the hunger of a newbie.
While Christian is the latest in a long line of wrestlers to make the short journey from the Performance Center to Daily’s Place, his signing is arguably the one that’ll sting most for WWE. Looking at previous defections, AEW’s new acquisitions were either buried before leaving (Jon Moxley, FTR), arrived with zero momentum after an extended period away from the spotlight (Brodie Lee, Matt Hardy), or were already heavily rumored for AEW after becoming free agents (Miro, Matt Cardona). Christian Cage is a different prospect entirely.
Christian was an outside pick to be Paul Wight’s mystery newcomer, but those rumors only began after the giant’s tease earlier in the week. Before then, there was no real speculation Christian could be AEW-bound, and many simply assumed he was still on WWE’s payroll. More importantly, Christian arrives in AEW with considerable momentum after making a comeback at WWE’s 2021 Royal Rumble, which was held just over a month ago. Christian lasted almost 20 minutes and was among the final crop of entrants vying for victory, enjoying a featured moment with Edge before being ejected by Seth Rollins. It was an impressive return for Christian, leaving fans eager for more, and WWE perhaps won’t be happy to see that Royal Rumble momentum carry over into AEW.
Opinion is mixed on whether the rivalry between AEW and WWE is real, or merely the product of fans pining for the old “Monday Night Wars.” On one hand, AEW is more than happy to fire shots (see Paul Wight’s T-shirt), and WWE’s NXT has counter-programmed every major episode of Dynamite for over a year. On the other, Wight himself recently revealed that Vince McMahon offered congratulations and well wishes on his AEW move, suggesting the rivalry isn’t quite as intense as some might think. With this in mind, Christian’s Royal Rumble appearance might’ve been a final goodbye before moving to pastures new. What can be said for certain, however, is that WWE transfers have previously arrived in AEW with the least buzz possible. That isn’t the case with Christian, for whom the Royal Rumble excitement is still relatively fresh.
