At 51 years old, Christian Cage is experiencing what he believes to be the best run of his entire professional wrestling career. The current AEW star has reinvented himself as a deeply despised heel, a “patriarch” who has no problem taking deeply personal shots at his opponents’ fathers to get under their skin and gain a psychological edge. This character has not only led him to championship success but has also made him one of the most compelling and talked-about figures in the industry. His ability to generate genuine heat from the audience has been a masterclass in villainy, something he takes great pride in. The run has been a surprising and welcome late-career renaissance for the veteran, who was forced into retirement for seven years due to injuries.
Speaking with Raj Prashad for Uncrowned, Christian Cage discussed his current success and the mindset that has fueled it.
“This is, without a doubt, the greatest, the best run. Did I see it happening this late? No, but it did. And like I said, when I got my career back after being gone for seven years, I wasn’t coming back to do the greatest hits tour. I was coming back to be the best. And that’s the kind of standards that I hold myself to. Anything less than that, you would not see me step foot in that ring.”
He also explained the philosophy behind his controversial promos, which often target his opponents’ deceased fathers, and how the initial strong reaction from the fans only encouraged him to push the character further.
“When I got the reaction, it just made me want to push it further and further, and that’s what I did. I said one phrase and people went crazy with it. So I just kept pushing it and pushing it. The thing is, too, you can’t have any reservations about things like this. You have to believe in yourself and you have to be willing to go to certain places to garner reactions. I was going to places that at the time nobody else was going to. This is a very copycat-type business. When you see the influence of other people, [who] start doing and saying things in the same way that you are, then you know what you’re doing is working, especially when it runs across multiple companies and other people.”
Christian Cage is scheduled to team with his long-time partner, Adam Copeland, at the upcoming AEW All Out pay-per-view, where they will face the team of FTR.