This stuff will happen with all the talent AEW has under contract. I’m a fan of Cage in-ring but the guy has never been a good promo and it’s really glaring in AEW. I think he’s been used fine personally
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Brian Cage is so physically gifted but has the personality of a tree.
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Something tells me Tony Khan isn’t gonna refuse to release you like Vince. Go be a monster and rip through the talent on Impact or somewhere else if that’s how he feels he should be used. This roster is loaded and Cage isn’t on that level. I don’t think too many AEW fans are clamouring for more Brian Cage right now.
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I don’t think Impact would do that again lol been there done that, and it didn’t exactly set the world on fire
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Honestly one of the most uninteresting people on the AEW roster. He has had some very good matches over the last year (Hangman and Starks)… But he’s not now or likely ever going to be “the Guy” in AEW.
He’s also lucky they gave him a shot. If I remember correctly, he was supposed to be the Joker in the original Casino Battle Royale - but wasn’t completely open / clear to have the spot and as a result, put AEW in a bad spot the night of their launch.
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I’ve been a fan of his work since Lucha Underground, but he doesn’t come across as a top guy in AEW. He does need a mouthpiece…perhaps his wife could fill that role?
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That’s going to be AEW’s downfall, piling up all these talents with not enough time for them.
I feel like he’s positioned about right. Without a stronger personality coming through, I don’t see him on the same level as the very top stars in the company, nor is he someone they’re going to look at as a long-term project. I guess she’s making the argument that he’s so physically imposing and talented, he should just be allowed to run roughshod over everyone without having to do a lot of promo/ character work. That’s a very WWE kind of approach and not one that does anything for me, although I know others like it. I hope they manage to sort things out to everyone’s satisfaction.
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So then let the unhappy people go and do whatever makes them happy. It would be one thing if the fans were chanting “BRI-AN CA-AGE” all Dyanamite long and there simply wasn’t enough time to squeeze him in. That’s not the case. The fanbase seems largely indifferent to Brian Cage and most of us (along with the booker and EVPs at AEW) are focused on our shiny new toys.
Drawing another parallel to the NFL, I’m sure this isn’t the first time Tony has dealt with professional athletes who are unhappy in their role. On a 53 man game-day roster, there is always going to be someone on the outside looking in. Aging veterans replaced by young rookies; fourth round draft picks losing a roster spot to Frank Gore. End of the day what matters most is putting together the best 53 man roster you possibly can, to get the best chance to win. Differences being that Tony is limited more by TV time than roster size, and “winning” is about doing big TV numbers and gaining market share.
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And it’s not like he hasn’t been given opportunities to produce or get over.
He was put over as a big surprise in his debut.
He had a very competitive match with Moxley for the AEW Championship.
He was given a faction. He was leader of that group.
He was given the only straight up win over Adam Page all year.
He’s been given chances to shine.
The biggest issue is just circumstances. Ricky Starks is a major future star. It’s like when The Rock was playing second fiddle to Farooq. The Rock is going to outshine whomever he is next to. That’s what’s happened to Cage.
He’s very talented - but so is the entire roster. He has yet to do anything to make himself stand out.
There are way more interesting and capable talents that I could see this argument from, who have not been given the same chances as he has. Stu Grayson for example, off the top of my hear. But the difference is, he’s in an angle and group that HAS connected.
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I do love Brian Cage in the ring, but I think he’s honestly a bit of a pussy. When he was a heel with Taz, Taz was front and center. This guy should have stepped up and said that he should be in the front. Instead, he stood back there with a dorky look on his face.
Then he turned face and has shown no fire or charisma at all. Compared to Powerhouse Hobbs, who as a heel, looks like he’s going to fucking murder you and his brief run as a face before joining Taz, I remember being impressed with how much fire he showed.
Am I missing something or did Brian Cage say this himself or was it just Santos’s stating her opinion?
EDIT:
Shout out @MarkP for the below…Thanks, I honestly didn’t know their connection but assumed they had one. That was what I was looking for.
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I mean, his wife said it - and he retweeted it.
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You can’t make everyone happy.
To be honest everyone should be wanting more. It’s human nature and in someways very healthy for everyone to want to strive to be the top guy of acompany. It doesn’t mean you have to sulk and be unhappy but it does mean that you should always be trying to push yourself so you can get that brass ring so to speak. Even though in WWE you can work as hard as you want and not get there, I have the feeling in AEW that kind of work ethic is rewarded.
That being said, I don’t think I’ve seen anything from Brian Cage that would indicate he’s really pushing himself for that brass ring and not getting it.
This isn’t ricochet killing himself at money in the bank and then being on Main event next week. Or this isnt a Daniel Bryan getting thunderous YES chants and then being relegated out of the main event of wrestlemania 30.
This is a decent wrestler with a great look who really hasn’t stood out and has poor mic skills. The fans aren’t clamouring for him. He isn’t putting on 5 star matches and being ignored. Most people think he is slotted where he should be.
If he wants more then show it. And then if you still don’t get it I understand the frustration
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Just watched this weeks Dark Side of the Ring and the best thing AEW could do for next week is pair Brian Cage up with James Mitchell to do his talking. Ride some of that Chris Kanyon love from this episode and establish these guys as a wrestler and manager combo. I had no idea that Cage got his ‘Who better?’ saying from Kanyon.
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Then you have Cage win the FTW title back and he applies some kind of gimmick to his title, something like the pure wrestling title in ROH. Something to honor Kanyon and his innovative offence. I’m not a details guy so I’m not sure what the gimmick is, but they could do something unique.