Brian Cage On AEW, Why He's Chosen Impact Wrestling As His Home, Headlining Homecoming
With the recent formation of All Elite Wrestling, everyone has an opinion on how the promotion should be run. Most wrestlers in other promotions see AEW as nothing but a positive thing for the wrestling business as it creates more opportunities and more jobs.
Brian Cage of Impact Wrestling is of that mindset and he discussed AEW with Wrestling Inc. Managing Editor Nick Hausman during an Impact media call.
"I think it's great what they're doing," Cage said of AEW. "I thought All In was one of the coolest moments in wrestling. AEW, New Japan, Impact, ROH, WWE? there's so many awesome places to work right now including independents all over the world.
"The more places there are to work, the more opportunities for the boys?. It's not like WWE's boom [in the 1980s], but I think professional wrestling, as a whole, is definitely on a good upswing."
Cage is someone who has carved a career outside of WWE. Outside of a cup of coffee in WWE developmental, he's spent most of the last decade either with TNA/Impact or competing on the indie circuit.
Cage talked about why he chose Impact as his home and if he had opportunities to go elsewhere.
"Unfortunately, while everyone's singing my praises, no one has given me the opportunity? [Lucha] Underground definitely got me on the map and Impact offered me a deal and led the way. They gave me the ball and gave me an opportunity and I took it and ran with it," said Cage.
"Hats off to them and I'm trying to live up to my end of the bargain. So far, so good. I've enjoyed my time there and looking forward to what this year has to bring and hopefully start it off as world champion."
Already a former X-Division champion, Cage can become the Impact World Champion tonight at Impact Wrestling Homecoming. There, he will face off with current champion Johnny Impact who plans on having a couple of his Survivor castmates sitting ringside.
"He can have his Survivor buddies in the crowd," stated Cage. "I don't think that's going to affect me or give him any advantage. It didn't help him win Survivor, so why would it help him win the match?
Wrestling Inc managing editor Nick Hausman will be sitting front row for Homecoming and the Impact TV tapings the following night. He will also be attending all Homecoming VIP events, including a special Wrestling Inc Impact 2018 Awards presentation Monday before the TV tapings. Stay tuned to the site and to our Twitter account (@WrestlingInc) for all of Hausman's on-site Homecoming coverage.
The full audio of Cage's responses to Wrestling Inc can be heard in their entirety on the latest episode of our WINCLY podcast. Subscribe to Wrestling Inc Audio on iTunes to get the latest episodes of the WINCLY as soon as they are released. You can listen to the WINCLY episode featuring Cage, as well as Gail Kim and Crowbar, in the embedded player below: