Brian Cage had WWE interest on the table, but when it came time to choose, he went with the place that felt less like a gamble.
While speaking to Chris Van Vliet, Cage opened up about re-signing with AEW in 2023 and admitted he did want to go to WWE at one point. The problem was that there were no guarantees on either side, and after weighing everything out, AEW looked like the safer play.
“I mean, there was a lot of interest and it’s funny because I wanted to go there. You never, I mean, you don’t know what you’re going to get either place. There’s no guarantees.”
Cage said WWE could tell him one thing and still use him another way, so he started looking at the practical stuff. AEW already knew him, Tony Khan had kept him around, and the company offered perks that made a big difference, especially when it came to travel and outside bookings.
“And after going back and forth, all the different pros and cons, a lot of stuff with AEW just seemed more safe, if you will, which is like it’s pretty hard to have some sort of security in this business.”
He pointed out that AEW covers hotel, ground transportation, and airfare, while WWE only covers airfare. He also liked that AEW lets him work like an actual independent contractor, meaning he can take outside opportunities without being locked down the same way.
“So like travel is way better. He pays for all the travel. So hotel, ground transportation and airfare, where WWE is just airfare. We’re an actual independent contractor, so I can do anything else outside of AEW, which, you know, that’s another plus too.”
Then came the big reason. Cage said he did not have the same fear of being released if he stayed with AEW, and the longer he remains there, the more he feels like he can build real longevity.
“And then I felt like, you know, I don’t have a fear of getting released if I stay here too. The longer I stay, the longer I feel like I can just keep staying to have longevity.”
There was also one hilariously specific AEW perk: Hot Stuff. Cage said the warming gel he uses before matches was banned in WWE, but AEW lets him keep using it. He explained that it brings out redness and veins, gives him that tingling pre-match feeling, and basically helps flip the switch from Brian to Brian Cage.
“I remember at the time too, Hot Stuff was banned at WWE and I go, ‘Hey, I can use Hot Stuff here at AEW.’”
Cage said he first got hooked on it in AAA, where wrestlers used it in cold arenas to warm up. What started as a normal locker room habit became part of his routine, to the point where wrestling without it felt weird.
“I just got kind of addicted to it, almost like a pre-workout, where that tingly feeling was like my switch from, ‘Oh, Brian’ to ‘Brian Cage.’”
But when Chris Van Vliet asked if the real decision came down to job security, Cage did not hesitate: “Big time. That was the main one. That was the main one. And just longevity.”
So, Brian Cage had interest from WWE and even wanted to go there, but AEW gave him comfort, freedom, better travel, and less fear of randomly getting cut. WWE had the dream factor, but AEW had the security, and Cage picked the place where he could breathe a little easier.
What do you think about Brian Cage choosing AEW over WWE for job security? Did he make the right call? Let us know in the comments below.
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