Christian Cage is a huge name in the wrestling industry, and he made a triumphant, full-time return to wrestling when he walked onto the stage at AEW’s Revolution PPV, in a shocking moment, coming out of retirement. After storming to the top of the card, he is now finding himself a little lost in the AEW jungle, with a current lack of direction.

Christian's AEW Debut Was Lame, But He Overcame It

Despite it being a huge moment, Cage’s AEW debut came with mixed feelings amongst fans. Some rejoiced at the legend coming out of retirement, whilst others damned AEW for hyping the debut too much. Despite this, he managed to overcome that initial awkward entrance, and firmly make his place in the company.

Christian-Cage-AEW

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He began working with new names, in fresh matchups, with the younger talent and undercard of AEW, giving him some valuable opportunities to shake off ring-rust, and to give several wrestlers a chance to work with someone of Cage’s level. After several teases, it felt as though Cage was in line to challenge Kenny Omega for the AEW World Championship, finding himself as the odds-on favorite to win the Casino Battle Royal at Double or Nothing. After an entertaining exchange with Jungle Boy, Cage would be eliminated, giving the spotlight to the younger star. After a few more victories, as well as aligning with the Jurassic Express, Cage eventually found himself number one in the rankings, with the date of All Out 2021 set for his championship match against Omega.

Being In The Main Event Scene Was The Right Move For Him

It was nice to see someone with the credentials and history of Christian Cage being recognized in this prominent position. Looking back at his time in WWE, fans were over the moon when he eventually found himself in the main event scene, and it felt like a long time coming. For AEW to put him in the title scene so soon into his time with the company was a show of respect to the future Hall of Famer, and rightfully so, given that he is a true legend of the business.

Christian finally climbed the mountain in 2011

Despite this, fans were initially underwhelmed with Cage being in the title match. With All Out set to be one of the most historic shows of all time, with fans anticipating the rumored debuts of CM Punk and Bryan Danielson, some of the audience wanted to see those names facing Omega. There was also a desire for Adam Page to finally face Kenny Omega. However, in terms of AEW’s rankings and the way they build challengers, Cage made the most sense.

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Kenny Omega And Christian Had A Pair Of Great Matches

Before their AEW title showdown, the pair met on the first ever AEW Rampage, with Cage defeating Omega to win the Impact Championship. The match was a barn burner, with the crowd electric all the way through. Even though fans knew that Omega was winning at the PPV, the pair won over the crowd with a great match, building anticipation to their rematch.

Christian Cage Impact Championship AEW Rampage

The match at All Out delivered too, picking up from where they left off, showcasing great chemistry, and showing evidence that Cage was still capable of performing to a high level. Once the match was over, however, Cage was quickly swept away from the spotlight. Following the conclusion to the match, both Adam Cole and Bryan Danielson made their debuts, which unfortunately overshadowed their strong main event. Suddenly, the top contender was part of a multi-man brawl in the ring, his role being ‘just one of the faces’. Since that moment, that’s all he has been.

Christian Cage Has Lacked Direction Since AEW All Out

Out of the men feuding with The Elite, Danielson is the clear bigger star, and rightfully being pushed as a main eventer. Jungle Boy and Luchasaurus are benefitting from the exposure, but Cage, being who he is, shouldn’t be in the position of just being a ‘reinforcement’. He’s been barely featured individually, and it’s not been made clear what his motivations are going forwards.

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Danielson Jurassic Express Christian AEW

He needs a direction, whether that be trying to climb back up the ranks, feuding with up and comers, or going after the TNT or Tag Team titles. Of course, AEW has shown that having patience is worth it when they book stories, so Cage may have upcoming plans, with a potential heel turn and feud with Jungle Boy being discussed amongst fans. The fact that he has gone under the radar could even be the spark that begins that feud.

Either way, he needs to be utilized better than he currently is. Having someone with the experience of Christian Cage on the roster is hugely beneficial, so he needs to begin working with the younger talents. One criticism AEW has sometimes had, is having people suffer from a lack of direction following a loss in a title match, with the likes of Lance Archer, Brian Cage, and several others from the women’s division suffering from the same lack of direction. If AEW does in fact have plans for him, they need to ensure he doesn’t become stale or even more lost before that moment.