# Brian Cage signs with AEW



## M1M2M3M4M5M6M7M8 (Dec 15, 2004)

> *Brian Cage* has signed a multi-year deal with *All Elite Wrestling* SoCalUncensored.com has confirmed with multiple sources. No start date was given but we were advised “soon.” The former Impact World Champion and Lucha Underground Gift of the Gods Champion went to a no-contest with Rob Van Dam earlier tonight at Impact’s _Hard to Kill_ pay-per-view.
> 
> Cage, who became a free agent when his contract with Impact expired, reportedly received offers from Impact to stay and an offer to go to Ring of Honor but decided to go with AEW. The Ring of Honor contract offer is said to have been for the highest dollar amount, but they do not offer the exposure that AEW currently has.
> It was not revealed to us when Cage would debut for AEW. He almost appeared in the first Casino Battle Royale at AEW’s _Double or Nothing_ pay-per-view on May 25, 2019, but was prevented from appearing by Impact’s Don Callis, who didn’t feel it was in their best interest to have their World Champion lose in a pre-show battle royal.
> ...


Source: Brian Cage signs with AEW | SoCalUNCENSORED.com


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## The Dude (Jan 1, 2020)

If true, that’s a tremendous, tremendous signing.

He needs to be given some hype up to his debut and then he needs to be out square into the main event scene.


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## El Hammerstone (Jan 11, 2020)

I stopped watching TNA/Impact before Cage came into the company, somebody tell me how should I feel about this?


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## Alexander_G (Mar 10, 2018)

Well they've finally got some muscle men on the show.


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## TD Stinger (May 9, 2012)

Well, guess that explains why he got jobbed out at Hard to Kill tonight.

Not the tallest guy, but looks like a freak of nature compared to the rest of the AEW roster. Combine that with his athletic ability, he's a great addition to their roster if he can stay healthy.


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## imthegame19 (Oct 12, 2008)

El Hammerstone said:


> I stopped watching TNA/Impact before Cage came into the company, somebody tell me how should I feel about this?


Hes big signing for sure. He was one of Impact top guys. He's big power monster AEW is lacking.


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## El Hammerstone (Jan 11, 2020)

imthegame19 said:


> Hes big signing for sure. He was one of Impact top guys. He's big power monster AEW is lacking.


Yeah, I'm currently watching highlights of his cage match with Sami Callihan, he seems very promising.


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## Oracle (Nov 9, 2011)

Never seen him before but everyone on this forum has a lot of praise for him.


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## imthegame19 (Oct 12, 2008)

El Hammerstone said:


> Yeah, I'm currently watching highlights of his cage match with Sami Callihan, he seems very promising.


Yeah this came out of nowhere. I'm shocked news didn't leak of his deal running out. I figured Impact would have locked him up with how they were pushing him as their top face for a while. This is a big signing for AEW. Once they put title on Moxley this is perfect type of monster. You stack the odds against Moxley with. I thought they might bring in Ryback for this type of role. But they clearly don't need him now.


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## The Dude (Jan 1, 2020)

So what vanilla midget is he going to be a bodyguard for while never wrestling or doing anything of note?

I’ll go with Kip Sabian.



imthegame19 said:


> Yeah this came out of nowhere. I'm shocked news didn't leak of his deal running out. I figured Impact would have locked him up with how they were pushing him as their top face for a while. This is a big signing for AEW. Once they put title on Moxley this is perfect type of monster. You stack the odds against Moxley with. I thought they might bring in Ryback for this type of role. But they clearly don't need him now.


Why don’t they need Ryback? You’ve decided that there can only be one big man on the roster? While the rest of it is filled out with 180 pound lightweights?

The more people they bring in that actually look like wrestlers, the more people will watch.


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## imthegame19 (Oct 12, 2008)

Oracle said:


> Never seen him before but everyone on this forum has a lot of praise for him.



Lol it's sad how nobody watches Impact wrestling anymore. When one of their top stars leave. People still don't know who he is lol.


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## Soul Rex (Nov 26, 2017)

Great signing, hope they put him in the main picture right away.


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## The Wood (Nov 7, 2003)

Good signing for AEW. He’s got a good look and he seems pretty talented.


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## Purple Haze (Sep 30, 2019)

Grat addition to AEW's roster.


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## imthegame19 (Oct 12, 2008)

I wonder if they will wait to Revolution for him to make his debut? It's funny all these people saying they need to add more guys. Then out of nowhere they sign big free agent and guys like Brodie Lee, Killer Kross and Matt Hardy are still gonna be available. 


Like I said all along you gotta give AEW time to build up their roster. With how many wrestling companies they're today. You can't expect them to have perfect roster from day 1. AEW roster is only gonna get better and they will only continue to grow as a company.


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## captainzombie (Oct 21, 2013)

I was never a fan of Cage's, but he has the look, versatile for a big man in the ring, and can cut a promo so its a great signing for AEW.


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## reyfan (May 23, 2011)

Hopefully he doesn't come in as someones body guard like they've done every other big guy.


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## imthegame19 (Oct 12, 2008)

reyfan said:


> Hopefully he doesn't come in as someones body guard like they've done every other big guy.


Hes not some green low level indie guy like Wardlow and under contract with to fight MMA like Hager. So I don't think it will be a issue.


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## The Dude (Jan 1, 2020)

imthegame19 said:


> Hes not some green low level indie guy like Wardlow and under contract with to fight MMA like Hager. So I don't think it will be a issue.


Those aren’t excuses for why AEW treats two of their potentially biggest stars as nobodies.

The real reason is cuz they’re obsessed with the 180 pound gymnastic acrobats.


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## The Golden Shovel (Jan 19, 2017)

I'd hate to be running their wellness policy with Cage and Billy Gunn around.


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## Intimidator3 (Sep 28, 2019)

Good deal. I'm not super familiar with him but he's got the look. I've only seen a few highlights but he seems to be good enough in the ring too.

Cage, Wardlow, Blade and Butcher, all the recent new guys are big bodies, that's a plus.

Hope Luke Harper is next.


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## Boldgerg (Apr 2, 2017)

FUCK YES.


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## Taroostyles (Apr 1, 2007)

A huge pick up for AEW. A talented big man who has presence and can work his ass off too. Him vs Kenny should headline a PPV this year.


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## bdon (Nov 12, 2019)

Taroostyles said:


> A huge pick up for AEW. A talented big man who has presence and can work his ass off too. Him vs Kenny should headline a PPV this year.


Yep. Kenny can job and put over someone else. Cody’s already got it booked after Kenny helps get Page over.


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## USAUSA1 (Sep 17, 2006)

Tessa is impact champion, that would make anyone leave. 

Cage Lucha underground work is his best work.


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## Jazminator (Jan 9, 2018)

Good signing. I wonder if Melissa will be joining him in AEW?


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## Alright_Mate (Jul 21, 2014)

Every PWG event I've seen him on his matches have always been the most boring.

A big guy who is pretty much a spot monkey, "Look at me, I can do a moonsault".

AEW need more big guys but Brian Cage isn't the answer.


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## Jazminator (Jan 9, 2018)

Impact still has a lot of talent on its roster. Tessa. Callihan. Ace Austin. Rosemary. Willie Mack. Eddie Edwards. Etc.


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## Chris JeriG.O.A.T (Jun 17, 2014)

Yes! The bodyguard division is almost complete.


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## RainmakerV2 (Nov 8, 2017)

Love his look, hate the way he wrestles. Guys that look like him working like a cruiserweight screams tryhard novelty act to me. Sorry.


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## Garty (Jul 29, 2007)

Oracle said:


> Never seen him before but everyone on this forum has a lot of praise for him.


Before you say that, you'd better ask The Wood how much of that praise is actually deserved. I'm sure he has all his ratings information, needle-mover scale, reasons why he's not and he's an idiot for not going to WWE. 

He's a fellow Aussie. Help him, will 'ya? G'day.


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## imthegame19 (Oct 12, 2008)

Jazminator said:


> Impact still has a lot of talent on its roster. Tessa. Callihan. Ace Austin. Rosemary. Willie Mack. Eddie Edwards. Etc.


AEW could use some of their women. But I'm not sure they have roster room for too many more guys. Cage was big signing. Hes another top of the card wrestler in his prime. if they get a few names from WWE their roster(Brodie Lee and or Matt Hardy) will look pretty strong.


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## The Dude (Jan 1, 2020)

RainmakerV2 said:


> Love his look, hate the way he wrestles. Guys that look like him working like a cruiserweight screams tryhard novelty act to me. Sorry.


And you know AEW is gonna let him flip flop all over the place instead of making him wrestle like a big man.


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## The Dude (Jan 1, 2020)

Garty said:


> Before you say that, you'd better ask The Wood how much of that praise is actually deserved. I'm sure he has all his ratings information, needle-mover scale, reasons why he's not and he's an idiot for not going to WWE.
> 
> He's a fellow Aussie. Help him, will 'ya? G'day.


You don’t see the irony that you’re now doing exactly what you accused Wood of doing in that unhinged diatribe you wrote in the other thread?


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## Jazminator (Jan 9, 2018)

imthegame19 said:


> AEW could use some of their women. But I'm not sure they have roster room for too many more guys. Cage was big signing. Hes another top of the card wrestler in his prime. if they get a few names from WWE their roster(Brodie Lee and or Matt Hardy) will look pretty strong.


You have a good point. But I would still love to see Sami Callihan in AEW someday. A feud between him and Moxley would be pretty epic.


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## Garty (Jul 29, 2007)

The Dude said:


> You don’t see the irony that you’re now doing exactly what you accused Wood of doing in that unhinged diatribe you wrote in the other thread?


I guess you don't either than, huh?


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## FaceTime Heel (Sep 1, 2016)

Big fan of this move. Seems like he'll be a nice fit for the company and vise versa.


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## shandcraig (Mar 23, 2008)

His terminator gimmick is cool but his personality is as flat as paper. Hes simply not going to get over and of he does well thats good. Maybe aew will be the platform to see a different version of cage. He didnt get over in impact but it doesn't mean he cant be something else in aew and it possibly works. So of course I'll give it a chance


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## Undertaker23RKO (Jun 11, 2011)

USAUSA1 said:


> Tessa is impact champion, that would make anyone leave.
> 
> Cage Lucha underground work is his best work.


Holy crap. No wonder no one cares about Impact.


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## taker1986 (Sep 14, 2016)

The Dude said:


> Why don’t they need Ryback? You’ve decided that there can only be one big man on the roster? While the rest of it is filled out with 180 pound lightweights?
> 
> The more people they bring in that actually look like wrestlers, the more people will watch.


Not only that but he adds star power being a former WWE guy that's main evened PPVs against the likes of Cena and Punk. Of course they still need someone like him. AEW would be fools not to sign Ryback.


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## The Wood (Nov 7, 2003)

Garty said:


> Before you say that, you'd better ask The Wood how much of that praise is actually deserved. I'm sure he has all his ratings information, needle-mover scale, reasons why he's not and he's an idiot for not going to WWE.
> 
> He's a fellow Aussie. Help him, will 'ya? G'day.


He was in WWE developmental. He was let go. Not sure if it's because they didn't see anything in him or it was a mutual thing. 

He's never been in a position to really draw, except for maybe AAA? We'll see how he does in AEW.


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## Jazminator (Jan 9, 2018)

When he debuts, should he be a face or a heel?

Who should he feud with first?


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## The Wood (Nov 7, 2003)

Ryback is...not really a star. He was exposed a fair bit in WWE. I mean, I'm happy to be turned around on the guy, but I don't think the guy would impact their ratings in the same way a Randy Orton, CM Punk or Brock Lesnar would.


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## M1M2M3M4M5M6M7M8 (Dec 15, 2004)

__ https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1216583725875527680

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## The Wood (Nov 7, 2003)

Jazminator said:


> When he debuts, should he be a face or a heel?
> 
> Who should he feud with first?


Have Arn Anderson bring him in as a babyface ally to Cody to counteract Wardlow.


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## The Wood (Nov 7, 2003)

Lol if he doesn't sign with AEW and ROH breaks bank on him or something.


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## Lorromire (Jun 17, 2014)

Ehh. I'm not a fan of Cage. Everything I've seen from him has been average at best. It'll be nice to have a more muscular guy on the show, though. Even if he's like 5ft tall like everyone else.


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## The Dude (Jan 1, 2020)

Jazminator said:


> When he debuts, should he be a face or a heel?
> 
> Who should he feud with first?


I actually think they should debut Ryback first as a hire gun for somebody. Maybe Jericho brings him into the Inner Circle and has him go after Moxley as revenge for last week?

A few weeks later, Mox says he’s got something up his sleeve to fend of Ryback..... and here comes Cage. And you make him look like a MONSTER when he debuts. He’s gotta do some kind of crazy feat of strength like tear down the ring or something.

Then go go into Revolution with a double main event of Jericho/Moxley and Ryback/Cage.

Having those two go at each other right away is gonna get them a big surge in viewers.


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## Taroostyles (Apr 1, 2007)

My guess would be he debuts at Revolution to make it seem even bigger. 

He automatically enters the main event tier which currently has 3 faces (Cody, Kenny, and Mox) and 3 heels (Jericho, MJF, and Pac) plus Page who is on the verge of turning. I would say he debuts as a monster face and likely feuds with Pac.


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## Garty (Jul 29, 2007)

The Wood said:


> He was in WWE developmental. He was let go. Not sure if it's because they didn't see anything in him or it was a mutual thing.
> 
> He's never been in a position to really draw, except for maybe AAA? We'll see how he does in AEW.


C'mon Wood, there has to be a "but..." coming, right? Does this mean you're actually going to watch the show and critique him, or just use your usual barometer critique insight? And don't try the "nice guy act" of moral high ground now. It makes you look two-faced. Oh wait... you are.


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## imthegame19 (Oct 12, 2008)

taker1986 said:


> Not only that but he adds star power being a former WWE guy that's main evened PPVs against the likes of Cena and Punk. Of course they still need someone like him. AEW would be fools not to sign Ryback.


Yes it would be great to add unlimited wrestlers to the roster. But that's not realistic. The don't have 3 hour shows or multiple shows on tv. They have 1 two hour so, there only room for so many guys. 


Right now there only using Moxley, Omega, Jericho, Cody, MJF, Page,Pac, Darby Allin, Sammy Guevara and Dustin Rhodes on t.v. consistently that aren't part of a tag team. Now you are adding Cage to the mix. 

Which is good and you can book less tag guys then. But there isn't really room to many more singles acts. Having both Cage and Ryback. Will make Cage less special. So makes sense to only go after Ryback if they miss out on Brodie Lee or Killer Kross.


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## imthegame19 (Oct 12, 2008)

Jazminator said:


> When he debuts, should he be a face or a heel?
> 
> Who should he feud with first?


With Page probably turning heel. I can see him coming in as a face. But if I'm booking I make him a heel.

Faces
Moxley 
Omega 
Cody
Cage

Heels
Jericho
Page
MJF
Pac

As your top guys. You can add Hager in the group and Dustin or Darby. If Hager ever wrestlers lol. I would like to see Pac or Hager feud first. I wouldn't be surprised if it's Jericho tho. If Moxley moves on to someone else.


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## imthegame19 (Oct 12, 2008)

M1M2M3M4M5M6M7M8 said:


> __ https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1216583725875527680
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


I'm sure Cage and AEW aren't happy this got leaked. They probably wanted his debut be big surprise. I'm guessing someone in Impact Wrestling leaked it. To ruin the surprise for AEW.


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## Cult03 (Oct 31, 2016)

Garty said:


> Before you say that, you'd better ask The Wood how much of that praise is actually deserved. I'm sure he has all his ratings information, needle-mover scale, reasons why he's not and he's an idiot for not going to WWE.
> 
> He's a fellow Aussie. Help him, will 'ya? G'day.


That's racist...
Also off topic.



M1M2M3M4M5M6M7M8 said:


> __ https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1216583725875527680
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


He's probably about to sign with ROH too. Another miss for AEW

Also, this is pretty much another case of a dirt sheet putting 2 and 2 together and guessing just because of how he was treated at a PPV. It's how companies utilize talent when they're leaving the company.


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## The Wood (Nov 7, 2003)

Cult03 said:


> He's probably about to sign with ROH too. Another miss for AEW


Hell, if I'm Scurll and I want to play, I definitely try and go after all the free agents that AEW would want. Brian Cage is definitely one of them. I'd try and get Melissa Santos too. Give the married couple two paychecks and they could be millionaires by the end of it. That's pretty appealing...

If I'm ROH, I'm going hard after Brodie Lee, FTR and Matt Hardy when their deals are up too. You want that perception that you've got the moolah and you're serious. You'll find ways to use them as talent, coaches, trainers and stars at some point.


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## taker1986 (Sep 14, 2016)

imthegame19 said:


> Yes it would be great to add unlimited wrestlers to the roster. But that's not realistic. The don't have 3 hour shows or multiple shows on tv. They have 1 two hour so, there only room for so many guys.
> 
> 
> Right now there only using Moxley, Omega, Jericho, Cody, MJF, Page,Pac, Darby Allin, Sammy Guevara and Dustin Rhodes on t.v. consistently that aren't part of a tag team. Now you are adding Cage to the mix.
> ...


I'm not saying they should sign everyone, but if someone like Ryback is available then they should absolutely sign him. No reason why they can't have Ryback, Cage and Brodie Lee.


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## The Wood (Nov 7, 2003)

taker1986 said:


> I'm not saying they should sign everyone, but if someone like Ryback is available then they should absolutely sign him. No reason why they can't have Ryback, Cage and Brodie Lee.


Well, the big reason might be ROH breaking bank and maybe putting pressure on anyone who wants to work in New Japan to stay right away from AEW.


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## imthegame19 (Oct 12, 2008)

taker1986 said:


> I'm not saying they should sign everyone, but if someone like Ryback is available then they should absolutely sign him. No reason why they can't have Ryback, Cage and Brodie Lee.


They can have all three. But it's likely two are going to be mid carders then. That's all I'm saying. When you got two hour so. That as long matches and focuses a lot on tag team action. There's only so many guys they can use in singles consistently.


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## taker1986 (Sep 14, 2016)

The Wood said:


> Well, the big reason might be ROH breaking bank and maybe putting pressure on anyone who wants to work in New Japan to stay right away from AEW.


Yeah that's a worry. If Tony Kahn is serious he needs show everyone he means business by outbidding ROH for those guys. No reason AEW should be losing guys to ROH if they try hard enough.


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## taker1986 (Sep 14, 2016)

imthegame19 said:


> They can have all three. But it's likely two are going to be mid carders then. That's all I'm saying. When you got two hour so. That as long matches and focuses a lot on tag team action. There's only so many guys they can use in singles consistently.


Yeah I'm mot saying they'd all be main event players. One or two would be in the mid card, but adding them makes it a stronger mid card. I'd rather have a mid card consisting of Ryback/Cage/Brodie Lee rather than Janela/Sabian/Spears.


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## Reggie Dunlop (Nov 2, 2015)

taker1986 said:


> Yeah that's a worry. If Tony Kahn is serious he needs show everyone he means business by outbidding ROH for those guys. No reason AEW should be losing guys to ROH if they try hard enough.


They can’t give away the store to everybody. ROH basically gave Marty the book — how does a small company that’s already top-heavy match that? You make these guys the best offers and creative prospects you can based on what you think they’re worth, and they either accept it or they don’t. You want people working for you because they want to work for you, not because you’re offering the fattest paycheck just to get them in the door. Give everybody big money and a rocket on their ass and you end up with the last days of WCW. It’s just bad business. There’s no magic bullet here to instantly snap every great talent in the business into a contract.


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## The Wood (Nov 7, 2003)

taker1986 said:


> Yeah that's a worry. If Tony Kahn is serious he needs show everyone he means business by outbidding ROH for those guys. No reason AEW should be losing guys to ROH if they try hard enough.


Sinclair might be able to take Khan on in terms of philosophy plus the salary. If Khan is being stingy, which I don't buy, because it makes no sense, then Sinclair can back up the trucks to people who want to wrestle outside of WWE but not compromise their dignity by working for AEW. 

What a fucking wrinkle in this story.


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## imthegame19 (Oct 12, 2008)

taker1986 said:


> Yeah I'm mot saying they'd all be main event players. One or two would be in the mid card, but adding them makes it a stronger mid card. I'd rather have a mid card consisting of Ryback/Cage/Brodie Lee rather than Janela/Sabian/Spears.


Janela/Sabian/Spears aren't going anywhere tho. Signing guys doesn't make guys under contract just disappear. Besides the battle royal Janela has wrestled two matches on Dynamite, Spears has wrestled three and Sabian has wrestled 1 on Dynamite. 


So even if you add all their wrestling appearances on Dynamite together they would still only be on half the shows. That's why I said there not ton of room. Yes they could stop using a guy like Trent in so many singles matches. But still it feels like if you add too many guys. You are just adding more competition for AEW Dark. I just don't want AEW to sign a guy like Ryback or Lee and struggle to find tv time for them. When they kind of both left WWE for being used poorly already.


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## The Wood (Nov 7, 2003)

Reggie Dunlop said:


> They can’t give away the store to everybody. ROH basically gave Marty the book — how does a small company that’s already top-heavy match that? You make these guys the best offers and creative prospects you can based on what you think they’re worth, and they either accept it or they don’t. You want people working for you because they want to work for you, not because you’re offering the fattest paycheck just to get them in the door. Give everybody big money and a rocket on their ass and you end up with the last days of WCW. It’s just bad business. There’s no magic bullet here to instantly snap every great talent in the business into a contract.


Television is very different now. WCW were not getting giant TV rights fees. Turner owned the company, they weren't going to pay themselves. Big, fat paychecks come from TV rights fees. There a billionaires controlling these things. Paying 100 guys $1 million might seem excessive, but Vince McMahon gets that back *over five times* from his TV rights fees each year. When you've got five-year TV contracts, you can afford to look into the future and pay guys that much money. 

If that TV rights money disappears, you're fucked, of course. That has always been the issue with WWE and why they were, at one point, so very fucking worried about the _idea_ of AEW. If Tony Khan changed the game on them, WWE could go from a billion-dollar company to a million-dollar one overnight. But there is no reason to think that in these waning days of television where they are even willing to give the XFL 2.0 a go that the rights money is going to dry up. And then it will be onto streaming devices. 

What you want to have is the biggest roster of stars so that when your circus goes to town, not only do people want to see it, but it looks like the most attractive circus possible. If you can get stars in, you get them.

As I said about AJ Styles back when his deal was coming up. The Khans were about to spend $800 million on a stadium. That money could afford to pay AJ Styles $10 million for *80 fucking years.* You only need him for the extent of TV deal. Out the gate, that's what? Two years? You pay that fucking money because you want stars that people know so you can shine this thing up and get enough people to watch it that some network that wants a weekly show they can run all-year for relatively cheap and they don't know what else the fuck to do pay you $50 million per hour for a two-hour show for at least five years. That's $500 million over those five years, and if you've sunk in $100 million you've made your money back. Certainly worth giving some money to the boys to get that shit rolling.


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## imthegame19 (Oct 12, 2008)

taker1986 said:


> Yeah that's a worry. If Tony Kahn is serious he needs show everyone he means business by outbidding ROH for those guys. No reason AEW should be losing guys to ROH if they try hard enough.


I disagree. He already has roster of guys like Moxley, Jericho, Cody, Omega, Page, MJF, Pac, Hager, Young Bucks etc. He has prime time show on TNT. He pays well for amount of days worked. If he misses out on a wrestler because smaller company outbid him. Well let those guys go to that company. It's not like he's passing on Hogan, Rock or Stone Cold in their prime. 


Tony Khan comes from a extremely successful business run family. Part of being good businessman is knowing what you have and what opportunities talent gets by joining. Writing the biggest check for any talent you might have interest in, doesnt make you serious. It just makes you poorly run business. That we seen fail with other companies in the past.


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## The Wood (Nov 7, 2003)

imthegame19 said:


> I disagree. He already has roster of guys like Moxley, Jericho, Cody, Omega, Page, MJF, Pac, Hager, Young Bucks etc. He has prime time show on TNT. He pays well for amount of days worked. If he misses out on a wrestler because smaller company outbid him. Well let those guys go to that company. It's not like he's passing on Hogan, Rock or Stone Cold in their prime.
> 
> 
> Tony Khan comes from a extremely successful business run family. Part of being good businessman is knowing what you have and what opportunities talent gets by joining. Writing the biggest check for any talent you might have interest in, doesnt make you serious. It just makes you poorly run business. That we seen fail with other companies in the past.


I don't think anyone who knows what they have would actually want the Jacksonville Jaguars.


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## Buhalovski (Jul 24, 2015)

I would love to see Killer Kross much more honestly.


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## taker1986 (Sep 14, 2016)

imthegame19 said:


> Janela/Sabian/Spears aren't going anywhere tho. Signing guys doesn't make guys under contract just disappear. Besides the battle royal Janela has wrestled two matches on Dynamite, Spears has wrestled three and Sabian has wrestled 1 on Dynamite.
> 
> 
> So even if you add all their wrestling appearances on Dynamite together they would still only be on half the shows. That's why I said there not ton of room. Yes they could stop using a guy like Trent in so many singles matches. But still it feels like if you add too many guys. You are just adding more competition for AEW Dark. I just don't want AEW to sign a guy like Ryback or Lee and struggle to find tv time for them. When they kind of both left WWE for being used poorly already.


I still think they need more depth and star power. The Mid card would look much better with those guys added. 

Your Main event would have Mox, Jerricho, Omega, Cody etc

Guys like MJF, Ryback, Cage, Page, PAC would be your upper mid card guys. 

I think they're holding off on having a Mid card title simply because the mid card has little depth. That said I applaud them for building up guys like Allin, Luchsaurus, Jungle Boy etc but I feel they need a bit more. 

Allin, Cage, Page, Sammy, Dustin and Bridie Lee fighting for a mid card title I can get behind. Jenela, Spears and Sabian can be put in filler title matches now and again. I would use them as enhancement talent to put over the names mentioned above.


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## The Wood (Nov 7, 2003)

Tsvetoslava said:


> I would love to see Killer Kross much more honestly.


He will go to NXT. I know that's just what you want, but you don't leave Scarlett Bordeaux in a locker-room, lol.


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## taker1986 (Sep 14, 2016)

Reggie Dunlop said:


> They can’t give away the store to everybody. ROH basically gave Marty the book — how does a small company that’s already top-heavy match that? You make these guys the best offers and creative prospects you can based on what you think they’re worth, and they either accept it or they don’t. You want people working for you because they want to work for you, not because you’re offering the fattest paycheck just to get them in the door. Give everybody big money and a rocket on their ass and you end up with the last days of WCW. It’s just bad business. There’s no magic bullet here to instantly snap every great talent in the business into a contract.


Ryback and Brodie Lee are free agents. Khan should throw the book at guys like Marty and Cage to get them to jump ship. I'm not saying they should go full on WCW mode, but I do think they need more depth to what they have right now. I don't think they need too much and overload the roster and just sign anyone, but if a talent like Ryback, Cage, Brodie, Marty are available then do what it takes to sign them.


----------



## Buhalovski (Jul 24, 2015)

The Wood said:


> He will go to NXT. I know that's just what you want, but you don't leave Scarlett Bordeaux in a locker-room, lol.


Britt Baker/Adam Cole
Peyton/Shawn Spears
Renee Young/Moxley

He won't be the only one


----------



## Jazminator (Jan 9, 2018)

I agree with Reggie Dunlap. It’s not good business sense to overpay for new talent. You negotiate in good faith, of course, but if the price tag becomes too high, you just move on. You have to pick your battles when it comes to securing new talent. The formation of AEW has been a godsend for wrestlers.


----------



## bdon (Nov 12, 2019)

The Wood said:


> Lol if he doesn't sign with AEW and ROH breaks bank on him or something.


So, when it is “confirmed” he has signed, it wasn’t that big a deal. And when he may not have signed and possibly goes to ROH, then you’ll use your shit confirmation bias to laugh about AEW “missing the boat on another one”, right?

And you wonder why the hardcore AEW fans on here wonder if you’re a troll, man.


----------



## bdon (Nov 12, 2019)

Taroostyles said:


> My guess would be he debuts at Revolution to make it seem even bigger.
> 
> He automatically enters the main event tier which currently has 3 faces (Cody, Kenny, and Mox) and 3 heels (Jericho, MJF, and Pac) plus Page who is on the verge of turning. I would say he debuts as a monster face and likely feuds with Pac.


The fact that Kenny Omega isn’t considered a part of this crowd should say more about their booking anything, @Garty and @imthegame19


----------



## Chan Hung (Dec 28, 2011)

Great Move!! Finally a good signing. Cage vs Wardlow!!!


----------



## CMPunkRock316 (Jan 17, 2016)

I thought he was pretty good in LU.

Good signing.


----------



## DOTL (Jan 3, 2012)

Oh snap. Cage is the type of cat AEW needs.


----------



## DOTL (Jan 3, 2012)

USAUSA1 said:


> Tessa is impact champion, that would make anyone leave.
> 
> Cage Lucha underground work is his best work.


Really? That's pretty lame and kind of exposes the business already than it is.


----------



## The Wood (Nov 7, 2003)

bdon said:


> So, when it is “confirmed” he has signed, it wasn’t that big a deal. And when he may not have signed and possibly goes to ROH, then you’ll use your shit confirmation bias to laugh about AEW “missing the boat on another one”, right?
> 
> And you wonder why the hardcore AEW fans on here wonder if you’re a troll, man.


I literally said it was a good signing. If ROH poaches him, then it will be mildly humorous, yes. And it is a fair enough criticism to point out that AEW have not signed a big star since Moxley, which was a gimme.


----------



## ReekOfAwesomenesss (Apr 6, 2012)

Not a fan of him but I get his appeal. It would be a better singing than most business AEW done so far.


----------



## bdon (Nov 12, 2019)

Yes, you said good signing. Then you began to talk about him being WWE developmental. Not been a draw. Etc. 

It was a compliment, even if you began to shit on it immediately. Hah


----------



## The Wood (Nov 7, 2003)

bdon said:


> Yes, you said good signing. Then you began to talk about him being WWE developmental. Not been a draw. Etc.
> 
> It was a compliment, even if you began to shit on it immediately. Hah


I brought that up because Garty was going nuts about his history and drawing potential. I said he’s never been in a position to draw. That’s not entirely his fault.


----------



## AEW_19 (May 15, 2019)

Good fucking news


----------



## Optikk is All Elite (Sep 5, 2007)

satisfying the “No MuScLy MeN” gimmick posters. Get your lube out guys.


----------



## The Sheik (Jul 10, 2017)

Melissa Santos says he hasn't signed anywhere.


__ https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1216583725875527680


----------



## LongPig666 (Mar 27, 2019)

Can't wait for them to do a Cage v Marco Stunt. Stunt runs around for about 10 minutes until cage runs out of breath and collapses, stunt pins him

I like Cage but would have preferred a Thatcher, Rampage, Kingston type character.


----------



## fabi1982 (Jun 28, 2011)

What a twist, already one of the most interesting storylines in AEW 

But to be honest, when he signes with AEW I hope he doesnt just become the muscle for Cody.


----------



## MyMelody (Feb 4, 2019)

No idea who he is, being muscular doesn’t make you talented. Looking ‘legit’ is the most ridiculous things I’ve heard, it’s just weird. Hopefully will be decent


----------



## LifeInCattleClass (Dec 21, 2010)

Reggie Dunlop said:


> They can’t give away the store to everybody. ROH basically gave Marty the book — how does a small company that’s already top-heavy match that? You make these guys the best offers and creative prospects you can based on what you think they’re worth, and they either accept it or they don’t. You want people working for you because they want to work for you, not because you’re offering the fattest paycheck just to get them in the door. Give everybody big money and a rocket on their ass and you end up with the last days of WCW. It’s just bad business. There’s no magic bullet here to instantly snap every great talent in the business into a contract.


and Reg comes in, talking all the sense

i would hate for each new ‘star’ to go straight to the top - never works

ps> my opinion - good signing, especially if Melissa follows him.

the guy can go, he’s also not a bad talker. Loved him in LU. His match with Taya was one of my faves

if true, this is a good step


----------



## imthegame19 (Oct 12, 2008)

The Sheik said:


> Melissa Santos says he hasn't signed anywhere.
> 
> 
> __ https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1216583725875527680


Work


----------



## Nothing Finer (Apr 12, 2017)

I've never watched him have a full match but he's got the best looking finisher of all time.


----------



## PavelGaborik (Oct 30, 2015)

Don't know anything about him.


----------



## reyfan (May 23, 2011)

The Sheik said:


> Melissa Santos says he hasn't signed anywhere.
> 
> 
> __ https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1216583725875527680


I like how when stories come about about signing with AEW some people act really offended at the idea lol


----------



## Bloody Warpath (Jan 6, 2020)

To add to the uncertainty, PWI is reporting that Cage has a torn bicep which is why he did not work the match very long with RVD last night. Let the speculation begin...


----------



## BulletClubFangirl (Jan 30, 2016)

Awesome. I've been wanting him to jump aboard since AEW became a thing.


----------



## V-Trigger (Jul 6, 2016)

reyfan said:


> I like how when stories come about about signing with AEW some people act really offended at the idea lol


Taya did the same thing when Morrison got signed buddy. Keep moving the goal post. It's hilarious.



Bloody Warpath said:


> To add to the uncertainty, PWI is reporting that Cage has a torn bicep which is why he did not work the match very long with RVD last night. Let the speculation begin...


Oof


----------



## Metalhead1 (Jan 21, 2019)

An awesome signing. A massive big guy with name recognition. Just what the doctor ordered. I wish they would have been able to get Scurll too.


----------



## RiverFenix (Dec 10, 2011)

I'd rather spend the money elsewhere. He gets pops because he does some flippy shit with his size. Mox vs Cage, Omega vs Cage, PAC vs Cage all do hold appeal to me though. 

Bring him in against anyone but Cody.


----------



## EmbassyForever (Dec 29, 2011)

If true, that's a great signing. He's improved a lot and doesn't rely on flippy shit like he used to. And yeah, he looks like a million bucks.


----------



## FaceTime Heel (Sep 1, 2016)

Tsvetoslava said:


> I would love to see Killer Kross much more honestly.


Still holding out hope that he finds his way to AEW.


----------



## FaceTime Heel (Sep 1, 2016)

EmbassyForever said:


> If true, that's a great signing. He's improved a lot and doesn't rely on flippy shit like he used to. And yeah, he looks like a million bucks.


I noticed the same things. He has definitely scaled back on the high flying stuff


----------



## BigDeadEvil (Jan 23, 2018)

Can't wait to watch him beat some geeks.


----------



## validreasoning (Jul 4, 2012)

Metalhead1 said:


> An awesome signing. A massive big guy with name recognition. Just what the doctor ordered. I wish they would have been able to get Scurll too.


He is actually not that big. Stood next to him in hotel in Dallas during Mania 32 weekend. He is 5'11.

Would look short next to Hager who I have also stood next to.


----------



## imthegame19 (Oct 12, 2008)

validreasoning said:


> He is actually not that big. Stood next to him in hotel in Dallas during Mania 32 weekend. He is 5'11.
> 
> Would look short next to Hager who I have also stood next to.


Yes still same height or taller then most of the top guys besides Moxley. Then when you look at his mass he will feel a lot bigger.


----------



## imthegame19 (Oct 12, 2008)

LifeInCattleClass said:


> and Reg comes in, talking all the sense
> 
> i would hate for each new ‘star’ to go straight to the top - never works
> 
> ...


I don't think they will put title on him or anything within the next year. But I expect him to be feuding with top guys like Moxley, Jericho, Cody, Page, Omega, Pac maybe Hager etc.

Meltzer has said the report comes from a very good connected source from where Cage is from. Who's stories almost always become true. He said nobody from AEW is confirming the report. But nobody is saying it's false either. He said it sounded like AEW wanted it to be a big surprise and didn't want it leaked.


----------



## Cult03 (Oct 31, 2016)

optikk sucks said:


> satisfying the “No MuScLy MeN” gimmick posters. Get your lube out guys.


Are you using being into men as an insult? This is a bit homophobic.

I'd just like to point out that you also like watching shirtless, oiled up men cuddle each other. Some people just like to see their preferred wrestlers looking more realistically tough. Why is it "more gay" to enjoy watching tough looking guys wrestle over skinny weak guys? My gay best friend would refer to most of AEW as twinks. Some could say you prefer watching them because you'd be more dominant with them?


----------



## TKO Wrestling (Jun 26, 2018)

Yes sir. Now sign Killer Kross and the roster is set for a year. 

I can’t wait for a national audience to see Cage’s finisher. He will get over massively because of it.


----------



## MontyCora (Aug 31, 2016)

This is like THE BIG MAN you'd want to get. He's awesome.


----------



## MontyCora (Aug 31, 2016)

TKO Wrestling said:


> Yes sir. Now sign Killer Kross and the roster is set for a year.
> 
> I can’t wait for a national audience to see Cage’s finisher. He will get over massively because of it.


Is he still doing the cool but safe version of the Steiner Screwdriver?


----------



## The Dude (Jan 1, 2020)

Garty said:


> C'mon Wood, there has to be a "but..." coming, right? Does this mean you're actually going to watch the show and critique him, or just use your usual barometer critique insight? And don't try the "nice guy act" of moral high ground now. It makes you look two-faced. Oh wait... you are.


Can someone put this headcase into time out already?

He’s been trolling since yesterday.


----------



## THANOS (Jun 20, 2006)

validreasoning said:


> He is actually not that big. Stood next to him in hotel in Dallas during Mania 32 weekend. He is 5'11.
> 
> Would look short next to Hager who I have also stood next to.


I think Big E looks pretty big and he's really short. I think 5'11 is ok, especially on this roster, and with his mass.

Anyways, I really like Cage a lot. Reminded me a bit of prime Steiner in LU, and he definitely has some charisma, if given the spotlight and right character.


----------



## Hangman (Feb 3, 2017)

I've never seen him or his work, he any good?


----------



## LongPig666 (Mar 27, 2019)

The Dude said:


> Can someone put this headcase into time out already?
> 
> He’s been trolling since yesterday.


The irony!!!


----------



## Stellar (May 30, 2016)

Brian Cage isn't someone that I am a fan of..and I tend to prefer big men usually. He goes to AEW...okay...thats great for him and his fans I suppose.

I can still hear him say "i'm not a man, i'm a machine" over and over and over and over...his time in Lucha Underground really got me tired of him for so long.

Brian Cage is decent in the ring, it's just that creatively i'm not a fan of him. Even when he was the Champ in Impact.

Remember when AEW signing Luchasaurus was huge because they needed big men? Now they have Luchasaurus, Wardlow, Jake Hager and Brian Cage...a decent mix of tall and/or big guys. Slowly but surely they are adding more..


----------



## Metalhead1 (Jan 21, 2019)

> He is actually not that big. Stood next to him in hotel in Dallas during Mania 32 weekend. He is 5'11.
> 
> Would look short next to Hager who I have also stood next to.


I agree with another poster that his massive size will make feel a lot bigger. He is so much bigger than just about anybody out there. That's cool that you've met Cage. I kick myself for not meeting him when the opportunity arose a couple of years ago. I've stood next to Hager too; he's pretty tall. He's listed as 6'7 and he's every bit of it.


----------



## PavelGaborik (Oct 30, 2015)

TKO Wrestling said:


> Yes sir. Now sign Killer Kross and the roster is set for a year.
> 
> I can’t wait for a national audience to see Cage’s finisher. He will get over massively because of it.



I'd rather they sign Brodie Lee if I had to choose.

Both would be phenomenal


----------



## Optikk is All Elite (Sep 5, 2007)

Southerner said:


> I tend to prefer big men usually.












only wrestling fans could get away with saying something so sus


----------



## Chan Hung (Dec 28, 2011)

So his wife says that Brian Cage has NOT signed, but maybe its to distract the truth? Who knows.


----------



## RapShepard (Jun 20, 2014)

Great signing


----------



## RapShepard (Jun 20, 2014)

Fantasy booking he should feud with Jericho after Jericho drops the title to Mox. Let him get heat brutalizing the vet. Let him beat up Darby in a blood feud. Then have him go over Mox if he's over enough.


----------



## Erik. (Mar 17, 2014)

He's absolutely nothing special. 

But he'll please a certain audience and he looks like a freak. Different to anything they have. 

Add that to the fact Harper can sign with them next month and those would be two great additions.


----------



## RiverFenix (Dec 10, 2011)

Melissa said he didn't sign on the dotted line yet - so basically he's agreed to a deal just hasn't officially signed the contract yet. He's an easy signing given WWE couldn't touch him with their wellness policy.


----------



## Taroostyles (Apr 1, 2007)

Dave said they are refuting the signing only because he was going to appear as a big surprise ala Moxley and now that's shot. 

He also has a torn bicep so he isnt showing up until atleast DON or maybe til Summer.


----------



## Jeripunk99 (Oct 16, 2017)

LMAO at these people that think AEW should sign Matt Hardy and Ryback

Just crazy!


----------



## qntntgood (Mar 12, 2010)

Taroostyles said:


> Dave said they are refuting the signing only because he was going to appear as a big surprise ala Moxley and now that's shot.
> 
> He also has a torn bicep so he isnt showing up until atleast DON or maybe til Summer.


Meltzer is full of shit,until something officially happens.


----------



## JonLeduc (May 5, 2016)

He's booked next Week-End here in Quebec,Canada. I was even more excited when i saw that he signed with AEW.

The only thing is... He's injured... Damn !


----------



## RiverFenix (Dec 10, 2011)

He's always injured it seems because of the years of "abuse". It's not going to get any better as he ages - he turns 36yo in a month.

I wonder what this means for Ryback and AEW.


----------



## Jagaver (Aug 11, 2019)

Good signing, much needed.


----------



## imthegame19 (Oct 12, 2008)

qntntgood said:


> Meltzer is full of shit,until something officially happens.


Hes friendly with the VPs he had their cell phone numbers in his phone. If it was false he would know. It's clearly true.


----------



## RainmakerV2 (Nov 8, 2017)

Apparently he has another torn bicep.






Imagine that. Frequent muscle tears.




Lol.


----------



## 304418 (Jul 2, 2014)

A much needed signing if true.


----------



## TheDraw (Jun 27, 2019)

El Hammerstone said:


> I stopped watching TNA/Impact before Cage came into the company, somebody tell me how should I feel about this?


Great signing. He's improved tremendously in Impact and is just the type of big guy AEW needs.

Could be build as their top babyface like Batista if booked right.

He's ridiculously athletic for his size.


----------



## Carter84 (Feb 4, 2018)

Been saying it for ages, hes the best big wrestler in wrestling , hes not limited in his move set , What a time to be a cage fan and that I am .

Get my shit in


----------



## Carter84 (Feb 4, 2018)

Purple Haze said:


> Grat addition to AEW's roster.


Cool name , I've smoked a bit in my time too

Peace.


----------



## Carter84 (Feb 4, 2018)

The Fckin Machine V Best Bout Machine 

Match I've wanted to see for years.

Peace.


----------



## Chip Chipperson (Jun 29, 2019)

He's a good pick up. Looks like a wrestler and can go.


----------



## The Raw Smackdown (Jan 8, 2017)

Chip Chipperson said:


> He's a good pick up. Looks like a wrestler and can go.


Okay. I gotta ask...what the hell does "look like a wrestler" even mean?

Also, as far as Cage, If he is signed then cool. Loved him in LU and I liked him the few times I saw him in Impact. Great signing.


----------



## Brodus Clay (Jan 6, 2012)

The Raw Smackdown said:


> Okay. I gotta ask...what the hell does "look like a wrestler" even mean?
> 
> Also, as far as Cage, If he is signed then cool. Loved him in LU and I liked him the few times I saw him in Impact. Great signing.


Some people miss the muscle wrestlers, may a Mason Ryan type of wrestler that people on this forum here hated back in the day now would be considered cool.


I also watched Cage on LU, he was cool there, still don't watch his work on Impact.


----------



## TKO Wrestling (Jun 26, 2018)

Yep, I’m shocked I mean shocked that Tony Kahn doesn’t have a strict wellness policy also considering his sports background.


The Raw Smackdown said:


> Okay. I gotta ask...what the hell does "look like a wrestler" even mean?
> 
> Also, as far as Cage, If he is signed then cool. Loved him in LU and I liked him the few times I saw him in Impact. Great signing.


Think about the 5 biggest draws of the modern era of pro wrestling and what those 4 have in common. Hogan/Austin/Goldberg/Rock/Cena. What do all four have in common?


----------



## The Wood (Nov 7, 2003)

imthegame19 said:


> I don't think they will put title on him or anything within the next year. But I expect him to be feuding with top guys like Moxley, Jericho, Cody, Page, Omega, Pac maybe Hager etc.
> 
> Meltzer has said the report comes from a very good connected source from where Cage is from. Who's stories almost always become true. He said nobody from AEW is confirming the report. But nobody is saying it's false either. He said it sounded like AEW wanted it to be a big surprise and didn't want it leaked.


Casuals don’t know who Brian Cage is, so why would you make it a surprise?


----------



## qntntgood (Mar 12, 2010)

imthegame19 said:


> Hes friendly with the VPs he had their cell phone numbers in his phone. If it was false he would know. It's clearly true.


And yet his wife, is saying other wise.


----------



## Soul Rex (Nov 26, 2017)

DetroitRiverPhx said:


> He's always injured it seems because of the years of "abuse". It's not going to get any better as he ages - he turns 36yo in a month.
> 
> I wonder what this means for Ryback and AEW.


Motherfucker should stop fucking flipping around as if he was Rey Mysterio and just relay on power moves and throws, safer and more fitting.


----------



## elidrakefan76 (Jul 23, 2018)

I think that Cage is a good signing but he could be a wellness policy violation just waiting to happen. Dude is jacked like a freak of nature straight out of the 1980's WWF.


----------



## elidrakefan76 (Jul 23, 2018)

DetroitRiverPhx said:


> He's always injured it seems because of the years of "abuse". It's not going to get any better as he ages - he turns 36yo in a month.
> 
> I wonder what this means for *Ryback* and AEW.


They can rename Brian Cage "Bryback" and he can be their Ryback. Then they wouldn't have to shell out more money to have 2 roided up, muscleheads that are basically clones of one another, on the roster.


----------



## The Wood (Nov 7, 2003)

The Raw Smackdown said:


> Okay. I gotta ask...what the hell does "look like a wrestler" even mean?
> 
> Also, as far as Cage, If he is signed then cool. Loved him in LU and I liked him the few times I saw him in Impact. Great signing.


Looking like a wrestler means you look like someone that can wrestle. Wrestling is a thing. It relies on grappling and takedowns. In pro-wrestling, there are also strikes. A wrestler will look like someone who has had the physical conditioning and feedback to suggest their body has been trained and conditioned to do that.

Bruce Willis looks like an action hero. Michael Cera does not. Don’t act like this is some weird grey subjective area. Some people look like they workout and train. Some just don’t.



Soul Rex said:


> Motherfucker should stop fucking flipping around as if he was Rey Mysterio and just relay on power moves and throws, safer and more fitting.


You’ve got to get yourself over with the dorks so the dorks book you in PWG. When you get there you can change it up. Doesn’t mean he will though.


----------



## RiverFenix (Dec 10, 2011)

elidrakefan76 said:


> I think that Cage is a good signing but he could be a wellness policy violation just waiting to happen. Dude is jacked like a freak of nature straight out of the 1980's WWF.


Does AEW have a Wellness Policy? That was an in-house WWE gimmick to stave off congressional oversight at the time.


----------



## Erik. (Mar 17, 2014)

TKO Wrestling said:


> Yep, I’m shocked I mean shocked that Tony Kahn doesn’t have a strict wellness policy also considering his sports background.
> 
> 
> Think about the 5 biggest draws of the modern era of pro wrestling and what those 4 have in common. Hogan/Austin/Goldberg/Rock/Cena. What do all four have in common?


Charisma.


----------



## El Hammerstone (Jan 11, 2020)

Soul Rex said:


> Motherfucker should stop fucking flipping around as if he was Rey Mysterio and just relay on power moves and throws, safer and more fitting.


I think one of his biggest selling points, aside from his build, is his combination of power and agility; obviously, he shouldn't be out there flipping around like the Young Bucks, and his strength should definitely be played up, but him pulling off an athletic maneuver once in a while shouldn't be a huge deal.


----------



## Soul Rex (Nov 26, 2017)

MJF said:


> Charisma.


Charisma, plus they all looked the apart. One rarely goes without the other when talking about big stars in wrestling.


----------



## Erik. (Mar 17, 2014)

Soul Rex said:


> Charisma, plus they all looked the apart. One rarely goes without the other when talking about big stars in wrestling.


I think it's mostly their charisma.

Plenty of guys who have looked better than those mentioned yet got no where near as much success due to lack of Charisma. 

Look is such an outdated concept. Charisma will always be the most important thing when it comes to wrestlers and how money is made. Almost in any industry, especially combat sports (or wrestling, which is a play on that)


----------



## imthegame19 (Oct 12, 2008)

qntntgood said:


> And yet his wife, is saying other wise.


She's only doing it to create doubt. Wrestlers lie and say stuff like this all the time. If it was false someone from AEW or Cage himself would have contacted one of the dirt sheet guys and it would be out there.


Instead his wife says he hasn't signed dotted line anywhere yet on Twitter. With key word being yet, so when he does show up in AEW. She could say they were in deep talks but didn't officially sign yet. But common sense with this stuff. Tells us that he signed and they are just upset. Because they wanted big Moxley like surprise.


----------



## Tilon (Jun 27, 2019)

This guy looks like his piss would melt right through the porcelain of the urinal.


----------



## The Wood (Nov 7, 2003)

MJF said:


> I think it's mostly their charisma.
> 
> Plenty of guys who have looked better than those mentioned yet got no where near as much success due to lack of Charisma.
> 
> Look is such an outdated concept. Charisma will always be the most important thing when it comes to wrestlers and how money is made. Almost in any industry, especially combat sports (or wrestling, which is a play on that)


You know who is charismatic? David Arquette. Doesn’t mean they should be in wrestling. It’s a certain kind of charisma, and that flows in and out of physicality. 



imthegame19 said:


> She's only doing it to create doubt. Wrestlers lie and say stuff like this all the time. If it was false someone from AEW or Cage himself would have contacted one of the dirt sheet guys and it would be out there.
> 
> 
> Instead his wife says he hasn't signed dotted line anywhere yet on Twitter. With key word being yet, so when he does show up in AEW. She could say they were in deep talks but didn't officially sign yet. But common sense with this stuff. Tells us that he signed and they are just upset. Because they wanted big Moxley like surprise.


Dean Ambrose was watched by several million people each week. Brian Cage is known by a couple of thousand. These are not synonymous.


----------



## Chip Chipperson (Jun 29, 2019)

The Raw Smackdown said:


> Okay. I gotta ask...what the hell does "look like a wrestler" even mean?
> 
> Also, as far as Cage, If he is signed then cool. Loved him in LU and I liked him the few times I saw him in Impact. Great signing.


Good question. Here are some types.

1. A big tough guy who looks like he could kick someones ass. Doesn't necessarily need to be a muscled up freak of nature but just someone you wouldn't want to cross in a bar fight.

2. The big muscled up guys. Lets face facts a big physique that has taken years to build up is impressive ESPECIALLY when most wrestling fans (Including myself) are men of average size. If a guy like Brian Cage sized up to me in a bar and wanted to fight me 100% of people would assume he'd kick my ass (And he probably would). When he walks through an airport or a shopping centre people would assume he does something athletic for a living.

3. Smaller guys can look like wrestlers as well but generally you want some muscle mass and the ripped look. Someone such as Buddy Murphy is a smaller guy from a wrestling perspective but he looks like an athlete. 

Guys like Orange Cassidy, Young Bucks who barely look like they gym are a bad look to the casual fan.


----------



## reyfan (May 23, 2011)

Chip Chipperson said:


> Guys like Orange Cassidy, Young Bucks who barely look like they gym are a bad look to the casual fan.


I was watching an OC clip and my 8 year old asked if he was the Thrift Shop guy (Macklemore)


----------



## Soul Rex (Nov 26, 2017)

MJF said:


> I think it's mostly their charisma.
> 
> Plenty of guys who have looked better than those mentioned yet got no where near as much success due to lack of Charisma.
> 
> Look is such an outdated concept. Charisma will always be the most important thing when it comes to wrestlers and how money is made. Almost in any industry, especially combat sports (or wrestling, which is a play on that)


I find it funny how you are trying to twist this discussion as it is look vs charisma, it is not, learn that both are important and that's what I said. The correct question to make a big star is Charisma + look.

Charisma and no look is equal to Road Dogg, look and no charisma is equal to Lex Luger, non of them were big stars because they didn't have the two important factors of the equation. The Rock had both, Hogan had both, Batista had both, HHH had both, Austin had both, Taker, Lesnar, Goldberg, etc,etc.

That's like 99% of the biggest stars in wrestling history, I am not making this up and it's not a coincidence, you need both or you are just gonna be incomplete.


----------



## Cult03 (Oct 31, 2016)

MJF said:


> I think it's mostly their charisma.
> 
> Plenty of guys who have looked better than those mentioned yet got no where near as much success due to lack of Charisma.
> 
> Look is such an outdated concept. Charisma will always be the most important thing when it comes to wrestlers and how money is made. Almost in any industry, especially combat sports (or wrestling, which is a play on that)


So who in AEW has charisma? Jericho, MJF, Mox and Cody. Certainly not The Elite.. Goldberg wasn't really that charismatic either. First, wrestlers win you over with their look, then their charisma, then their ability. Why are AEW skipping the first few steps?


----------



## French Connection (Apr 5, 2010)

I am really pleased BC joining AEW. 
I think this guy is a great addition for the company and i could picture him as a next big thing for the company. 
I remember being disappointed in 2012/13 when TNA didn't sign him when he did the Gutcheck.

Also, I don't understand why some people want so much Ryback over him?
I admit I don't like the wrestler who is a mix between RVD and Goldberg. But the worst, is the guy is already WWE stamped. 

Even if Cage was on WWE developmental contract few years ago, the guy will be an AEW original for the casuals. 
Good pick guys!


----------



## Necrolust (Mar 4, 2015)

Very good signing, Cage is a different beast than what AEW currently have stacked and diversity is needed if they’re going to continue to grow.

always been a fan of Cage, he’s the juiced freak with a great acrobatic agility and he can go without getting gassed after a few minutes. Going to be very interesting to see how they will book “The Machine”.


----------



## bdon (Nov 12, 2019)

Necrolust said:


> Very good signing, Cage is a different beast than what AEW currently have stacked and diversity is needed if they’re going to continue to grow.
> 
> always been a fan of Cage, he’s the juiced freak with a great acrobatic agility and he can go without getting gassed after a few minutes. Going to be very interesting to see how they will book “The Machine”.


We know how it will go. Kenny will be used to put him over in hopes he becomes a superstar.


----------



## ceeder (May 10, 2010)

Cage vs PAC should be fun.


----------



## I'mTheGreatest (Aug 3, 2019)

This is good news! Cage vs. Wardlow is something i wanna see eventually.


----------



## M1M2M3M4M5M6M7M8 (Dec 15, 2004)

According to pwinsider, he has not signed with AEW









Brian Cage Has Reportedly Not Signed With AEW, News On His Injury - Wrestling Inc.


It was reported this past weekend that former Impact World Champion Brian Cage had signed with All Elite Wrestling. Cage reportedly became a free agent following his match against Rob Van Dam at this Sunday’s Hard To Kill pay-per-view. Following that report, Cage’s wife, Melissa Santos denied...




amp.wrestlinginc.com







Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## El Hammerstone (Jan 11, 2020)

M1M2M3M4M5M6M7M8 said:


> According to pwinsider, he has not signed with AEW
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Well, if he hasn't signed, then hopefully the brass at AEW have seen that most were excited at the prospect of this guy in the company and try to work out a deal with him.


----------



## elidrakefan76 (Jul 23, 2018)

El Hammerstone said:


> Well, if he hasn't signed, then hopefully the brass at AEW have seen that most were excited at the prospect of this guy in the company and try to work out a deal with him.


They need to either sign Cage or Ryback but not both because they are basically the same guy.


----------



## THANOS (Jun 20, 2006)

elidrakefan76 said:


> They need to either sign Cage or Ryback but not both because they are basically the same guy.


Cage is far better in the ring and way more diverse. Ryback is limited. Cage reminds me of prime Steiner in the ring.


----------



## LifeInCattleClass (Dec 21, 2010)

THANOS said:


> Cage is far better in the ring and way more diverse. Ryback is limited. Cage reminds me of prime Steiner in the ring.


i think Ryback might be better on the mic.

what about this Hammerstone guy i’ve been seeing with MJF. Any good?


----------



## Geeee (Aug 9, 2010)

Jeripunk99 said:


> LMAO at these people that think AEW should sign Matt Hardy and Ryback
> 
> Just crazy!


Yeah I don't really want either of these guys in AEW. I think Matt Hardy's sense of humor combined with The Elite's sense of humor would mix into something horrible.


----------



## RapShepard (Jun 20, 2014)

Geeee said:


> Yeah I don't really want either of these guys in AEW. I think Matt Hardy's sense of humor combined with The Elite's sense of humor would mix into something horrible.


Why do you want neither?


----------



## imthegame19 (Oct 12, 2008)

El Hammerstone said:


> Well, if he hasn't signed, then hopefully the brass at AEW have seen that most were excited at the prospect of this guy in the company and try to work out a deal with him.



Meltzer is very connected with these guys. So I'm not buying it unless he says he hasn't signed. If he says I dunno or keeps silent. Then I'm thinking he's signed.


----------



## Geeee (Aug 9, 2010)

RapShepard said:


> Why do you want neither?


I'll be honest, Matt Hardy's broken stuff doesn't do it for me.

I did kinda like Ryback's bully character but I dunno I'm not that excited for him and I'd rather someone I'm not as familiar with, with more potential get the opportunities he would get.


----------



## The Wood (Nov 7, 2003)

imthegame19 said:


> Meltzer is very connected with these guys. So I'm not buying it unless he says he hasn't signed. If he says I dunno or keeps silent. Then I'm thinking he's signed.


Meltzer has also said:

* AEW has done better on PPV than anyone since WCW, which is only true if you conflate international buys with domestic. They are not at ECW levels in NA yet.

* He said they didn’t think Randy Orton was worth Chris Jericho money. Tony Khan himself posted on Twitter that Orton negotiated his WWE deal using the AEW offer for leverage. It’s well-known that Orton was already on several million per year. The AEW deal would need to be higher than that.

* AEW can get anyone they want. So far that would be mean the talent they want is Kris Statlander, and the talent they don’t want is CM Punk, Randy Orton, AJ Styles, The Usos, Shinsuke Nakamura, Cain Velasquez and Lance Storm.

* Vince McMahon would take over NXT booking. 

* AEW had plans for months.

* PAC had to pull out because he couldn’t do any jobs. He was scheduled to lose. This doesn’t make any sense.

He’s been wrong, misled or purposely deceitful about a lot of things since this “war” started. I like Dave. I don’t think he’s deceiving people. I think he leads with his biases and he will take some manipulative people at face value and, for example, buy their story that Randy Orton was indignant about a low-ball offer, instead of him just working them to get more Vince money.

I will so fucking lol if ROH has ponied up the cash for Brian Cage and Melissa Santos, and this was another AEW brag about something they haven’t done yet.


----------



## umagamanc (Jul 24, 2018)

I'm not going to believe that Brian Cage has signed with AEW until I see him on my television screen or it is formally announced. AEW haven't had the signing power we hoped they would have, so it's very plausible that Cage hasn't signed. Let's just wait and see.


----------



## imthegame19 (Oct 12, 2008)

umagamanc said:


> I'm not going to believe that Brian Cage has signed with AEW until I see him on my television screen or it is formally announced. AEW haven't had the signing power we hoped they would have, so it's very plausible that Cage hasn't signed. Let's just wait and see.



AEW signed most of the guys they wanted. It's not like there been many guys who were FA that AEW wanted and didn't get. They got Statlander and Santana and Ortiz to pick them over WWE. 


But yes not believing he's signed until AEW announces it. Well that's exactly what AEW wants and why they and Cage are creating doubt. Let's not forget Cage was backstage at Double Or Nothing and going to appear in Casino Battle Royal. Until Don Callis wouldn't allow it. So he clearly has strong relationship with these guys.


----------



## umagamanc (Jul 24, 2018)

imthegame19 said:


> AEW signed most of the guys they wanted. It's not like there been many guys who were FA that AEW wanted and didn't get. They got Statlander and Santana and Ortiz to pick them over WWE.
> 
> But yes not believing he's signed until AEW announces it. Well that's exactly what AEW wants and why they and Cage are creating doubt. Let's not forget Cage was backstage at Double Or Nothing and going to appear in Casino Battle Royal. Until Don Callis wouldn't allow it. So he clearly has strong relationship with these guys.


They may have been hoping to attract some names away from WWE that they haven't managed to obtain - CM Punk, Randy Orton, Gallows/Anderson. With WWE, it's been proven that money talks. Also, they likely wanted Marty Scurll, who has re-signed with ROH.

If that's what AEW wants, then that's great with me. I prefer surprises and when signings don't get leaked. It's better for the product.


----------



## TD Stinger (May 9, 2012)

I still believe Cage is ultimately going to end up in AEW once he's healed. But this is a concern for people losing their minds on this signing. This isn't the 1st time he's been injured. It seems like he's injured rather frequently, and it's hard to really build around someone like that if they're not there.

Also, when it comes to Ryback, I don't see what the benefit there would to signing him in 2020. He hasn't really wrestled in 4 years. And I don't know if I can see shining now 4 years later with all that time away. Now I will say back in 2012, Ryback could have been something. He was getting monster reactions working with guys like Punk and Cena. He could have been a star. And then they jobbed him out on like 10 straight PPVs, and that dream died. And I just don't see him having that same magic in 2020.


----------



## AEW_19 (May 15, 2019)

__ https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1217264745234997249
I wonder if he genuinely hasn't signed or if they are desperately trying to silence it


----------



## The Wood (Nov 7, 2003)

There’s no real benefit to keeping it quiet. I mean, they don’t have to go out there and parade it from the rooftops, but the only people who know who this guy is, really, is the wrestling community. This isn’t CM Punk or Mox coming in.

I imagine he hasn’t signed, and I’m still thinking if he is healthy, he ends up going with ROH because something is up there.


----------



## imthegame19 (Oct 12, 2008)

umagamanc said:


> They may have been hoping to attract some names away from WWE that they haven't managed to obtain - CM Punk, Randy Orton, Gallows/Anderson. With WWE, it's been proven that money talks. Also, they likely wanted Marty Scurll, who has re-signed with ROH.
> 
> If that's what AEW wants, then that's great with me. I prefer surprises and when signings don't get leaked. It's better for the product.



They weren't gonna get everyone from WWE all at once. Plus I don't think they wanted certain guys as much as people think. I think a lot of it was fan hype.


I don't really think they are after veterans chasing last big payday. Would they sign CM Punk, Orton or Gallows/Anderson sure. But they clearly didn't offer Punk enough money to comeback even for a few matches.


While they probably made it clear to Orton and Gallows/Anderson they weren't gonna pay them more then what WWE was offering if they became free agents.


Too me it seems like talent they are more targetting. Is talent thats creative, feels underused and wants to prove themselves. Brian Cage wants to prove he can be a top guy in a bigger stage. Brodie Lee feels like he can be a bigger asset away from WWE.


Matt Hardy doesn't want to sit on the sidelines. He wants to use his creativity in wrestling. A team like Revival want to be taken more seriously and go to a place that cares more about tag team wrestling. Killer Kross is another very creative guy who wants to prove himself. Now will all these guys go to AEW? Of course not and some might end up in WWE.


But to me its clear that AEW isn't looking to sign wrestlers to come and make big fat checks near the end of their career. They are doing the opposite of WCW and TNA. Which is smart business.


Like I said before until Meltzer reports Cage hasn't signed. Well I think he signed. Meltzer knows if he did or not. He won't confirm it, if AEW doesn't want him to. But he also probably won't straight up say he didnt sign, if he did. So if he plays dumb saying I dunno or doesn't mention it. I think that answers the question. The source who reported it is very well connected to wrestlers from California/PWG. He doesn't report bs very often and still hasn't said his report was wrong. Despite what Cage wife said and what people told Mike Johnson.


----------



## The Wood (Nov 7, 2003)

That makes no sense, lol. Those are just apologetics. They don’t want guys at the end of their career, yet they sign Jericho? How do you know they didn’t offer Punk enough money, and he just didn’t look at the product and so “Uhhh, nope?”

It would be smart to hire these stars who could be a benefit to your television and mass appeal. They didn’t get them because they could coerce them over. That’s the only thing that makes sense.

It is not good business to let everyone with a big name who could help you actually get eyeballs sign with WWE. WCW got a massive boost when they brought in established talent. It only became an issue when Hogan re-signed in 1998 because Bischoff didn’t know what he was doing.


----------



## imthegame19 (Oct 12, 2008)

AEW_19 said:


> __ https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1217264745234997249
> I wonder if he genuinely hasn't signed or if they are desperately trying to silence it


I'm guessing they are putting doubt in people minds and he will show up at Revolution or in Dynamite in March. So people will be happy and excited again. 

Remember Moxley was surprise signing for Double or Nothing. Santana and Ortiz where surprises for All Out. Jake Hager was surprise for first Dynamite. AEW didn't announce the signings before there debuts. So this is a common theme for them.


----------



## reyfan (May 23, 2011)

imthegame19 said:


> I'm guessing they are putting doubt in people minds and he will show up at Revolution or in Dynamite in March. So people will be happy and excited again.
> 
> Remember Moxley was surprise signing for Double or Nothing. Santana and Ortiz where surprises for All Out. Jake Hager was surprise for first Dynamite. AEW didn't announce the signings before there debuts. So this is a common theme for them.


I think it would be best interest for the fans to move on and pretend this was an error so it will be a surprise, soo many people were "CM Punk is confirmed for the Chicago show" to the point it was a disappointment for them when he wasn't there.


----------



## imthegame19 (Oct 12, 2008)

reyfan said:


> I think it would be best interest for the fans to move on and pretend this was an error so it will be a surprise, soo many people were "CM Punk is confirmed for the Chicago show" to the point it was a disappointment for them when he wasn't there.


The thing is CM Punk always said he wasn't signing with AEW or going to wrestle. Fans never believed him and despite him doing Starcast. Along with random WWE backstage shows.


He's still probably not going to wrestle. Cage signing with AEW was actually by a good source(Reported Mercedes Martinez WWE signing last week). Before that article nobody even knew Cage was a free agent.

So if they had enough information to find out that info. I doubt they are wrong about AEW information. After Cage wife tweeted at them that it was false. It's not like they retracked the story or anything. So I have no reason to believe at this point the story isn't true.


Could it be false? YES it's possible but I'm not going to buy into this misdirection stuff either. Majority of the time reports like this end up coming true. Despite wrestlers saying nothing official has happen yet. Cage wife said in her tweet Cage hasn't signed on any dotted line with anyone yet. So maybe it's only verbal agreement at the time the story leaked or something. But I would be surprised if he's not in AEW. This is way more then fan speculation here like Punk stuff.


----------



## bdon (Nov 12, 2019)

The Wood said:


> That makes no sense, lol. Those are just apologetics. They don’t want guys at the end of their career, yet they sign Jericho? How do you know they didn’t offer Punk enough money, and he just didn’t look at the product and so “Uhhh, nope?”
> 
> It would be smart to hire these stars who could be a benefit to your television and mass appeal. They didn’t get them because they could coerce them over. That’s the only thing that makes sense.
> 
> It is not good business to let everyone with a big name who could help you actually get eyeballs sign with WWE. WCW got a massive boost when they brought in established talent. It only became an issue when Hogan re-signed in 1998 because Bischoff didn’t know what he was doing.


And if he is actually signed, are you going to “Lol” at yourself for thinking they didn’t sign him? Or are you going to move the goal posts and suggest he isn’t anyone but a TNA reject?


----------



## The Wood (Nov 7, 2003)

bdon said:


> And if he is actually signed, are you going to “Lol” at yourself for thinking they didn’t sign him? Or are you going to move the goal posts and suggest he isn’t anyone but a TNA reject?


I'll be like "Alright, they signed him." Because if that's what happens, that's what happens. But that doesn't change that AEW have not been able to persuade anyone of real star power to jump, and the excuses for it are hilarious. Sour grapes everywhere.


----------



## imthegame19 (Oct 12, 2008)

Again source of the news isn't backtracking here. He knows something that AEW and Cage. Don't want people to know.


__ https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1217275368760954881

__ https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1217276193461788672


----------



## LifeInCattleClass (Dec 21, 2010)

imthegame19 said:


> Again source of the news isn't backtracking here. He knows something that AEW and Cage. Don't want people to know.
> 
> 
> __ https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1217275368760954881
> ...


this might even have been leaked by AEW EVPs themselves to drum up some interest

they have a pretty good relationship with So Cal U from what I remember - even getting them to approve the SCU name


----------



## imthegame19 (Oct 12, 2008)

Cage’s Impact contract has either expired or is about to, and he is not advertised for Impact’s tapings in Mexico City where he was a top star in AAA for years and would this have name value.

Cage is apparently planning on going to AEW. Even if he has not officially signed on, unless something unforeseen happens that is where he will end up.


----------



## BigCy (Nov 10, 2012)

imthegame19 said:


> Cage’s Impact contract has either expired or is about to, and he is not advertised for Impact’s tapings in Mexico City where he was a top star in AAA for years and would this have name value.
> 
> Cage is apparently planning on going to AEW. Even if he has not officially signed on, unless something unforeseen happens that is where he will end up.


Inb4 WWE undercuts them gives him an "offer he can't refuse." I would be so upset if that happened.


----------



## imthegame19 (Oct 12, 2008)

BigCy said:


> Inb4 WWE undercuts them gives him an "offer he can't refuse." I would be so upset if that happened.


So would I. But I'm pretty sure he's already signed. If he's telling AEW he's going there. Then they have him signed. In this day and age with Khan family resources. They wouldn't just take his word and let him sit there with no contract signed.


----------



## reyfan (May 23, 2011)

Tony said like last month they weren't going to sign any more big contracts until they started getting in the green, time will tell how serious he was.


----------



## imthegame19 (Oct 12, 2008)

reyfan said:


> Tony said like last month they weren't going to sign any more big contracts until they started getting in the green, time will tell how serious he was.


They are in the green now with tv deal. Even TNT president mentioned they plan to bring in more talent.


----------



## The Wood (Nov 7, 2003)

imthegame19 said:


> So would I. But I'm pretty sure he's already signed. If he's telling AEW he's going there. Then they have him signed. In this day and age with Khan family resources. They wouldn't just take his word and let him sit there with no contract signed.


They started an angle for a guy that ended up signing with ROH...



imthegame19 said:


> They are in the green now with tv deal. Even TNT president mentioned they plan to bring in more talent.


The talent has to be willing to sign.


----------



## imthegame19 (Oct 12, 2008)

bdon said:


> And if he is actually signed, are you going to “Lol” at yourself for thinking they didn’t sign him? Or are you going to move the goal posts and suggest he isn’t anyone but a TNA reject?


That's the problem with people like the Wood. They run their mouths and try to spread these negative theories. When they are proven wrong time and time again. Then there no mention of it lol. There's no doubt in my mind AEW will be adding 2 or 3 talents(from WWE or Impact)to the roster in the next couple of months. 


Sure maybe assuming Marty was going to come there was a mistake. But nobody could have expected ROH to throw out that offer. When they haven't ever before. They clearly value Marty more then AEW does. 


Again the source is very well connected and so is Meltzer. People even say Meltzer on the payroll when it works for their opinions. But of course he knows nothing when they are trying to push negative story lol. So I'm betting he's already signed and he's just trying to leave some doubt. So it's still a surprise when he shows up.


----------



## Lethal Evans (Dec 18, 2013)

The Wood said:


> They started an angle for a guy that ended up signing with ROH...
> 
> 
> 
> The talent has to be willing to sign.


Marty was already with ROH and they broke their bank and gave him creative control to make him stay and now he'll be pushing to get ROH & AEW a working relationship (which they had with All In).

ROH, AEW & NJPW are going to end up working together with ROH acting as secondary/developmental for AEW & NJPW in a few years.


----------



## RiverFenix (Dec 10, 2011)

Cage could not pass a WWE pre-signing wellness screening. I'd like it if he did sign with WWE for his own sake though if it means he got off the juice. He's never going to be not injured anymore given the bulk he carries and the moves he does.


----------



## Cult03 (Oct 31, 2016)

imthegame19 said:


> That's the problem with people like the Wood. They run their mouths and try to spread these negative theories. When they are proven wrong time and time again. Then there no mention of it lol. There's no doubt in my mind AEW will be adding 2 or 3 talents(from WWE or Impact)to the roster in the next couple of months.
> 
> 
> Sure maybe assuming Marty was going to come there was a mistake. But nobody could have expected ROH to throw out that offer. When they haven't ever before. They clearly value Marty more then AEW does.
> ...


Meltzer isn't on the payroll, The Bucks just send him a good morning message every day and allow him to think he's involved in their business and he clings to it because they're the last people in wrestling who contact him.


----------



## KlodKol (Jan 17, 2020)

I think he’s done, but there he will judge time. And who will show what that.


----------



## rbl85 (Nov 21, 2017)

Cage does not seem to be injured at the moment.


----------



## The Wood (Nov 7, 2003)

imthegame19 said:


> That's the problem with people like the Wood. They run their mouths and try to spread these negative theories. When they are proven wrong time and time again. Then there no mention of it lol. There's no doubt in my mind AEW will be adding 2 or 3 talents(from WWE or Impact)to the roster in the next couple of months.
> 
> 
> Sure maybe assuming Marty was going to come there was a mistake. But nobody could have expected ROH to throw out that offer. When they haven't ever before. They clearly value Marty more then AEW does.
> ...


What "negative theory" has proven to be wrong? This will be good. 

You don't count your chickens before they hatch. You don't brag about things you haven't done. You don't leak information that someone has signed with your company if they fucking haven't. There's no reason for Melissa Santos to be making Twitter posts like that. What good does it do anyone? She's probably pissed because her husband hasn't signed _yet_, was taking it very seriously, and then the cocky fucks at AEW went and talked to their buddy about how they're going to get Brian Cage, and it gets out (unprofessionally) before he even does anything. 

CM Punk had similar presumptive interactions with AEW. 

Marty Scurll was assumed signed to the point they had creative figured in for him. 

Cody talks about AEW being the "Ellis Island of professional wrestling." Well, where are they? 

That ain't a negative theory. That's what's we're seeing. _Every_ single talent worth a shit since Jon Moxley joined prior to them even launching their first actual content has signed with WWE or ROH. You know what theory doesn't ring true? "AEW doesn't want them." Fuuuuuck off. 

Brian Cage might sign with AEW. It's not a game-changed. WWE released him years ago. He's slummed in Impact, and as people say about Impact: "If you're in Impact, there's a reason you're in Impact." He may or may not turn out to be a useful talent. I was trying to remain positive. But what is more fucking likely: 

A) Brian Cage, a fucking relative nobody who works on a show watched by <60,000 people on Twitch or whatever, has secretly signed with AEW to come in as a GIANT SURPRISE and change the wrestling landscape, just like JOSH MATTHEWS signing a new TNA deal? 

B) AEW have AGAIN leaked their shit too early to Dave and friends and a guy that hasn't signed yet hasn't signed yet? 

The second doesn't mean he won't sign, but can we stop with this "AEW are secret geniuses" narrative. It's Brian frickin' Cage. Does anyone really _care_ yet? And that's not a knock on the guy, but Derrick Bateman coming back to the WWE was a bigger deal than this, simply by virtue of him having once appeared in front of a television audience of over 1 million people. 



Lethal Evans said:


> Marty was already with ROH and they broke their bank and gave him creative control to make him stay and now he'll be pushing to get ROH & AEW a working relationship (which they had with All In).
> 
> ROH, AEW & NJPW are going to end up working together with ROH acting as secondary/developmental for AEW & NJPW in a few years.


We'll see. I've seen those rumors. I think the New Japan relationship is more important to ROH right now, and I think we're seeing them double-down on that. I think it's more likely New Japan and NWA Power are added to Sinclair Broadcasting's syndication and they work together to get themselves as healthy as can be.


----------



## imthegame19 (Oct 12, 2008)

rbl85 said:


> Cage does not seem to be injured at the moment.


Yeah I think level of injury reported and him not signed with AEW is a work. He's still promoting himself on Twitter to wrestle next weekend.


----------



## The Wood (Nov 7, 2003)

imthegame19 said:


> Yeah I think level of injury reported and him not signed with AEW is a work. He's still promoting himself on Twitter to wrestle next weekend.


If he’s still working and obviously isn’t injured, then how are they working people on the internet by saying he’s injured?


----------



## ripcitydisciple (Dec 18, 2014)

Lethal Evans said:


> Marty was already with ROH and they broke their bank and gave him creative control to make him stay and now he'll be pushing to get ROH & AEW a working relationship (which they had with All In).
> 
> ROH, AEW & NJPW are going to end up working together with ROH acting as secondary/developmental for AEW & NJPW in a few years.


----------



## ripcitydisciple (Dec 18, 2014)

The Cruise is a special event. Might we see Cage debut on the ship? Although it would be hard to hide him and the debut not be spoiled.


----------



## imthegame19 (Oct 12, 2008)

DetroitRiverPhx said:


> Cage could not pass a WWE pre-signing wellness screening. I'd like it if he did sign with WWE for his own sake though if it means he got off the juice. He's never going to be not injured anymore given the bulk he carries and the moves he does.


Keep in mind he was in WWE development at one point and got treated badly. With them releasing him out of the blue. That Brian Cage was a lot smaller then the guy we see today tho. In 2018 WWE was pushing for him to come in for a try out. 


After WWE had to reschedule it once. He rejected them and decided go sign with Impact, Lucha Underground and Triple A instead. While keep in mind he's friends with Omega, Bucks and others in AEW. 

Which is why he was suppose to do Double Or Nothing Casino Battle Royal. Not to mention he's been talking up AEW and praising them all last year. 

So it's likely AEW signing him to deal that allows him to do Triple A and certain Indie events still. I think he will debut in AEW at Revolution or sooner.


----------



## Lethal Evans (Dec 18, 2013)

The Wood said:


> We'll see. I've seen those rumors. I think the New Japan relationship is more important to ROH right now, and I think we're seeing them double-down on that. I think it's more likely New Japan and NWA Power are added to Sinclair Broadcasting's syndication and they work together to get themselves as healthy as can be.


It's an interesting way to counter WWEs spreading of NXT around the world. We've already seen flashes of it on AEW with AAA and vice versa. Jericho & NJPW with a story of Tanahasi challenging for the AEW Belt and Jericho wearing it to the ring. Mox is NJPW USA champion. NJPW & ROH have a working contract. It adds up.


----------



## The Wood (Nov 7, 2003)

Lethal Evans said:


> It's an interesting way to counter WWEs spreading of NXT around the world. We've already seen flashes of it on AEW with AAA and vice versa. Jericho & NJPW with a story of Tanahasi challenging for the AEW Belt and Jericho wearing it to the ring. Mox is NJPW USA champion. NJPW & ROH have a working contract. It adds up.


It’s a nice idea, in theory, but the issue I see is with New Japan feeling aggrieved by AEW. And then there’s the whole CMLL/AAA dynamic.


----------



## Seafort (Jun 5, 2014)

imthegame19 said:


> Hes big signing for sure. He was one of Impact top guys. He's big power monster AEW is lacking.


A top Lucha Underground wrestler as well.

They need to bring in *Mil Muertes*!


----------



## TD Stinger (May 9, 2012)

Seafort said:


> A top Lucha Underground wrestler as well.
> 
> They need to bring in *Mil Muertes*!


I honestly doubt Mil would work outside of Lucha Underground. But if you did, you would have to bring in Catrina too. Mil doesn't work nearly as well without her.


----------



## Masked Legend (Jul 13, 2012)

Great news! I'd love to see more big guys in wrestling tbh


----------



## IronMan8 (Dec 25, 2015)

Never heard of him.

I’m sure they’ll turn the lights off for his debut though.


----------



## Lethal Evans (Dec 18, 2013)

IronMan8 said:


> Never heard of him.
> 
> I’m sure they’ll turn the lights off for his debut though.


Never seen you complain about this in the WWE section when they regularly do this and the coming through the ring shtick all the time.


----------



## IronMan8 (Dec 25, 2015)

Lethal Evans said:


> Never seen you complain about this in the WWE section when they regularly do this and the coming through the ring shtick all the time.


I’m just critical of how they’ll probably assume everyone already knows who he is.

Since 2015, WWE has only debuted 1 guy like that: AJ Styles. But even then, he got months of follow-up segments with Jericho explaining who he is.


----------



## imthegame19 (Oct 12, 2008)

IronMan8 said:


> I’m just critical of how they’ll probably assume everyone already knows who he is.
> 
> Since 2015, WWE has only debuted 1 guy like that: AJ Styles. But even then, he got months of follow-up segments with Jericho explaining who he is.


I can understand you not liking them assuming people know who Butcher and Blade are. But with Brian Cage wrestling fans should know. He was Impact Wrestling top guy. So people should at least know him. As much as say they would Adam Page or MJF when the company started. Especially give his unique muscle bound look.


----------



## Gh0stFace (Oct 10, 2019)

Billy Gunn looked like Goldberg in that Battle Royal LOL


----------



## IronMan8 (Dec 25, 2015)

imthegame19 said:


> I can understand you not liking them assuming people know who Butcher and Blade are. But with Brian Cage wrestling fans should know. He was Impact Wrestling top guy. So people should at least know him. As much as say they would Adam Page or MJF when the company started. Especially give his unique muscle bound look.


I’m not criticising to be a troll btw, but I‘m confident in my opinion here - assuming everyone knows those names signals to everyone that AEW is on a lower level. Let me outline my argument.

Let’s say AEW has about a million American viewers each week. A percentage of those viewers will know Brian Cage. A percentage will recognise the name from forums (like me, after today). And a percentage don’t know him at all.

A much lower percentage of the 2nd million of potential viewers would know Brian Cage. And Non-American fans have limited exposure to anything but WWE, so the rest of the world is in the dark to an even greater extent.

But the reason this is bad is because AEW’s approach towards presenting these no-names (for lack of a better word) makes AEW feel less special to anyone who doesn’t know those names, because they’re subconsciously telling us these lower-tier Indy promotions are supposed to be *on the* *same level of popularity as AEW.*

If ROH talent, Impact talent, Indy talent, etc are all perceived as equivalent stars in AEW’s universe, then AEW’s universe is the same size as ROH, Impact, Indies, etc.

I’d argue it’s bad enough that AEW is perceived as an alternative to WWE’s developmental brand by virtue of going head-to-head, but in the short-term that’s fine if they continue to smash NXT this year.

So the question becomes: Is AEW on the same level of popularity as Impact, or is AEW supposed to feel 10 times bigger than Impact?

If AEW is supposed to feel 10 times bigger than Impact, then why wouldn’t they introduce Impact talent through _that_ lens? Which means, most people have never heard of this guy from a small pond somewhere, and now we’re going to give him a global platform for the world to see for the first time.

Of course, I’m assuming AEW does want to grow to WCW-like levels of importance or greater, ideally. The above argument would be wrong if AEW would be content with ~700,000 in 4 years, but I don’t think that’s the goal. 

Just my thoughts on the whole assumed starpower thing.


----------



## The Wood (Nov 7, 2003)

imthegame19 said:


> I can understand you not liking them assuming people know who Butcher and Blade are. But with Brian Cage wrestling fans should know. He was Impact Wrestling top guy. So people should at least know him. As much as say they would Adam Page or MJF when the company started. Especially give his unique muscle bound look.


No one gives a fuck about TNA.


----------



## imthegame19 (Oct 12, 2008)

IronMan8 said:


> I’m not criticising to be a troll btw, but I‘m confident in my opinion here - assuming everyone knows those names signals to everyone that AEW is on a lower level. Let me outline my argument.
> 
> Let’s say AEW has about a million American viewers each week. A percentage of those viewers will know Brian Cage. A percentage will recognise the name from forums (like me, after today). And a percentage don’t know him at all.
> 
> ...


You are way overthinking it. While not giving enough credit to wrestling modern wrestling fans. When guys have been in spotlight in Impact/TNA or New Japan. Fans might not have saw them wrestle or know much about them. But they've at least heard the name or know what they look like.


Fans know this stuff is fake and they look at the wrestler more as a talent. They say oh that guy could be awesome here because he has better talent to work with. Thinking we need months of video packages and watch the guy beat up midcarder guys for months first. Is outdated pre internet way of thinking. 


Now don't get me wrong. They should do that with some guys who were on lower level Indies. Like they did Darby Allin when they signed him. Or showing some video packages to hype Wardlow. Having Butcher&Blade debut was kinda silly. But I also don't think AEW has big plans for them. They will probably be jobber team and were more just hired muscle by MJF.


But thinking wrestling fans don't know or never heard of top stars in Impact/TNA or New Japan. Well that's kinda over kill and insulting their intelligence. As is thinking they only know who ex WWE guys are. Look at a guy like EC3 fans are still complaining about how he is wasted in WWE. Obviously they had to know who he is to care about that. 


When Drew McIntyre showed back up in NXT. People weren't all like oh it's 3 man Band guy. They knew what he was doing in Impact. If Tessa Blanchard signed with WWE tomorrow. Do you think WWE would need to start her at the bottom? Or could they put her in a feud right away with Charlotte or Becky Lynch? I think you know that answer.


----------



## MoxAsylum (Jan 9, 2020)

His wife says he hasn’t signed 


__ https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1216583275436576768


----------



## IronMan8 (Dec 25, 2015)

imthegame19 said:


> You are way overthinking it. While not giving enough credit to wrestling modern wrestling fans. When guys have been in spotlight in Impact/TNA or New Japan. Fans might not have saw them wrestle or know much about them. But they've at least heard the name or know what they look like.
> 
> 
> Fans know this stuff is fake and they look at the wrestler more as a talent. They say oh that guy could be awesome here because he has better talent to work with. Thinking we need months of video packages and watch the guy beat up midcarder guys for months first. Is outdated pre internet way of thinking.
> ...


The assumption here is that most wrestling fans know who these guys are. That’s where we disagree.

I mean, I’ve followed since the 90’s and I didn’t even know AJ Styles when he debuted.

I think a lot of people get accustomed to the hardcore fans they see on here and on twitter and think it’s representative of the wider audience.

I didn’t even know what Kenny Omega looked like until the first AEW show. The second million of potential fans will be even less familiar with these types of talents.


----------



## imthegame19 (Oct 12, 2008)

IronMan8 said:


> The assumption here is that most wrestling fans know who these guys are. That’s where we disagree.
> 
> I mean, I’ve followed since the 90’s and I didn’t even know AJ Styles when he debuted.
> 
> ...


Yeah but you are in the minority of wrestling fan who only watched WWE. Your AJ Styles example is perfect. Yes yourself and I'm sure others didn't know who he was. But the crowd reacted like he was a huge star and big portion of fans watching at home knew who he was.


So even if you and some others personally might not know who a guy is. The crowd reaction and social media tells you he's a star and big deal. When Brian Cage debuts in AEW. The crowd will know who he is and he will get a good reaction. While social media will be buzzing among wrestling fans. That tells people who might not know him well or maybe just heard his name on wrestling rumors sites etc. That he is a big deal.


That was the issue with Butcher and Blade debut. Because the crowd had no idea who they were or did people at home. Since they were some small time indie tag team. But a lot of people are gonna know guys who are presented as top guys on weekly tv like Impact or even New Japan guys with all exposure Wrestle Kingdom gets in the US. Yes not everyone watching will know. But majority of fans will in the audience and a lot at home will know too. 


When Impact Wrestling has over 3 million YouTube subscribes. It's hard to argue that wrestling fans don't know who their top stars are. Even if they don't bother to watch the show every week or even all the highlights.


----------



## IronMan8 (Dec 25, 2015)

imthegame19 said:


> Yeah but you are in the minority of wrestling fan who only watched WWE. Your AJ Styles example is perfect. Yes yourself and I'm sure others didn't know who he was. But the crowd reacted like he was a huge star and big portion of fans watching at home knew who he was.
> 
> 
> So even if you and some others personally might not know who a guy is. The crowd reaction and social media tells you he's a star and big deal. When Brian Cage debuts in AEW. The crowd will know who he is and he will get a good reaction. While social media will be buzzing among wrestling fans. That tells people who might not know him well or maybe just heard his name on wrestling rumors sites etc. That he is a big deal.
> ...


I agree the fans who bought tickets to attend the Royal Rumble crowd knew who he was. I also agree that on forums like this and the most active Twitter fans knew who he was.

However, I’m saying the facts above can’t be generalised to everyone at home.

I’d think a majority of people at home don’t follow wrestling anywhere near as closely. One example of this might be when Roman was being cheered at house shows at the peak of his FOTC run. And that’s a house show crowd, which is still more hardcore than your average TV viewer.

The generalisation of hardcore fan reactions at live events to what the average viewer thinks at home is wrong IMO.

Hard to back that up without actual evidence though, so it’s hard for us to get into those details without us knowing more


----------



## The Wood (Nov 7, 2003)

imthegame19 said:


> Yeah but you are in the minority of wrestling fan who only watched WWE. Your AJ Styles example is perfect. Yes yourself and I'm sure others didn't know who he was. But the crowd reacted like he was a huge star and big portion of fans watching at home knew who he was.
> 
> 
> So even if you and some others personally might not know who a guy is. The crowd reaction and social media tells you he's a star and big deal. When Brian Cage debuts in AEW. The crowd will know who he is and he will get a good reaction. While social media will be buzzing among wrestling fans. That tells people who might not know him well or maybe just heard his name on wrestling rumors sites etc. That he is a big deal.
> ...


You’ve got to be careful using live crowds today to measure how recognized someone is. Yeah, they’re all in on it, or at least some of them are and others follow, but that does not apply to the majority of fans. Not in the slightest.

A lot of YouTube hits come from places like India, and there are far more than 3 million people there.

People willing to go to wrestling are causing a disconnect between the product and newer audiences. It’s a big problem. It’s not exclusive to AEW and affects every promotion.

Brian Cage will get a pop from everyone in an AEW crowd. People don’t _know_ who he really is though. Assuming they do is making a huge mistake.

It turns out WWE have lucked into a good opportunity where running Fridays is helping get families into their crowds. That gives them a chance there. AEW may not get that on a Wednesday (school night). A guy like Brian Cage might visually appeal to general audiences, but you cannot alienate people by acting like he’s a huge star when he isn’t, and making them feel like they’re stupid or out of bounds for not knowing.


----------



## The Wood (Nov 7, 2003)

Stop catering to hardcore fans. I am in this group, so I do not say this with viciousness: We are not cool. We might be in other facets of our lives (or may not be), but wrestling fandom is not cool. It will not “catch.”

Plus, we’re all going to follow anyway. Try and get people who would follow wrestling, but aren’t “workrate perverts” (I heard that term once, and while I hate “workrate,” I love that phrase). People who might go for the work. The energy of a brawl. Two guys talking shit then walking the shit. Hardcores will watch, but others might too. Appealing to hardcores is going to cap you.

Hardcore fans also make it hard to push guys. I’m sorry, but they do. John Cena is not an untalented man. Roman Reigns is not an untalented man. People do not like the pushes. They know it’s rigged, so they make anyone getting that sort of corporate backing a heel. I was right there with them on Cena, because I had ideas like “deserving” and “journey” in my head. That’s partially WWE’s fault, and wrestling’s fault.

When you are left with only hardcores, you push anyone and fans are going to go “Such and such NEVER loses!”. They lose once: “Such and such is buried!” You have freakin’ people who don’t think AJ Styles is a good worker, for crying out loud.

When you appeal to wider audiences, the product can speak for itself and influence, as opposed to being influenced and responding to fans who think they know. If you filled arenas with people who wanted to fuck Roman Reigns, people who didn’t want to fuck with Roman Reigns, and kids who wanted to be a Roman Reigns, you might get a popular Roman Reigns.

I’m only using WWE as an example because it’s obvious there. AEW fans currently feel like they are part of the AEW product, but it’s going to be a similar problem. They need to build babyface and heel stars to build around, and that is going to mean going beyond what the hardcore fans think they know.

It’s possible to both work the casual fans and the hardcores. That is when you could really get a product working. The trick is to not make the angles too inside. They’re trying that with Joey Janela and Kip Sabian, but...well, the talent level there is fucked.

The company that works out how to work the internet fan first is going to benefit a lot.


----------



## IronMan8 (Dec 25, 2015)

imthegame19 said:


> Yeah but you are in the minority of wrestling fan who only watched WWE. Your AJ Styles example is perfect. Yes yourself and I'm sure others didn't know who he was. But the crowd reacted like he was a huge star and big portion of fans watching at home knew who he was.
> 
> 
> So even if you and some others personally might not know who a guy is. The crowd reaction and social media tells you he's a star and big deal. When Brian Cage debuts in AEW. The crowd will know who he is and he will get a good reaction. While social media will be buzzing among wrestling fans. That tells people who might not know him well or maybe just heard his name on wrestling rumors sites etc. That he is a big deal.
> ...


Um, I tried looking up Impact’s ratings for 2019 and it said they didn’t even draw enough viewers to trigger a rating.

I definitely think people are overestimating the popularity of those non-WWE workers.


----------



## The Masked Avenger (Apr 18, 2018)

Here's the thing though, WWE fans see WWE as the major league and since it's the majors to them they don't follow any other wrestling. I feel like AEW fans are more open to watching other promotions and have probably followed NJPW, RoH and Impact at some point. Brian Cage will have a bigger reaction than Wardlow and BBB did but not anything like Moxley or Hager. Mox showing up was like Razor Ramon showing up on Nitro. Where as BBB and Wardlow were small time indy guys. Same with The Dark Order. He's not completely unknown but he's not had eyes on him like a WWE guy does.


----------



## kingfrass44 (Sep 19, 2019)

TheMaskedAvenger said:


> Here's the thing though, WWE fans see WWE as the major league and since it's the majors to them they don't follow any other wrestling. I feel like AEW fans are more open to watching other promotions and have probably followed NJPW, RoH and Impact at some point. Brian Cage will have a bigger reaction than Wardlow and BBB did but not anything like Moxley or Hager. Mox showing up was like Razor Ramon showing up on Nitro. Where as BBB and Wardlow were small time indy guys. Same with The Dark Order. He's not completely unknown but he's not had eyes on him like a WWE guy does.


Hager Not same reaction Moxley


----------



## TKO Wrestling (Jun 26, 2018)

Lol at someone claiming that they didn’t know who AJ STYLES was when he debuted in wwe. Ridiculously unbelievable troll job.


----------



## Geeee (Aug 9, 2010)

Lethal Evans said:


> Marty was already with ROH and they broke their bank and gave him creative control to make him stay and now he'll be pushing to get ROH & AEW a working relationship (which they had with All In).
> 
> ROH, AEW & NJPW are going to end up working together with ROH acting as secondary/developmental for AEW & NJPW in a few years.


This really would be awesome to see. I'm skeptical it will happen because there seems to be hard feelings between The Elite and NJPW. But on the other hand, AEW's two top guys are also in NJPW...


----------



## imthegame19 (Oct 12, 2008)

IronMan8 said:


> Um, I tried looking up Impact’s ratings for 2019 and it said they didn’t even draw enough viewers to trigger a rating.
> 
> I definitely think people are overestimating the popularity of those non-WWE workers.


Cage was on Impact in 2018 too. Like I said before a lot of fans might not have seen him wrestle etc. But they've at least heard of him and seen him. Trust me when he debuts it will be a big reaction and that's what matters.


----------



## imthegame19 (Oct 12, 2008)

TheMaskedAvenger said:


> Here's the thing though, WWE fans see WWE as the major league and since it's the majors to them they don't follow any other wrestling. I feel like AEW fans are more open to watching other promotions and have probably followed NJPW, RoH and Impact at some point. Brian Cage will have a bigger reaction than Wardlow and BBB did but not anything like Moxley or Hager. Mox showing up was like Razor Ramon showing up on Nitro. Where as BBB and Wardlow were small time indy guys. Same with The Dark Order. He's not completely unknown but he's not had eyes on him like a WWE guy does.


Wardlow had video packages hyping his debut up on All Out and first Dynamite. Impact wrestling has over 3 million subscribers and more Twitter followers still then AEW has.


I'm not saying these people watched Cage feuds with RVD, Callahan, Eglin and Johnny Impact(Aka Morrison) on tv or ppv. But they likely saw photos or video of him or saw his name/picture on dirt sheets. Majority of fans who buy tickets for AEW show are gonna know who he is.


----------



## The Masked Avenger (Apr 18, 2018)

imthegame19 said:


> Wardlow had video packages hyping his debut up on All Out and first Dynamite.


Yes, in his first he was presented as a face beating up muggers in a parking lot and he didn't look anything like he does now. His second was him silently screaming at the camera with the words "Wardlow is Coming" that was probably 15 seconds long. It still doesn't change the fact that he has only wrestled in places like American Revolution Wrestling, International Wrestling Cartel and Revenge Pro Wrestling. Two vignettes 2 and 3 months out from a crowd run in debut isn't going to make people remember who he is. 

Now I agree on Cage. Most people in the audience will know who he is.


----------



## Lethal Evans (Dec 18, 2013)

Geeee said:


> This really would be awesome to see. I'm skeptical it will happen because there seems to be hard feelings between The Elite and NJPW. But on the other hand, AEW's two top guys are also in NJPW...


The specifics of talent sharing would be interesting, but it'd allow rivalries etc to bleed over onto other brands. Jericho costing Mox his US title for example. A good invasion angle etc.


----------



## Geeee (Aug 9, 2010)

imthegame19 said:


> Cage was on Impact in 2018 too. Like I said before a lot of fans might not have seen him wrestle etc. But they've at least heard of him and seen him. Trust me when he debuts it will be a big reaction and that's what matters.


I wasn't watching Impact when Brian Cage was on but I do know him from Lucha Underground


----------



## Jonhern (Oct 19, 2017)

imthegame19 said:


> *Yeah but you are in the minority of wrestling fan who only watched WWE. Your AJ Styles example is perfect. Yes yourself and I'm sure others didn't know who he was. But the crowd reacted like he was a huge star and big portion of fans watching at home knew who he was.*
> 
> 
> So even if you and some others personally might not know who a guy is. The crowd reaction and social media tells you he's a star and big deal. When Brian Cage debuts in AEW. The crowd will know who he is and he will get a good reaction. While social media will be buzzing among wrestling fans. That tells people who might not know him well or maybe just heard his name on wrestling rumors sites etc. That he is a big deal.
> ...


The crowd at PPV events is mostly hardcore fans, although I do think AJ is a special case, since Bullet Club really took off when he was at its helm, and that had some crossover appeal. The question is if he had gotten his debut at a random RAW with mostly casuals in attendance would he have had the same reaction? Maybe, maybe not, but that RR crowd was definitely not representative of the larger WWE audience. Or say if someone like Nak had debuted in a random RAW instead of starting at NXT, I doubt most people in the crowd would have known who he was.


----------



## The Wood (Nov 7, 2003)

TheMaskedAvenger said:


> Here's the thing though, WWE fans see WWE as the major league and since it's the majors to them they don't follow any other wrestling. I feel like AEW fans are more open to watching other promotions and have probably followed NJPW, RoH and Impact at some point. Brian Cage will have a bigger reaction than Wardlow and BBB did but not anything like Moxley or Hager. Mox showing up was like Razor Ramon showing up on Nitro. Where as BBB and Wardlow were small time indy guys. Same with The Dark Order. He's not completely unknown but he's not had eyes on him like a WWE guy does.


The Blade comes from TNA. No one knew or cared. The Super Smash Brothers from ROH. No one knew or cared.



Geeee said:


> This really would be awesome to see. I'm skeptical it will happen because there seems to be hard feelings between The Elite and NJPW. But on the other hand, AEW's two top guys are also in NJPW...


They have it figured in to their AEW deals to work New Japan. So does Omega and Cody, yet New Japan hasn’t even called. 



imthegame19 said:


> Cage was on Impact in 2018 too. Like I said before a lot of fans might not have seen him wrestle etc. But they've at least heard of him and seen him. Trust me when he debuts it will be a big reaction and *that's what matters.*


No it’s not.


----------



## imthegame19 (Oct 12, 2008)

Jonhern said:


> The crowd at PPV events is mostly hardcore fans, although I do think AJ is a special case, since Bullet Club really took off when he was at its helm, and that had some crossover appeal. The question is if he had gotten his debut at a random RAW with mostly casuals in attendance would he have had the same reaction? Maybe, maybe not, but that RR crowd was definitely not representative of the larger WWE audience. Or say if someone like Nak had debuted in a random RAW instead of starting at NXT, I doubt most people in the crowd would have known who he was.


I'm not so sure that many people who watch Raw. Also watch NXT and don't pay attention to who New Japan top stars are. Especially back then when it wasn't even on tv yet.


----------



## elidrakefan76 (Jul 23, 2018)

Brian Cage looks like an Incredible Hulk-like comic book character brought to life. He looks like he obviously does steroids which is likely why he isn't in the WWE.


----------



## Boldgerg (Apr 2, 2017)

elidrakefan76 said:


> Brian Cage looks like an Incredible Hulk-like comic book character brought to life. He looks like he obviously does steroids which is likely why he isn't in the WWE.


Hilarious that people still buy this "WWE won't employ steroid users, they have a wellness policy" crap.


----------



## imthegame19 (Oct 12, 2008)

Boldgerg said:


> Hilarious that people still buy this "WWE won't employ steroid users, they have a wellness policy" crap.


Cage has said WWE was trying to get him to come to a try out a few years ago. He turned them down and decided to do Impact, Lucha Underground and Triple A instead. Cuz he was with WWE before he got all huge and they cut him.


----------



## The Dude (Jan 1, 2020)

The Wood said:


> Stop catering to hardcore fans. I am in this group, so I do not say this with viciousness: We are not cool. We might be in other facets of our lives (or may not be), but wrestling fandom is not cool. It will not “catch.”
> 
> Plus, we’re all going to follow anyway. Try and get people who would follow wrestling, but aren’t “workrate perverts” (I heard that term once, and while I hate “workrate,” I love that phrase). People who might go for the work. The energy of a brawl. Two guys talking shit then walking the shit. Hardcores will watch, but others might too. Appealing to hardcores is going to cap you.
> 
> ...


I’ve been posting about wrestling in the Internet for probably 15+ years. And I’ve never heard a self proclaimed hardcore fan admit that truth.... that they’re not cool and that companies should not be catering to them.

Hats off to you. A very genuine and truthful thing to say.


----------



## The Dude (Jan 1, 2020)

imthegame19 said:


> Wardlow had video packages hyping his debut up on All Out and first Dynamite. Impact wrestling has over 3 million subscribers and more Twitter followers still then AEW has.
> 
> 
> I'm not saying these people watched Cage feuds with RVD, Callahan, Eglin and Johnny Impact(Aka Morrison) on tv or ppv. But they likely saw photos or video of him or saw his name/picture on dirt sheets. Majority of fans who buy tickets for AEW show are gonna know who he is.


And the majority of people who they should be trying to convert into fans dont


----------



## Cult03 (Oct 31, 2016)

The Dude said:


> I’ve been posting about wrestling in the Internet for probably 15+ years. And I’ve never heard a self proclaimed hardcore fan admit that truth.... that they’re not cool and that companies should not be catering to them.
> 
> Hats off to you. A very genuine and truthful thing to say.


There's a reason we don't put "massive wrestling fan" on our Tinder profiles haha.


----------



## RiverFenix (Dec 10, 2011)

He announced he's having bicep surgery as was rumored. He's out awhile because of it - upwards of six months. Injuries are only going to continue to pile up now for Cage unfortunately given all the damage he's done to his body. HIs best bet to elongate his career would be to become a more grounded power wrestler, maybe form a permanent tag team with more of a technical flyer type that could do 2/3rds of the ring work each match for his team.


----------



## imthegame19 (Oct 12, 2008)

So I guess we shouldn't expect Cage in AEW to this summer. Maybe for big match at All Out.


----------



## The Raw Smackdown (Jan 8, 2017)

Yeah guys. Let's not cater to the audience that got us to where we are in the first place! Let's cater to people who don't and never will give a fuck about wrestling in any capacity!

How Stupid...


----------



## rbl85 (Nov 21, 2017)

Strange because on Guevara last week Vlog, Cage does not seem to be hurt. In the video he can move is arm without any problem, he's not wearing any protection and he doesn't have any sign of injury on his arm.


----------



## The Wood (Nov 7, 2003)

The Raw Smackdown said:


> Yeah guys. Let's not cater to the audience that got us to where we are in the first place! Let's cater to people who don't and never will give a fuck about wrestling in any capacity!
> 
> How Stupid...


That audience is shrinking all the time and very unlikely to grow. There are plenty of people who would care about wrestling if it were good.


----------



## The Raw Smackdown (Jan 8, 2017)

The Wood said:


> That audience is shrinking all the time and very unlikely to grow. There are plenty of people who would care about wrestling if it were good.


I think they can still keep the hardcore's while getting the audience that'd be into wrestling. It just wouldn't be smart to crap on any of their audience. They can't afford that right now.


----------



## The Wood (Nov 7, 2003)

The Raw Smackdown said:


> I think they can still keep the hardcore's while getting the audience that'd be into wrestling. It just wouldn't be smart to crap on any of their audience. They can't afford that right now.


Hardcore fans will watch wrestling regardless. Casuals aren't going to get into the same stuff that the hardcores think works.


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## The Raw Smackdown (Jan 8, 2017)

The Wood said:


> Hardcore fans will watch wrestling regardless. Casuals aren't going to get into the same stuff that the hardcores think works.


That's true. That's why they gotta be real smart about it.


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## reyfan (May 23, 2011)

Good wrestling turns casuals into hardcores.


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## Cult03 (Oct 31, 2016)

reyfan said:


> Good wrestling turns casuals into hardcores.


What was the first wrestling you watched and enjoyed?


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## bdon (Nov 12, 2019)

Cult03 said:


> What was the first wrestling you watched and enjoyed?


Late 80s WCW for me.


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## reyfan (May 23, 2011)

Cult03 said:


> What was the first wrestling you watched and enjoyed?


I'm actually a 3rd generation fan, parents watched it before I was born so I grew up watching 80's wrestling, but didn't really become a actual fan myself until the second half of the 90's.


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## Cult03 (Oct 31, 2016)

reyfan said:


> I'm actually a 3rd generation fan, parents watched it before I was born so I grew up watching 80's wrestling, but didn't really become a actual fan myself until the second half of the 90's.


Do you think it was the wrestling or the story lines that won you over?


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## Boldgerg (Apr 2, 2017)

Judging by his Instagram it looks like this is definitely signed.


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## Dizzie (Jun 22, 2019)

Cage needs to cut out the cruiserweight moves if he joins aew and just be a powerhouse, there is enough guys on the roster that do flippy stuff but they lack powerhouses


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## Aedubya (Jul 12, 2019)

When the lights went out when Mox was getting his beat down, i was fully expecting Cage to come out

Still great to see Allin all the same!


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## NXT Only (Apr 3, 2016)

The Raw Smackdown said:


> Yeah guys. Let's not cater to the audience that got us to where we are in the first place! Let's cater to people who don't and never will give a fuck about wrestling in any capacity!
> 
> How Stupid...


Exactly.

You don’t need casuals and you damn sure shouldn’t cater to them. If you look at the major sports in America, so many of their problems among fans is their intent on catering to casuals.


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## reyfan (May 23, 2011)

Cult03 said:


> Do you think it was the wrestling or the story lines that won you over?


I didn't even see this question lol Was the stories I guess, got into it with the Austin vs. McMahon story, when a wrestler vs. a non wrestler feud changes the business you know it has nothing to do with wrestling itself.


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## RapShepard (Jun 20, 2014)

NXT Only said:


> Exactly.
> 
> You don’t need casuals and you damn sure shouldn’t cater to them. If you look at the major sports in America, so many of their problems among fans is their intent on catering to casuals.


What American sports are you watching. All of them are actively trying to appeal to getting more casuals. Which is why every sport is always trying to increase scoring (exciting for casuals) at the detriment of players on the defensive side (something more exciting for hardcore fans).


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## NXT Only (Apr 3, 2016)

RapShepard said:


> What American sports are you watching. All of them are actively trying to appeal to getting more casuals. Which is why every sport is always trying to increase scoring (exciting for casuals) at the detriment of players on the defensive side (something more exciting for hardcore fans).


NBA and NFL focusing on ramping up the offense for high scoring games has made hardcore fans who love defense and physicality hate the product. Sure the ratings are up and TV money is huge but it’s hurt the overall product.

MLB has made changes to switching pitchers and also have added the pitch clock recently to speed up the game to draw in more viewers.

Wrestling is a niche market, you don’t need mainstream appeal to be successful. Cater to the people who will support you no matter what not the fair-weather audience hoping for the glory days of the 90s.


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## validreasoning (Jul 4, 2012)

Niche things don't get weekly prime time slots on top cable channels and broadcast networks


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## RapShepard (Jun 20, 2014)

NXT Only said:


> NBA and NFL focusing on ramping up the offense for high scoring games has made hardcore fans who love defense and physicality hate the product. Sure the ratings are up and TV money is huge but it’s hurt the overall product.
> 
> MLB has made changes to switching pitchers and also have added the pitch clock recently to speed up the game to draw in more viewers.
> 
> Wrestling is a niche market, you don’t need mainstream appeal to be successful. Cater to the people who will support you no matter what not the fair-weather audience hoping for the glory days of the 90s.


I agree you don't need mainstream to be successful, but it's clear wrestling and especially hardcore fans in general have been craving it. I don't know you specifically, so I can't speak on you. But I feel like we've both been around this board or other boards to know and realize a lot of diehard wrestling fans feel some type of way about wrestling not being mainstream popular. 

It's why Raw, SmackDown, and AEW can consistently be a top 5-10 show every night and still somehow be considered a big time failure that proves wrestling is so super dead.


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