Brian Cage spent years feeling like he had to get back to WWE, only to eventually realize his career didn’t need it. That doesn’t mean the door is closed, though, because even after one particularly brutal rejection, Cage still isn’t ruling out going back someday.
Speaking on the Smooth Vega Podcast, Cage looked back at how important WWE once felt to him. He had predicted as a teenager that the company would sign him by 24, accomplished exactly that, and then found himself desperate to return after being released.
Cage said there were several moments when another WWE run appeared close. He claims he was re-signed before that decision was rescinded, was selected for Tough Enough before being removed and later received another encouraging message from John Laurinaitis.
“I was so desperate after I got released, and that was a whole bunk story to get back to. I felt like my life was over. And after a lot of ups and downs, like I got re-signed, then I got rescinded, then I got cast for Tough Enough, then I got taken off that. Then I saw Johnny Ace in Fresno when I was living there, and he said, ‘Hey, we’re going to bring you back after Mania.’”
That return never happened. According to Cage, Laurinaitis later contacted him to say WWE had changed its mind, while also delivering an assessment of Cage that he definitely didn’t agree with.
“Then they said, ‘Oh, never mind.’ I’ve said this quote a lot of times, too. He texted me out of nowhere and he goes, ‘Never mind. We changed our mind. You’re average at best.’ I go, ‘Average at best? This mother******?’”
Instead of continuing to chase WWE after another rejection, Cage finally changed the way he looked at his career. He still believed he was better than WWE’s alleged assessment, but he no longer wanted getting back there to determine whether he considered himself successful.
“I go, ‘Okay, let’s really face it. You and I both know I’m better than average, but thanks for getting back to me.’ But after that, that’s when I finally said, you know what? I don’t need to go back there. I’ll do what I need to do.”
That decision worked out pretty well for him. Cage says things improved professionally, personally and financially once he stopped carrying around the feeling that he absolutely needed another WWE contract.
“As soon as I let go of that ‘I have to be back there’ feeling, everything in my life got better professionally, personally, financially. Everything improved once I let go of that.”
There is an important difference between not needing WWE and never wanting WWE again, and Cage made sure to draw that line. Despite everything that happened during his attempts to return, he isn’t declaring that another run with the company will never happen.
“Now, doesn’t mean I’m saying like, ‘Oh, I’ll never go back there.’ It was just like, you know what? If I don’t go back there, it’s okay.”
Cage has actually faced that decision again since those earlier setbacks. He previously revealed that WWE showed interest before he re-signed with AEW in 2023, and he admitted that part of him wanted to make the move.
He ultimately stayed with AEW because it offered the security he was looking for. Cage cited better travel arrangements, freedom to take outside work and less fear of being released as some of the advantages, with job security and longevity becoming the biggest factors in his decision.
Cage isn’t waiting around for WWE to validate his career anymore, and that may be the biggest difference from the wrestler who once felt his life was over after being released. If WWE comes calling again, however, he isn’t saying no before the phone even rings.
This transcript was produced exclusively for Ringside News from the original recording. Republishing the transcription in full is prohibited. When using excerpts, provide prominent credit and a link to this article.
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