After a life-threatening injury kept him on the retirement shelf for seven years, Christian Cage finally got the redemption story that is hard to come by when he appeared at this year’s Royal Rumble. Just two months after his triumphant return, the former two-time World Champion made headlines again when it was revealed that he was All Elite this past Sunday at AEW’s Revolution. Just one day after the news broke, Cage spoke with his former WWE Backstage co-panelist partner Renee Paquette about this massive transition and where his head is at the moment.

“It’s weird and cool all in one to hear the full name ‘Christian Cage,’ again,” Cage noted during his interview on Oral Sessions. “It’s weird how things, like, kind of come full circle.”

Despite his long-awaited comeback at the Royal Rumble, Cage revealed that facing the AEW crowd on Sunday was more nerve-racking than his in-ring return just two months ago.

“Let me be honest with you: When I did the Royal Rumble, like, what a month ago at this point, I was not nervous at all. And I hadn’t wrestled in seven years. When I walked out of that trailer to go out last night, I was nervous,” he admitted. “You’re just kind of like the new kid in class.

“This announcement had been hyped up, and it kind of took a life of its own. You’re like, ‘Oh, my God, am I going to live up to what people are expecting here?’ So, yeah. I think it was all of these nerves and just the anticipation of getting out there and getting started.”

Just before the big reveal of Cage’s signing, Paul Wight (fka Big Show) teased on Dynamite earlier last week that a “Hall of Fame talent” would appear four days later. To Cage, he had no idea that AEW was going to promote his arrival ahead of time – even before he officially signed with the company.

“I didn’t know. As far as I knew at that point in time, it was going to be a complete secret, and I was going to show up, and it was going to be a complete surprise,” he said. “Honestly, on Wednesday, there was nothing signed. So, it was a shock to me when I heard it. Tony [Khan] and I hit it off fairly quick. We felt comfortable enough to definitely to get something done and worked out at that point.”

For the first time, Cage announced just how long his contract is good for. He is more than ready to be in AEW for the long haul.

“It’s a long-term deal,” he announced. “I’m not here for just a couple of matches now, like, I’m here for the long haul.”

Next, Paquette asked Cage who on the roster would be part of his dream matchups. He made sure to address the former AEW World Champion Jon Moxley, who vouched for Cage to join the company.

“Like, all these possibilities you never thought were going to be – less than a year ago – were going to be real,” he continued with his dream matches in AEW. “You look at this roster, and there is so much young talent as well.

“I mean, obviously, Jon and I have wrestled so many times, but we’ve bonded over wrestling. We never really had that much communication together. But when we worked together, it was kind of like opening that door with him as far as having conversations with him and that. We kind of came [up] on another level. I appreciate all the things he said about me. At some point, he and I are going to do something together, which I can’t wait for because we have great chemistry.”

Not only is Moxley among one of Cage’s dream opponents, but he also went on to mention several more stars, including the AEW World Tag Team Champions, The Young Bucks. Not only will Cage be performing in the ring, but he’ll also become part of the coaching staff that will train the up-and-coming talents who make up half of the current roster.

“But you look at a guy like Kenny Omega, and I still haven’t met him. I didn’t even see him yesterday. Obviously, he has a great reputation for having great matches, so at some point, I think that is inevitable,” he added on who else he’d like to face. “Or I look at a young guy like Darby Allin, who’s got that – you don’t know what it is – but he’s got something, right? Like that Jeff Hardy, cool factor about him. Obviously, I think The Young Bucks. You know, obviously, the Edge and Christian thing can’t happen, but at some point, something will happen with those guys. Those guys were obviously Edge and Christian and Hardy Boyz fans. So, for them to share a space with them and eventually do something with them as well is huge.

“It’s such a wide-open thing, and I haven’t fully wrapped my head around it. Or like MJF. He’s super talented. Even with the promos and things like that, he gets it. The fact that the roster is so young… being able to get in there and help mold some of these guys is what coming back meant to me, like helping set up the next generation.”

You can listen to Christian Cage’s full interview here. 

Source: Wrestling Inc. with credit to Oral Sessions w/Renée Paquette