While appearing for a K & S WrestleFest virtual signing earlier this week, Brian Cage was reminded of the fact that he hasn’t wrestled on AEW TV since October 6, 2021. The interviewer also mentioned how Cage’s wife, Melissa Santos, ripped AEW for underutilizing her husband through a social media post last September.
Cage was asked if his wife’s comments impacted his subsequent AEW booking, and whether he regrets re-tweeting the message.
“I’ve re-tweeted in favor of plenty of things that fans have said about me,” Cage said. “I mean, why would I not? They are supporting me. So regardless, if someone agrees or not, it’s someone’s opinion and it’s positive for me, why would I be against that? The fact that it’s my wife, she’s obviously going to have a biased opinion.”
At this point, Cage revealed that “certain individuals” backstage intentionally brought the heat to him by referencing his wife’s tweet.
“It’s not really for what she said, it’s about certain people backstage in AEW who don’t like me there that pointed that [tweet] out and brought that heat to me intentionally,” Cage continued. “So it wouldn’t have been a big deal but certain individuals there made it a big deal. And that’s what they hung their hat on. There’s more to it, but I’m not going to say that. These certain individuals know who they are.”
Cage was then asked why certain people in AEW were trying to stir the pot against him.
“I don’t really have heat with them,” Cage responded. “I show up, go to the gym, eat, have the best match possible, and go home. I don’t hang out, drink, or party, [I’m] a pretty simple and easygoing guy. And some people are upset because they don’t look like me or can’t move as well as me with the way I look. That’s on them.”
Cage added, “If you want to call it professional jealousy, that’s what it is.”
The Machine then referenced another wrestler’s wife criticizing AEW’s booking but not facing any repercussions.
“Without naming names, we can maybe put it together, there is another big superstar’s wife that has heavily criticized things at the company and there are no repercussions for them,” Cage said. “Melissa didn’t say anything negative, all she said was, ‘Brian Cage has been underutilized.’ She didn’t say anything really bad. Even what she originally tweeted was a write-up about me from a writer or journalist. She just retweeted that and I retweeted what she retweeted. The write-up was nothing negative about AEW or the booking. Basically, ‘I’m a big Brian Cage fan, I hope he gets used better.’ That’s all it was.”
When asked how he plans to “dig himself out” of his current hole, Cage implored AEW to give him another opportunity so he can prove himself.
“There’s not a whole lot I can do,” Cafge responded. “I’ve done what I can do….until I get another opportunity. The thing that sucks is I haven’t had the opportunity to do anything since then [Melissa’s tweet]. They have me there for a reason and I’m still there, but if I’m not able to showcase anything, I’m not able to climb myself out of the hole. Until I get that opportunity, I’m just gonna sit around and wait.”
Despite Cage’s lengthy absence from AEW TV, he remains under contract with the company. In February 2022, a report confirmed that Tony Khan picked up the option year on Cage’s contract, keeping him with AEW through early 2023.
