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Christian Cage shocked the world when he made his AEW debut at the Revolution PPV. While the company had been advertising a Hall of Fame-worthy signing, no one expected him to make his way to Tony Khan's company.
Upon his arrival, Christian proclaimed that he would "outwork everybody" on the roster. The veteran was then booked straight into an altercation with AEW World Heavyweight Champion Kenny Omega.
It seemed like a pointless push for him at the time as he hadn't established himself in AEW. Cage has been out of competition for many years and only made his in-ring comeback at the 2021 Royal Rumble for WWE.
We can all agree that Christian should take his time and settle in. A quick push would not do him any good in the long run. So to make it less forced and more presentable, he needs to have a steady rise in the company.
Here is a list of five AEW stars whom Cage should face before earning a title shot.
#5 Christopher Daniels vs. Christian Cage
On March 24th, Christopher Daniels' partner and friend Frankie Kazarian challenged Christian Cage. Kazarian questioned Cage's mantra of "outworking everyone".
Christian and Kazarian put up an exemplary wrestling contest in the opening match of AEW Dynamite on 31st March. After a series of back and forths, Cage managed to put away his opponent with the Unprettier.
It would simply make perfect booking sense for Christopher Daniels to try and avenge Kazarian's loss in the coming weeks.
Both men were prominent figures during the early years of TNA. However, Daniels was mainly featured as an X-Division competitor while Christian Cage was in the World Title picture. The time has long passed, and gone are the days when Daniels was considered only as an X-Division guy.
Since then, Daniels has gone from strength to strength and is considered one of the best in the business. A feud with the former IMPACT Wrestling star would be the perfect way to get things rolling for Cage on AEW.
One could only imagine the exciting performance these two ring generals could put together for the fans.
#4 Matt Sydal vs. Christian Cage
Matt Sydal and Christian Cage have never faced each other inside the squared circle despite being in the same company at the same time in the past.
Matt Sydal is a uniquely gifted, high-flying talent and has been trying hard to establish himself since his debut. He earned the opportunity to face Kenny Omega by defeating Michael Nakazawa on AEW Dark: Elevation.
Sydal faced Omega for the AEW World Heavyweight Championship on Dynamite but eventually fell short despite a valiant attempt.
Sydal needs to carry his momentum into the upcoming weeks by having some more prominent matches that raise his standard, credibility, and legitimacy in the pecking order.
Christian Cage would be a perfect opponent for him as both are very technically gifted and can manage to make each other look great in a ring. Even losing the match wouldn't hinder Sydal in any way because a contest with Captain Charisma invertedly puts a lot of focus on him.
#3 Ethan Page vs. Christian Cage
"All Ego" Ethan Page also recently joined the AEW roster at the Revolution PPV like Christian Cage.
Prior to joining Tony Khan's company, Ethan Page enjoyed a successful run in IMPACT Wrestling as part of The North, where he was a former two-time Tag Team Champion.
After an unsuccessful attempt to win The Face of the Revolution ladder match, Page has quickly started to build up momentum by racking up wins in both AEW Dark: Elevation and Dynamite.
Ethan Page has also formed an unlikely alliance with Scorpio Sky. They are putting the roster on notice in both singles and tag team competitions. Soon it is expected that both the former IMPACT stars' paths will somehow cross at some point.
More than Christian Cage, Ethan Page needs this opportunity as it would certainly elevate his career by guaranteeing him more recognition. A relatively young wrestler like Page would be hungry to showcase his performance to shine against a living legend of the sports entertainment industry.
#2 Sting vs. Christian Cage
Living on the aspect of nostalgia alone, the match between Christian Cage and Sting would be a dream bout that AEW likely wouldn't want to miss out on. The craze for watching these two legends against each other would be something special for many old fans when they first discovered another wrestling alternative in TNA.
One of Christian Cage's top career highlights was when he turned his back on his friend, Sting. Cage would hit Sting with a guitar shot that would knock "The Icon" out, costing him the chance to win the NWA World Heavyweight Championship against Jeff Jarrett at Hard Justice PPV in 2006.
Christian is a changed man now, but if he ever turns heel by joining Team Taz during his current run in AEW, this storyline can magically work as an instigator. It would be vital for some epic encounter between the two legends.
We know that Sting now has certain limitations and can only be utilized to his full potential in a cinematic match. The idea would pose some creative challenges for the AEW production team to formulate and manage this, but it would be worth a shot regardless.
#1 Chris Jericho vs. Christian Cage
Christian Cage and Chris Jericho go way back to their time in WWE and even clashed at WrestleMania XX. The two stars rivalry originated from a silly bet. Jericho would have the aid of Trish Stratus in his corner for the contest.
Christian would pull off a clever surprise roll-up to defeat Jericho that night after Stratus would land an accidental elbow onto Jericho's face. After the match, Stratus would turn on Jericho and join forces with Christian, breaking Jericho's heart. This feud would go on with Trish becoming Christian's on-screen girlfriend.
But before the storyline could conclude, Christian would get sidelined due to injury. The storyline never ended the way the fans would have liked it. Seventeen years later, AEW has the chance to reinvigorate the feud.
They would love Christian Cage and Jericho to lock horns once more in this new landscape. Both are still in fantastic shape and can have a pretty solid match anywhere on the card. Ardent fans will enjoy every moment of this feud and it would be interesting to see who comes out on top.
The possibilities are endless for Christian Cage in AEW. A slow and steady rise to the top before challenging Kenny Omega would be the best way forward. The only thing that an audience disapproves of is shoving something forcefully down their throat.
With many wrestling alternatives available, each booking should be done in a carefully thought-out manner so as not to slip up in haste.
What makes Sting special? His first AEW opponent opens up RIGHT HERE.
