Brian Cage has signed a multi-year deal with All Elite Wrestling.
Gustifanz 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.
With his pedigree, Cage would be considered one of the top free agents to hit the market recently. After beginning his in-ring career in 2004 in Sacramento, Cage has wrestled for Impact, AAA, Lucha Underground, Pro Wrestling NOAH, and Pro Wrestling Guerrilla among others. In 2019 he was ranked 48th on the Pro Wrestling Illustrated 500 and was nominated for the Southern California Wrestler of the Year Award for the second consecutive year.
On April 28, 2019, Cage defeated Johnny Impact to win the Impact World Heavyweight Championship. His championship reign lasted 180 days before losing to Sami Callihan on October 25, 2019.
We were told Cage’s signing with AEW should not affect any of his previously scheduled independent wrestling bookings. He is scheduled to face David Starr at Bar Wrestling’s inter-promotional show with GCW on January 23, 2020, in Baldwin Park, CA.
Brian Cage did not confirm the report.
