Christian Cage says ‘Good Friend’ Jon Moxley advised him to quit WWE and join AEW

Former WWE World Heavyweight Champion Christian Cage recently appeared on Renee Paquette’s Oral Sessions podcast, where he confirmed that he held talks with various WWE officials about his permanent in-ring return before signing a contract with WWE’s rival All Elite Wrestling (AEW). Christian Cage came out of retirement in January 2021 to enter the Men’s Royal Rumble. And although WWE was interested in signing Cage for one last run, the 47-year-old ultimately decided to meet Tony Khan and signed a contract with his company.

Christian Cage WWE: Why Christian Cage left WWE?

Christian Cage said that while he was talking to WWE about a possible return, he had a conversation with former WWE and AEW World champion Jon Moxley. Cage claims that his “good friend” Moxley advised him to explore all the options before making a life-changing decision and asked him to meet Tony Khan. “I ended up having a conversation with Tony and it escalated very quickly and went very fast. Within a week it was a done deal,” Christian Cage said.

Christian Cage AEW debut: Christian Cage AEW Revolution

After weeks of teasing by the promotion and superstars, Christian Cage made his AEW debut during the AEW Revolution PPV on Sunday and went on to sign the contract publically. Although he did not do much during his first TV appearance with AEW, he confirmed that his new slogan for the year and the company is "Out. Work. Everyone". 

Christian Cage WWE: Christian’s last WWE performance

Christian, who worked with WWE from 1998 to 2005 and 2009 to 2014, retired from in-ring competition in 2014 after suffering various injuries and multiple concussions. In June 2020, he had an unsanctioned match against Randy Orton on WWE RAW which ended in just 60-second, with The Viper coming out on top. However, his first official return bout came at the WWE Royal Rumble 2021 PPV. Christian entered the Men’s Royal Rumble at number 24 and lasted 18 minutes before being eliminated by Seth Rollins.

Christian Cage AEW Revolution: Paul Wight joins AEW

Christian Cage was not the only former WWE champion who moved to AEW recently. Just days before Cage’s debut, Paul Wight – formerly known as Big Show – signed his AEW contract. According to reports, Paul Wight will not just perform in the ring, but will also join Tony Schiavone on the commentary table at AEW Dark: Elevation on Monday nights.

Image Source: AEW/ Twitter, AEW/ YouTube