Insight with Chris Van Vliet - Brian Cage On Choosing AEW Over WWE, Having The Best Body In Wrestling, Wanting To Be AEW Champ

Episode Date: June 30, 2026

Brian Cage (@briancage) is a professional wrestler in AEW. He sits down with Chris Van Vliet at West Coast Creative Studio in Los Angeles, CA to discuss winning the Mr. Nevada bodybuilding competition, being cast in the new Steven Spielberg movie "Disclosure Day" with Lance Archer, recovering from a knee injury, his AEW return, wanting to become AEW World Champion, giving Sting his first bump in AEW, how close he came to signing with WWE, and more! Please support our sponsors: HELIX SLEEP: Flash sale! Go to https://helixsleep.com/cvv for 27% off sitewide! COZY EARTH: Go to https://cozyearth.com/CVV for up to 20% off! BEAM: Go to https://shopbeam.com/INSIGHT and use code INSIGHT for up to 40% off Beam’s Dream Powder DELETEME: Use the code INSIGHT to get 20% off your DeleteMe plan at https://joindeleteme.com/INSIGHT FACTOR: Get 50% off your first box, plus Free Breakfast for 1 Year with the code INSIGHT50OFF at https://factormeals.com/INSIGHT50OFF PURE PLANK: The future of core fitness! Use the code CVV to save 10% on Pure Plank designed by Adam Copeland & Christian: https://gopureplank.com/cvv SEAT GEEK: Use my code for 10% off your next SeatGeek order*: https://seatgeek.onelink.me/RrnK/CVV Sponsored by SeatGeek. *Restrictions apply. Max $20 discount NORDVPN: Exclusive deal! https://nordvpn.com/cvv Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee! PRIZEPICKS: Download the PrizePicks app today and use code INSIGHT to get $50 bonus credit in lineups after you play your first $5 lineup! For more information about Chris and INSIGHT go to: https://chrisvanvliet.com If you have ever enjoyed any of these episodes, could I ask you to please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcast or Spotify? It takes less than a minute and makes a huge difference in helping to spread the word about the show and also to convince some hard-to-get guests. Follow CVV on social media: Instagram: instagram.com/ChrisVanVliet Twitter: twitter.com/ChrisVanVliet Facebook: facebook.com/ChrisVanVliet YouTube: youtube.com/ChrisVanVliet TikTok: tiktok.com/@Chris.VanVliet Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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I will state the obvious here But you are enormous right now Look at him looking Looking a little jacked and juicy You know here You ask me how to use these I don't want to mess up on them You got bands here

We spent forever Set up the camera angles But here now I have these I figured I just had to To get my little pump on And you know my Silly the mic might even be in the wet Look at this

My favorite lines too here Let me go There you go You're like Look at this That's just silly You talk to Taker. That was my favorite one.

Brock Leather. It's so good. It's so good. Well, congratulations. I hate when I say that, I'm glad you laugh. And people don't get it. Because I've done so many times

I'll look at something like, you just talk to Taker and they're like, that's a deep cut. Yeah. It's the best with the stage equipment. I'm like, yeah. Congrats. You're wearing the medal right now.

Boom. Mr. Nevada State. Um, yeah, you know, freaking body guy title, body guy metal. I am indeed the number one body guy. No doubt, no dispute. Was the plan all along to do another bodybuilding show? Not at all. Not at all.

I, uh, to be honest, I only fully decided to do it like five, five and a half weeks out from the show date. So you only had five and a half weeks of prep? I mean, yes and no. I mean, because I was already in great shape and I was already, I wasn't prepping for a show, but I just was doing everything. people that come around me too, like,

they know that, like I do, I live the lifestyle, like, contest prep essentially, right? I just really like sweet. So I was like, all right, no more bowl.

I won't, you know, binge or anything. I'm not going to eat anything bad. I'm just going to go full tilt. But like, because I wanted to come back in the best shape that I could for,

for wrestling. I had this TV show. I did the sequel to the He-Man movie that I had done years ago. So there's a bunch of different things. And obviously, you know, you just want to come back

looking better than you did. And that, for me, has always been like the last half full for any injury is it always reignites the flame like higher and brighter than it was before. It's not like I was ever unmotivated for wrestling or working out, but I'm like, all right, now I really got to get into it. Well, I feel like the bar for coming back after a return is set by Triple H. You know what I'm talking about Madison Square Garden. Of course.

It just looks like the most jacked he's ever looked. When you returned to AEW after 14 months off, like you were already in phenomenal shape, but you came back in a. and it was like, you got an even better shape? Crazy. I, uh, you know, it's funny because I didn't even know what Renee. I didn't know what Renee was going to be talking ringside. I didn't even know what she was saying. And I was even talking smack to her because I wasn't sure what she was saying.

But I love that too when I watched the matchback and she was like, somehow he's even more jacked, more ribs. And I was like, oh, she's put me over and I'm over here trying to cut her down. You're in the best shape of your life now. Dude, 42. I, and it's not just physically like how I look to. It's how I feel. I was trying to tell everyone, like, after all these years of wrestling, my age and everything else, you should be wearing down. And I feel so good.

Like, the amount of wrestling training, which I almost never really do a lot of, you know, had to get back in the ring and walk off some rust. But then I was like, training all the time in the ring, train all the time in the gym. I started doing a bunch of M.M.A. and jiu-jitsu training. I was just feeling so good. And tons of leg days trying to build my legs back up. And not once did I ever get out and go like, oh, this hurts. Oh, that hurt. Like, everything was feeling great.

I was like, this is the best. I think I've ever, like I feel better now than I think I was feeling like in my 30s. Like, this is crazy. Explain the body guy title to me. So, all right. So the idea behind this thing,

I actually got this made beginning of, of last year, 25. So, um, what I wanted to do was take it on the Indies and get it over first and then bring it to AW. And the idea was like, uh,

I would defend the body guy title, but the, the catch is you have to be a body guy. guy to get a shot the title. And that was kind of my jab at everyone because then no one would actually ever get a shot at the title because you're not a body guy. So that was kind of like the loose end. And I just thought it was a great idea and look cool. And I never got to do anything. And I tore my knee. So it just kind of sat there. Then after winning the bodybuilding show, I was like, you know what? This is the perfect time to bring it back. Instead of bringing the overall

trophy with the metal, I'll just bring the freaking title to represent the overall trophy. And then we'll just start to incorporate that. So I had a backstage with me during the segment and, uh, uh, on dynamite this past Wednesday. And I will be bringing it every week and we will go from there. So is the body guy title part of the gimmick now. And so is the metal. Absolutely. This is like my gold medal card angle status. This is like my million dollar title, body guy title, you know, so it's, uh, it makes sense. It adds up. It's on brand. It's on brand. I had I, I, I, I remember last summer interview in Vegas had the, the, the F-M machine like stringer tank top. Yeah.

This right here, too, is like the coolest Wolverine shirt. I think I forgot the Rage of Case. This is a Gasp, Gasp official shirt, which is fine. Not even wrestling company. It might be my favorite shirt. But I had a nice shirt again, too, and I said, we already know we're not wearing that. We're wearing the freaking, gotta wear off the cut off. Got to show off the guns.

Yeah. Got to show off the goods. Show it all off. Right? You know, got the Zuba pants on all the time now, too. Just going full committed bodybuilder throwback wrestler. So. Yeah, when you came in wearing these pants,

I was like, yep, this guy's a body guy. It's, uh, it's, you know, what's, what's old is new again. Uh, well, and I said to before we started recording how I wore those, uh, white pants when I came out and I, uh, F5, um, Claudio and everyone was like, love the dude, bruncades looks awesome. So I was like, oh, I have tons of those pants. I could just start wearing them. So, um, yeah, that's, that's what we'll do now. So this will be like my, my, uh, my training gear, if you were, if I'm not in wrestling

gear, I'll just have different Zuba pants on, I guess. And then just, uh, just, uh, uh, that's what we'll do my, uh, You know, I almost put some hot stuff on, too, for the interview before. Oh, my gosh. I thought that was a little excessive. I was like, ah, maybe we don't need to go that far. Hey there. I'm Paula Pan.

I help people make the smartest money decisions possible. If you don't control your money, it controls you. Yeah, you're not in control of your finances. You have to look outside of yourself to live the life that you want. You're not in control. You're like, like, what is it that you actually want? Money should follow the dreams and goals because sometimes we make the dream and goal, the money. And you've overworked yourself.

You've exceeded what you've needed for the actual thing you want. Sometimes we forget, like, what's the actual thing you want? Afford anything. Follow and listen on your favorite platform. Square up. You know, what's going on, man? It's Andre Berto, two-time world champion. You know, I fought.

I loved it. I really wanted to do that sit down from a fighter's perspective. My G. What's going on? Caleb Klaz. What's going on, my God? Now you got a chance to really draw in your audience to let them see who you are. I've had to have a lot of internal talks to say, do I even want to carry on?

But it's fight as we know what time it is. I think the time is now. Square up. Follow and listen on your favorite platform. Let's go. I feel like you're in a tough spot because you're a body guy. You obviously look the part. People have these preconceived notions about how a body guy should work.

But you can actually work. And you go out there and you do things that no guy your size can do. And then people criticize you for doing that. Like, I feel like you can't win. So it is weird because, like, when I first started doing that, that is what really stood out and got me over, especially like PWG and stuff like that, because they see me, especially that type of crowd,

but like, all right, this guy's, you know, awful. And then they see me work and like, holy crap. And then they see me do, you know, whatever flip or springboard or die. And they're like, holy crap, this is insane. I was at the wedding that McFoli officiated for my buddy facade at WrestleMania weekend. And that was so cool. sitting around taking a photo by the Sabu memorial picture by at the nerd bar and like as fully's talking

about something he just looks at me sees like the veins coming out and he goes man right i got to tell you he goes i anyone who looked like you like never made it back in my day and if he did make it they just they weren't good and they weren't capable of doing anything he goes not only are you good he goes then you can do stuff too in the ring that nobody your build can do because you are you are the one of kind and definitely cut from a different cloth. And I'm like, just like, I don't know, as he went back to the story, I go, dude, the impromptu little putover from Mick Foy was, that was like, that was great. That was awesome. So, but people will use that against you. It is, it is, uh, and I've done so much less in AW, I think people realized you compared to like

independents or, you know, Lucha Underground and everything else as far as all that. But it is weird how people will love me for that, but then be, oh, just rustle like a big guy, don't do that. like we go back and forth. And one of my arguments for that has been before has been like, okay, um, not to pull the curtain back. I go, but when hook suplex is big bill, you guys pop huge for that. Now I said pull the curb back. You guys realize that's 1,000% just, just bill jumping for the suplex. I go, when I flip over the top rope to my feet, that's just me being physically athletically gifted enough to flip over the top rope a land. I'm like, no one's helping me do that. So I'm like, that should be celebrated because,

that's just me doing it, not me working it to have someone help me do it. And that same token, too, which I don't think it's prop enough, is when, say, Sammy Gavara and Jungle Boy are working each other. And Jungle Boy hits Samuel Gavar with some crazy clothesline. And Guevara does some crazy 360 inside out, flip, close line bump. Well, what are you going to do when I close on you now? So I feel like it kind of goes both ways where it's like people are trying to do more, right, to make it look cool and impressive.

But like if you want to talk about working style and working size and this and that, well, then they shouldn't be taking those kind of bumps. You're not to go too heavy into it. But I always thought about that as well because I'm like, I shouldn't have to one of my friends, good friends, Brandon Bond was always telling me I should kill people more like with certain strikes and hits and stuff like that. And I go, why?

I shouldn't, I should have to physically harm people more or slam them hard or whatever. They should just bump and sell more for me and put me over more. And some do, plenty, plenty do. but I mean I feel like that's what separates it and I know I do get critique a lot for which is something I do need to work on for being too selfless and giving too much not just giving too many moves but taking too many moves and bump like because I want to go out there and have the best match possible just because I you know I love wrestling I love that style and I am one of

you guys built like me that can have those type of style matches so then when I may am out there I want to have that, you know, that ricochet-osprey type of 50-50 match. And then when you watch your back, like, oh, maybe that doesn't make the most sense. Maybe this looks as legitimate as it does. But it's just hard to have that match without giving that person the same amount, you know. And through experience and working with the right people, there's been ways to figure it out and find out about it. You just have to be creative about it instead of just being like, okay, just give me this.

And I'll just bump for that. And you can just bump for that and we'll just be 50-50 the whole time, which doesn't make sense. Well, the biggest difference between you and other guys that look like you historically in pro wrestling is you're a guy who loves wrestling that happens to bodybuild, where it used to be, for so many years, a guy who loved bodybuilding that found out he could make some money in wrestling. Sure, sure, sure, right? Like, you loved wrestling long before bodybuilding. Absolutely, absolutely. Like, yeah, some people would even ask me, like, oh, do you want to be pro bodybuilder or pro wrestler? I go, per wrestler, like, not even close. Like, through and through it, I go, and I already am. I'm not trying.

to be like being a pro bodybuilder is like cool but it's not you know my ambition and there's not as much to get back from that somebody even asked me oh what do you think's harder you know being a pro bodybuilder pro wrestler oh dude pro wrestler for sure is way harder there's like not saying that bodybuilding is easy and obviously it's a huge mental it's a lot of discipline yes for sure not a lot of people can do that but i'm like the everything you have to go to to be a pro wrestler, but also a good pro wrestler. I go, it takes a lot more, I feel like, talent and there's a lot more going into it than just bodybuilding, for sure.

Do you feel like you're a big band in wrestling? You know what? I've actually never called myself that. I've always just called myself a body guy. And I think that too, because I'm not super tall. And I feel like everyone always acts like I'm a midget now, too, which is so funny, because I'm like, I'm so tall on so many people, especially in AW. But, um, uh.

Because I think when we traditionally think of big men, we think of Undertaker, King, Big Big guys. Great collie, like close to seven feet tall. Yeah, because that's how, that's why I differentiate too, because there's like body guys,

there's big guys, there's cruiser weights, is your average guys. Yeah. And I think because of my build, people think I'm like 6, 5 or something, like they just get that impression.

And I get it too, like see when I was younger and you see pro body blows on stage, they just appear so large because they are so large. And then you find out Ronnie Coleman's 510. Yeah, yeah, exactly. Right.

Right. And he's like the tallest ones. But, so I feel like that's, why and people are like, oh, so it's not that I'm short, but they just think I'm so much taller. It's also funny how, you know, obviously I'm a big fan of Wolverine and every time I post any Wolverine stuff, everyone's like, oh, you're way too tall to be Wolverine. I go, but you guys are calling me a midget and wrestling. So which is it? My too tall are too short. Also, Hugh Jackson's

like six two or whatever. Yeah, but he got a whole bunch of crap for being too tall to play Wolverine. Yeah, I know, but now everybody loves him. He's the best. Oh, he's, and he looked amazing as Wolverine. Oh, every time, I know. Well, except for the first movie. He kind of phoned it on that first movie. I don't know who he was. But it's also funny that like the physique that people expected from superheroes 20 years ago. Sure, sure. Vastly different from what they expect now. You know what, though also it's like, it's like when you bring in these outside, you know, athletes to become wrestlers, and only a handful of them become really good. But I feel like it's because he could fall in love with it, a la Kurt Engel or whomever. And same thing. I think Jackman

got so much more Jacks, I think he just fell in love with actually training for, like, I don't know it's hard, but that's why, too, he kept doing it for a while because I think he just enjoyed it, like not just for the role, but in general. Do you want to keep doing bodybuilding shows? Everybody wants me to do the USAs, which is right around the corner. I'm like, I'm not going to do that show. But, um, I mean, I said, never say never. And it took, you know, 12 years for me to do another show and, um, I went there one another overall. So it's obviously still there. Um, like I said, I lived the lifestyle. Um, I don't know. It's not my, it's not my be all end all, but it's something that was fun.

And it was definitely just like I said, a side quest for how much I was doing like full, full time back on the road, independent wise, filming those couple different things. AEW calling back on the road full time. You know, I'll do the MMA training and had a bunch of convention, signings, appearances. So I kind of like the fact

of how much of a challenge it was going to be because I knew I was going to be just swamped. And then even like, people are like, you're not worried about like, oh, it's extra training and this and that. I go, no, I kind of like the, like I was never worried I was going to get hurt, but I kind of like the like,

oh, the what if aspect, like the danger, I guess of it all. I go, no, we're going to, we're going to kill it. I felt great the whole time. It definitely was probably the best ever felt on a prep. It was a little, it's always very stressful and anxiety filled, though, when you're getting like, I get a call on the stairmaster and they're like, oh, no, we need you actually, you know, can you jump on a red eye tonight? And I'm like, oh, my God, like, and I got to go home and pack all my stuff.

That happened multiple times. And you're also like, I was planning on getting. a decent night sleep. Yes, yes. All that happened multiple times. We're like, like, how I'm going to get all this? So even like have a night match. Your return match. Yes. He called me at 7.30. Asked me if I could take a flight in two hours. And I was like, I'm not even home. I was shopping for a car right now. And I'm like, oh my gosh, hold on. I go, let me see. Let's see how I can make this work. So I'm looking. I go, look, there's a flight in the morning. Can I just take that? I was like, I'm going to get it

right before the show. But like, I would rather do that and, you know, try to make it work. So I jet back home. I start packing and prepping all my stuff, which is a plethora, because I already was going to be gone to that, like that Thursday through the weekend afterwards. It wasn't just for Dynam. I had to pack for everything now. I was going to pack on Wednesday and I have to leave now. So I started packing for a couple hours. I run back to the gym because that was an off day.

Now it's leg day at night because I'm going to miss Wednesday for the travel. Go back home. I didn't go to bed to like two. Got up at five something. Flew to the show. And of course, too, it's Asheville, you know, South Carolina. It's like the smallest airport. Like not a direction.

Yeah, of course not. Yeah. I didn't get to the building until after seven. And then I had to get cleared by medical for the state licensing. And then I was having Bryce, uh, trainer there, AW work on me. And then Kevin came into the training room. And then I got dressed right there. We talked, went to the gorilla and had the match.

Like I never, I never even saw the locker room or even knew where it was. Like, um, yeah, it was just also go, go, go, go, go. Um, but I mean, sometimes I thrive on that. Uh, it's stressful, but I almost thrive on that. kind of just, just pressure to just, just keep moving like that. I've known you for a long time, and I don't think I've ever seen any pro wrestler be as dedicated to their nutrition as you are. Like, you're the guy who has all the meals packed.

You know exactly when you're going to eat them throughout the day. How many meals did you bring here? So, yeah, I was actually going to put my six-pack bag right there. I said, I just, I just, wait before I left and I had one right before I got my rental card to get here, but I'm getting specific meal preps made that I do like from a gym I'm going to after this. Otherwise, I would, you know, I came from Vegas, LA, so it's not like I was going to. You might as well shout out the gym then, too.

One gin gym. One gin gym. It's almost like a little tongue twister. It's Larry Wheels gym and his partner, Ryan, run it. They hook me up over there and they got some good meal prep. So whenever there's like fancy, like, oh, again, it's totally clean and totally fine, but like, oh, it's like a treat, even though it's still on point. It's like, okay, it's something special and unique. So break it down.

How many meals a day? So it's always six meals a day. Around what are your Macs? and your total calories. You know what? Even though with that, too, it's funny, I ate more carbs this prep than I've ever eaten too. You're doing pretty more of a low carb, higher fat guy.

Not fully keto, but close to it. I was actually vice versa. It was just as high as protein. Because I'm always eating like over 300 grams of protein a day. Throughout the six meals. And then I had carbs pretty much every meal. Sometimes the last meal would just be egg whites. And then I wouldn't have any rice with that.

It was mainly just rice too. Just keep it simple and it's easy on digestion. Um, so I mean, what was that? Let's just say it's 100. It's 100. So, no, it's not 6,000. So, um, I'm a stand up.

So it's 100, 100 grams of that. So it times four. So I mean, yeah, I guess 35, the 100 calories. 35 in the fat, throwing the fat is probably up to 4,000, like at the, at the peak of it. But then obviously you pull back towards the end of the show. Like, yeah. Like the, the, the week of the, you. of the show, you start to deplete everything and it's mainly just protein with like that hair

carbs and then you carb load everything else and salt and manipulate your water. There's all these different little variables that people don't realize too that you do, especially the better you look. A, I feel like the more self-conscious you are, which is funny because you want to look like at your like top physical peak. Like even right now I came in. You're this. Oh, me, you're so jack like, oh, but look at this year's sitting where I worked out in the pump. Like this, look, that's amazing. You want to look like that 24-7. But again, when you're really really, you're good shape, the smallest little water, salt, carbohydrate manipulations can, like, make a vast difference, which is so crazy, like, how little things can make you look so much better or

worse. Where do you think you fall in the conversation of the greatest physiques in the history of pro wrestling? I mean, we've had, people always ask me the top body guy question multiple times. I'm tired of being humble. I'm just going to say number one now. Number one. Number one. Put it out there.

Freaking A. And I'll tell you why, too. Not only, I think we first. I always had this conversation as well. I always say too because I put myself in there as far as work rate, not just having a body. I feel like that. Like to me too, if you're ripped, you're Jack, you're in shape, you're going to catch my iTunes. And I'm going to appreciate that because coming from where I am. But then I also, if you're a wrestle, I want to say how you work. And if you're jack, but you suck at the ring, then I don't care anymore. Like, I'm like, eh, nah, you lost me

now. You have to have, you know, both both set of wheels there for me to be impressed. Like, oh, wow, this guy can work. And he looks like that. Um, I feel. I feel like when people have these conversations, they're almost primarily always talking about people from the 90s and into the early 2000s. Hardly anyone from this generation gets talked about. Yeah, we mentioned that before, too. I know, I feel like, yeah, I mean, obviously the 80s, a bunch of jackup guys, but every talks about, yeah, 90s and early 2000s. Like, it's Scott Steiner as Big Papa Pump, it's Buff Bagwell, it's Lex Lugar, it's Batista, it's O2, Triple H, Bobby Lashley, I would say,

I would say like, as far as the newer guys, like, like, Glesner, Lashley, Batista, Masters, Triple H. Like, I think there's like the, like that beginning of 2000s. I think those are like the, the last ones.

I feel like after that, no one really picks anybody else. Yeah, I feel like, you're right. I don't feel like anybody after that mid to late 2000s gets talked about at all. And I'm like, and I would throw it out there too as far as consistently as well,

the size and shape I've been in now for a long time as well. It's not like it's like, oh, he just looked good at that one time. Like, oh, that's been kind of my, been kind of my deal as far as having the physique I have and wrestling the way I have now for, I mean, a good almost 15 years. So like, I feel like that's, uh, like that deserves a little more appreciation recognition than it gets. Do you think there's anybody on your level right now that's wrestling currently? Um, no, no, I don't.

I don't. I mean, there's, there's, there's, there's plenty. I mean, he looks great. right and he's and he's older as well but uh i'm saying as far as the full spectrum and and the the all the round best with everything locked in i don't if i'm just going to be honest and just put myself over instead of saying humble i don't i don't think there is i think i think i think i need a freaking if i'm going to work my ass off and takes pride in what i do the constant meal prepping the constant working out priority of everything else my my love and passion for wrestling i think i need

to share that more as far as, no, not, not. I work so hard all that. I'm not working, I'm not working the hard to be second place. I'm working the hard to be the best at it. Where do you find the balance with having a family life too? You know, your husband and a father too. That was not the reason why do I want to keep doing bodybuilding shows.

It was, it was rough. I mean, again, it was because of how much I knew my travel schedule was already going to be and how much I was already doing on top of that. And then you throw in the bodybuilding, it was a little unfair to the fam. And I said that to my post-victory speech, it's an reason I'm like, okay, we need to dial it back. Like this weekend, too, we're doing a bunch of family stuff.

I'm excited about that. Yeah, because it becomes, I mean, Rustin's already a pretty selfish lifestyle as it is, and you're gone so much. And at least Melissa's worked in that, so she knows that. And there was a couple times where she'd be getting upset because she felt like, you know,

I didn't need to do this and I was just choosing to do this. And I go, I go, yeah, but it's, it's going to match up. Everything's going to go work together, trust me. And then she even sent me a really nice text to the day of the show. And she's like, no, I know. you want to prove it to yourself. And I go, for sure, I wanted to come back and from these injuries, from these surgeries,

and I'll get back and the best way possible, but then also use it as, as motivation, not just for myself, but for anyone else, too, to think, like, oh, man, this guy's back here doing what he does, just as good as he was doing it before. And he looks even better. And it's like, I kept on saying, like, I had so many excuses, you know, not to do this, not to do that, this whole 14-month period. And I never used a single one of them. So for people that don't know, you were out for 14 months, 14 months dealing with two different

injuries. Yeah. So I tore my left quad attendant in a match. In a match. But I have to do. It actually kind of so like I was even looking at the chronological breakdown of that. Um, because then you mentioned too that, I'm sure we'll touch on that, the, maybe in a disclosure day.

Yeah. Um, it actually started. So I, I hurt my, something happened to my left knee where I kind of felt it, uh, you know, which is a completely. abnormal. I kind of felt it like in a match before after Jericho cruise and on the Jericho cruise. And then I remember on Disclosure Day, or doing the match there with Lance, he had actually hurt his back.

And then so Chauva was freaking out and didn't want Lance to take like any bumps or filming everything because if something happens to Lance, if he can't do anything, like now we're SOL. So now like everything that we had like rehearsed and gone over and we're going to do, now we're like switch everything on the fly. And I'm thinking of all kinds of like high fly stuff I can do where he's not doesn't have to bump. That's what I'm like doing head scissors or six or nine's. I was doing like springboard moonsaw.

It's on a different divey stuff. And Spielberg popped hard flat too when he saw me do like a springboard moon suit. He's like, what? You could do that. And Charles, oh yeah, he can do all kinds of stuff. And anyway, so we do the head scissors like a thousand times just like a move. He's like, oh, it's great. Do it again.

Do it again. Do it again. And I don't know if it's because of his back or what. And I don't throw the lancer to the bus. But he wasn't picking me up. Like he wasn't assisting with the head scissors. just jumping on my foot. And after like the 20th time, we did it, whatever.

I remember I hit the head scissors, and we did it differently that time where I did the head scissors. He feeds up and do super kick, and I was going to hit like a line salt. And I felt down on the head scissors, like, oh, my knee. And as he stood up and I super kicked him. So I'm standing on that same knee right away.

I was like, nope, nope, nope, nope, that knee's not feeling good. And we stopped, and then I had to take a moment out. And I did get to go hang out with Spielberg and sit underneath the little tent and watch stuff and talked to quite a while during that, which that was pretty neat. but once we're done filming, we went to Sacramento,

and I did a spot with Brisco that kind of hurt my knee. I didn't see the doctor that night because all my family's there, close to North Cal. And then the following week, we had another like six-man tag, and Briscoe wanted to do a similar spot. And I go, you know what? That kind of messed up my knee last week. I go, maybe do that with Takesha, and we could do this and whatever.

Cool. And then the next day in the match with Chris Masters, is that only wrestlers my knee tour. So I gave that big back story because I feel like somewhere along the lines there at the beginning, it must have partial tour. A series of events. Yeah, yeah.

Because that's why I kept acting up. And I was like, oh, just thinking, you know, it's whatever. And because the way it tore, I barely even start to spinebuster Chris. And it just, I felt like a piece of paper, just tear right off my knee. I knew right away. I fell down.

And the referee was like, oh, my gosh, what do you want to do? I go south the match, tore my knee. Like, I don't, I don't care. I don't care. And I had Chris, like Memorial show the next day against ricochet and swan which was excited about and then my farewell tour in Australia for World Series of Wrestling which is like my absolute favorite place to go to so I remember laying there just looking up at the lights like just so sad

and depressed about that like not so much that hurt my knee and that suck too but I wasn't like writhing in pain it hurt but it was just more like you got to be kidding and I remember like it was trying to help me up and like the crowd started chaining my name like I'm going to get up and walk off the field. And we were the main event too. I go, no, I'm just going to lay here. Everybody can just leave. Like, I don't, like, just let me, just let me sulk for a minute. Let me just have my moment just to lay here. I'm like, man, this sucks. And then, uh, I mean, it was what it was. And I had been dealing with my right knee. And I know I had been playing on getting that done. So you figured while you're out, you might as well do that. Exactly. I was already,

I was already setting up to like maybe about by the end of that year to get it done. So I'm like, well, I'm out for pretty much the rest of the year. I might as well just get them both done. and just buckle down and save time rather than come back in November like, oh, I still have to go out and have another surgery. What was the issue with your right knee? It just was arthritis-wise and cartilage-wise. It just was real bad.

And I remember it started to get, it started to get bad where, like, it would feel completely fine. And then I could jump off it weird, I can land on it weird, I could do a leg day hard, whatever, and all of a sudden it was just blow up. And it would be like, like, I tore something.

But then, like, in a matter of, It could even be a few days. It could be 100% better. But it would go almost like unusable to find. And then it just started happening so often. I had no faith in it now. Like I could feel great one day, not so great. So I was just like, all right, well, I'm going to just write it out and get through it.

And then we'll try to get past all in. And it's close to the end of the year's possible. And then I'll, I guess I'll go, I'll get surgery. Now I'm hurt. I got. Let's get the surgery now, which then sucked. And I had the double knee surgeries. I'm on the walker, taking Uber's to and from rehab.

in the gym, like right after every, each surgery. And then in the fall, um, when I had another doctorate fall appointment and try to get like an estimated clearance stakes the whole time. I'm like, all right, I'm thinking November, plan was full gear. That's what we were shooting for.

And something felt off of my right knee the whole time. And, um, it was that appointment. They're like, oh, you know what? Yeah, we're going to have to redo your right knee. I'm like, you're kidding me. Oh, I go, I freaking knew it. And they're like, oh, and like,

and like, and like, and, um, and, And then because you have to see a revision specialist, so even then the doctors that did it, it couldn't do it. And the first one that said they could do it, he couldn't do it to like end of December or beginning of January. And I go, I'm not waiting that. Like that's to get the surgery done. I go, I've been waiting this whole time.

I'm not waiting that long. So I tell Tony and they're trying to find a different doctor and we're all scrambling around. And then I got this really great doctor, Dr. Allison, who specializes in revisions and bone cancer too. in L.A. here in Cedar Cyanide, and I got to go, got to get in the middle of November. So that was like the sooner ago. So I had to wait a while. At least it was much sooner. And then right after that, I packed up my bags and I went to go live with Crowbar for like five weeks.

He had offered his services multiple times. He had a double knee replacement, did his own rehab. It was back wrestling on the Indies like in like less than four months, which is insane. Yeah. And he's in New Jersey? Yep, yep, yep. So he kept an offering, like, throw out my problems. Like, oh, no, it's cool, it's cool, it's cool. I said, all right, because of this setback again now, I'm like, I'm going to come

to see you. So I remember right when I will go back out of surgery, I'm already booking my, I go, I'm talking to the dog, like, hey, how soon can I fly? He's got me looking 12 or 13 days. I go, boom, booked a flight, went out there. And that was brutal. We spent two hours a day, twice a day, seven days a week rehabbing. And a lot of it, too, was just him manipulated my knee around and just,

forcing the flexion and the band, which was unbearably painful. But the amount of degrees of flexions and stuff we got, especially the first week, was insane. So I really give a lot of credit to him and to that as far as being able to come back. Actually, I got cleared February 18th, which still might have been a little sooner than maybe I should have. But that was right when I started like training legs in back to the ring, fully trained, like, feeling like pretty good.

But that's crazy to win a bodybuilding competition. when you only trained legs for four months. Yeah, yeah, I know. That's what people really feel like. I cleared the end and I, you know, I started going in more so like in March. And then I knew I had, I had one like little battle oil

that I did towards the end of March, which came down to me in Masters, which was kind of funny. Oh, that's funny. Oh, dude, it was the day after. So it was like March 20th or whatever that I tore my name. It was March 21st at the Barreoy.

So it was almost like a year to the date. It was like the match continued where we left off. And I eliminated his ass and I won. But, uh, um, And then I knew that like I was I'll just wait till Albania weekend. And then on my first matchback was three matches in the same day. And I freaking run out there and just killed them all. And even then like the last match I had,

I did a, turn around like Super Rana to, Gringo Loco, just over and like, hey, the knees are good. So safe to say the knees are 100%. Yeah. I don't feel like there's anything that I can't do that I could do before. Wow. And then, yeah, I just got great shape for that.

And like I said, that filled that second email movie and then so on, so forth. And then, yeah, after all the price, too, when I came back to AW and how good I looked and everyone kept talking about it and all these different, you know, pros in the fitness industry that I know they're like, dude, you should do a show. You should do a show. And I was like, uh, I go, look, if there's a show that's in town that I don't have to travel for because I'd love to compete in Vegas. I go, that I'm not booked. Like, I'll do it. And that was kind of me trying to figure out a way not to do a show.

Like so many stipulations. And then I saw one. I was like, man, I could do that show. I go, that's a good show too. I go, all right, effort, let's do it. And then right after I agreed to do the show, and I, you know, pay the registration fee and everything else, Scott DeMor actually hit me up to do Maple Leaf that weekend.

And I was like, he's like, how are you able 13, 14? And I go, oh, I am. He's awesome. I go, sweet, I ever wanted to your shows. And I went, oh, wait. Come look at like the wrestling counter. I go, I'm doing a bodybuilding show that weekend. I can't do it.

I was like, damn it. But, but no, I'm glad. I'm glad we committed to the show and we did it and knocked out of the park. So that was my, that was my fourth overall, too, that I've won. Wow. I think you're a bodybuilder now. Yeah, that's pretty good. Pretty good.

Not bad record. So you're in the new Stevens Spielberg film Disclosure, done? Yeah, yeah. How'd you get cast for this? So Chavo hits me up for this TV show. And Chavo's the guy in Hollywood when it comes to any wrestling scene in a movie. He's like the lays-on for wrestling in Hollywood. So he hits me up for this TV show.

It doesn't happen. Well, it was going to happen and get postponed. And then he goes, hey, And I don't even know what it is. He goes, I think you would fit really great for this role. Contact this guy and get him everything he wants. So I email him. I get everything he's at request.

Typical kind of like audition situation where like after a few weeks go by, you don't hear anything. You figure, oh, whatever. Yeah, somebody else got it. Yeah, easy come, easy go. Yeah. So I'm in the gym all of sending an email. And it's, hey, I just sat down and watched everything with the director.

He absolutely loves you. Your look, your persona, your charisma, your, everything you do, you're exactly perfect and exactly what he wants. Great email to get. And he goes, give me a call immediately. So I call him. And again, I don't even know what the project is. And you don't know who the director is.

Nothing. And he goes, yeah, Matt, so is watching it. And Stephen loves you, loves you look. She just wants you on the set, blah, blah, blah. And I go, I keep saying, Stephen. I go, Stephen, who's Stephen? And he goes, oh, the director, Steven Spielberg. And I'm like, wait, what?

And I go, Stephen Spielberg, watching my stuff. It's like, that's it. I need Brian Cage in my movie. I go, this is amazing. And he goes, uh, so he was, yeah,

this is what we want to do with you, blah, blah, blah, blah. And he goes, and he likes you so much, like we want you to work somebody else, preferably another big guy that looks big,

you know, a different type of big than you. He goes, but instead of casting it, we figured he just wants you, so you can just pick whoever you want. So I was like, what about my buddy Lance?

Because he was in some of the photo this sand, that my tag partner. And he goes, oh, yeah, we did see him. We thought he looked good. I go, I mean, I'm fine with that.

They're okay, so then that's how Lance got in the movie, too. So I, uh, that's great. How many days were you on set? Oh, we were only there for a few days. Um, and then like I said, too, like we,

uh, it was bummer that Lance heard his back, but also, we shot also for Hollywood, like probably three times more stuff than like what was like shown in the film. So hopefully we'll get some, some,

some deletes and stuff. So it could be some pretty cool stuff in it. But it was, it was a blast. It was so much fun. Um, And then again, like said, we got to talk with Spielberg a lot. He was a huge wrestling fan.

He was talking about, oh, he's surprised he's never done. This is the first time he's ever done anything wrestling related to any of his movies. And he's talking about all the throwback stuff. And he was like, oh, man, you guys ever in LA? We actually have a pay-per-view this weekend. He goes, well, I'll be out here still filming. But he goes, I would love, you guys are there. And I'm not in set somewhere.

I would love to come to a show. And I go, pretty sure they'd love to have you, have you come into the show. So maybe it'll work out down the road. Where did you guys film it? Long Island. So it was like the actual wrestling scene was in some random theater. I don't believe it's like used for wrestling, but it was a cool little setup. And man, the crowd, I mean, I've still saw extras.

Yeah. And because I felt like this might be kind of weird, but they were so, so hot. Like as soon as like, okay, action, you know, like it made everything so much fun to do, even though we had to keep doing everything over and over and over again. It didn't feel like that just because the crowd was, you know, so amped up. How does this tie into the plot of the movie? Um, so it's, uh, it's basically a meeting spot for a couple of main characters. So it just happened to be a wrestling show.

So it's, the wrestling match itself has nothing to do, I guess, with the storyline out of the actual movie. But it's just a spot and location for them to discreetly, uh, meet and pass over stuff during the, during the film. So are you actually being directed by Steven Spielberg? Absolutely. Yeah, the whole time. What kind of notes did he have for? you um well so there's there's there is which is some stuff we filmed we didn't he there's a couple of specific shots he wanted us to do like what kind of stuff are you doing like like like he wanted like this one cool like diving like elbow or headbut off the like how it was

filmed he wanted the pov shot um but there's one other thing too specifically he wanted and even we didn't even use a lot of that um and then like when we were doing our bit because like i just kind of put together like the match essentially i was like man so what if he just just you know, let's just give him all her hits. Let's just do this, this, this, this, this and this. And he's like, okay, cool. So we're just going through it. And he loved it.

Then he said, oh, can you guys do it from the single? Or oh, can you from this? And oh, he can do it, you know. And his Chava Guerrero there, the whole. Yeah, he's the referee. He's the referee to the whole match. So I did like, you know, did the suplex my 6-1-9. He did his bossman slam and his finisher.

And, you know, it was great. And then, like said, then we had to change some stuff when he hurt his back. The Chavva did he, I'm taking certain bumps. And but then what I hurt my knee And I had to take a little little timeout like I said then I went and I got my bag and I put on a different knee pad and like I taped up my knee and I switched my outfit around And then Spear was like hey come here come here and he's like look at this and he's like under his little tent and this TV He's like show me different clips and show me the moonsaw and show me this and we was just talking to me that's when I talked to more one of one of ones about wrestling and we still wanted to mark out and ask for a picture none of us did especially because we don't have our phones on us you know what we're on set sure yeah and then he even

even afterwards, we kind of asked, like, one of the stunt ADs. Like, oh, can we get a picture? He goes, oh, you know, it's kind of like a taboo kind of situation. I go, when he talked to us so much, he's so like he's so like, I feel like if we would ask him just on the spot, he'd like, oh, yeah, no problem. Yeah. But, you know, then after the fact, it's like, man. But yeah, if we would just have her phone on her trunk, because he's like, hey,

I've interviewed him a few times. He's like the nicest kind of ever. Oh, he was super, super nice. So nice. And it was, again, too, when I did the one, moonsault, too, like, wherever we cut. He was, whoa. I know you could do that kind of stuff because what you like the way he popped for.

Oh, he's popping for you. Yeah, yeah, I was like, yeah, see, the fans are loving it. Like, you know, he was in the smart market like, oh, just took the big man stuff. He's like, whoa, that was amazing. What's your favorite Spielberg film? There's so many.

I know, I know. People always ask that, too. And it's funny, too, I actually almost forget how much he's done. Right. Like, I don't know why when, because I've gotten this question, obviously, since due the movie, my first,

and it's not either. My first answer is O-D-T, which is definitely not my, My favorite Spielberg film. Great film. But that's just my, that's just the first movie. I don't know why I think of. Elon, I do love the scene where he gets drunk.

Jaws is a classic. Right? I mean, it's such a great horror one. The, I mean, he has plenty of good alien ones too. War of the Worlds. He is a big alien, alien fan. This one, have you seen this one? No.

It was, um, we got very young kids. It's tough to get out. We just watched it. Melissa really wanted to see it too, just because she's a big alien fan anyways. And it's funny because I didn't really even know. know the full premise of the movie too because even the trailer doesn't really do justice like what the story is it was it was really good it was really unique i was okay this is really good and then when you saw you on the screen where you like ah yeah right right and then you got brian cage and the credits

too i was like i was like oh heck yeah what do you credited as Brian cage oh yeah you're not like wrestler number one no no it was it was blue wrestler Brian cage yeah oh wow blue wrestler yeah the blue black and blue okay so you're blue wrestler yeah and Brian cage And then even like I wanted some of the poster boards too because they had like in the in the arena that Radthville theater they had all these different like was like me mania whatever it was called and they had all these different pictures of me and Lance the mean Lance like facing off and like like just like the artwork and posters you know like you went for Russell man cool I was like give me I have any of these like what are you

do with these like I was like man and then there's like one scene we have all these different like it's like in the back alley afterwards and I go oh look they have this big poster of me Lance like like in the background the whole time I go look there's There's a pay-per-view match right there. You're going to be getting residuals forever. Dude, that's be awesome. It's a Spielberg movie that people will be watching until the end of time. Because I remember, like, the very first time I did anything, like acting, acting, legit acting-wise.

It was when I got casted from from Nestle Don. And I remember I was doing fast a cardio. I don't think I was pre before show then, but I'm just like miserable, not wanting to be there. And this guy calls me and I'm like, hello, and he starts talking to me as if, like, we had a conversation before. And he's like, oh, yeah, you know, this, that, whatever. And he goes, and Robert's morning this and Robert that. And I don't know if you're coming in. And he just starts, and I'm like, who the hell is it?

Like, I literally just like, wait, who the hell are you and what the F are you talking about? And he goes, wait, did nobody call you? I go, no, I don't know who you are. I don't know what's going on. And he goes, oh, Robert said he called you. And he goes, Robert Rodriguez. I go, oh, wait, what? And oh, yeah, we want you to be the main bad guy in this episode, blah, blah, blah, blah.

Anyways, it was great. That was fun to you. and I love from Dustle on just the original movie. But that was like the first like legitimate acting kind of situation I did. And I got paid, you know, well for it. I was happy with it. And then when I got a check, I go, what is this? Like, oh, you get residuals.

I go, wait, what? And then they kept coming in. And that was just for like the one, you know, TV episodes. You're still getting them, right? Dude, I was like, dude, that was awesome. I'm like, heck yeah, that's the Razor Ramon Walk. I was like, like, Melissa's in, uh, I mean, she's done a bunch of, especially his voiceover stuff, but I remember, she did a couple of voiceovers in Coco.

She was getting residuals for that forever. I was in a movie in 2013 and a few movies in 2014. I still get checks. I'll open them up. You gotta love it too. You like the 13 cent one or something. Oh, that's most of them for me. I'll always like have the envelope about to open it.

And I say to my wife, over under $5. And she'll be like, hmm, I'm feeling good. Over $6.14. Oh, gallon of gas. Let's go. And then the next week it'll be, you know, 17 cents. Yeah, right. Yeah.

Maybe more like the next month. But yeah, you'll be getting. residuals for a while. So I'm like, like that, that'll be nice. So yeah, it was a blast. So we've had a, we've had a good week this week with the bodybuilding show, you know, back on AW, freaking Mr. Nevada, Disclosure Day. Number one movie in America. Number one movie in the world. Yeah, yeah, right. So not doing, not doing too shabby. So where do you go from here? What's, what are the goals now that you're back in AED? Um, I definitely want to, um, branch out and do more on my own for sure because i know you know we've had a couple squash matches i know i have stuff with

lance i know i've done i just did that one tag match with doyle um i do have a couple different ideas i do want to incorporate more of this winning this bodybuilding show i mean the whole while too i i've always wanted to do more like solo stuff because i feel like i mean that's that's how i get my stuff in i feel like that's how i stand out more and um there's a plethora and we i think i said this in the last interview too there's so so much i feel like i haven't done in a w especially compared to my time in Lucha Underground and Impact and, you know, anywhere else. I feel like I've done so much more. Well, you were world champion in Impact.

Yeah, yeah. You were like the big guy and promoted as such in Lucha Underground. So I feel like there's just so many matches I haven't had. And I feel like, too, because a lot of my matches haven't been. It's always a kind of sort of a multi-match or a tag match or a big, you know, four-way, six-way, whatever the case may be. So I really like some more single opportunity. I mean, like in the few that I have,

the matches with Osprey and swerve and hangman and stuff, obviously been great, but I would love some more of those. And then obviously just a real solidified one-on-one program. Because I don't think, technically, I don't think I've really had that. Like, we've had some, like, small things, but it's always that kind of like someone else's storyline

that we're part of. Like, to actually have a one-on-one program, a feud, whatever the case, whether before a title or not, I feel like is really what I need to freaking stand out even more. So I'm go to the next step as opposed to just being like, like even when I got hurt, I feel like there's more appreciation for me.

Like, oh man, Brian Cage was a ball. Like you could throw him out there to anyone and he always looked good and he always makes him look good and he always have a solid match, but no matter who it was with, which is a great to be known as that and be able to do that. But obviously, I mean, just like said, I wasn't doing this to get second place.

Nobody else is going out there. Just for that. We all want more. I feel like for me to rise above, you know, we need to get that. And again, for doing this for long as I have and feeling as good as I do right now, I'm looking as good, like, I'm like, I don't feel like I'm past my prime error or anything. I'm like, I'm ready. I feel just ready to go now as it did 10 years ago.

Well, if you're saying you didn't enter that bodybuilding competition to come in second. Yeah, yeah. You're not in AEW to do anything more than win championships. Of course. So is the AEW world title something that you want? Oh, of course, of course. But I mean, I guess even then, I mean, we have so many titles there, I mean, I'll take whatever I can get. You know, I do really do really want to be a part of this year for sure is the Continental Classic.

I mean, obviously, that's not until the end of the year. That's something definitely I want to, I would love to build up enough repertoire to have an awesome Continental Classic run by the end of the year. That's, but it'd be great at this point as we're recording this in June to build up to something at Wembley. Of course. To have a massive match there. Of course. Because like, yeah, there's a good chance I'll be there. and it could just be multiple match, which is still better than nothing.

But like, yeah, I love that opportunity. I know I've talked to multiple people backstage about working with certain people and doing certain things, which, you know, have some legs to it. But, yeah, that would be awesome as far as this year accomplishment is, I'll have a great match at Wembley, but then to be part of the Continental Classic. You look better than you've ever looked. You can obviously work in the ring. What else do you need to do to get to that main event level?

You know, I don't know, and everybody goes, oh, you need someone to talk for him. I go, look, am I Rick Fleur on the mic? No, I'm not. But I was like, there's plenty of great promos I've done. There's plenty of good promos I've done. I just have got to do that many promos. And every time they put a promo on social media, on anywhere, not always you get, because I remember we were tracking this too for a while,

not only to get a lot of engagement more than anybody else's. But every time, too, everybody's always like, oh, man, it's like Bruncage's the best promo. I go, so that's funny. Every time I cut a promo, it's my best promo. so is the fact that I can't cut a promo or is the fact that I just don't get to cut that many promos? I'm like there's a difference between not getting to hear me talk and not being able to talk.

Like I also too, but am I as good as MGAF? Obviously not, but I'm like I can do much better. I think that people realize you give me credit for it. And again, just because there's no, there's never any legs to it too.

So it's for us to invest in a store. Of course. Of course. Because if I'm just cut a good promo for like the one off match or this or that, that's great. But then there's, it's here and gone.

You know what I mean? Just like five star matches. just like on the independence or evens on AW are great but if it's just a just a flash in the pan awesome match for no reason it's awesome but then like there's no memorance of it is because like you can have a four star match with an amazing building program that will be lasting memory as opposed to a freaking a killer five star match that was just for no reason rock hogan's a perfect example yeah yeah right like that's my favorite match of all time is it a five star classic absolutely not does it make you feel something 100% sure for sure and and to not have you can't connect with the audience

and have that same feeling if there's nothing else behind it rather than hey have a good match for the sake if having a good match you obviously heard the reception when you came back oh yeah that was a big pop and i know that too but the uh the amount of people online that's um i felt like we're not excited that was back but then also were like wanted to see me come back in a better way per se i'm turn it to say like, because I remember even saying like, like, oh, you might be, you might get like more of a baby face sympathy kind of rub from it being brought back like that. And I felt like I did tremendously where everybody else was like, oh, dude, Ron should be looking like that and coming back, you should be getting a major push. You should get a big baby face rub like, oh, do this, do that, whatever else. So I thought like everyone was coming out of the world works to kind of defend me and want more from me, which was awesome.

And then the botch spot too that I saved. And I don't know a lot of people put that over that. that was so great too because i remember kevin said he's like oh i jump up get the rana and catch me and pulling back up for a power bomb and i went can you can you jump that high i got like i'm like because like you know normally feel like the jump ronnas they usually kind of get their ankles by your ears and you can take the rana from there but i'm like if i grab your ankles and i mean i'm not gonna physically wise i can't stop you from going down then i have to have your knees to catch you and he's oh just lean a little bit forward and i think it'll be fine i'm like well okay so i wasn't really

sold on up like I guess we'll try and he tried and obviously he didn't make it and um and Lance laughed too because he was out there and I grabbed his ankle and I was holding onto it and he's trying to pull his foot away from me because he's trying to just quickly get back to his feet to like you know fix it to do you see what we can do and I oddly go nope and I just started freaking I can him up to so like we'll find a way to get to the spot here we go and which I think made the spot way cooler. And it was also rad that there was actually a handful of people that thought that was the spot. Like, oh, you'll catch him and then drag them up and then you guys get the run on and I'm like, oh, maybe I should make that a something I do. Why if you can just catch

people and drag them up into said move? I think there's a lot of trust in your abilities because you were the first one that got staying physical for the first time, I think since he left WWE in 2015. You gave him a power bomb. So that's his, first time getting physical in, I think it's six years at that point. What's the conversation like with Sting as you're figuring all this out? Well, I remember being in the office with Tony Kahn because I know he wanted that to happen. It actually happened sooner than expected because there was some crazy storm. And a lot of people got stuck in Texas.

And Tony's like, let's just do the power bomb tonight. And Sting was just kind of like, I mean, okay. And he's like, oh, no, no. And he's like, oh, Brian's so great. I know he's worked a lot of great big guys, but Brian's so athletic and he's so safe. and he could do this. Like, it'll be, it'll be awesome. And I'm like, I mean, I got you.

And he was like, okay, okay. And like, it wasn't, we didn't talk a lot. He felt secure enough. And I'm like, cool. And I actually, I tried not to overthink it because I was like, look, I can go out there and give him the most perfect power bomb of all time. And if he's heard, it's my fault. Sure.

Like, there's, you know, that's just how it is. And I go, and also I have to lay him out. So I'm like, I can't kill him. But I also can't, like, play paddy cake with him and like, make a little nice cozy bed and lay him down gently either. So, like, I was like, you know what? I'm not going to, like, I'm just going to power bomb them. Like, I would just power bomb whoever.

So I just erased any thought of it, not to overthink anything. And I power bombed them. Everything went fine. And I went backstage with, oh, man, that was rad. I just freaking power bomb. I'm like, that's awesome. Because, like, not only yet, to give him this first bump back and be trusted with that. But he was also, and I told him afterwards,

Sting is my very first wrestling action figure I ever owned as well, too. So, to, you know, look forward 30 years later and me, giving a power bomb. That was awesome. And then you got to have a match for them. Yes. Yeah. The cinematic match,

which I still, I know I'm in it, so I'm going to be biased, but I feel like that cinematic match is the best cinematic match. I don't want to hear your AJ styles and Taker, both are phenomenal. But I think it's the best cinematic match because it's actually like cinematic feeling. Whereas I feel like Taker and AJ since I just mentioned that one,

it's just kind of filmed not in a ring. Or like the way this set up and the intro and like how the camera works. It has much more of a cinematic feeling. And I have. I have a copy of it without commentary, just the score, and it's, it's so much better. It's awesome. It's so good. What do you think is your most impressive feet of strength?

Maybe it's the stuff you've done with Darby? I mean, we've done some crazy stuff with Darby. Darby's obviously not a huge human, which is also funny as well because a lot of stuff you do with Darby, he doesn't generally help you. You just do it because he can. So sometimes, like, I could throw some way farther, but it's because they're going with me. With Darby, he's just like deadweight you because you can just ragged all him and he just wants you to. There was some cool.

Like obviously I walked up the full flight of stairs with Darby was incredible. You know what? No, there's actually, I work big day mode. Do you that is? Yeah. So I went to, I caught him like on a crossbody and I went to throw him over my head into an F5. This was a progress a couple years ago. And I remember I caught him.

Like we were like just a little bit off. So he kind of like got stuck. And I literally just like pretty much like on my own just grill press them and picked him up over my head and put him like even he in the middle of it was like, oh my God. He's so strong. Like that was insane. There's a couple of spots with Orange Cassie too.

Like we just had that four way. And he was talking like, man, anytime I work you, I literally like don't have to do anything. You just do it all for me. And he was like, you like caught me in the suplex. You fixed it. You held me. You on your old brought me down.

I didn't even help. And then you brought me back up. And I go, wait, wait, do it again, do it again. And you brought me back down and then threw me into the stunner. Like, he's like, I don't, I can have like a full conversation with you. Like, and you're just like doing it all. I was like, it's crazy. Or like the, uh, my debut at double or nothing.

He jumped up and he's like choking me. I look back at him. I'm climbing up the ladder and everyone's pulling, uh, I keep getting the mic, sorry. Uh, everyone's pulling his feet down. She's like, shoot choking me. And he can feel it. He goes, man, are you good? And he just went, I'm good.

And I just kept like as he choked me and just, climbing up the ladder, he goes, man, runs a freak. When you picked up Darby in like the vertical suplex, then you walked him up the ring steps onto the apron, and then you dumped him in. I think people went, oh, never seen that before. Right, yes. That was, because I remember the first time, too, we did in Jacksonville.

And because it had a weird steps too that went up to like the ramp where it was in the ring steps that first time. And I was like, hey, that'd be kind of cool if I could carry you up. And then I threw him, because I was also after I threw him out of the ring through the table. I threw him out of the ring through the table and then picked them up and they carried them up through there. And then after that, I was like, oh, I could just do that all the time. No problem. So, no, that, that, that, that is a good one.

There's, I do feel like it's probably the most impressive ones. So I've been like, low key ones, kind of that day more one where I forget about where it's like, uh, and even like the Kevin Knight one. Or it's like a botched spot and you have to shoot. Like, because like, there's been plenty times where I'll do the catch suplex. Yeah. And the guy won't catch me right or won't base right. And then I, I miss him. But then I have them.

And then I just have to just shoot, pick him back up and catch him where. it doesn't look as smoother fluid, but to the trained eye, people can go, oh my God, that was just all Brian, just really doing that right there. Well,

like, when you do, like, drill claw, it's like, there's a, there's a lot of strength that's involved in a little bit like that.

Especially to, like, make sure no one's dying on it, so. Yeah, because the file driver. Yeah. When did you realize

you could do a 619? Um, I always could. Like, I would just, that's crazy. I always just wouldn't, much small,

just, just in practice. And I think the first time, I'd done a couple times, but it was PWG match against Roger Strong where like he does a little hope spot and I'm in like 619 position and everyone starts changing 619

and hits the ropes and I get up and I take his head off and everybody's like oh boo and I'm like what you guys wanted to see 619 and then so I put him there and then they're all like laughing and I'm already Kevin's steam was like oh what is Brian Cage is going to do his 619 and then I did it and everybody loses their marbles over there's like oh my god he did it 619

I go what that's easy I could do that all time I don't know that was such a big deal No one expects a guy your size to be able to do one. Sure, sure, of course. It's crazy. The, um, I do feel like my, my favorite thing is the jump turnaround moon salt I do. Or like, I've only done a handful of times, the springboard marrow assault. That one is hard.

That one is hard. That one is hard to do now. I've still done it on a crash pad, but because of the, uh, the flexion and extension on my knee, um, that was hard to get a, because I have to get a really good springboard initially to be able to hit the turnaround moon salt, but. You recently resigned a contract. extension with AEW in 2024. And I know you talked about, you were going back and forth.

Were you going to resign with AEW or were you going to go to WWA? How close were you to go into WWA? I mean, there was a lot of interest and I, it's funny because I wanted to go there. You never, I mean, you don't know what you're going to get either place. There's no guarantees. They could say that, you know, we're going to use you this way, that way, whatever. But obviously there's, you don't know anything. And after going back and forth, all the.

different pros and cons. A lot of stuff with AW just seemed more safe, if you will, which is like, it's pretty hard to have some sort of security in this business. But I'm like, you know, I've been here for a while. Tony isn't, you know, like just randomly release anyone. Like a lot of the perks. So like travel is way, like he pays for all the travel. So hotel, ground transportation and airfare where WV is just airfare.

Yeah. We're an actual independent contractor so I can do anything else outside of AW, which is not a plus two. And then I felt like, you know, I don't have a fear of getting released. If I stay here too, the longer I stay, the longer I feel like I can just keep staying to have longevity. I know there's talks about, you know, using Melissa. Funny enough, too, I remember at the time too hot stuff was banned at WWB and I go, hey, I can use hot stuff here at AW. What's hot stuff for people that don't know? So that's, that's like brings out the redness and all the veins.

Like when I want, like, I mean, it's like a gel you put on, right? It's a spray. It's a spray. So like, and it has niacin in it. So a lot of people get like an allergic reaction. At least that's what they think they're getting. But the nice and flush that you take from any supplement or pre-workout, it's the same thing, but it's on your skin.

And if you do it early enough, it goes away. Like I always do it or come on oily because then it's like contagious. Now it'll spread. But then it dries up and dries up red. And then it's just on you. A lot of people like the smell of it. Some people don't. But it's, I got used to using it in Mexico and AAA because everyone would use it there,

especially in all the cold arenas to warm up because there's no AC or heater. Yeah. And I just got kind of addicted to it, almost like a pre-workout where like that tingly feeling was like. Or like Ray Allenine. I love that. Yeah, exactly. It would be like my switch from like, oh, Brian Button to Brian Cage. So then it's like also like, oh, shoot, I don't want to wrestle without it now.

So even though it's like a jockey thing, I'm like, oh, I can't use hot stuff at W. I go, that was kind of, it was a nice little side benefit. I go, oh, I can still use lots of stuff here. So it just. But ultimately it came down to job security. Big time. That was the main one. That was the main one.

And just longevity. And I mean, just. And it's so much more chill there. I mean, obviously, I haven't been to WB for a long time. I was there developmentally years ago, many years ago. Yeah, 0,8.09. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But it just, it's kind of like the, if it's not broke, don't fix it, you know.

When you were there in development. developmental in 2008 and 2009. Was there any talk of bringing you to Raw or Smackdown? Yeah, no, there, uh, there was. And then actually, even the day I got released, I actually thought I was getting the call to go up to Raw. Um, everyone thought that. And it was so, I was so flabbergasted when I got the call and I'm thinking I'm getting raised. I think I'm getting called TV.

I'm thinking I'm getting both. And they're like, oh, we're going to come terms of your release. And I'm like, what the, huh? You called the right person? But, um, I mean, and I left my time there. And, uh, I have nothing bad. to say about it in that regard, but, you know, it's been a back and forth thing. And there is the what if and, you know, like, oh, the WrestleMania moment that every, like, you know, wrestling

fan has. But at the same time, I do feel like there's a nice feather my cap to have been as successful as I've been, to have the house, I have the cars, I have the life I've had, to live the career I've had without ever having, like, the WWU rub. I do feel like that's, that's been kind of a nice little bonus, which is pretty hard to get. You got released from the developmental deal in 2009. You signed with AEW 2021. Was there ever... 2020.

2020. Was there ever a conversation in those 11 years? Yeah, no, there's quite a few. Like, they were going to bring you back for NXC season three, and then it turned into girls, then they were going to bring you back in for tough enough, and then they took me off that list, and then they were going to bring it back after WrestleMania, and then they said, you're no longer interested. We had that conversation in the average of best.

line. And then remember Canyon Seym was there. He'd always hit me up. And then they kept offering different tryouts. And then they'd like, oh, the next one, the next one, the next one. Then finally when they had me on the tryout, I signed with Lute Underground and AAA. And I was like, ah, it's okay. I'm just going to stay here. Lose talks were on impact. But then, yeah, there was, and loose talks before I went to AW. I still really wanted to go to AW when I first signed there. And then the most, yeah, extensive talks really was before I resigned with AW. What does being a world champion in TNA mean for you personally and professionally? Oh, everything, because to me, that's the, that's the first and only legitimate, legitimate

world title that I've had. I mean, I've been a world champion in the own small promotions, but to have a legitimate, you know, world championship, even though the weapon X title, as I call it, the X Division title was rad and that was a huge X Division fan. Yeah, I think of all greats that were X Division champ. And I have a sweet little yellow and blue custom made one at home. The world title is still like, you know, the first real world title I've had. So I love that.

Did you feel like the perception of you changed after you became the world champion? Oh, for sure, for sure. And even then, because obviously when I was, you know, part of Teen A then, you know, it was definitely wasn't their highest point. Even though it had an amazing locker room.

It was still called Impact then. Yeah, yeah. And I remember the locker room, the talent, everything was great, but obviously weren't on the biggest up and up. But I feel like my notoriety and star power, even though it was far less seen and known, felt greater than as world champion than it is now, even though way more people in the Hawaii am, if that makes sense.

Like when people say, man, Brian Cage, he needs to be a world champion. Do you kind of go, well, wait a second. I've been a world champion. Sure, sure. L.A. Knight faces this all the time. That guy needs to be a world champion. It's like, he's been a world champion before. I understand what you're saying.

You need to be a world champion in A.E.W. Yeah. LA night needs to be a world champion in WWE, but I feel like for some reason it gets forgotten about. Yeah, because I know what's not looked at the same, like comparing apples to apples, I guess, per se. But it is a genuine world title with a lot of amazing world champions. Like, I mean, was it less of a world title when Kurt Angle was champion?

Like, I would say no. Yeah. Or, you know, or Sting or whoever, AJ Styles. But, yeah, I don't know. And then also, people also think that I lost the world title of the detestive, which I did not. I lost it to the Sam McClellan. They always said, they go, oh, well, Brian Cage's career

wonder when he lost the world title of Tesla. Why do people think that? I don't know. Everyone always says it. I go, I lost to Sam McKellan in the Cage match. Sammy lost it to Tesla. I know. I don't know.

That is one that is always brought up. And I'm like, you guys are so wrong on that. But nevertheless, yeah, I know, I'm glad I do have a world. So if that is the only world title I ever get in that regard in my career, then I mean, at least I have that. Obviously, that's not what I want. But at least I have that. I brought up LA night.

You weren't a tag team with LA night managed by the late great Paul Bear. Oh, Percy Pringle, the third. Natural selection. We had a hell of a run. Doing Mach 1 Friday nights and then NW championship of wrestling for Hollywood, some other, you know, just the SoCal indie scene.

I remember Dave Marquez brought in Percy to be our manager. And I even thought, too, like, that's kind of weird. Like does even know us? Like someone we had, we went into this promo together like cold like you know we said hi hi how you doing but like dude the promo he cut about us on the fly was amazing and obviously you know night has

amazing mic work too but even then i was like pringle just freaking nailed this he just puts over so and it was just nuts because like he's not he even knows who we are but he was such a good dude so nice so cool to work with um definitely not on my bingo card in my wrestling career at every manager percy pringle or paul bear um so that was that was a lot of fun and a cool opportunity to have who have gotten to have done that and yeah the tag team run that uh night and i had was great and um and then um and everything after the fact and then you know he's obviously killing it now and everybody loves you know what's what's what's funny about it too is i feel like i mean i call him sean because sean ricker um in natural selection but what's so great too is the fact that

everything that he does and he's done is everything he's done is in total like the same character and lines and taglines and outs and everything he did was the same stuff he did back in 2010 and mock one and the same thing on like different indies and then impact and everything else and then all of a sudden it just blew up and became cool because it wasn't like he really changed anything yeah he finally i know on the main roster got to be more of himself instead of the model stuff but Like, even when he was an impact, it was over, it was never that over. Then all of a sudden, just like, I don't know where it's like, hey, that one time we said that one tagline, now it's really funny 20 years later.

And it's like, and then it just blew up for him. It's amazing. Him getting, yeah, over. Yes, yes. Well, but he was a lie, Drake was really over. Yeah, that was. But he was already doing the, I mean, he was doing the stuff too on the Indies forever as well. Yeah.

Because I remember he first started doing it and said instead of what? He's like, I'll do the, yeah. Yeah. Dummy was so over an impact. The dummy button? Yeah. Tommy. Yeah. Yeah, we could call people. And so it was so good because it's such a dumb insult, like, no pun intended. Like, right? Because it's such a, like a weak insult to call somebody dummy. But it was like, but it worked. But think about it. If someone called you a dummy, you'd be like, oh, that kind of stinks. I don't know. I feel like especially in that era wrestling, too, it's like such a lower tier insult. It's like, I'm not that. I don't know. My feelings aren't that heard about that. But it was, but I feel like that's what made it great was because it was such a lower, like, to your insult. It's like, a lower, like, to your insult. Like, it made it more comical.

So, but, but, and also, just like the rock can go on TV and say what, you can say some about how much he loves potato. It's every, like, we, he loves potato. You can get a chant of anything, right? Fruity pebbles. Remember when he got the crowd chanting fruity pebbles? So, yeah, I guess John Cena. But so to give Sean his flowers on that, it is his delivery as well.

Yeah. And how he says stuff that makes it get over as well as it does. I feel like you really endeared yourself to fans when you started. wearing gear that was inspired by movies or gear inspired by video games. Because people would look at you and they would just automatically assume certain stereotypes. Then you started wearing gear like that and they went, ah, he's a nerd like us. It's funny you said because I totally noticed that as well. Because I think too, even when I came to AW, because it was like all like, you know,

there was a lot of hate too. Like, oh, this guy belongs to WWE. What's he doing on my wrestling program? Not knowing I can wrestle that style. And then I get that I look like the the meathead locker bully that's going to, you know, just, just, just though the, the generic, you know, muscle bad guy heater kind of situation, which actually I hate being too. And actually, I don't even like being healed. I want to be faced. Like, I've been, I've been faced almost everywhere. And I feel like always the reason I've been the most over anywhere is when I've been faced. And I've been healed pretty much this whole time in AW. But I do feel like because like even my team Taz stuff when people kind of thought that I was less, uh, cares Macca, less go. on and that's because they didn't want me saying anything, they didn't want me to do anything. And I just, I have that persona, especially by the Mohawk and stuff too, of just being that, you know, that not, not the final boss, but the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the guy in the

video game was treats the raise. You're like, oh, I got to fight this big jacked up guy, you know, but I, I have that, had that role down well, but I'm like, there's, there's no versatility to that role. It's just like, oh, I'm a big, jacked up mean guy that you don't want to face, but you're going to end up beating, you know, but, um, getting a little off topic here. where was I going with that? You were just... The nerds.

Oh, yes, yes, yes, yes. So, but yes, but I'm a big nerd. I'm a giant nerd. Huge model fan, huge video game fan, huge horror fan. So when I started to, like, cosplay different office, because I thought they were rad.

And then all of a sudden, people were like, whoa, whoa, Brian's wearing a cape. Oh, what? Oh, he's just like Zangay. Oh, he's like, and it was funny how instantly,

like, I'm the same exact person physically looking and in the ring, but all of a sudden because I wear a certain and half him. I love this guy. He's amazing. It's kind of like when you work at your job and you've been working with your co-worker for years.

And then one day you see him like, I don't know, with a Pokemon card. And you're like, dude, I didn't know. Yeah. Oh. Whoa. So then I feel it's great too because they're like, oh, he's one of us. Like, oh, now he's like the final boss for us. We're like bringing in case.

He'll defend us. So, yeah, I remember because even then, I remember Don Callis was always the biggest fan of that because and he's always like there's a lot of guys too that want me to just do like the black boots black trunks like i'm so jack let my body be my be my look right and not have all this stuff take away from it but i was like but yeah it's like this i go this this fandom that we have and the audience that we have is all into stuff and i'm into it like we're all dorks and big nerds and i feel like yeah like you just said i feel like it's more and endearing and then now they can relate to me instead of going like oh forget this guy you know like

we can't relate to this guy and he just does his own thing. Where we're like, oh, what? Oh, he's into this. He's into that. He's into that. Oh, he's one of us. Like, oh, we can be friends now. Like so.

And I feel like too, like a lot of people that get to know me on a personal level, too, like, especially like girls wherever they always be like, oh, man, they're always described me as a big dork or a big nerd or whatever else, which is comes, you know, polar opposite when you just see me in the gym, you know, looking like like an a hole just lifting weight. Like, oh, this guy's a dick. Well, there's a lot of stereotypes that come with looking like this. Sure, sure, of course.

People think that. that you don't do anything but spend time in the gym. You don't have any fun because all you're doing is eating chicken and broccoli and rice all day. And I think the other thing that comes along with is, oh, you must be super vain. Oh, yeah, right,

right. And just like, one, I feel like that too, that it always kind of has, like, it's like, it's like a resting bitch face.

I always have like this, like, like, just fucking meat head out. He's just like, just like, just like, just like anybody.

I go, not something me at all. Like, completely opposite. I think even people who hear me talk to, like, just my inflectionation, my voice.

and stuff. Oh, wait, he doesn't sound like I think he would sound and just how I, what I talk about. I think they think that guys who work out are dumb, like your meat. Oh, for sure. Oh, me lift weights. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, it's, of course. Of course, very caveman, just like, oh, nothing else going on. Lift heavy things. Yeah. So, but I've got more going on. A lot more, a lot more going on. And that's, that, that's the thing too, even I love bodybuilding. I've always said, too, like, I'm glad the bodybuilding is not, not, not, I said, you know, it's not my BL end all. That it's not, It's like a side hobby that I enjoy and I love the passion for it and just, you know, the health and fitness aspect of it. But it's definitely not me.

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Old Navy's drapey denim wide leg. I feel like people outside of the wrestling bubble lose their mind when they see your Wolverine or Swalverine cosplay. Because, like, you're so jacked, you get the beard and the hair, so you kind of look like Wolverine. So when that, like, escapes outside of wrestling, it's like, whoa. Oh, yeah, for sure. Like, especially those recent pictures I just did.

And it's funny that I stopped, you know, I grew up my hair. we thought that I just had a Mohawk or footh because I didn't grow hair. But I grew up the beard and the hair and it made me look more like Wolverine, especially kind of old man, without trying to. Like I wasn't trying to look like more Wolverine. Like, oh, man,

you look more even like. I'm like, oh, this is great. But yeah, those recent pictures, everyone thought they're all AI. I go,

no, that's my physique. Isn't that crazy? I was like, there's no clause I used to slice Sam and Callaghan's forehead open at Bound for glory. But what a compliment that you're so jacked, people think you look like AI.

It was a great compliment. There I go, oh, I go, was using this photo. It's all me. And isn't it funny that you can say there's no AI and people will go, well, that sounds like something that someone would say if they're using AI. I was like, well, I mean, I'm fine with it. I can go to bed just fine at night.

Still got a Scott Steiner impression? I knew that was coming. Yes. Yeah, right? I got to hear it. We just asked them, too. I don't know, ever know what to say. Could you do one of his actual promos? Like, do you know any of those promos? Like, off. I mean, there's off by heart. The math one. Let's, uh, uh, do I'm gonna just pull it up here? Or do you know it? Sure. Oh,

like the whole thing. Like, do you know it off by heart? I mean, I've said it before. I'm not going to be able to say it now. It's like the whole thing. I'll pull it up. Okay. This will be great. There you go. Oh, you got the, the verbiage, verbi. Yeah. All right. Okay. You know, they say all men are created equal. But you look at me and you look at some old Joe. And you can to see that statement is not true. See, normally, if you go one-on-one with another wrestler,

you got a 50-fifty chance of winning. But I'm a genetic freak, and I'm not normal. So you got a 25% chance at best at beating me. Then you add Kurt Engel to the mix, and your chances of winning dress to go down. You see, the three-way at sacrifice, you got a 33 and a third-perchance of winning, but I got a 66 and two-third chance of winning,

because Kurt Eagle, no! He can't beat me, and he's not even going to try. So, Samojo, you take your 33 to third percent chance, minus my 25 percent chance, and you've got to, you've got an one-third chance of winning a sacrifice, but then you take my 75 percent chance to win him if we were to go one-on-one, and you add 66 two-third percent chance. I got 141 two-third chance of winning that sacrifice. You see, Joe, the numbers don't lie, and he's about disaster for you.

It's great. So, silly. I love the way he says, Kerrangle. He just runs it. My favorite. Because Kurtie go, no,

he can't beat me. So he's not going to even try. The, uh, so good. Yeah, I know we didn't before too, like,

yeah, I always love just like his little, his little spoofs where, his little quick one-liners where he's just, just flabberg acid, where he's like, man, the big,

man, Moody, yeah, freaks 24. But where he's like, man, English, English.

He just talks, he goes, But I bet you keep working on your traps, Goldberg. He's, he's, he's so good, he's so good. I love out of nowhere. He's fat. He's fat. He's got a fat ass. The stuff where they would catch him backstage in TNA, like you're saying,

like, what's the one where he playing, I don't know how to play guitar, that one? Oh, oh, I don't know how to play guitar. I'm talking with Jimmy Raven. Yeah, yeah. That's good. This is so good. I don't know. When he talks to Mike today,

he goes, listen, you call it a her corona one more time. Well, Scotty, Scottie, he was from the Luchador's no,

no, this is all for me. They stole for me. You call her curranah. One more time, it's a Frankensteiner. You call it one time, I'm coming down to the booth. So good.

Physical for Mom and On. You be the mediator? You mean mediator? You mean mediator? Shut up. that yeah that's so good i i do want to because i've called myself the physical phenomenon and it's funny because so many times i'll start to say it and i'll like purposely flub it because he because he calls himself a physical phenomenon or whatever he says i go oh they don't say phenomenon and then

uh uh uh crowbar actually gave me like he called me a uh an athletic anomaly which is a pretty good that's pretty good it's like physical phenomenon and an athletic anomaly i'm like those are pretty good that's pretty good i was like not too shabby i'm like not too shabby What's the match that you're most proud of from your time in AEW? I mean, I would probably say it has to be the Osprey match just because that was unexpected. It happened like out of nowhere. You wrestled them twice. Yeah, yeah, the first one, the first one.

And the second one was good too. But the first one, I really felt like we did some really cool shit and people like just, I don't know. And I wish we would have had a, the crowd was great. I wish we would have like a really hot crowd for that. But that was probably my favorite. I mean, obviously, I think everyone's most talked about matches, the hangman match for double or nothing just because we opened the show. It was awesome.

It was the first time we had the full crowd back. The kidney match I finally got, but I know it wasn't, it wasn't the match we could have. It was just the match that we had, if that makes sense. The match you had to have at that time with that story that you're telling. And I remember, too, even then, like, I don't know if I have, I tell you this, but Don even was like, oh, this was that breakfast and this, like, because he knew how excited that I was and uh and Don and I have a pretty good relationship but like he basically was like trying to to warm me up to the idea like hey listen I know you want to go out there and have this

25 minute you know wrestle kingdom banger it's that's not where that's not what it is not what it's going to be right now you know what and even Tony would be fine with that and he just wants to kill it but and I get it too because even when we're talking to Kenny it didn't make sense he goes look he's like you know what does does wbb have better wrestling us absolutely not he But just having, as we just talked about earlier, too, five-star matches randomly for no reason, week after week after week is great, but it doesn't, it doesn't build anything else on top of that either. You know, we need to have great wrestling, but that builds a program to set five-star match,

you know what I mean? So now you can get more mileage out of it and stuff. So I get it. And again, what we did was fine, obviously, too. And we were going to do another match that ended up not happening. So hopefully, you know, we will still get that opportunity. you can have have more down there i i love being able to work brian danielsen as well um i wish we could have done more time and that's something else too a lot of my matches i do like me that's like

the osberg match more because we had a good amount of time in it a lot of the matches i've had that i do like a lot have been on tv not that long so i wish we'd have a little more you know a little more meat on the bone to be able to get more out of it and and tell a better story in the ring um we got time now yes yes Now that you're back. So like I said, feeling better than ever. So I just, like,

dude, oh, that Davis Osprey match that just happened. I don't know if you saw it. And, and that crowd. I love Osprey.

That, I mean, that's why, that's also why I'd almost like, not saying the Osprey match because I'm like, well, he just kills it every time anyways.

It's true. I mean, him and Kenny, him and Daniels and him, like, it's true. But dude, him and Davis,

he had such a bringer match. That crowd, it does not do justice on TV. That crowd was in, insane like we were sold out but it was a smaller venue that crowd was so hot and i remember when we're all doing the run-ins austra even referenced uh you know smackdown o four when we came out and they're they're all hitting all their you know signature finishers and i even like i was like oh okay yeah he had to laugh i go well minus the crowd reaction because that was like wrestling crowd and i go holy

crap maybe i was wrong because that crowd reaction was insane like i mean for everything and then the fallacies they hit afterwards like it was that crowd was just fire all night long but it's especially for that match. And originally, that match was going to open the show. Wow. And then Davis's fight was late, so he switched it to the main. I go, oh, no, that's why. I go, if that would have to show, I go, that was so much of it.

Like, what would you guys have to? Because, like, because M.JF and Roos were going to Maine and Mark and Osser were going to open. And then they swapped spots, which I thought just for the show, that was much better like that anyways. Yeah. I can't get over the veins in your forearms. Like, have you told them before you, right? The one that moves. Oh.

What? Can we get that camera? I don't know if it. Oh, yeah. What the heck? And there's that one too that. Is that? What are you doing?

I've just always been able to do that one. Like, look, I can do it like slow. It's like you have an inchworm. I can control it. On your forearm. That's just the muscle freaking, right? Then that's the cross fame for the vampires.

So they don't come at night. Give us a double by. Oh, like that's championship double. wire right there. That really is. Look at how wide the lats are. That's veins in your lats. That's silly. I don't think you're supposed to have veins like that. I guess I've got things bigger than your arms. Like I legitimately have veins that bigger people's arms. So it's not just a phrase. Well, great to see you looking good as always. Congrats on everything. You are a bodybuilder and a wrestler now. Uh, you know what?

And small time actor even maybe. So we'll see. We'll see what keeps. happen. Star of Disclosure Day. You know? Yeah. Well, I mean, I'm in Disclosure Day, but. You have a scene in Disclosure Day. You know, opened up a Spielberg, again, too, like I said, the fact that Spielberg contacted

me and was like, that's the guy. Like, that to me was the biggest thing. That's pretty cool. I go, that he saw all of the different audition takes. Right, yeah. All the people he could have cast. So you know what tells me, you're going back to it, too. He saw me and went, oh, this guy looks like a damn wrestler.

Like, we need him. I'm like, and then he saw me do the moon saw me do the moon saw. Oh, my God. So this guy can go to? See? Come on. Spilmer can't be wrong. He needs to come with a push Brian Cage sign. That's it. I'll ask you this question. You answered the last time you were on, but maybe your answer is different now because gratitude's such a huge thing for me. Brian, what are three things

right now you're grateful for? Well, I am grateful for my health big time now after being away from the ring and being away, you know, being on the injured reserve list for quite some time. you know, there's a lot of reflection on that. And so to be feeling better than I ever felt and be healthy and healed completely, I said my family last time, too, which I'm still grateful for. And I got to spend a lot of time within this past year. And then something else I will definitely add on to, which I've always been a religious person, who's a believer in God, but I'm definitely even more thankful for my relationship

with Jesus Christ. And I'm actually more happy to share that. And I got saved as a kid. And I've been saved as an adult because I feel like two weeks. Get saved as a kid. It's like kind of just kind of doing it because you're like supposed to and whatever. But I've never, ever, ever wanted to get baptized. I don't know why.

Not like it didn't want to. He just had no interest or I don't know. And even like Melissa, one time got baptized spontaneously a couple of years back and it didn't make me want to do it. Anyways, why I was out an injury, just randomly reached out to me and I ended up getting baptized. And then on the same day, Skyler did too. baptized together my daughter and I. So that was really, really cool. And like I said, I've always been a religious person. I don't always like,

I guess speak on it as heavily. But I definitely, um, am very thankful for that. And I realize too that, uh, I owe a lot to, uh, to, uh, to the blessings that that he's given me. So I really want to speak more loud and proud about that as well. So I'm all excited for what's next for you, man. Thank you, sir. What a week you've had. It's been good. It's been good. And I, thank you for coming out here. Nice little cap off to it before we. We have a nice little family. I know it's Father's Day, but we got...

Happy Father's Day. Yeah. To you as well. Thank you as well. Yeah. We got, we're going to go to Waterpark tomorrow. We got a friend's birthday slash like Father's Day, a little barbecue together. And then my daughter is obsessed with Michael Jackson now.

Melissa already was. How old your daughter? A movie. Oh, wow. That's fun. So she loved the movie. And then she, my wife took Skyther to go watch the movie. And she's just all day.

every day, Michael Jackson, Michael Jackson, Michael Jackson, which is cool for her because she has unlimited library of everything, right? For sure. And I think she's watched Moonwalker and I have that arcade and we've seen like the Phantom arcades. Yeah, yeah. I have the Moonwalker game on there. You want to come play that?

So we saw MJ Live, which is June Santana, who was a wrestler. We saw him. She loved him. She gave her a glove, this, that, whatever. And I've seen the Circus Away, MJ show a few times. And then I was like, oh, dude, no, we can take us to that. So on Sunday, we're finally going to go. we had tickets multiple times and because of my schedule,

we kept on not being able to make it. So I'm Father's Dan, finally taking her to go watch that as well. Oh, that's great. So she's going to have a blast at that. Have you ever seen that show? No. It's a real good show. It's a real good show.

Get you in the fields, too. That's a good one. Well, thank you again for coming in. Brian Cage, ladies and gentlemen. One more for the road. One night with Stein. One night with Stein. Shout out, Full Send.

Hey, bro. What's your name, bro? Sine. What's the home? We've been sitting here for like an hour together. I know your name. You want to learn? What's the mango?

It's funny. I can't guarantee anything. All I can guarantee is that you're going to be entertained. I'm a professional. I'm here to interview. So the whole interview, you can ask me what I like better, Burger King and McDonald's. All right, and we are going to wrap up on that note. Thank you, Steve, so much.

That was a good. Burger King. One Night with Stiney. One Night with Stiney. One Night with Stiney. Follow and listen on your favorite platform.