On the inaugural edition of AEW Rampage, Christian Cage struck gold. In the opening match, he became the IMPACT World Champion, being crowned champion of a company he once called home. On this week’s edition of IMPACT Wrestling, he returned to the IMPACT Zone for the first time in almost 13 years. In event of this, let’s take a look at Christian Cage in TNA, his first run in the company when it was Total Nonstop Action Wrestling.
The Significance and Arrival of Christian Cage in TNA
In 2005, Christian Cage was in a rut in World Wrestling Entertainment. He stated several times that there was an abundance of things leading to his departure. These included fatigue and being on the road nonstop since he was 24; he was 31 at the time. The main reason stemmed from him wanting to bet on himself. He felt he was in a position where they know he was there. Despite being on the cusp of the main event, he’d never truly get that chance, no matter how well he was received. He wanted to prove his value, even if it was on a smaller platform. So he declined to sign his extension and left WWE.
This was very significant for TNA and would help them in negotiations going forward. They had ex-WWE and World Championship Wrestling talent, but Cage was really the first big name to leave WWE for TNA. This helped make TNA a real destination for talent departing WWE or wanting to make it big. He debuted at the Genesis pay-per-view and immediately stated his intentions to win the NWA World Heavyweight Championship. Before long, he was confronted by Monty Brown, who also had a claim for a shot. At the end of the show, he rejected the offer to join Team Canada and cemented his place as a main event babyface.
An Instant Classic Run
Christian Cage would then beat Monty Brown to earn a future title shot before toppling the hated champion, Jeff Jarrett, becoming a world champion for the first time in his career. He would lose the title back to Jarrett, but that was simply to set up a big heel turn for Cage. He would then win the championship back against both Sting and Abyss. From there, he put together a team that would be known as Christian’s Coalition also featuring Tomko and AJ Styles. Cage promised title shots to people in return for helping him with his issues, but never following through. He would eventually drop the title without even being pinned or submitted.
After Cage lost the NWA World Heavyweight Championship, TNA and the National Wrestling Alliance split, which led to TNA getting their own heavyweight title. This was a belt Christian chased but never held. However, even without a belt, he was kept strong as he went 23 months without being pinned or submitted, remaining a strong fixture in the main event scene up until his 2008 departure. This was when he opted to return to WWE for more money. He proved himself as a main eventer in TNA, which no doubt helped in the long run. As IMPACT World Champion in 2021, he adds prestige to the company as he did in 2005.
His Everlasting Impact
TNA truly gave Christian Cage the ball and let him run with it. Cage was able to prove that he was a main event-quality wrestler and could be the focus of a company. He was highly valued by IMPACT Wrestling, so much so that he was the person the company asked for to appear at Slammiversary in 2012 in exchange for Ric Flair. He was WWE Intercontinental Champion at the time, but then-owner Dixie Carter adored him and appreciated all he had done for the company.
If Christian Cage didn’t make that jump, who knows if they’d be able to land people like Kurt Angle, as well as retain stalwarts like Samoa Joe, AJ Styles, and Sting. IMPACT is a very different place than it was all those years ago, so it’ll be interesting to see what “Captain Charisma” adds as the top guy.
