5 potential AEW booking options for Christian Cage after his shocking heel turn
AEW star Christian Cage betrayed his protege Jungle Boy on last week's Dynamite after the Tag Team Championship Ladder Match. Jurassic Express dropped their titles to The Young Bucks, but Captain Charisma was the biggest talking point of the night.
After the match, Cage grabbed Jungle Boy and delivered his Killswitch finisher and a devastating Conchairto. After the show went off-air, the WWE legend turned his attention to Jack Perry's family, verbally abusing his mother and sister at ringside, saying:
"You liking what I did to your son?...He's gonna be eating his birthday cake out of a straw tomorrow, he's a piece of sh*t! You raised a piece of sh*t."
With Christian's heel turn established, what direction will the 48-year-old go next? Here are five potential booking options for Captain Charisma in AEW:
#5. Christian Cage starts a rivalry with Jungle Boy
It was inevitable that Christian would enter into a deeply personal rivalry with Jungle Boy after his heinous attack. Cage's cruel actions were a far cry from the honorable mentor role he's been playing on AEW TV for nearly a year.
WWE Hall of Famer Bully Ray praised the segment on a recent episode of Busted Open Radio:
"Exceptional heel turn by Christian last night,'' Ray said. "Love the execution. Love the timing, the facials, the intent (..) Christian turning Jungle Boy over, laying on top of him, showing Jungle Boy's face, showing Christians's face. Letting you read the emotions on their faces. Excellent, excellent job." (25:04)
However, Ray believes the Perry family could've elevated the segment if they were more involved:
"What mother in her right mind would ever sit there and watch her baby boy get his head caved in? (..) I'd have had mom and sister come in the ring, and beg Christian not to do it. And then I would've had security come in the ring to try to get mom & sister out of there because they don't belong in the ring in the first place (..) As security is able to get mom and sister out of the way for a brief moment. Bam! Out of nowhere, Christian should have caved the kid's head in and watch mom and sister go ballistic and then jump on top of Jungle boy, and Christian slide out while watching Jungle Boy's Mom and Sister sit down and cry." (25:55)
It's great to see AEW finally pull the trigger on a Christian Cage heel turn. It pays off a long-term angle first hinted at during Double or Nothing last year.
Jungle Boy eliminated Captain Charisma during the show to win the Casino Battle Royale. However, the former WWE Superstar decided to let it slide at the moment, choosing to mentor Jurassic Express instead. He was instrumental in leading the duo to capture the AEW World Tag Team Championships. But Cage finally revealed his master plan to take down Jurassic Express.
Naturally, Jack Perry will be looking to exact revenge on his mentor, which could lead to an instense rivalry going into the summer.
#4. Luchasaurus turns heel and aligns with Christian Cage to feud with his former partner Jungle Boy
. @boy_myth_legend @Christian4Peeps @luchasaurus #AEWDoN https://t.co/XZdnQiSAqh
With Jungle Boy and Christian Cage expected to feud, where does this leave Luchasaurus? Instead of making him an afterthought, Cage could shock fans by getting the Dinosaur to align with him and feud with his former tag team partner on Captain Charisma's behalf.
It wasn't the first time Cage engaged a bodyguard to protect him in the ring. The former Intercontinental Champion had Tyson Tomko looking out for him in WWE and IMPACT, so it makes sense for him to convince Luchasarus to side with the veteran.
Wrestling legend Dutch Mantell believes the muscle of Jurassic Express is similar to WWE legend Kane.
During a rapid-fire round of his interview with Riju Dasgupta of Sportskeeda Wrestling, Mantell was asked to name a wrestler from today's generation that reminded him of Kane. The wrestling manager chose Luchasaurus but believes the star still needs more experience:
"Maybe Luchasaurus, maybe because he just needs more timing. I mean, he just needs more experience. I would say, Keith Lee. He could probably work into that. He'd have to slow down." [34:57 onwards]
Luchasaurus has been with AEW since its inception but has primarily been a tag team player. Christian's experience can help elevate the wrestler to the next level and raise the stock of both Jurassic Express members simultaneously.
#3. Christian Cage finds a new partner to face off against former AEW tag team champs Jurassic Express
What if Jurassic Express remains a group despite losing the tag team titles? Christian Cage will need a new partner who can join him in his crusade against the former champions. Looking at the existing roster, the logical choice at this point would be fellow veteran Matt Hardy.
The former WWE Superstar has been left out of the title picture after his brother Jeff's latest brush with the law. The Hardys were supposed to be part of the ladder match main event on Dynamite last week, and it would be fair to say that Matt was screwed in the process.
The older Hardy could join forces with Cage to express his frustrations, becoming an ally in his feud against Jurassic Express. They both have history back in WWE as longtime foes during the Attitude Era, so it would be an interesting twist to see them together instead. As veterans on the roster, they would be an experienced tag team that could also challenge any duo in the company.
#2. Christian Cage returns to the AEW title picture
Christian Cage is the NEW Impact World Champion!! #AEWRampage https://t.co/GjKKVvvtjc
When Christian Cage first debuted in All Elite Wrestling at Revolution 2021, it felt like he would be treated as a major star. He seemingly did the unthinkable on the debut episode of AEW Rampage when he handed Kenny Omega his first singles loss in over a year. He also became the IMPACT Wrestling World Champion, ending Omega's reign.
However, he unsuccessfully challenged the EVP for the AEW World Championship at All Out 2021 and hasn't returned to the main event scene since, thanks to his alliance with Jurassic Express. After taking out Jungle Boy, Captain Charisma should return to world title contention. With CM Punk out of the picture, he could be the next challenger to the Interim Championship after Forbidden Door.
#1. Christian Cage mentors a new AEW young star
At 48 years old, Christian Cage has a wealth of experience that could benefit the many young talents in the company right now. Instead of making the heel turn about himself, he could direct it towards building another star. The best choice would be fellow Canadian and former IMPACT star Ethan Page.
The Man of the Year member faced former WWE World Heavyweight Champion Christian Cage earlier this year in a qualifying match to join the Face of the Revolution Ladder Match but ultimately lost.
Taking to Twitter before their bout, the 32-year-old Page put Christian on notice, claiming he'll prove why he's a Hall of Fame-worthy talent. Page has been teaming up with Scorpio Sky with Dan Lambert recently, and he has always stood out thanks to his natural charisma and heel work.
One of Page's most notable feuds in AEW was against Darby Allin. The two faced off in a Coffin Match in 2021, which the former TNT Champion won. Page himself challenged for the TNT Championship twice but couldn't dethrone Sammy Guevara and Cody Rhodes. While Scorpio Sky has gone on to become the TNT Champion, it feels like Page is growing stagnant without a clear direction.
Aligning himself with Christian Cage brings up his stock, especially if he's used as a proxy to feud with Jungle Boy. He's an excellent prospect but needs the right guidance to go to the top.