"You are average at best" – Brian Cage opens up about WWE's discouraging assessment during his tryout
Brian Cage recently took a trip down memory lane to divulge what WWE told him during his tryout.
Turning the clock back to 2008, WWE signed Cage to a developmental contract, where he performed under the new name of Kris Logan in FCW.
While the 38-year-old made a promising start winning the FCW Florida Tag Team Championship alongside Justin Gabriel, he was released from his contract the following year.
Speaking on the Insight with Chris Van Vliet podcast, Brian Cage detailed multiple conversations he had with WWE's higher-ups, who labeled him "average at best" while rejecting him:
"They did call to say that they were going to do Tough Enough and bring me back for it, but then they took me off of the list. They invited me down and wanted me on NXT, but then they changed their minds again. I asked what happened and they said ‘You are average at best and we are no longer interested.'"
Cage added that while their remarks made him fume with rage, he still handled the situation professionally:
"They sent that in a text and I was so heated. I kept it as professional as I could, there was a lot I wanted to say. I got back to them saying we might work together again in the future. But actually, that was when my desire to go back to them went away. My life professionally and personally excelled when I let go of that." (H/T - Inside The Ropes)
The Machine's WWE release turned out to be a blessing in disguise as he found tremendous success in AAA, Lucha Underground, and IMPACT Wrestling before taking his talent to AEW.
You can check out the entire interview below:
Brian Cage revealed he then passed up on WWE's opportunity
During the interview, Brian Cage revealed that WWE reached out to him several times after initially rejecting him. The former FTW Champion, however, passed up on the opportunity as he had already signed up with other promotions:
"They reached out to me several times and people would reach out to them about me. They talked to me a lot of times about try-outs and it never happened. When it finally happened I turned them down because I had just signed with AAA and Lucha Underground."
While Cage couldn't replicate the same success in AEW that he yielded in other promotions, he's still considered a prominent name on the roster.
Ninja Mack FEARS Brian Cage.
Here is our first look at the new Tully Blanchard Enterprises. Kaun, Toa Liona, and Brian Cage.
#ROH #SupercardOfHonor https://t.co/DKzJOeMxDz
After being on the sidelines for nearly five months, The Machine was brought back on TV during the ROH Supercard of Honor XV. He decimated Ninja Mack before allying himself with the newly formed Tully Blanchard Enterprises, involving Kaun and Toa Liona.
Do you think Brian Cage would've become a bigger name in WWE? Sound off in the comments section below!