AEW star Christian Cage has become one of the most talked-about heels in wrestling over the past year, thanks in part to his controversial use of the “dead father” line during promos.
Speaking to Raj Prashad of Yahoo’s Uncrowned, Cage opened up about how the now-infamous remark became part of his act and why he decided to push it further.
“When I got the reaction, it just made me want to push it further and further, and that’s what I did,” Cage explained.
He continued, “I said one phrase and people went crazy with it. So I just kept pushing it and pushing it. The thing is, too, you can’t have any reservations about things like this. You have to believe in yourself and you have to be willing to go to certain places to garner reactions. I was going to places that at the time nobody else was going to.”
Cage noted that wrestling is a “copycat-type business,” and once he began seeing others across different companies echo his style, he knew his approach was working. “When you see the influence of other people, [who] start doing and saying things in the same way that you are, then you know what you’re doing is working, especially when it runs across multiple companies and other people,” he said.
He emphasized the importance of taking responsibility for connecting with the audience, pointing out that his promos are entirely his words and vision. “When you go up there and have the ability to say 100% your words and your vision, it’s up to you to connect with the audience. If you don’t, then it falls on your shoulders. There’s nobody else to blame.”
Cage admitted that the line was “deeply personal” and while he expected it to draw heat, he didn’t anticipate it going as viral as it did. “It was a deeply personal line, and I was expecting a reaction. I don’t know if I expected it to go as viral as it did. And when something like that happens you have to jump on it.”
Christian Cage continues to be one of AEW’s most hated villains, using his controversial edge to keep fans talking week after week.
