Thoughts From The Top Rope 11.12.08: A Vital Dose of Vitamin C

[Note: The vast majority of this article was written before recent spoilers regarding Christian Cage’s future emerged, thus rendering certain elements of the article somewhat superfluous. For the most part though, you should find the following is still entirely relevant.]

I would imagine that most wrestling fans remember November 13 2005 as a tragic day; the day that the legendary Eddie Guerrero passed away. And while I by no means look to compare such an unfortunate loss to any comparatively insignificant wrestling event, November 13 also marked the unveiling of TNA’s first “major acquisition” from WWE – Christian Cage.

In the months leading up the “jump”, Christian found himself seemingly on the cusp of the main in WWE. A feud had been bringing brewing between Christian and John Cena all year, but just when it seemed WWE were set to pull the trigger on it, Christian was drafted to SmackDown while John Cena came to Raw. While Cena would go on to bigger and better things, Christian was in the same position he was on Raw – seemingly ready to step up but receiving no backing from creative. Christian’s final WWE appearance was the Taboo Tuesday pay-per-view, appearing in a backstage shot where potential opponents for Chris Masters and Edge were shown. Incidentally, Christian was not voted into the match, resulting in numerous “we want Christian” chants from fans obviously aware of his imminent departure.

The reasons Cage left WWE are pretty typical and unextraordinary. He wasn’t overly pleased with the way creative was using him (understandable), he didn’t like the travel schedule (understandable) and in general, he just felt burnt out (very understandable, considering he’d been going non-stop for eight years). Contrary to rumors at the time, Cage has said that money wasn’t a factor, but that was on his first TNA appearance so there’s a chance he could have been asked to say that and WWE did in fact low-ball him.

At the time, Cage’s move was a big deal for TNA and the wrestling world in general, solidifying their status as an alternative. Cage was on the rise in WWE, on the brink of stardom, but he had opted to go to TNA where he would shatter his own glass ceiling. Unfortunately, Christian’s “peeps” didn’t follow him to TNA, but in fairness, not a single big name acquisition has had a significant impact on TNA’s ratings or buyrates; why would Cage be expected to do something that Sting, Angle and Booker all failed to do as well?

That said, I think the best of Christian has been unleashed in TNA over the last three years. The guy’s had some phenomenal bouts with the likes of Angle, Abyss, Joe, Rhino, Kaz and more. He’s a 2-time TNA World Champion and one of the biggest names in the company. That said, what is left for him in Orlando? By all accounts, Christian’s TNA contract is due to expire by the end of the year at the latest and he has to be considering his future – does he stay with TNA, or go back to WWE?

This question would be a lot easier for me to hazard a guess at if I was in any way aware of Christian’s financial status. It was reported that he’d saved enough money when he left WWE to be comfortable with the inevitable pay cut that comes with jumping to TNA, but who knows how he has been spending and saving in the last few years. I know Jim Ross is constantly encouraging young wrestlers to save the money they make because this isn’t usually a career you can stay in for thirty or forty years. That said, with Cage having many other projects on his hands, and fewer expenses one would assume, I’d imagine money isn’t a major factor in any decision Cage ultimately makes.

Another key factor is obviously travel, as it was one of the main reasons Cage left WWE in the first place. TNA is obviously expanding and as a result will be going on the road more and more. On one hand, with guys like Sting not wanting to appear on TNA House Shows, Cage would be asked to appear on more. On the other hand, I know for a fact that Cage doesn’t appear on all TNA House Shows (I’m still annoyed that the guy has opted out of both UK tours). It’s also worth nothing that WWE’s schedule isn’t as hectic as it was three years ago. I don’t know how Cage feels about travel these days, but there’s always a chance he’s prepared to undertake the rigorous WWE schedule. Of course, Cage is married and that might effect his decision (didn’t Karen Angle forbid Kurt from returning to WWE?).

At the end of the day, everything I’ve mentioned beforehand may well be non-factors as far as Cage is concerned. I’m going to stick my neck out here and say that the main reason Cage went to TNA is because he felt he wasn’t getting anywhere in WWE.

Glass ceilings… they’re a bitch
While Cage was TNA’s first major acquisition to jump from WWE, he wasn’t the last or the biggest. Angle showing up in TNA in 2006 sent shockwaves through the wrestling world. Booker’s arrival was expected the moment he left WWE, but it was still another big signing. And with the likes of Sting around, Cage is likely to be playing second fiddle to those guys for a long while to come. Even a few of the “home grown” guys are likely viewed as more valuable, guys like Joe and AJ.

Cage has feuded with every top talent in TNA. You’d have to think that the only plans TNA has for him are either a minor role in the Main Event Mafia/Originals feud, or maybe putting over some of the younger guys. And really, I can’t imagine either of those options sounding too appealing to Cage. A heel turn is always an option of course, but at the end of the day that doesn’t change his position on the card and eventually, the fans will turn him face again because he’s just too damn cool to boo. At least in WWE, their fans are perhaps more fickle and more likely to respond the way WWE wants. I’d also argue that, at least at the top of the card, WWE has more rounded characters for Christian to play off of, which should help him find his niche, be it as a heel or a face.

Let’s assume, and I don’t think that at this point it’s too far-fetched an assumption, that Cage does indeed TNA and returns to WWE. The next question is obviously “which brand does he go on?” I think putting him on any of the three shows has pros and cons, but ultimately, I think it’d be best for Cage, and for the show in question, if he were to redebut on Raw.

The one obvious plus of Cage showing up on ECW is that he has a much better chance of being a world champion. Cage can walk onto ECW and immediately be the top guy there, whether he’s a face or a heel. Cage would lend make ECW more of a legitimate show as he has a star quality that the likes of Mark Henry, Matt Hardy and Finlay sadly lack, as entertaining as they can be. On the other hand, and I think this is enough to suggest that Cage should be kept off of ECW, if the guy shows up on ECW, he’s just not going to look like a big deal at all. Sure, in the context of the show he’ll be number one, but I don’t think it’d be complete use of Christian’s potential.

So if we can scratch ECW off of the list of potential new homes for Captain Charisma that leaves Raw and SmackDown. While I’m of the opinion that Cage could succeed on either brand, if you look at the top tier talent on each brand, it’s clear that Cage would have a much smoother ride to the top on Raw.

SmackDown is littered with immense talent. Triple H has a stronghold over the top spot, while The Undertaker isn’t going anywhere soon either. And while WWE may be reluctant to give Hardy the strap, they cannot deny his popularity and thus he’ll remain somewhere near the top of the card for a while. Similarly on the heel side, Edge is going to be number one on SmackDown for a long time to come I should imagine, and Big Show’s performances this year indicate he’ll be rewarded with a major push towards the title in the near future. And then you have Vladimir Kozlov, who could drop back down the card pretty soon, or indeed continue his progress and be solidified as a main event player.

Conversely, Raw has a main scene consisting of, predominantly, guys who have had countless title shots in recent times and, one would hope, will be out of the title picture for a while. I’m thinking of the likes of Batista and JBL here, and even Shawn Michaels, who’s never much of a championship threat anyway. Christian would fit in nicely with the trio of Chris Jericho, John Cena and Randy Orton at the top of the Raw card and could work as a face or perhaps a heel ally for Jericho.

Regardless of which show he eventually ends up on, one has to wonder how much further up the card he can go. Is Christian not condemning himself to more of the same creative incompetence that saw him get fed up in 2005? Or does he now see guys like Jericho and Edge getting rewarded for hard work and think he has a shot at the same success? On the other hand, perhaps it is purely a financial thing. Whatever happens, I for one cannot wait for WWE to once again be injected with a does of Vitamin C…

And if you didn’t know, now you know…

‘Cause that’s… how I roll.