Brain Cage wanted job security.
The AEW star recently spoke to Chris Van Vliet after winning the 2026 Mr. Nevada bodybuilding competition. He talked about things such as finally returning to the ring after his long injuries, being cast in Steven Spielberg’s Disclosure Day movie, what opportunities he would like in AEW, and more.
During the interview, the heavyweight star also talked about re-signing with Tony Khan’s promotion in 2024 and being open about going back and forth with the WWE option being on the table as well. He was asked how close he actually was to signing with the TKO-owned promotion and Brian Cage explained that he actually wanted to go to WWE:
“I mean, there was a lot of interest, and it’s funny, because I wanted to go there. I mean, you don’t know what you’re gonna get either place. There’s no guarantees. They could say that, you know, we’re gonna use you this way, that way, whatever. But obviously, you don’t know anything. And after going back and forth, all the different pros and cons, a lot of stuff with AEW just seemed safer, if you will.”
Actual Independent Contractor: Brian Cage
The former FTW Champion mentioned that talents are truly independent contractors in AEW compared to WWE, and they get better perks, such as hotel and transportation. The decision for Brian Cage, however, ultimately came down to job security. With WWE’s routine of randomly releasing wrestlers, he decided to stick with the Elite promotion instead:
“It’s pretty hard to have some sort of security in this business, but I’m like, I’ve been here for a while; they [WWE] just randomly release anyone. A lot of the perks, so travel is way [easier]; he [Tony Khan] pays for all the travel, so hotel, ground transportation, and airfare, whereas WWE is just airfare.
We’re an actual independent contractor, so I can do anything else outside of AEW, which is a plus too. Then I felt like I don’t have a fear of getting released if I stay here too long. The longer I feel like I can just keep staying to have longevity.”
Cage reiterated that job security was the main reason he stayed with AEW when pressed about it. He also noted that things are ‘much more chill’ in his current home, though he mentioned that it has been years since he experienced the WWE culture during his development stint in 2008-09.