10 Times You Thought Wrestlers Were Finished (& Were DEAD WRONG!)

9. Christian

CM Punk WWE Not Done
AEW

Christian! Christian! At last you have come home.

Those reworked lyrics for that underrated theme opening feel fitting to describe Cage's surprise return to action during the 2021 Royal Rumble. "Home" wasn't necessarily WWE though. It'd describe a pro wrestling ring generally. Months later, Christian had debuted for AEW and would go on to reinvent himself as a father-bashing heel.

Sure, Cage had worked a match-come-angle vs. Randy Orton on Raw in June 2020, but that was brief and didn't lead to anything else. Folks predicted the same for his Rumble showing, but then...glory. No, excellence. No, a character run so impressive it topped anything he'd achieved as a singles persona before it!

Christian's patriarch stint in All Elite has been a highlight of the promotion's output over the past few years. Not everything has been perfect or landed bang on target, but most of Cage's work has been stunning. Not bad for somebody who suffered serious injuries, couldn't get medical clearance and didn't wrestle between 2014-2020, eh?

Contributor

Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.