8 Ups & 3 Downs From AEW Dynamite (11 Aug)

Downs...

3. Poor Christian

Christian Cage
AEW

A number of misfortunes have befallen Christian Cage since he entered AEW - and none have been his fault.

The Dynamite crowd sung "CM Punk!" and "Yes! Yes! Yes!" at the veteran as he was unveiled as Kenny Omega's All Out opponent. Still pining for Hangman Page, they didn't hijack it completely, but AEW would have been hoping for a more positive reception for a bout that will be perceived as a comedown.

Cage's current onscreen ally, Jungle Boy, has surpassed him in popularity, drawing stronger opening reactions every week. Going further back, some corners of the fandom saw his unveiling as a "Hall of Fame worthy surprise" at Revolution 2021 as a disappointment, having anticipated a Punk or Brock Lesnar.

And yet all Christian has done since entering AEW is fulfil his role with good, complementary work, becoming one of the most consistent wrestlers in the company.

It's an unideal situation, this, and one that will take the full might of Tony Khan's booking pencil to navigate. Perhaps Cage's double title shots are a ruse? Nonetheless, Christian vs. Omega doesn't have big pay-per-view buzz coming out of Dynamite.

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Channel Manager
Channel Manager

Andy has been with WhatCulture for eight years and is currently WhatCulture's Wrestling Channel Manager. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.