Every WWE Release Of 2021 - Where Are They Now? (Five Years Later)

Then: Christian followed his good buddy Edge by coming out of retirement in 2020. He'd eventually bag a surprise slot in the 2021 Royal Rumble match (entering as #24 and lasting over 18 minutes before being eliminated by Seth Rollins), but he'd actually worked in-ring the prior year. The legend lost a 60 second "unsanctioned" scrap with Randy Orton on the 15 June 2020 episode of Raw.

That was his first match since 2014, but better days were ahead. WWE didn't seem too interested in using Christian beyond his Rumble berth, so they let his contract tick down and he left the promotion in late-January.

Now: Christian tacked the Cage surname back onto his moniker and experienced a new lease of life in Tony Khan's AEW. He was one of the focal points of the 2021 Revolution pay-per-view, and inked a multi-year deal with the WWE alternative. Things looked good for him, and they were about to get great.

Indeed, Cage has been one of Khan's most reliable stars for years. He hasn't worked a match for the company since teaming with Adam Copeland to beat FTR at All Out in September 2025, so it remains to be seen what's next up for Christian post-Patriarchy.

For the record, that faction was a regular highlight on programming for a couple of years. It furnished Cage with 2 reigns as TNT Champion, turned him into one of the hottest heels in the biz, and eventually reignited his beloved team with the former Edge outside WWE.

He's accomplished a lot then! A Hall Of Fame induction should happen someday.