After a lengthy absence from the squared circle due to concussion issues, Christian made his in-ring return during this year's Royal Rumble PPV. However, rather than signing with WWE, he instead made the decision to return to his Christian Cage moniker as part of the All Elite Wrestling roster.
During an interview with Chris Jericho on his Talk Is Jericho podcast, Cage opened up about the events which led to him taking part in the 30-man match.
"All these months pass and we get through the holidays, and I’d heard a little bit of a rumbling of maybe something in the Rumble, but then, no, it’s not going to happen," he said of what happened after learning he was cleared to compete again. "And that was probably a month out. Didn’t really think about it again and then the Rumble is on a Sunday night, and Friday night, about 7:30 p.m., I get a phone call saying, ‘We don’t think there’s a big enough surprise in this Rumble. Would you want to come back and do it?’ And I thought about it for a second, and all the things kind of go through your head. I don’t have any kind of deal or anything like that, and it’s like, you know what, I’ve always bet on myself anyway."
It doesn't really sound like WWE showed a great deal of interest in Christian after he was cleared, so perhaps that's why he signed with AEW. Jericho asked if Cage crossed paths with Vince McMahon at all, but it sounds like the WWE Chairman wasn't actually present at the PPV.
"The Rumble, it’s a different kind of animal so went out there, and thankfully, it went good and it got a lot of positive feedback," Cage revealed. "People saying you looked like you never missed a step, which was great, and that gave me some more confidence and just kind of rolled from there. [Vince McMahon] was not there. I never saw him again after that."
Now, Christian is making a huge impact in AEW, and it's hard to imagine him returning to WWE for a long time...if ever. What did you think about Cage's return at the Royal Rumble this year?