Christian Cage‘s foray into the world of WWE coincided with arguably the hottest period in professional wrestling. The real-life William Jason Reso arrived in Stamford in mid-1998 and immediately formed an alliance with childhood friend Edge.
The pair gained prominence as one of the several wrestlers that helped revive WWE’s tag team division during the early 2000s. Edge and Christian disbanded in 2001, prompting both superstars to embark on a solo journey.
During his singles run, Christian feuded with the likes of Chris Jericho, John Cena, Shelton Benjamin, and Randy Orton, putting on some incredible matches in the process. With that said, these are Captain Charisma’s five best outings in WWE.
Tables, Ladders and Chairs 4 (WWE RAW – October 7, 2002)
Edge and Christian, the Hardy Boyz and the Dudley Boyz made careers out of high-risk Tables, Ladders, and Chairs matches during the Attitude Era – with E&C in particular winning most of these bouts. One of the best TLC matches featuring Christian, among others, took place on the October 7, 2002, episode of RAW.
The match in question was for the World Tag Team Championship. It saw Kane defend the straps alone (because his partner Hurricane was injured) against Rob Van Dam & Jeff Hardy, Bubba Ray & Spike Dudley, and Chris Jericho & Christian. This was the first TLC match to take place on the red brand.
The TLC match featured some incredible yet high-risk spots and had the crowd on their feet from bell to bell. It saw the Big Red Machine work through sheer brutality to save his tag team titles as the other teams ganged up on him. Lead announcer Jim Ross also pulled off solo duty and arguably produced one of his greatest calls ever when he pleaded, “Somebody call the EMTs!”
Christian vs. Shelton Benjamin (TLC 2009)
Christian won his first world title in WWE when he defeated Jack Swagger for the ECW World Heavyweight Championship at Backlash 2009. Captain Charisma soon found himself in a feud with the rechristened Shelton Benjamin.
The pair met in a Ladder Match for Christian’s ECW title at Tables, Ladders, and Chairs 2009. It was an extremely stiff match. Christian was busted open halfway through the match, causing WWE officials to briefly halt the action to tend to his wounds.
Despite the laceration, Christian and Benjamin produced an all-time classic in front of the jam-packed AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas. In the end, Christian defeated the Gold Standard to retain his title.
Money in the Bank Ladder Match (WrestleMania 21)
The inaugural Money in the Bank Ladder Match is considered one of the best matches in the gimmick match’s history. The first-ever MITB Ladder Match pitted six of the hardest-working superstars on the roster against each other.
Christian Cage joined Kane, Chris Benoit, Shelton Benjamin, and former tag team partners Chris Jericho and Edge as they made history in front of over 20,000 fans at the Staples Center. It was a terrific match and had the crowd captivated through its entirety.
In the end, the Ultimate Opportunist cracked the Rabid Wolverine’s shoulder with a chair shot to climb the ladder and become the first-ever Money in the Bank Ladder Match winner.
Edge and Christian Vs. The Dudley Boyz Vs. The Hardy Boyz (WrestleMania 17)
It is hard to argue that the tag team TLC match at WrestleMania 17 is one of the greatest in WWE history. It is considered the epic culmination of the tables, ladders, and chairs bout between the three teams that preceded it.
This TLC match featured Edge and Christian versus the Hardy Boyz versus the Dudley Boyz for the WWE Tag Team Championship. It involved some death-defying bumps and cray aerial spots.
The match also featured cameos from Lita, Spike Dudley and Rhyno (who infamously sent Bubba Dudley and Matt Hardy crashing through stacked tables). It is truly one of the greatest matches of the men that were involved in the bout.
Christian vs. Randy Orton (SummerSlam 2011)
Christian won his first World Heavyweight Championship in a gripping ladder match against Alberto Del Rio at Extreme Rules 2011. He ultimately dropped it to Randy Orton on the May 7th episode of SmackDown. The loss resulted in one of the most compelling rivalries at that time.
Christian and Orton delivered some classics over the course of the next few months. But the best match of the feud came at SummerSlam 2011. The No Holds Barred Match pitted a heel Christian Cage against a babyface Randy Orton.
The brutal outing saw both superstars try to lay waste to each other with everything in their arsenal. The nearly 24-minute match featured some brutal kendo stick and chair spots. In the end, the Viper hit his opponent with an RKO on the steel steps to win the title.
Also read: Christian Cage Reveals Why He Wrestles In A Turtleneck
