Lucha Underground Star Brian Cage was a guest Ring Rust Radio this week, and below are some interview highlights:
YouTube interview: https://youtu.be/GzfGChI-qoQ
Donald Wood: The big news from Lucha Underground is that Ultima Lucha will now be two weeks long. It was announced that you would be taking on The Mack in a falls count anywhere match. What are your expectations for Ultima Lucha overall and what can the fans expect from your battle against The Mack?
Brian Cage: I think the reason they made it two weeks long is because my match is going to be so epic and will be an episode in its own right. Ultima Lucha itself will be awesome and I feel every week of Lucha Underground is amazing. I don’t want to sound boring or cookie cutter and say expect more of the same, but really the wrestling is awesome and the matches are so great. It’s going to be the culmination of everything up to this point and what you would expect from a season finale. Mack and I are going to tear the roof off of the place. We have had a couple of good ones though they were short and sweet. This time we will get to put it all out there and have a great match and I don’t think it is going to disappoint.
Mike Chiari: I think some fans were somewhat surprised to see you sign with Lucha Underground initially because they were expecting more traditional Luchadores, but you’ve really seemed to gel with the rest of the roster. Why do you think you’ve been such a good fit for Lucha Underground, and how have you enjoyed your time with the company so far?
Brian Cage: You know like Striker says, “I am the total package of everything that is lucha”. While I think it’s good to have those opposites here and there, but I think my styles fit really well here. At first they think I don’t belong here, but then they see my styles and my ability and it meshes well them and their style altogether. It gives them something new and brings almost a hybrid style of a so called big-man. I love it here. I was a little unsure myself jumping on board and seeing how it would work out. I was worried it wasn’t going to work out or turn out to be a flop. It’s been phenomenal and the best company I have ever worked for. I am glad and couldn’t be happier that I signed on board. I am looking forward for everything down the road and think it will be a big success.
Brandon Galvin: Your match with Prince Puma for the Lucha Underground Championship back in March was one of the best matches of the year for us, but it seemed that you were quickly pushed aside for other wrestlers. Given how much Lucha Underground was marketing you at the time, do you think they missed a chance to capitalize on your momentum?
Brian Cage: Yes and no. I mean it was amazing I got such a huge opportunity out the gate. That really elevated me and Puma too who was already doing such a great job. I don’t think it’s a missed opportunity because it is still there. They bumped me down to mid-card status to help elevate other people and to lead the way for other people to work with Puma since it can’t be the Brian Cage/Puma story the whole time, you know what I mean? So a missed opportunity I don’t think so. The plans moving ahead I am sure I will be in the title scenario again at some point. I wish it would have gone a little longer but no love lost or hurt feelings.
Donald Wood: While your popularity is rising in the mainstream thanks to Lucha Underground, Indy wrestling fans have known you for years thanks to Pro Wrestling Guerrilla. Do you think the freedom to show your athleticism at PWG has helped give you the chance to shine anywhere?
Brian Cage: Oh undoubtedly, absolutely. Going back to not wrestling how people thought I would wrestle is my niche. That’s what sets me apart from everybody else. Besides the BLANK nation were the only guys with that type of appeal or ability in the ring. PWG really launched me and helped me get out there and show on a national scale what I can do.
Mike Chiari: In addition to your great work with Lucha Underground you’ve been involved in a long-running feud with Alberto El Patron in AAA, and it’s going to culminate in hair vs. hair match at TripleMania August 9. What does it mean to you to be in a featured match on such a huge card, and what are your expectations for the match?
Brian Cage: It’s really awesome to be down there this year and feud with him; it’s helped me out a lot internationally. To be part of TripleMania, which is their WrestleMania down there, it’s just so awesome. Being listed as one of the headliners along with Rey Mysterio and Myzteziz and to be on their first full international PPV its just such a huge deal, I marked out a little myself. When I saw my name next to Alberto on the PPV synopsis I was like, “Ohhhhhhh this is amazing, I’m going to be on real PPV!” I think it’s going to be an awesome opportunity and my matches down there with him I have been really enjoying. I think this will be the best match we have over the past 6 months and I am eager to see what the future has in store for me after.
Brandon Galvin: We’ve been major supporters of Lucha Underground since Day 1. We recently had Vampiro and he was confident a second season would happen. First, what are your thoughts on the structure of Lucha Underground with it being a season and finally, what are your expectations for a second season?
Brian Cage: The season thing I was shaky going back and forth with at first. I know originally they wanted a shorter time lapse but I’m not so worried now. Its shot more like a TV show, and I think that will help to keep people wanting more. Like when we took that winter break last year. Everyone thinks it won’t work because you will lose momentum, but this has never been done before. There are a lot of things Lucha is doing that no one has before like shooting in a whole different angle. The only way to see how it works is to try it. I am getting more and more confident that it will be fine and not too long of a break. We will see how it goes moving forward shooting the seasons. I think season 2 will be everything season 1 was and just so much more. You know what to expect, people will want to be a part of it, and wrestlers will even want to sign on. Everyone is going to more excited for season 2 and deliver more than season 1 did.
Donald Wood: You spent time in WWE’s developmental territory, FCW. Despite having the ideal bodybuilder look the company is going for and being a great athlete, why do you think you never got the chance to show your skill on the main roster and would you be open to a return to WWE?
Brian Cage: I’ll be straight and blunt with it, because they are idiots. They want something to hang their hat on and if you are not their guy they will let you go. Not going to pull any punches, but I would be totally open to going back to them. With many things permitting. I am not opposed to going back, but I don’t care if I ever go back. If I ever work for them cool, if I don’t my life is super happy and I am living the dream right now. I did love my time down there and things did go great.
Mike Chiari: There are quite a few nicknames that you go by, but one that’s started to pick up steam recently is Lucha Lesnar in reference to your similarities to Brock Lesnar. How do you think you compare to Brock, and what would your interest level be in terms of having a match with him one day?
Brian Cage: That one was promoted by some fan and my mom thought it was totally hilarious. I like the name and I would love a match with Brock. He is my favorite guy to watch in WWE though I don’t get to watch much of it nowadays. I think it’s funny because he is a better wrestler now than when he left the ring the first time. His style now is more of a shoot, just the way he literally throws people around the ring for real. I would love to work him but I don’t know how similar our styles would match up. We both are huge beasts like individuals who are more athletic than we should be for our sizes. I don’t think there are many similarities in our styles. I think a match together would be amazing and I would love the opportunity.
Brandon Galvin: I mentioned your match with Prince Puma earlier, but is there a match or performance you would choose to show somebody who has never seen you work as a way to define the wrestler you’ve become?
Brian Cage: Wow that’s a good question; I’ve never been asked that. If I had to pick one match for everything, man that would be hard to do. There are plenty to choose from and it’s hard to pick one. My matches with Puma, my matches with Roderick Strong in PWG, my debut with them, I mean those matches are older. My matches with Tyson Kidd those were amazing. Maybe my match with Roddy or Prince Puma match from the past year cause it gives a better view of who I am and what I do is what I would say off the top of my head.
Nick was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, and lived there until the age of 18, when he decided to pack his flack jacket and move to New York City.
