Lucha Underground star Brian Cage recently spoke with Ring Rust Radio; you can read a few excerpts and listen to the show below:
Brian Cage shares his thoughts on Keith Lee, the next challenger to his WrestleCircus Ringmaster Championship:
I just talked with Keith Lee and said I was surprised we haven’t worked at WrestleCircus yet and then the next day it was announced that we are working together. Keith Lee is great, man. I remember the first time I worked him in San Antonio, I didn’t know who he was, I saw was the picture on the flyer and thought “Oh ok, a big guy.” My first thought was with me being a bigger guy; I normally get booked by local heavyweights all the time. Unfortunately, most heavyweights that look like myself or Keith Lee, when it comes right down to it, they aren’t very good. So, then I realize I have to work some heavy ass dude, break my back picking him up. So, it was pretty good though. I went out there and had the match with him and killed it. I worked with Samoa Joe the month before and we had an amazing match, but I liked the Keith Lee match ten times more than the match with Samoa Joe. Right away I told him he needs to get out there and he is awesome. Cut a long story short, I’m very excited for this match. WrestleCircus is one of my favorite places to work. I can go out there with Keith Lee and hopefully make something special.
Brian Cage on how WrestleCircus stacks up against other independent promotions:
There’s a lot of good companies out there right now with wrestling being so hot. WWE is not going anywhere. Everywhere else outside of them is on the rise; companies like Ring of Honor and New Japan, but even all the Indies state side and all over the place. I just worked this amazing show in Peru last night. It’s amazing how overwhelmingly popular indie wrestling is right now. I would put WrestleCircus in my top three for sure. Not only because just how awesome the fans are, but also the overall backstage appeal and treatment and everything that goes into the show that everyone is a part of. From top to bottom, WrestleCircus is top-notch. I’ve called them the Lucha Underground of the independents because it is so much fun to work.
Brian Cage on waiting for the main event and trying to top everyone else’s match before him:
You know that can be a big challenge. The cards are made to never have a crap match on there and they can go pretty long. Even if the crowd is still on fire, you’re just drained and tired, so it does make it more challenging. To be given that position and to be able to deliver is always an incredible feeling. I think this last crowd at CircusMania was one of the best crowds from top to bottom as far as energy levels. Shane and I had as much energy as they gave for the opening of the card did. It does make it more challenging to get that crowd involvement. They normally do come back a little bit more for the main event. I thought it was easier for Shane and I because it’s really one of the only matches in WrestleCircus history that somewhat had a program built into it. Shane hadn’t been there for a few months, I kept taking shots at him about him not being there, so we had a little story program going into it, and how I won the title from cashing in the briefcase. So, there was somewhat of an angle going into this match which gave it a little more hype instead of just a super-card or super-match which is normally what would take place. I think that’s one thing that WrestleCircus is missing is them incorporating feuds or angles into their cards or matchups.
Brian Cage on possibly being a part of Lucha Underground’s fourth season:
I would definitely hope to be part of the next season. Where we left off, we will see what happens because it’s been a while since we taped. I don’t know how much things will change, but I hope everything works out according to plan and I can continue to do an excellent program with Mil Muertes, Sami Callihan and King Cuerno over the gauntlet. Hopefully get my opportunity at the title again and come home with it.
Lucha Underground Announces Season 4; Johnny Mundo Teases ‘I’ll Take Back What’s Mine’ (Video)
Brian Cage on his gauntlet storyline last season:
The first thing I thought of when it was pitched to me and when I saw the imagery of it, I am a huge Army of Darkness fan. The metal hand that Ash built in Army of Darkness looked just like it. The very first thing I did was put the gauntlet on, I grabbed a cup and broke it and then I said, “groovy.” Outside of that, I thought is great. A lot of the backstage scenes I haven’t done that many up to that point, so I thought those were real cool because that’s one of the appeals of Lucha Underground. There are a couple of extra ideas that we didn’t get to do that so that was a little bit of a bummer. I loved it and it worked out well. It kind of felt like the Infinity Gauntlet of Lucha Underground and I don’t really know what the end result is going to be. You got the guy in the limo having it and trying to get control of one of us and host a body for the Gods. Then King Cuerno came and stole it, now Mil wants it, Jeremiah wants it, Katrina’s mom wants it, I want it, and there so many variables. I’m really not sure where it’s going to go but hopefully it all continues as we originally planned it in Season 4.
Brian Cage if he’s been in contact with WWE, his interest level:
There’s been zero contact between them and me. They were giving me the runaround for 18 months about bringing me in for a try out. Finally, when they said they would bring me in, they kept saying okay the next one, the next one and the next one. Finally, they said okay we should get to this next one. I called them back the very next day and told them never mind, I don’t want to do it. I was with TNA and Lucha Underground at the time, so I just woke up and said, “Fuck this I don’t want to do this.” There was a story when I got released. About six or eight months afterwards I got re-signed and then my contract got rescinded. I went back and forth with them about it and then Johnny Ace brought me down to talk to me at a show about bringing me back in. It was close to WrestleMania, so he said we will get through Mania then we will bring you in. So, after some calls and texts, he gets back to me and says they are no longer interested. So, I ask what happened. He tells me I haven’t called him or responded to him or came down to any live events. Then asked why would I waste both of our times just to say never mind? Then he says, “Well let’s face it kid, you’re average at best and were no longer interested at this time.” I told him lets really face it, I think you and I both know I am better than average, but I appreciate you responding and maybe we will work together in the future. I want to say something more about that, but it would be politically incorrect. Fast forward to the next time and I said I didn’t want to do it and they were blown away. They couldn’t believe it and asked if I wanted this or that and I just said that I’m no longer interested right now, maybe another time. It felt kind of good to have it come full circle. I’m not opposed ever going back there, which it would have to be the right time, the right situation, all that. If I don’t ever go back, I’m more than happy. It wasn’t until now that it feels like what I thought it would feel like as a kid to be a pro-wrestler. I am the most happy and content in my career that I’ve ever been. Do I need to go back there? No, not at all. Is there a chance I could go back there? If things line up accordingly to plan then no, I’m not opposed to going back.
