How Christian Cage became the World Heavyweight Champion

Hamish Woodward

Christian Cage shocked fans everywhere when he defeated Kenny Omega on the first episode of AEW Rampage.

In doing so, he became the TNA & Impact World Heavyweight Champion for the first time since leaving TNA in 2008.

He became the first man to have held the NWA, TNA and Impact World Championships, as well as the first man to beat Omega since he and Nakazawa lost to Eddie Kingston and Jon Moxley at AEW Blood and Guts.

In this article, I will detail Christian Cage’s world championship victories.

Christian Cage has had a storied career, in which he can claim to be a five time World Heavyweight Champion.

He has held gold in WWE and TNA, and won his latest world Championship on an AEW television show. Even at aged 47, he has shown that he can still go with the best of them and has a lot to offer.

Here are Christian Cage World Championship victories as of 2021, from the earliest World Title win in TNA to his victory over Kenny Omega on AEW Rampage.

*Note* This article will NOT be considering his run as ECW Champion as a “World Championship”. Whilst it was considered as such after the 2007 Royal Rumble, when the Undertaker had the option of challenging then champion Bobby Lashley at WrestleMania, it has since be reclassified as NOT a World Championship. Yes, I too am disappointed that we don’t have former World Champion Ezekial Jackson.

Christian Cage World Championship Victories

Christian Cage vs Jeff Jarrett -NWA World Heavyweight Championship – TNA Against All Odds 2006

In 2005, Christian left the WWE, letting his contract expire and walking away as a free agent. He had spent years toiling away, trying to make it to the top of WWE. Unfortunately, Vince McMahon didn’t see Christian as a main event talent, and did not think he was World Championship material.

He left WWE and signed for TNA in 2005, and instantly became on of their biggest stars. The name “instant classic” came to describe both his impact on TNA and the matches he had on the show.

Wrestling under the name Christian Cage, he was one of the top stars in TNA, which included the likes of Jeff Jarrett, Kurt Angle, AJ Styles and Samoa Joe.

Christian took part in great matches with all these men and more, and is remembered for his excellent 3 year stint in TNA to this very day. It would take Cage less than a year to win his first World Championship in TNA.

At TNA Against All Odds 2006, he defeated long time Champion Jeff Jarrett for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship.

Jarrett been holding the belt hostage in a reign of terror to rival even that of Triple H. The fans were relieved to see the belt off of the former WCW Champion and onto a fan favourite who truly deserved it.

Christian Cage vs Sting vs Abyss – NWA World Heavyweight Championship – TNA Final Resolution 2007

Christian Cage won his second and final NWA World Heavyweight Championship the year after his first. This time, he fought TNA legend Abyss and WCW legend Sting in a triple threat elimination match for the Championship.

Sting had been a mainstay of TNA since 2003, having left WCW after it’s closure in 2001. He made sporadic appearances with the company until 2005. However, a feud with Jeff Jarrett brought him back into wrestling full time.

He became a five time Champion in TNA (One time NWA World Heavyweight Champion and four time TNA World Champion) and was inducted in the TNA Hall of Fame in 2012.

Sting and Christian Cage were joined in the match by the NWA World Heavyweight Champion Abyss. The Monster Abyss had become a crucial part of TNA television. Abyss was one of the most recognisable men in wrestling. He had the look of Mankind about him, and wrestled a hardcore style that resonated with TNA fans.

He became a legend in TNA and was inducted into the TNA Hall of Fame in 2018. Abyss was even offered the chance to work with the Undertaker in WWE at Wrestlemania. You can read about here.

The trio faced each other at TNA Final Resolution 2007, in a elimination match. This meant that once you were pinned or submitted, you were out of the match. Your opponents continued until one man is left. That man is now the champion.

The first elimination in the match was the Champion, Abyss. This meant that TNA was guaranteed to have a new Champion. Sting and Christian Cage fought the rest of the match as a singles bout. Christian Cage would win the match, when the eliminated Abyss hit Sting with a chain.

This allowed Cage to pin “the Icon” and win his second NWA World Heavyweight Championship in TNA. Christian Cage would lose the championship when NWA and TNA severed their relationship, and he was stripped of the Championship in 2007.

Christian vs Alberto Del Rio – World Heavyweight Championship – WWE Extreme Rules 2010

Christian’s pretend brother Edge was the World Heavyweight Champion going into Wrestlemania 27. He defended his championship against Alberto Del Rio, but tragedy would strike soon after.

The next episode of Smackdown, Edge would announce his retirement from wrestling. Neck injuries had taken their toll on him, and he had no choice to retire or face a lifetime in a wheelchair.

It was a harrowing announcement. It was one that shocked wrestling fans who had followed Edge for nearly 15 years in the WWE.

However, this gave WWE the chance to give one of their underutilised starts a real feel-good moment. Christian had long been ignored by WWE in regards to World Championship opportunities. For a man of his talent, it was unthinkable. It had taken him so long for him to hold one of the biggest titles in WWE.

Christian finally got his shot – with Edge in his corner – at WWE Extreme Rules 2010. In a ladder match, which he and Edge had become famous for in the Attitude Era, he faced Mexican star Alberto Del Rio.

Del Rio was a Mexican aristocrat who flaunted his wealth in front of the booing crowd, and made Christian the prime face to beat him.

Christian won the vacant World Heavyweight Championship at Extreme Rules, winning his first World Championship in WWE.

He celebrated with tears in his eyes with Edge, reclaiming the title that Edge had never lost, and vacated due to injury.

The title celebration would not last long, however, as 2 days later on Smackdown, Christian would face Edge’s old partner, Randy Orton.

Christian vs Randy Orton – World Heavyweight Championship – WWE Money in the Bank 2010

Just two days after defeating Alberto Del Rio for the World Heavyweight Championship, Christian lost it.

Yep.

After years of hard work, he won the title on the Sunday and lost it on the Tuesday taping of Smackdown.It was a massive kick in the teeth for fans of Christian, who had waited for so long to see their hero win the big one.

Randy Orton beat the Canadian superstar on the May 6th episode of Smackdown to win the World Heavyweight Championship.The pair would go on to have one of the great rivalries of the time.

Orton and Christian had back and forth matches on Smackdown and pay-per-view, culminating in an excellent no-dq match that Randy Orton won from a RKO onto the steel steps.

Due to previous matches ending in DQ, the stipulation facing Champion Randy Orton was that if he was disqualified, then he would lose the Championship.

Even though these stipulations never pay off, this one time they did. Christian won his second World Championship in WWE by Randy Orton nailing a boot right into his testicles.

It was a strange way to win the Championship, but the now-heel Christian did not care, he was just happy he was the champion.

Christian would not hold gold again in his WWE career. His last match in WWE before his retirement was in 2014, where he won a battle royale to become number one contender to Big E’s Intercontinental Championship.

He was taken out of action with concussions soon after that match, and never faced Big E for the title.

Christian Cage vs Kenny Omega – Impact World Championship – AEW Rampage 13/8/21

Christian retired from wrestling in 2014 due to concussions, but returned in 2021 to a rousing applause.

He met his former brother Edge in the Royal Rumble, which the pair worked together in and hugged it out in the ring.

Edge won the Royal Rumble and main evented Wrestlemania, while Christian was tossed aside and wasn’t seen again in WWE.

Luckily for all his peeps, Christian Cage popped up in AEW in March as their “hall of fame worthy signing”.

He immedietly set out to prove himself, following his self-made mantra of “Out Work Everyone”.

He did just that, remaining undefeated since his debut in March and launching himself into AEW Championship contention.

Christian Cage won his first World Championship since 2010 when he defeated Kenny Omega at the first AEW Rampage.

Kenny Omega was the AEW, Impact and AAA World Champion, holding all belts concurrently. Christian Cage was the number one contender for the AEW Championship, but took on Omega for the TNA Championship at AEW Rampage.

Cage had previously been two time World Champion in his stint in TNA, and looked to make it a third as the pair opened the show in Pittsburgh. In a technically sound match, Christian Cage pinned Omega for the first time in over a year and won the Impact World Championship.

The Young Bucks had intended, throwing a chair into the ring which Omega had set up intending to use as a weapon. Luckily Cage outsmarted him, hitting the Killswitch on the chair and pinning the champion for the victory.

Christian Cage World Championship wins stop here so far, but who knows how far the Canadian legend can go in AEW?

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