“That’s how I roll!”
# 24. Christian
170 points (14 out of 43 lists)
Highest Rating: Hamass at #5
Real Name: William Jason Reso.
(In)Famous Gimmicks: Christian Cage, Captain Charisma, Conquistador Dos
On our televisions for less than a decade, Christian has made his mark through being a brooding vampire, and over-the-top comedic character, and eventually one of the top draws of a fledging company.
I remember watching an episode of “Off the Record” back about five years ago that featured Christian and Edge. The host of the show, Michael Landsberg, asked the two who they thought would be the biggest stars to carry wrestling over the next decade. He was looking for names like Brock Lesnar or Randy Orton… and the two blond-haired Canadians both said they would be top names in the business. Landsberg kind of had a dumb-founded look on his face. If he only knew.
Christian Cage made a name for himself on the Canadian indy scene in the mid-90’s. Along with BFF Adam Copeland, the two were an excellent flashy tag team called “High Impact”. By 1998, Vince McMahon came calling and signed up both guys.
In his debut match, Christian won the WWF Light Heavyweight Title. It was on a PPV no-less. This was the first time anybody had debuted with such impact, and he was set on the right course for a lengthy career.
While initially put into a feud with Edge (Copeland), the two would eventually team up and form a stable with Gangrel called The Brood. E&C would be secondary players to the likes of The Undertaker and Steve Austin for awhile, but during this time they got to rub shoulders with the biggest names in the WWF.
After a year, E&C would separate from Gangrel’s services and start wrestling solely as a tag team. I don’t think anybody could have predicted they would go on to be the most successful team in WWF history, but they did.
The big break came at the No Mercy PPV in 1999. The former Brooders were put into the first-ever tag team ladder match against the Hardy Boyz. As was mentioned in Matt Hardy’s entry, it was a fantastic match that launched everyone’s careers to the next level. No longer were Christian and Edge a couple of emotion-less, silent zombies.
While initially faces, the duo would become hated heels within months. They developed cocky personas like most good heels. But for Christian and Edge, something was different. They were funny. Really funny. In retrospect, it really amazes me how they didn’t become faces because they were so funny. During their run, they would have five-second poses prior to matches so all of their “fans” could snap pictures. They would also do plenty of legit LOL backstage skits. It was all gold, and it translated to in-ring success.
Probably the team’s best-known matches during this time were the TLC Matches with the Hardy’s and Dudley’s. They are just amazing visual spectacles, and looking back, it’s great to see a guy like Christian be rewarded today for putting his body on the line back then… although it’s just in a different company.
Christian and Edge dominated the tag scene in the WWF for years, but as is the case with all good teams, they have to go their separate ways eventually. In 2001, Edge won the King of the Ring and jealousy started showing in Christian. Christian would attack his on-screen brother in the fall of ’01, ending their lengthy run as a team.
Right from the start of their split, you knew the WWF had more faith in Edge than they had in Christian. After feuding with Edge for the Intercontinental Title for a few months, the “younger brother” was relegated to having a loser gimmick. You know the one. The wrestler goes on a losing streak, never wins, throws a tantrum, and never gets over. It’s the dumbest angle in wrestling and has never worked.
Despite this, Christian eventually was able to get himself over a singles wrestler. After a brief stint in forming The Un-Americans with some fellow Canadians (and one Brit), Christian would go on his greatest WWF singles run. It all started with one backstage segment with The Rock, in which “The Great One” complimented Christian on being his favourite wrestler. Christian then used this to claim he was the new People’s Champion and has his own “peeps”. It was a lot like his character was during the E&C days, and it was fantastic.
As the weeks went by in 2002, more “Peeps” signs started showing up at arenas. Christian was more over with each show, and was rewarded with a run as the Intercontinental Champion. He would then be thrust into a partnership with Chris Jericho that led to one kick-ass feud.
The two had a bet for a single Loonie, to see who could score first with Trish Stratus or Lita. Jericho started to develop real feelings for Trish, which then led to Christian splitting from his former friend. It all culminated with a match between Christian and Jericho at WrestleMania XX that saw Trish turn on Jericho and join Christian. It was just so well done, that it’s really hard to give it justice in writing. Everybody played their parts perfect, and for Christian, he was more of an evil prick than ever.
A back injury would sideline Christian for most of the spring and summer of 2004, but he would return with a vengeance. Dubbing himself as “Captain Charisma”, Christian became even more of a cocky heel. He would be extremely over, and would build up enough steam to earn his first ever PPV World Title match at the Vengeance PPV in 2005. Christian would lose, but it was a huge moment as he was now a main event player in the WWE after so long. Unfortunately, it didn’t last long. He would be brushed back into the mid-card and wouldn’t see the top of the WWE ladder again.
In the fall of 2005, Christian’s WWE contract expired. Frustrated with how things went over the past few months, he jumped ship to TNA and adopted his original ring name of Christian Cage.
As is the case with every ex-WWE wrestler who jumps to TNA, Christian was instantly a star. As a face, he was thrust into a feud with TNA Champion Jeff Jarrett. Only three months after his debut, Christian won his first ever World Title… pinning Jarrett at the Against All Odds PPV.
Cage would then go on to have a great feud with Abyss, that featured the monster stalking Christian’s real wife in a series of vignettes. Eventually, Christian would be stripped of the title after the usual TNA booking schmoz.
Over the next year, Christian would go back to doing what he does best… being a heel. He would team up with old friend Tyson Tomko and would win the World Title one more time. A.J. Styles would also join the duo, forming the Christian Coalition. The three work just fantastically well together, both in the ring and on camera, and have been a stable off-and-on since.
As for Christian Cage himself, he continues to be a major player in TNA. Looking back at 2005, it was a great move for him to leave the WWE. He is making a great chunk of change in TNA and is treated like a star. Maybe Vince McMahon’s worst decision in dealing with Christian was actually giving him that one PPV Main Event. Christian got a taste of what it’s like to be at the top, and he liked it too much.
Where he goes from this point is really up in the air. Cage is a top star in TNA, but over the past year the company has shown no progress in ratings or PPV buys. It’s very stagnant right now, and a WWE run at the top has to be in Christian’s mind at all times. All he has to do is look at what his best-friend Adam Copeland is doing, and no doubt thinks about what could have been. Will we ever see Christian in a WWE ring again? As a betting man, I’m going to wager on yes. Regardless, he has to be very happy in TNA. Christian Cage is a star right now, and his “peeps” have spoken on this list.
Video
April 1st, 2001 – Christian & Edge vs.The Dudleys vs. The Hardy Boyz (WrestleMania X-Seven)
Major Titles
- 9 time WWF/E Tag Team Champion (7 w/ Edge, 1 w/ Lance Storm, 1 w/ Chris Jericho)
- 3 time WWF/E Intercontinental Champion
- 1 time WWF Light Heavyweight Champion
- 1 time WWF European Champion
- 1 time WWF Hardcore Champion
- 2 time NWA/TNA World Champion
Where Are They Now: Christian continues to wrestling in TNA as a main eventer.
Did Ya Know: When Christian turned into a singles heel, he had one of the most awesome, elaborate entrances in the WWE. Apparently, it was too awesome. After a few months a shortened version of his entrance appeared without the grandiose of the original. Rumours say that a certain main eventer didn’t think Christian deserved an entrance like that, and had it changed.
At least 20 places too high.
Ahead of DiBiase? Fucking joke.
The Captain makes it happen at unlucky number 13 on my list. I was 10 ft away from him at Raw in Calgary the week before Cena jumped to Raw, Christian was probably the most over guy there (Jericho got great pops as always) and he did this awesome promo that had us booing every wrestler (heel or face, the only guy that got anyone cheering was Taker) he mentioned, especially that rapping, hip hop poser then-champion (and 21 spots lower) John Cena. Absolutely had the crowd eating out of his hand.
If you don't know...now you know.
I have thought this of him since 1999... O-VER-RA-TED!!!
Christian is fantastic, good job.
He's a "Big fish in a small pond". He never made it big in WWE, and RIGHTFULLY SO.
Oh come on, Christian's promos are entertaining as hell, and are only really surpassed by the likes of Flair and The Rock. While not incredibly physically imposing, his matches have always been fantastic too.
The fact that he got de-pushed in the WWE was a total travesty! Of course, the notion of a guy this talented wasting away in TNA is also kind of a travesty, too....
I like Christian, and can see how he's on this list. He's obviously never really been a main event player in WWE, but I think a large part of that is that they never did enough with him to turn him from the midcard comedy guy into an actual main eventer. Actually - same with Edge, he had that same stigma, and if he hadn't fucked Lita, I don't think he'd be anywhere near as major league as he was.
Don't watch TNA so I don't know how he does there, but he's always an entertaining guy, solid in the ring, and quite happy he's on the list.
Any Christian fans - you should pick up the shoot interview Straight Shootin' with Christian Cage. A fantastic shoot, Christian comes across as so likeable, and after watching it it actually made me watch TNA for a few weeks just to see him.
this is surprising, Christian is pretty good, but I dont know if he should be this high on the list, like low 40s would have been a better spot.
#17
Never got his fair shake in WWE. To see Edge/Christian main event at least one PPV was a WWE destiny and now we might have to wait years to see that.
WWE destiny? Don't think so.
Nothing against Christian, except that he's no Edge.
Well I consider it WWE destiny that the supposed next generation of stars(Hardys/E&C) would all have a chance at a main event fued against one or the other. Matt/Edge wasn't really ME but it was so very close.
I was still watching back then, and Edge and Christian was always going to be Edge in the role of Michaels and Christian playing Janetty. There was never any plan or desire to have both of them as main eventers. I never really considered Hardy's future main eventers either. You can't just call it destiny because you think it would be nice to happen.
It just seemed that way to me because Christian could actually stay toe to toe with Edge on everything. Granted, Edge is the better performer but Christian was certaintly no Janetty.
As YRD stated, Christian made the most of everything. The loser whiner gimmick was pure brilliance and his DDP fued was gold.
The only reason Christian didn't make the main event because WWE didn't want him. He has the tools for it.
I'd saying weighing only about 210lbs is lacking one tool to main event.
That doesn't mean squat if you can seem credible against bigger opponents. HBK always seemed credible against big guys because he could talk and back it up. Same with Christian only WWE didn't want him to back it up.
I don't think Christian could have been a top tier PPV main eventer but he could easily fill a Chris Jericho type role, with transitional title reigns and some PPV main events.
So this must mean that Edge is arond #5 on this list.
Fucking awful.
NO U
Christian is the man.
MIDCARDER 4 LYFE.
Or TNA Main Eventer 4 LYFE.
Same thing, son.
I know.
The main problem is his look. Just look at Crumbley's avatar, it's the PERFECT example. that little prick'ish smirk that he has... To me, it just doesn't say "Heavyweight title contender", it says "Scrawny punk who needs to get BITCHSLAPPED".
I never liked Edge. I haven't seen his recent stuff but he never appealed to me. Christian is better. I don't want to see Edge on this list.
As usual, you make ZERO sense.
Oh right, and Christian's "prickish smirk" gives me the same "Bitchslapping somebody" feeling as an ORMBERG POST does...
He did inspire my fave Heyman moment about his brother must be named Jew.
And yeah, he has a face you wanna punch... in an OPENING COMEDY MATCH.... Not in the MAIN EVENT...
I always liked Christian, but always thought his size was what stopped him been a legitimate contender. Then again, I thought the same thing about Edge.
Size doesn't matter unless the booker decides it does. Look at an indy show- how many Batista-sized guys are you seeing? Like maybe 1 or 2.
Jericho was megaover, pre-roid HHH got over fine, Rey is superover....
Jericho is still a big guy, same with HHH. You buy Rey as a heavyweight champion?
Jericho was megaover, pre-roid HHH got over fine, Rey is superover....
And where do the WWE wrestlers come from, a factory?
There's going to be some lulz in response to that.
Mostly, yeah.
I had Christian at number ten on my list. He's got buckets of charisma, and he can wrestle a number of styles of match. His look was never a hindrance for me.
You know, because Ric Flair was built like a brick house.
I believe he was actually built out of rubber:
http://www.kehoe73.freeserve.co.uk/rubberflair.htm
My usual FINAL COMEBACK when it comes to Christian's main event potential is...
Well, apparently the guy whose opinion COUNTS, VINCE MCMAHON agrees with me... SCOREBOARD!!!!
I liked him the best when he was drinking blood in the Brood. He also has an obnoxious Canadian accent where he mispronounces all his words.