This AEW absentee is returning to Dynamite for the first time since before All Out 2021, answering Wardlow’s TNT Championship open challenge!
Brian Cage will wrestle on the 5 October AEW Dynamite broadcast, where he’ll challenge for the TNT Championship against Wardlow in a first-time-ever collision.
This was confirmed by AEW CEO Tony Khan, who announced ‘The Machine’ as Wardlow’s challenger via Twitter. Wardlow had previously issued an open challenge for anyone to challenge him, which in itself will mark his first TNT Championship defence since the 7 September Dynamite; there, he bested Tony Nese.
This Wednesday, October 5
Wednesday Night #AEWDynamite
3 Year Anniversary Show
LIVE on @TBSNetwork 8pm ET/7pm CTTNT Championship Open Challenge#MrMayhem@RealWardlow
vs #TheMachine@briancagegmsiSee you all on Wednesday night to celebrate 3 great years of #AEWDynamite! pic.twitter.com/Xyg9Bgv2K6
— Tony Khan (@TonyKhan) October 3, 2022
The match will celebrate Brian Cage’s first Dynamite outing since the 1 September 2021 broadcast, where he lost to ex-Team Taz brethren Powerhouse Hobbs. Cage had been absent from AEW as a whole since then, only returning to active competition in the Tony Khan-helmed promotion during Grand Slam Rampage.
Showing up as the Joker entrant in the Casino Ladder match at Double or Nothing 2020, Brian Cage was once a dominant force in the company, managed by Taz and challenging Jon Moxley for the AEW World Championship. ‘The Human Suplex Machine’ reinstated the FTW Championship for Cage to hold during this time.
He was removed from television at the same time as rumours of his unhappiness circulated Twitter. It was reported that, despite this, he wouldn’t be let go from the company, and instead debuted with Ring Of Honor at Supercard of Honor as part of Tully Blanchard Enterprises, now The Embassy.