Christian Cage On The Most Important Aspect Of Being A Villain In Pro Wrestling
Ever since turning on Jungle Boy, Christian Cage has been one of the top heels on the AEW roster, proving to be effective in that role as a true heat magnet for the company. He explained an important factor in making that happen in his recent appearance on the "Swerve City Podcast."
"To me, the most important aspect of being a true villain is having no redeeming qualities, you've got to throw those out the window," he said. "You learn those from classic heels, villains like a guy like The Iron Sheik ... he was ahead of his time almost with some of his mannerisms and his delivery and his persona. He was a true villain and a trailblazer."
Cage praised The Iron Sheik for getting money-drawing heat that led to fans paying to see him be beaten. That happened because he thinks Sheik had his finger on the pulse, and another crucial factor — the ability to have a nugget of truth in everything that you say and then embellish it further, no matter what the line is.
"As long as you're delivering it and you believe what you're saying and you believe it with every ounce of your being, for you that's true and you're right and you're justified, even though it's probably wrong. That's how I look at it," he said.
That's something Cage believes he does to this day, as he thinks his own character says things that he would never do as Jay Reso, which is why it has been effective for him.
If you use any quotes from this article, please credit "Swerve City Podcast" with a H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.