As previously reported, AEW and ROH wrestler Brian Cage won the MUSCLECONTEST International Nevada Championship and was crowned Mr. Nevada. Cage shared a clip of his victory speech/promo at the event, which you can view below, along with some highlights:
Brian Cage on Competing in His First Bodybuilding Show in 12 Years
“I haven’t competed in bodybuilding for over 12 years. What I do is I’m a pro wrestler. I fly around the country to a different time zone, I get my stuff in, I own the spotlight, I have the match of the night. I do it time and time again. Last year, I didn’t though because I spent all year on the couch. You can put that camera down to the knees. Torn quad tendon. Knee replacement. Revision knee replacement! I was out on a walker a few days after every surgery, back in the gym, killing it, waiting to get back in, lit a fire under me. I got back in the gym. I’ve been back on the road, full-time, making movies, making towns, doing the damn thing.”
On How This Was a Sidequest for Him
“This was a sidequest. I wasn’t trying to do a bodybuilding show. When everybody looks at me, I stay in top-tier condition for TV, for wrestling, just for me. I live a lifestyle. Everybody’s like, ‘Are you going to do a show? Are you going to do a show? You look like you’re going to do a show. You should do a show. You should probably do a show.’ I said, ‘Listen, if there’s a show in town, on a day that I’m not booked, I’ll do it.’ That was me setting up for a way not to have to do it. And then I saw this show five weeks ago, and I said, ‘Let’s do it.’”
On This Likely Being His Last Bodybuilding Competition
“This is probably it for me. I don’t think I’m gonna do another show. … The amount of activities I was doing, amongst conventions, signings, wrestling, MMA training, like — but I still got it done. I got it done, but it definitely took a toll. You see my family back here, it’s not fair to them. I love the lifestyle. I have no ambitions to being a pro. I would love to be a pro, but I’m a pro wrestler. It’s my dream since I was 10 years old. I’ve been living the dream for 20 years now. So, like I said, this was me being a sidequest king, showing up.”
Brian Cage recently returned to AEW TV last month after being sidelined with a knee injury. He also appears along with Lance Archer in the opening scene of Steven Spielberg’s new movie, Disclosure Day, which is now playing in theaters.
Post Mr Nevada state Victory speech/promo. pic.twitter.com/VWqTticNUj
— Brian Cage (@briancagegmsi) June 20, 2026
