In a heated development within AEW, Don Callis has publicly responded to Brian Cage following the latter’s comments regarding the size of Callis’s faction. This conflict escalated on social media after Cage, a member of the Don Callis Family, remarked about the group’s growth, prompting Callis to issue a sharp rebuttal on X/Twitter. The ongoing feud underscores tensions in AEW’s landscape as factions vie for dominance.
Brian Cage, also known as The Machine, was last active in AEW earlier this year at Collision: Slam Dunk in March, where he teamed alongside Lance Archer and Konosuke Takeshita to secure a victory in six-man tag team action. Prior to this, Cage was slated to challenge for the AEW World Tag Team Championships at Revolution 2025 with Lance Archer as part of The Hurt Syndicate. However, a knee injury requiring multiple surgeries sidelined him, forcing Tony Khan to remove their team, The Murder Machines, from the event. Cage remains in recovery and has yet to return to competitive action.
Cage joined the Don Callis Family last year, but recently disclosed that Callis had initially been reluctant to expand the group to its current size. According to Cage, Don Callis treated the growing number of faction members with amusement despite his reservations. In response, Callis took to social media with a pointed message aimed directly at Cage, asserting:
“DON CALLIS TELLS DOPEY MCSWOLL: “KEEP MY NAME OUT OF YOUR F****** MOUTH”,” posted Callis.
This outburst raises questions about Cage’s current standing within the faction, particularly as the group recently expanded with the arrival of El Clon and the returning Andrade El Idolo. Whether Cage remains part of the Don Callis Family or if a split is imminent remains uncertain.
Brian Cage Shares Uncertainty About His AEW Return
In an interview on The All F’N Wrestling Show, Brian Cage addressed his return to AEW, revealing that no concrete creative plans have been communicated to him regarding his comeback. Cage admitted uncertainty about the timing and nature of his return, leaving the door open to multiple possibilities. He explained:
“I have no idea about any sort of creative plans for our return at all at this point. So, I mean, I guess anything could be possible (…) There’s a whole wide open of versatility of what could happen, because there’s nothing set in stone at all for when I’m coming back or what I’m going to do when I come back. I’m not telling anybody that I don’t want anybody to have an inkling. I want everybody to have no idea of, ‘Oh, maybe around this time,’ because it might be next week, next year, or I don’t know. Who knows?” Cage said. [H/T: Fightful]
The former ROH World Six-Man Tag Team Champion’s words indicate that his return to active AEW competition remains unpredictable, leaving fans uncertain regarding his future role in the promotion.
The Don Callis Family’s Recent Expansion and Changing Dynamics
Throughout the past year, Don Callis has strategically grown his faction within AEW, aiming to establish a dominant force across the promotion. The addition of names such as El Clon and Andrade El Idolo last week diversified the group’s lineup and gave it new momentum. However, the internal friction exposed by Callis’s message to Cage reveals potential fractures within the faction’s cohesion.
Don Callis, known for his sharp heel management style, has crafted a reputation for organizing a powerful “army” built to challenge AEW’s established forces. The public dispute with Cage suggests that managing the varying ambitions of faction members may prove difficult, especially as injuries and creative uncertainties affect the group’s stability.
Implications and What to Expect Next in AEW’s Faction Storylines
This unfolding disagreement between Don Callis and Brian Cage spotlights the volatility of AEW’s backstage and on-screen narratives. Should Cage’s role within the faction diminish or end, it could lead to further story developments involving faction realignments or new rivalries. Meanwhile, the Don Callis Family’s continued recruitment hints at sustained prominence in AEW’s faction warfare.
With Brian Cage still on the mend and lacking a defined return date, his involvement in upcoming AEW storylines remains unclear, and fans are left anticipating how the feud will evolve. Tony Khan and AEW’s creative team face the challenge of balancing these shifting dynamics to maintain compelling programming in a competitive wrestling environment.
DON CALLIS TELLS DOPEY MCSWOLL: “KEEP MY NAME OUT OF YOUR FUCKING MOUTH” https://t.co/sCq0SRhKk5
— The Invisible Hand (@TheDonCallis) October 6, 2025
