Orange Cassidy Explains What AEW International Title Means To Him
Orange Cassidy is the AEW International Champion for the second time and it has helped him understand what that piece of gold really means to him.
The AEW International Championship was originally introduced as the All-Atlantic Championship that Pac won in June 2022. In October 2022, Orange Cassidy won the International Title for his first taste of championship gold in AEW.
In the main event of AEW All Out 2023 in September, Cassidy lost the International Title to three-time AEW World Champion Jon Moxley. This happened after Cassidy had over 30 successful title defenses and held the title for 326 days. Cassidy ended up winning the title back two weeks ago on the October 10th edition of Dynamite when he subbed in for an injured Moxley to beat Rey Fenix for the International Title.
Now that he’s the International Champion again, Orange Cassidy explained to Bex & Buster what that title really means to him when they asked what was next.
“I get that question a lot. ‘What’s next for you?’ I never like to think too far ahead. This is the most important thing, and it was the most important thing. When I lost it, I was kind of like, I didn’t really feel like I had a purpose, which is bizarre for a human being to say, and it’s something I never thought I would experience.”
“When your identity, for almost a year, is that you’re the International Champion that is so used to wrestling and defending the belt every single week, and when you don’t, you’re kind of lost. When the opportunity came up of me trying to get it back, I obviously took it. Rey Fenix is one of the best wrestlers in the world, but he was banged up, if not as bad or worse than I was when I lost it.”
“I have it now, I’m very grateful, there’s unfinished business I have with this, and it has to do with the person that took it from me in the first place. I feel like I have something to prove now. The first time around, I was just defending it to win. I don’t think I have to prove anything to anybody, ever, but for some reason I think I do. Maybe it’s in my head.”
Orange Cassidy is set for a huge tag team match on AEW Dynamite
At AEW Battle of the Belts VIII this past Saturday, Orange Cassidy retained the International Title against John Silver.
It was announced during the Battle of the Belts VIII show that Orange Cassidy will be part of a massive tag team match on the October 25th edition of AEW Dynamite. Cassidy will team up with Japanese wrestling legend Kazuchika Okada against the Blackpool Combat Club’s Bryan Danielson & Claudio Castagnoli.
While everybody in the match is used to winning championship gold in different wrestling companies, Cassidy is the only one walking into the match as a champion.
THIS Wednesday #AEWDynamite
TBS 8pm ET/7pm CT@bryandanielson/@ClaudioCSRO vs@orangecassidy/@rainmakerXokada"If Claudio & Bryan want to start a fight, well then we can fight. How about you two meet me & Okada in Philadelphia this Wednesday on Dynamite, and then we can fight." https://t.co/Br4XoFLWn2pic.twitter.com/6dpjpAm08r
— Tony Khan (@TonyKhan) October 22, 2023