Danny Cage

Danny Cage
Birth nameDaniel Michael McDonald
Born (1973-12-19) December 19, 1973 (age 51)
Cinnaminson Township, New Jersey, United States
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s)Danny Cage
The Ragin' Cajun
Billed height6 ft 0 in (183 cm)
Billed weight210 lb (95 kg)
Billed fromPaulsboro, New Jersey
Trained byLarry Sharpe
Glenn Ruth
Debut1998

Daniel Michael McDonald (born December 19, 1973) is an American former professional wrestler and trainer better known under his ring names, Danny Cage or The Ragin' Cajun.

Professional wrestling career

Cage was a high school cheerleader in New Jersey who became interested in training at the Monster Factory at age 12 at a time when his parents were going through a divorce. Cage's father wanted him to be productive with his life and to go to college but Cage, disappointing his father, wanted to pursue his dream of becoming a professional wrestler. Cage convinced his father to put money offered to pay for college toward training at the Monster Factory on the condition Cage got into good shape.

Cage had a tryout in 1994 conducted by Larry Sharpe and Glenn Ruth, which Cage passed and was offered the opportunity to train. Cage's father rescinded his offer and Cage would put his dreams on hold until he attended a wrestling card in North Carolina where Joey Matthews and Steve Corino were competing. A friend named Toad advised Cage to return to New Jersey to pursue his dream. In September 1998, Cage began training at the Monster Factory.

Cage competed as a pro wrestler until 2002 before hurting his back, crossing paths with notable Monster Factory alumni Cliff Compton and Sheamus during his stay. Cage would return before retiring from the ring for good in 2005, having his last match with Q.T. Marshall.

Monster Factory

In 2011, Cage took a co-ownership role of the Monster Factory. Cage and Sharpe moved the Monster Factory to its original home town, Paulsboro, before assuming full ownership from Sharpe.[1]

In 2013, Cage added former WWE and ECW wrestler The Blue Meanie and former ECW wrestler Billy Wiles as trainers at the Monster Factory and began to supplement training with seminars with WWE scout Gerald Brisco, former Ring of Honor lead announcer Kevin Kelly,[2] Ohio Valley Wrestling's Rip Rogers, Les Thatcher, as well as wrestlers Montel Vontavious Porter, Colt Cabana,[3] Stevie Richards,[4] "Brutal" Bob Evans, Robbie E, The Powers of Pain, and Sean Waltman.[5] The Monster Factory also conducts birthday parties and ring rentals. In 2014, Marshall was added as an additional trainer while other wrestlers, like Jay Lethal and Waltman began to drop by for informal training sessions.

Cage's method of training has earned him praise from former WWE commentator Kevin Kelly, who has said: "Monster Factory takes seeds and grows crops in a setting that rivals the (WWE) Performance Center" and has seen students signed to WWE developmental deals and appear on WWE and Ring of Honor television.[6][7][8][9]

In March 2023, Apple TV+ released a six episode documentary series entitled Monster Factory in partnership with Vox Media. The documentary starred Cage and five Monster Factory students: Notorious Mimi, Gabby Ortiz, Goldy, Bobby Buffet, and Lucas "Twitch" DiSangro.[10] It tells the story of their training and personal lives, as well as the origins of the Monster Factory school.[11]

References

  1. ^ Edwards, Rob (April 7, 2013). "Paulsboro's Monster Factory has produced plenty of WrestleMania stars". NJ.com. New Jersey On Line LLC. Retrieved February 20, 2015.
  2. ^ "The Monster Factory's Legacy". Creative Control World. January 16, 2015. Retrieved February 13, 2015.
  3. ^ @4MonsterFactory (January 10, 2014). "Colt Cabana seminar starts at 7pm! Its only $25 at the world famous #MonsterFactory in Paulsboro, NJ http://fb.me/1ZPo6mMzV" (Tweet). Retrieved February 13, 2015 – via Twitter.
  4. ^ "Stevie Richards Wrestling Seminar and DDP Yoga Class" (PDF). www.monsterfactory.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Monster-Factory.pdf. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 14, 2015. Retrieved February 13, 2015.
  5. ^ @4MonsterFactory (January 8, 2015). "The Sean Waltman seminar is on for the students of the #MonsterFactory http://fb.me/2St36ewxP" (Tweet). Retrieved February 13, 2015 – via Twitter.
  6. ^ Dilbert, Ryan. "Tommy Maclin, Knuckles Madsen and Latest WWE NXT Developmental News". Bleacher Report. Retrieved February 20, 2015.
  7. ^ Besong, Alex. "Ring of Honor Star QT Marshall Works NXT Match". Wrestling Rumors. Archived from the original on February 14, 2015. Retrieved February 20, 2015.
  8. ^ Johnson, Vaughn. "Allentown native Ian Riccaboni chasing his wrestling dream". Philly.com. Retrieved February 20, 2015.
  9. ^ Kelly, Kevin (June 9, 2014). "The Real Garden of Professional Wrestling". Wrestlezone. Retrieved February 20, 2015.
  10. ^ Fishman, Scott (March 15, 2023). "How Apple TV+'s 'Monster Factory' Shows Vulnerable Side of Wrestling". TV Insider. Retrieved March 21, 2023.
  11. ^ Anderson, John (March 16, 2023). "'Monster Factory' Review: Wrestlers or Thespians?". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved March 21, 2023.