After a decade of fighting for equal representation, the local innovator prepares for his collective’s first-ever parade appearance

With his workload, Matt Cage doesn’t have a standard-sized business card … he needs an 8×10 sheet of paper, or bigger, to spotlight his life.

“Overall, I am a jack of many trades,” said Cage, 37, a Chicago resident.

He is a manager at Wake-N-Bakery by day, a cannabis coffee shop that serves hemp-derived THC-infused coffee, lemonades, edibles, baked goods, gummies and pre-rolls.

He also has been in entertainment for 20 years, including a professional wrestler. Cage also organizes and creates community on the Northalsted strip and elsewhere in Chicago, ranging from all Black productions to uplift and highlight Black entertainers and music. Plus, he was the host of the first-ever all-male performance competition on Northalsted, Cage Fight.

And he is an OnlyFans content creator.

“I do a little bit of everything,” he said.

Cage moved to Chicago in 2015, a few months after coming out as gay. “At the time, I was very deep into my wrestling career and my story had gone viral thanks to an article written about me on Outsports.com,” he said. “Because I came out in the middle of Pride month and the parade was just a few weeks away and the story was popular, I (was) contacted by someone organizing the parade and offered a spot participating on a float in the parade that year. However, I was already booked for a wrestling event.”

Shortly after moving to Chicago, Cage started dancing at the Lucky Horseshoe. From there, he bounced around working at different area clubs, including Charlie’s, Fantasy and Hydrate. “After bartender at Charlie’s, I was offered a spot hosting my own event highlighting male entertainment,” he said.

After leaving Charlie’s, Cage wanted a change “because I felt like the scene needed more of the things I wanted to see, but didn’t,” he said. “I wanted to see more uplifting of Black talent and Black music. From there, I created Uncaged, which was a highlight of Black culture. With the success of that production, I formed Cage Fight, an all-male performance competition. Within the LGBTQ community, there deserves to be more of a highlight for queer representation outside of just drag and go-go (dancing). Male performers are often more than just their bodies, but that doesn’t always get showcased.

“Through Cage Fight, there was a focus on creativity, talent, drive and determination – not just sexualizing the male performers on a box.

“I also fought for equal pay, equal opportunity and equal representation – and I always will. If the boys can back a club with our talents, we deserve to be treated and respected the same as any other performers, even if we don’t put on wigs, makeup and heels. Over the last decade, I’ve watched the fruits of those labors and those battles become more than I ever could have imagined and the Haus of Cage is a huge part of that.”

Haus of Cage is a collective of eight Black, beautiful, talented and multifaceted men who came together based off love, Cage said. “Chosen family is often hard to come by in the gay community, especially as a gay Black man. We met working in nightlife, but our involvement in entertainment isn’t the glue that keeps us together. It’s the intention to choose one another, choose love and choose to uplift one another throughout all the twists and turns of life.”

The eight include Cage the pro wrestler, a community builder, an event producer and party host, and others. “We’ve got JayNSanity, who is an extremely talented rapper and entertainer with roots in the ballroom scene,” Cage said. “Jahnathan won the first season of Cage Fight, which won him a space as a co-host for the following season. From that, he began to form his own path as an event producer, dancer, go-go and overall powerhouse in the male performance scene as well as in drag as ‘Raiya Savage.’

“Breon & I met years ago and he is one of the most talented dancers you’ll ever see and recently has begun event promoting. Devante, Tony and Dario all participated in Cage Fight as well, bringing an overall total of four competition championships to the haus. First time performers, competing against one another under the ‘iron sharpens iron’ motto. Now, the three of them are three of the most talented personalities and male performers on the scene, often setting the tone and setting the mood in bars across the strip. Rico also participated in Cage Fight, a two-time finalist known for his creative concepts, as well as a licensed massage therapist and OnlyFans content creator.”

The Haus of Cage was conceived in February 2023 and had its official launch in April 2024.

“Over the last three years, our Haus grew through participating in Cage Fight, Uncaged which went from Lucky Horseshoe, Progress and Charlie’s Chicago, the original Boyz & Booze at Charlie’s Chicago, Throb which originated at the former Raven’s Room before finding its way to Hydrate before taking a hiatus. We launched our own party called Haus Party, which produced four different unique events, as well as being one of the headliners for the 2025 Black Southside Pride.

“Our mission statement (for Haus of Cage) is to be visual and a voice for the Black community which often doesn’t have a voice or representation within the gay scene. Especially as black males. Within the gay scene, it tends to be a very drag queen dominated world and we’ve all had to fight tooth and nail for every opportunity that we’ve gotten, often times creating our own spaces to shine because others wouldn’t hold us in the same regard as performers just because we don’t perform in wigs and makeup. We also cater to the male performance community because we aren’t just go-go dancers. We are personalities, producers, dancers and true entertainers. The haus also possesses two ‘big boy’ performers, who have stood their ground as go-go dancers in a scene that previously would not highlight a dancer who might identify as a ‘big boy.’

“Overall, the Haus of Cage is meant to cater to anyone who wants to know what true love, family and community looks like. We want to show that if you look like us, you can take up space in this community as well.”

Haus of Cage is anchored around love. “They say love is love, but there’s a lot of nastiness out there sometimes,” Cage said. “When the Haus of Cage is out, you cannot help but see our love in a big way. Our energy is contagious and that makes us stand out because we truly do exist with love, share our love and spread that love to those who are open and willing to receive it in the various forms of entertainment that we participate in.”

Cage, naturally, is excited for Pride Month, particularly the annual Chicago Pride Parade, set for Sunday, June 28.

“This will be our first year as a collective participating in the parade, (which is) exciting. For us as a collective to look so different from collectives that are usually featured during Pride season, our representation is particularly important for us,” Cage said. “We are participating in the parade because it is important to showcase everything we stand for and everything we have built to the community. Pride season is largely about standing loud and proud in your own skin, being authentically yourself and never wavering from that. One of the biggest strengths of Haus of Cage is our authenticity. We don’t code switch for others within the gay community. So, to show up authentically as ourselves during this parade will be everything and then some.

“I am excited every year during Pride month, an especially important year in my life. I had my first pro wrestling match in June 2007; I also temporarily had my retirement match in June 2017. I came out of the closet in June 2015. Overall, Pride month is exciting and this year I feel my excitement rising as we get closer to the finish line. It’s gonna be amazing.”

Cage said Haus of Cage will bring “Black boy joy” to the parade, with high energy, energetic music, crowd interaction and much more.

“When it comes to the Haus of Cage, we always bring our unique blend of charisma to any space we step foot in; this year’s parade will be no different: loud, proud and unapologetic is the key to true Pride. Haus of Cage will give that 100 percent.”

Haus of Cage will bring a variety show in human form, with off-the-charts charisma from the energized eight.

Cage grew up in Las Vegas and has called Chicago home since December 2015.

His wrestling career has included time in Zero1USA, ZOWA Live and STL Anarchy, among others.

“After 20 years in the wrestling business, having the business acumen, the charisma, the drive, the hustler spirit and the understanding of how to be a true multifaceted entertainer, control and command an audience – all of those skills have allowed me to share that knowledge with my fellow counterparts in Haus of Cage,” he said. “Pro wrestling was my childhood dream and I followed that dream. That dream led me to more than I ever could have imagined. On a longer timeline, pro wrestling is the reason that the Haus of Cage exists. What you see when you see the Haus of Cage step onto a stage, step into function or just be is part of that very dream. However, because I recognize everything is a journey, I also know what it means to step away. I stepped away from pro wrestling and all entertainment because it’s important to remember that behind the character, there is a real person to whom needs tending. Pro wrestling taught me that as well and I always encourage the Haus to remember who they are outside of the world of entertainment because few people can do that. Fill the cup of the person behind the character and you will always have enough to pour into the cup of an audience when it’s time.”