1
00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:04,320
Speaker 1: When you originally got into wrestling, right, what's more taxing

2
00:00:04,400 --> 00:00:04,600
Speaker 1: on you?

3
00:00:04,680 --> 00:00:08,240
Speaker 2: The developmental league for the big leagues, you know, it's

4
00:00:08,440 --> 00:00:09,799
Speaker 2: so it's it's kind of interesting.

5
00:00:09,880 --> 00:00:13,000
Speaker 1: So I started in California a place called in El

6
00:00:13,080 --> 00:00:16,680
Speaker 1: Segondo called UPW Ultimate Pro Wrestling, and I paid like

7
00:00:16,760 --> 00:00:20,079
Speaker 1: twenty five hundred dollars to learn the art of professional wrestling,

8
00:00:20,079 --> 00:00:22,400
Speaker 1: and they taught me how to do the arts, you know,

9
00:00:22,520 --> 00:00:25,040
Speaker 1: what I have to do in the ring to succeed. Finally,

10
00:00:25,079 --> 00:00:26,960
Speaker 1: I got on a show called Tough Enough, which was

11
00:00:27,000 --> 00:00:29,520
Speaker 1: a reality show where you could win a contract to WW.

12
00:00:29,800 --> 00:00:31,920
Speaker 1: I didn't win, I got second place, but I impressed

13
00:00:31,960 --> 00:00:33,959
Speaker 1: the execs so much that they gave me a contract

14
00:00:34,000 --> 00:00:36,560
Speaker 1: to our developmental system, which was brand new at the

15
00:00:36,600 --> 00:00:40,880
Speaker 1: time called Deep South Wrestling. So I went to McDonough, Georgia,

16
00:00:41,000 --> 00:00:44,519
Speaker 1: moved from LA, packed up all my stuff, moved to McDonagh, Georgia,

17
00:00:44,840 --> 00:00:46,720
Speaker 1: and started training under Bill DeMott.

18
00:00:46,920 --> 00:00:49,000
Speaker 2: And I swear to you every.

19
00:00:48,840 --> 00:00:51,720
Speaker 1: Day I would go, one more day, you can do it,

20
00:00:51,960 --> 00:00:53,559
Speaker 1: one more day, you can do it, like because your

21
00:00:53,600 --> 00:00:56,480
Speaker 1: body is aching and there it's almost it almost felt

22
00:00:56,480 --> 00:00:59,120
Speaker 1: like they're trying to break you because they're preparing you

23
00:00:59,320 --> 00:01:01,440
Speaker 1: for what you have to get ready for to get

24
00:01:01,440 --> 00:01:05,160
Speaker 1: into Monday night Raw, Friday night SmackDown. Is this guy

25
00:01:05,480 --> 00:01:08,760
Speaker 1: in love with the business? He is he here for

26
00:01:08,800 --> 00:01:11,160
Speaker 1: the right reasons? Or is he just here to be

27
00:01:11,200 --> 00:01:13,880
Speaker 1: famous or money? And I'm a guy off a reality show,

28
00:01:13,920 --> 00:01:16,360
Speaker 1: so everyone expected me to just be like, I'm here

29
00:01:16,360 --> 00:01:17,000
Speaker 1: to be famous.

30
00:01:17,000 --> 00:01:18,520
Speaker 2: So I don't love this business.

31
00:01:18,120 --> 00:01:22,520
Speaker 1: But I did truly genuinely love the art of professional wrestling.

32
00:01:22,600 --> 00:01:24,120
Speaker 2: I've loved it since I was a child.

33
00:01:24,160 --> 00:01:27,560
Speaker 1: I loved Ultimate Warrior, you know, Hulk Hogan, Macho Man,

34
00:01:27,640 --> 00:01:30,440
Speaker 1: Randy Savage, like these were all my heroes, my idols

35
00:01:30,480 --> 00:01:34,119
Speaker 1: growing up, and so to be able to do what

36
00:01:34,160 --> 00:01:36,760
Speaker 1: they were doing, I wanted to put it full force.

37
00:01:36,840 --> 00:01:40,000
Speaker 1: So going to McDonough it was tough training, like very

38
00:01:40,120 --> 00:01:44,280
Speaker 1: very tough. I remember sweating, breathing heavy every day, thinking, man,

39
00:01:44,319 --> 00:01:46,600
Speaker 1: should I just quit? Should I just give up? I mean,

40
00:01:46,880 --> 00:01:48,720
Speaker 1: can my body take it? Can my mind take it?

41
00:01:48,760 --> 00:01:51,080
Speaker 1: Mentally and physically? Can I do this? I don't know

42
00:01:51,120 --> 00:01:53,320
Speaker 1: if I can. And every day going one more day,

43
00:01:53,360 --> 00:01:55,280
Speaker 1: you can do it, one more day, you can do it,

44
00:01:55,400 --> 00:01:58,200
Speaker 1: one more day, you can do it. And so finally

45
00:01:58,560 --> 00:02:01,160
Speaker 1: I was six months there came the first ever Deep

46
00:02:01,240 --> 00:02:04,480
Speaker 1: South Heavyweight Champion, and once I was there, one of

47
00:02:04,520 --> 00:02:06,800
Speaker 1: the sayings that they would say was if you can

48
00:02:06,960 --> 00:02:10,480
Speaker 1: sell out in I guess you could say the developmental system,

49
00:02:10,480 --> 00:02:13,720
Speaker 1: because we'd have shows every Thursday. We would have a show,

50
00:02:14,200 --> 00:02:16,320
Speaker 1: and if you can sell out this show, which is

51
00:02:16,360 --> 00:02:19,640
Speaker 1: like two three hundred people, then you go to the

52
00:02:19,639 --> 00:02:20,359
Speaker 1: next territory.

53
00:02:20,360 --> 00:02:21,600
Speaker 2: And that's the old school way.

54
00:02:21,639 --> 00:02:26,080
Speaker 1: There was territories everywhere, and superstars would go from territory

55
00:02:26,080 --> 00:02:28,880
Speaker 1: to territory to sell out everywhere. If you could sell

56
00:02:28,880 --> 00:02:33,160
Speaker 1: out everywhere, then you're a bona fide worldwide superstar. So

57
00:02:33,440 --> 00:02:35,959
Speaker 1: when I was World Heavyweight Champion or Deep South Evyweight Champion,

58
00:02:35,960 --> 00:02:37,200
Speaker 1: we were selling out every show.

59
00:02:37,520 --> 00:02:38,440
Speaker 2: So then they moved me.

60
00:02:38,400 --> 00:02:40,880
Speaker 1: To Ohio Valley Wrestling in Louisville because I was there

61
00:02:40,880 --> 00:02:43,440
Speaker 1: for six months in Deep South, moved me to Louisville,

62
00:02:43,520 --> 00:02:46,840
Speaker 1: and so we went to Louisville, and it was tough

63
00:02:46,880 --> 00:02:49,720
Speaker 1: because I was a good guy at Deep South Wrestling.

64
00:02:50,120 --> 00:02:52,440
Speaker 2: I was a good guy and by the way, that's

65
00:02:52,480 --> 00:02:52,960
Speaker 2: all I knew.

66
00:02:53,080 --> 00:02:55,120
Speaker 1: So when I went to Ohio Valley Wrestling, they hated

67
00:02:55,120 --> 00:02:58,160
Speaker 1: me because I was this guy from real world it

68
00:02:58,200 --> 00:03:00,000
Speaker 1: was a different territory, different audience.

69
00:03:00,040 --> 00:03:00,880
Speaker 2: It's different people.

70
00:03:01,040 --> 00:03:03,800
Speaker 1: So now I had to learn how to utilize this

71
00:03:03,960 --> 00:03:07,320
Speaker 1: audience like I did down at Deep South, because Deep

72
00:03:07,320 --> 00:03:08,960
Speaker 1: South it was like, oh, it just came to me.

73
00:03:09,240 --> 00:03:11,160
Speaker 1: Now I actually had to really work and try to

74
00:03:11,160 --> 00:03:14,800
Speaker 1: figure out this audience. That's where Paul Hayman came up

75
00:03:14,800 --> 00:03:16,400
Speaker 1: to me and he goes, you know why this isn't working?

76
00:03:16,639 --> 00:03:21,240
Speaker 1: And I was like, nah, yeah, yeah, and he goes,

77
00:03:21,520 --> 00:03:23,079
Speaker 1: You're not a good guy, and I go what do

78
00:03:23,160 --> 00:03:25,000
Speaker 1: you mean. He goes, you're a heel, which is a

79
00:03:25,040 --> 00:03:27,480
Speaker 1: bad guy as a term for bad guy in our world,

80
00:03:27,800 --> 00:03:28,920
Speaker 1: and I was like, I don't know.

81
00:03:29,040 --> 00:03:29,840
Speaker 2: He goes, watch.

82
00:03:30,200 --> 00:03:33,520
Speaker 1: So Paul and I sat down and we came up

83
00:03:33,560 --> 00:03:36,400
Speaker 1: with a promo and I went out there and I

84
00:03:36,440 --> 00:03:38,800
Speaker 1: don't think I've been a good guy for the last

85
00:03:38,840 --> 00:03:39,960
Speaker 1: twenty years.

86
00:03:40,520 --> 00:03:42,880
Speaker 2: In WWE because at that moment, that.

87
00:03:42,840 --> 00:03:45,720
Speaker 1: One moment where Paul was like, you're not a good guy,

88
00:03:46,000 --> 00:03:49,320
Speaker 1: You're a bad guy. And from there I went six

89
00:03:49,360 --> 00:03:51,120
Speaker 1: months in Ohio Valley Wrestling.

90
00:03:51,240 --> 00:03:54,119
Speaker 2: We were selling out every night and they brought.

91
00:03:53,920 --> 00:03:56,680
Speaker 1: Me up to SmackDown as like the host, and I

92
00:03:56,680 --> 00:03:58,240
Speaker 1: didn't want to be a host I want to be like,

93
00:03:58,520 --> 00:03:59,880
Speaker 1: you know, I want to be a guy that puts

94
00:03:59,840 --> 00:04:01,080
Speaker 1: out assets and seats, you know.

95
00:04:01,040 --> 00:04:03,400
Speaker 2: I want to be the guy that people paid tickets for.

96
00:04:03,600 --> 00:04:06,160
Speaker 1: And a host, being the next Ryan Seacrests is not

97
00:04:06,160 --> 00:04:08,520
Speaker 1: going to do it in ww A credit Ryan Seacrests

98
00:04:08,800 --> 00:04:11,520
Speaker 1: very talented person, no doubt in my mind. But I

99
00:04:11,640 --> 00:04:14,720
Speaker 1: want to be like the biggest star in WWE, not

100
00:04:14,840 --> 00:04:15,280
Speaker 1: a host.

101
00:04:15,320 --> 00:04:17,400
Speaker 2: But I figured if they can give me a microphone,

102
00:04:17,839 --> 00:04:18,479
Speaker 2: no problem.

103
00:04:18,480 --> 00:04:21,160
Speaker 1: I can set myself up and make sure that they

104
00:04:21,160 --> 00:04:23,040
Speaker 1: want to punch me or beat me up to where

105
00:04:23,080 --> 00:04:24,160
Speaker 1: they have to get me in the ring.

106
00:04:24,400 --> 00:04:25,960
Speaker 2: And that's exactly kind of what happened.

107
00:04:26,120 --> 00:04:29,080
Speaker 1: So you asked, like a long story short, what's harder

108
00:04:29,120 --> 00:04:32,839
Speaker 1: developmental or being in WWE. It's all tough if you

109
00:04:32,880 --> 00:04:35,720
Speaker 1: want to be a superstar in any sport, in anything

110
00:04:35,800 --> 00:04:39,360
Speaker 1: that you are doing. The developmental is very difficult because

111
00:04:39,400 --> 00:04:41,560
Speaker 1: you're trying to learn the process and your brain is

112
00:04:41,600 --> 00:04:44,960
Speaker 1: absorbing something brand new. But once you're there and you

113
00:04:45,040 --> 00:04:47,760
Speaker 1: know what you're doing, you're still learning. And I'm still

114
00:04:47,800 --> 00:04:50,239
Speaker 1: even twenty years to this day, I'm still a sponge.

115
00:04:50,279 --> 00:04:53,200
Speaker 1: I'm still absorbing everything I learned from so many people.

116
00:04:53,200 --> 00:04:55,839
Speaker 1: When you introduced me to Sean McVay, and it was

117
00:04:55,880 --> 00:04:58,720
Speaker 1: before he won the Super Bowl, before when he first

118
00:04:58,720 --> 00:05:00,359
Speaker 1: got a coach. You had him working out with me

119
00:05:00,839 --> 00:05:02,960
Speaker 1: and I was like, wow, this guy is so young

120
00:05:03,000 --> 00:05:05,719
Speaker 1: and he's the head coach of the Los Angeles Rams.

121
00:05:05,720 --> 00:05:06,800
Speaker 2: I mean, this is crazy.

122
00:05:07,080 --> 00:05:10,120
Speaker 1: And then once I worked out with him, I was like, Wow,

123
00:05:10,480 --> 00:05:11,880
Speaker 1: I will run through a wall.

124
00:05:11,680 --> 00:05:12,240
Speaker 2: With this guy.

125
00:05:12,520 --> 00:05:16,640
Speaker 1: There's something special about him. And so from that day

126
00:05:16,720 --> 00:05:19,039
Speaker 1: I was learning. I took something from that day and

127
00:05:19,040 --> 00:05:21,880
Speaker 1: then sitting down with dinners that you've brought me to

128
00:05:22,080 --> 00:05:25,880
Speaker 1: with him, talking to him, having conversation with him, his motivation,

129
00:05:26,040 --> 00:05:30,479
Speaker 1: his dedication, you could see the star power of why

130
00:05:30,520 --> 00:05:32,799
Speaker 1: he is a head coach and a successful head coach

131
00:05:32,960 --> 00:05:34,719
Speaker 1: on who he is. Because when you work at it,

132
00:05:34,960 --> 00:05:36,880
Speaker 1: when you work at your job, when you work at

133
00:05:36,880 --> 00:05:40,040
Speaker 1: your profession, and you keep working no matter what, and

134
00:05:40,080 --> 00:05:43,200
Speaker 1: you're always learning, always progressing and learning from everybody.

135
00:05:43,680 --> 00:05:46,320
Speaker 2: It's a tough question. What's the hardest. There's no hardest.

136
00:05:46,320 --> 00:05:46,920
Speaker 2: It's all hard