1 00:00:00,720 --> 00:00:02,880 Speaker 1: Welcome to the Metal Ground Podcast. 2 00:00:08,440 --> 00:00:09,120 Speaker 2: You'll pa. 3 00:00:11,760 --> 00:00:17,240 Speaker 3: And exclusive interviews with some of your favorite wrestlers. 4 00:00:17,239 --> 00:00:25,400 Speaker 2: Stop seeing what's up you guys. 5 00:00:25,520 --> 00:00:29,680 Speaker 1: Welcome back into iHeartRadio's official wrestling podcast, The Battleground Podcast. 6 00:00:29,760 --> 00:00:31,520 Speaker 1: At his Battle from one oh five nine The Rock, 7 00:00:31,600 --> 00:00:32,920 Speaker 1: Nashville's classic rock station. 8 00:00:33,440 --> 00:00:35,840 Speaker 2: And a guy that, uh, we've had on the show before. 9 00:00:35,960 --> 00:00:38,560 Speaker 2: We recently just had him on. We always love talking 10 00:00:38,600 --> 00:00:40,040 Speaker 2: to him because he has thoughtful answers. 11 00:00:40,080 --> 00:00:42,480 Speaker 1: Give it up for the one the only to carry 12 00:00:42,520 --> 00:00:44,519 Speaker 1: across joining us today, Karen, how are you doing, sir? 13 00:00:44,800 --> 00:00:46,479 Speaker 3: I'm doing very good. They just let me out of 14 00:00:46,520 --> 00:00:48,400 Speaker 3: the mental institution. They said, what do you want to do? 15 00:00:48,560 --> 00:00:50,760 Speaker 3: I said, look, just get me a triple espresso and 16 00:00:50,920 --> 00:00:52,920 Speaker 3: take me back to Battleground. That's what I want to 17 00:00:52,960 --> 00:00:55,000 Speaker 3: do right now. And they said, no problem. Just don't 18 00:00:55,040 --> 00:00:56,200 Speaker 3: hit anybody with a steel chair. 19 00:00:57,920 --> 00:00:59,840 Speaker 1: Hey, you know what, We've got some people in the office. 20 00:01:00,000 --> 00:01:01,480 Speaker 1: If you want to go hit some of them, I'll 21 00:01:01,520 --> 00:01:02,040 Speaker 1: point them out. 22 00:01:02,040 --> 00:01:03,960 Speaker 3: If you want to go do that, yeah, absolutely no problem. 23 00:01:04,000 --> 00:01:06,080 Speaker 3: So let me know for sure. 24 00:01:06,240 --> 00:01:08,520 Speaker 2: I will do that for sure. So let's talk about it. 25 00:01:08,640 --> 00:01:11,040 Speaker 1: Because you got a book coming out, your memoir Life 26 00:01:11,120 --> 00:01:15,200 Speaker 1: is Fighting drops August fifth. You're narrating it yourself for 27 00:01:15,280 --> 00:01:19,240 Speaker 1: audible sharing some deeply personal struggles. Now I've got to ask, 28 00:01:19,959 --> 00:01:23,760 Speaker 1: what do you hope readers walk away from knowing about 29 00:01:23,959 --> 00:01:27,920 Speaker 1: Kevin that they wouldn't get from seeing Carrion in the Ring? 30 00:01:29,680 --> 00:01:33,200 Speaker 3: That Kevin is an imperfect person who didn't have a 31 00:01:33,440 --> 00:01:37,040 Speaker 3: perfect handout in life, that didn't come from a privileged background, 32 00:01:37,080 --> 00:01:39,040 Speaker 3: and still achieved what he wanted to do since he 33 00:01:39,120 --> 00:01:41,320 Speaker 3: was a little kid. And I think something that people 34 00:01:41,400 --> 00:01:44,280 Speaker 3: can take from that is like you don't have to 35 00:01:44,480 --> 00:01:48,000 Speaker 3: wait for a perfect hand to jump into the game 36 00:01:48,080 --> 00:01:51,240 Speaker 3: and play it. And I don't want to come off 37 00:01:51,320 --> 00:01:55,800 Speaker 3: cheesy or come off like you know, like not sincere, 38 00:01:55,960 --> 00:01:58,160 Speaker 3: but like the truth is is like you have to 39 00:01:59,480 --> 00:02:02,400 Speaker 3: you have to on yourself and you have to find 40 00:02:02,520 --> 00:02:05,520 Speaker 3: self love, and you have to be able to find 41 00:02:05,560 --> 00:02:08,120 Speaker 3: that balance of knowing when to push yourself and when 42 00:02:08,160 --> 00:02:10,280 Speaker 3: to back off, and all of that type of stuff 43 00:02:10,320 --> 00:02:11,680 Speaker 3: is in the book that you're going to find out 44 00:02:11,680 --> 00:02:14,200 Speaker 3: about me. Like I've made plenty of mistakes in life. 45 00:02:14,440 --> 00:02:17,400 Speaker 3: I'm very far from a perfect person, but I was 46 00:02:17,400 --> 00:02:19,680 Speaker 3: still able to find things in my life that provided 47 00:02:19,720 --> 00:02:22,799 Speaker 3: me with fulfillment and listen, man, no matter where you're from, 48 00:02:22,880 --> 00:02:25,160 Speaker 3: no matter what you believe in, that is something that 49 00:02:25,240 --> 00:02:27,959 Speaker 3: people can connect on. And I'm talking like as a 50 00:02:28,000 --> 00:02:30,200 Speaker 3: person who's traveled all over the world to different continents, 51 00:02:30,240 --> 00:02:33,279 Speaker 3: different cultures. We're all looking for a sense of fulfillment. 52 00:02:33,919 --> 00:02:37,400 Speaker 3: And that doesn't necessarily mean becoming like a millionaire or 53 00:02:37,480 --> 00:02:41,160 Speaker 3: becoming a famous actor. But fulfillment comes in different ways. 54 00:02:41,240 --> 00:02:43,679 Speaker 3: And a lot of what I wrote about in the 55 00:02:43,720 --> 00:02:45,919 Speaker 3: book is about me trying to find out what the 56 00:02:46,040 --> 00:02:46,840 Speaker 3: hell that even is? 57 00:02:46,960 --> 00:02:47,560 Speaker 1: Like, what is that? 58 00:02:47,720 --> 00:02:49,320 Speaker 3: I don't know how to even identify that? 59 00:02:50,360 --> 00:02:51,040 Speaker 2: Yeah, for sure. 60 00:02:51,560 --> 00:02:54,200 Speaker 1: And you know, we've had this conversation before, a big 61 00:02:54,320 --> 00:02:56,480 Speaker 1: fans of you here on our show. We've gone all 62 00:02:56,520 --> 00:02:58,440 Speaker 1: the way from the beginning, from the Veguess days to 63 00:02:58,520 --> 00:03:01,320 Speaker 1: where you are. Now, what was it that you decided 64 00:03:01,360 --> 00:03:04,919 Speaker 1: to say, Okay, this is the time, let's write this thing. 65 00:03:05,320 --> 00:03:07,880 Speaker 3: I had so many people reaching out to me asking 66 00:03:08,000 --> 00:03:11,760 Speaker 3: me how I rebounded from being released by WWE at 67 00:03:11,800 --> 00:03:16,400 Speaker 3: the time, and everyone, as I would kind of explain 68 00:03:16,480 --> 00:03:18,400 Speaker 3: it and explain what I had been through in my life, 69 00:03:18,480 --> 00:03:22,320 Speaker 3: that kind of helped me solidify an ideology or a 70 00:03:22,320 --> 00:03:24,440 Speaker 3: philosophy to put into place on how to deal with 71 00:03:24,560 --> 00:03:27,440 Speaker 3: situations and recover. They were like, you need to write 72 00:03:27,440 --> 00:03:30,919 Speaker 3: a book. And honestly, god man, it was like for 73 00:03:31,080 --> 00:03:35,080 Speaker 3: three weeks. It was like five or six people consecutively 74 00:03:35,240 --> 00:03:37,000 Speaker 3: for three weeks or telling me I need to write 75 00:03:37,000 --> 00:03:38,760 Speaker 3: a book. And when something like that happens and they 76 00:03:38,800 --> 00:03:41,400 Speaker 3: don't even know each other, like this wasn't a coordinated effort, 77 00:03:41,680 --> 00:03:43,600 Speaker 3: I said, the universe is trying to tell me something, 78 00:03:43,760 --> 00:03:45,119 Speaker 3: and I think it's trying to tell me to write 79 00:03:45,120 --> 00:03:47,440 Speaker 3: a book. And all over the course of my life, 80 00:03:47,440 --> 00:03:48,840 Speaker 3: people have always told me to write a book. But 81 00:03:48,880 --> 00:03:50,720 Speaker 3: I'm just being straight with you, like I'm not caring 82 00:03:50,760 --> 00:03:53,360 Speaker 3: cross right now. I didn't want to share my life 83 00:03:53,400 --> 00:03:55,520 Speaker 3: with anybody like you want me to tell you about, 84 00:03:55,600 --> 00:03:58,280 Speaker 3: like all the relationships that I blew and all the 85 00:03:58,440 --> 00:04:01,040 Speaker 3: jobs that I lost. The hell would I tell you about? 86 00:04:01,080 --> 00:04:02,960 Speaker 3: Who wants to hear about that? Like when you think 87 00:04:02,960 --> 00:04:06,280 Speaker 3: about the pressure of making a first impression, like in life, 88 00:04:06,520 --> 00:04:09,440 Speaker 3: not like you know, writing a book, You don't walk 89 00:04:09,520 --> 00:04:11,520 Speaker 3: up to somebody at a job interview or a stranger 90 00:04:11,560 --> 00:04:13,160 Speaker 3: and be like, let me tell you all the things 91 00:04:13,200 --> 00:04:15,200 Speaker 3: in my life that I've completely screwed up. You would 92 00:04:15,240 --> 00:04:17,160 Speaker 3: never do that, and that's what I felt like the 93 00:04:17,200 --> 00:04:19,320 Speaker 3: book was. But then as I kind of like spent 94 00:04:19,440 --> 00:04:21,360 Speaker 3: some more time thinking about it and actually tried to 95 00:04:21,400 --> 00:04:24,040 Speaker 3: write words to page, I was like, no, man, now 96 00:04:24,120 --> 00:04:25,880 Speaker 3: I get what people are telling me. There's a silver 97 00:04:26,000 --> 00:04:28,760 Speaker 3: lining in all of these experiences because I just didn't 98 00:04:28,760 --> 00:04:31,080 Speaker 3: see myself the same way other people saw me. It's 99 00:04:31,120 --> 00:04:34,280 Speaker 3: just my nature. So it was very cathartic and it 100 00:04:34,360 --> 00:04:36,560 Speaker 3: was a big It was a big leap in self 101 00:04:36,640 --> 00:04:38,080 Speaker 3: development for me, that's for sure. 102 00:04:38,800 --> 00:04:41,080 Speaker 1: Yeah, and definitely can't wait to get my hands on 103 00:04:41,120 --> 00:04:44,200 Speaker 1: a copy of this Life Is Fighting comes out August fifth. Now, 104 00:04:44,560 --> 00:04:46,880 Speaker 1: of course, when we sit here and we talk about this, 105 00:04:46,960 --> 00:04:49,240 Speaker 1: you're an open book, and a lot of stuff that 106 00:04:49,279 --> 00:04:53,160 Speaker 1: you talk about, you know, translated from TV real life experience. 107 00:04:53,560 --> 00:04:55,599 Speaker 2: I want to know as a wrestling fan. 108 00:04:56,160 --> 00:05:01,479 Speaker 1: You've been teasing what you've called a world old altering reveale. 109 00:05:01,560 --> 00:05:07,000 Speaker 1: You recently dropped that very eerie Kevin Sullivan voice message video. 110 00:05:08,480 --> 00:05:11,920 Speaker 2: Can you give us a little peak what's behind the mystique. 111 00:05:11,520 --> 00:05:15,680 Speaker 1: Here and how can soon how soon can fans expect 112 00:05:15,839 --> 00:05:17,159 Speaker 1: the full truth? 113 00:05:18,640 --> 00:05:21,920 Speaker 3: That all really depends on how feature over the next 114 00:05:22,040 --> 00:05:26,599 Speaker 3: thirty days we'll have to just see kind of what happens. 115 00:05:26,680 --> 00:05:30,880 Speaker 3: But I mean the book coming out. I'm in the 116 00:05:30,960 --> 00:05:34,279 Speaker 3: process of writing the second book, and where everything lands 117 00:05:34,800 --> 00:05:36,560 Speaker 3: will be very telling as to where we go from now. 118 00:05:36,640 --> 00:05:38,560 Speaker 3: That's all I can say. But in regards to the 119 00:05:38,640 --> 00:05:42,120 Speaker 3: Kevin Sullivan voicemail that I put in part two of 120 00:05:42,160 --> 00:05:43,920 Speaker 3: the Killer doc that's going to be coming out, we're 121 00:05:43,960 --> 00:05:48,280 Speaker 3: in the process of filming it right now, so a 122 00:05:48,360 --> 00:05:50,800 Speaker 3: little dark, but if you've read the book, this is 123 00:05:50,839 --> 00:05:57,280 Speaker 3: probably on brand for me. So I keep meaningful voicemails 124 00:05:57,320 --> 00:05:59,680 Speaker 3: that have gotten from people. I have voicemails that I've 125 00:05:59,720 --> 00:06:04,360 Speaker 3: saved over like five, six, seven, eight years. That was 126 00:06:04,400 --> 00:06:06,360 Speaker 3: a voicemail that I would go back to and I 127 00:06:06,360 --> 00:06:09,360 Speaker 3: would listen to at very low points that I was 128 00:06:09,400 --> 00:06:12,040 Speaker 3: in and I just decided to share it. I've got 129 00:06:12,080 --> 00:06:14,720 Speaker 3: voicemails from a lot of people that I've always kept 130 00:06:14,760 --> 00:06:17,760 Speaker 3: that have passed away, and that voicemail that Kevin left 131 00:06:17,800 --> 00:06:22,160 Speaker 3: me a long time ago. I go back and listen 132 00:06:22,200 --> 00:06:23,120 Speaker 3: to it every once in a while. 133 00:06:24,360 --> 00:06:26,640 Speaker 1: Yeah, And when I was growing through social media and 134 00:06:26,680 --> 00:06:28,120 Speaker 1: I saw that you had posted that, I was like, 135 00:06:28,640 --> 00:06:31,880 Speaker 1: oh boy, something something definitely is about to happen. And 136 00:06:31,960 --> 00:06:34,360 Speaker 1: of course again going back to it, we're big Carry 137 00:06:34,400 --> 00:06:35,840 Speaker 1: and Cross fans. I mean, we go back to the 138 00:06:35,920 --> 00:06:39,240 Speaker 1: Killer days and everything else in between. You know, you 139 00:06:39,400 --> 00:06:41,200 Speaker 1: mentioned we kind of find some things out in the 140 00:06:41,240 --> 00:06:43,440 Speaker 1: next thirty days. And of course we've seen those reports 141 00:06:43,520 --> 00:06:47,040 Speaker 1: going on online that you and Scarlett haven't you know, 142 00:06:47,240 --> 00:06:51,000 Speaker 1: really resigned with WWE yet, And you know, I want 143 00:06:51,040 --> 00:06:53,120 Speaker 1: to hear from you because of course this is the 144 00:06:53,200 --> 00:06:55,920 Speaker 1: time that you can address those rumors that everybody's been 145 00:06:55,960 --> 00:06:57,120 Speaker 1: talking about online. 146 00:06:58,000 --> 00:07:00,160 Speaker 2: Any truth to that or you know, would you like 147 00:07:00,279 --> 00:07:03,080 Speaker 2: to clear the air a bit for the IWC. 148 00:07:04,720 --> 00:07:06,440 Speaker 3: I don't think I should talk about any of it 149 00:07:06,560 --> 00:07:09,880 Speaker 3: right now, but I am hoping that when the time 150 00:07:10,040 --> 00:07:13,480 Speaker 3: is right, everyone will know what's going on, including us. 151 00:07:13,960 --> 00:07:15,280 Speaker 2: It's a very solid answer. 152 00:07:15,320 --> 00:07:17,600 Speaker 1: And you know, again I just love to watch all 153 00:07:17,640 --> 00:07:19,680 Speaker 1: the things on the IWC, of like where can you 154 00:07:19,720 --> 00:07:22,880 Speaker 1: go here? But also you look at the IWC. Sometimes 155 00:07:22,920 --> 00:07:25,480 Speaker 1: it's negative, sometimes it's good in a way. For you, 156 00:07:25,640 --> 00:07:28,000 Speaker 1: It's been good because how many times, and we talked 157 00:07:28,040 --> 00:07:31,280 Speaker 1: about this last time we want Carrion the big pop 158 00:07:31,400 --> 00:07:33,880 Speaker 1: from coming out on main event. We talked about this 159 00:07:34,000 --> 00:07:36,240 Speaker 1: last time you getting your T shirt on the homepage 160 00:07:36,440 --> 00:07:39,480 Speaker 1: getting sold at the merch stand. So it's a really 161 00:07:39,560 --> 00:07:42,680 Speaker 1: cool thing to see this, and it's like this organic 162 00:07:42,880 --> 00:07:45,880 Speaker 1: movement to get carrying cross on TV and you're kind 163 00:07:45,920 --> 00:07:48,720 Speaker 1: of seeing that now for like they're doing that for Carmelo. 164 00:07:50,240 --> 00:07:52,720 Speaker 1: What's it like been for you and Scarlett to see 165 00:07:52,880 --> 00:07:56,679 Speaker 1: just the fan reaction of like we want Carrion, seeing 166 00:07:56,720 --> 00:07:59,760 Speaker 1: your shirt sold out and not being able to deliver 167 00:07:59,880 --> 00:08:02,080 Speaker 1: to the end of July, beginning of August and you 168 00:08:02,160 --> 00:08:03,200 Speaker 1: got new shirts as well. 169 00:08:03,840 --> 00:08:07,840 Speaker 3: Yeah, the shirts selling out in the building too. Man, 170 00:08:08,000 --> 00:08:12,960 Speaker 3: It's We're very honored and we feel very lucky to 171 00:08:13,080 --> 00:08:17,000 Speaker 3: be seen because we are standing next to so much talent, 172 00:08:17,160 --> 00:08:20,960 Speaker 3: so many different extraordinary people. We're standing right next to them, 173 00:08:21,720 --> 00:08:24,440 Speaker 3: and to be seen as unique and different and to 174 00:08:24,560 --> 00:08:29,760 Speaker 3: stand out among those people, it's just very humbling, but 175 00:08:29,920 --> 00:08:35,800 Speaker 3: also it's very motivating. It's very invigorating, and we just 176 00:08:35,880 --> 00:08:39,719 Speaker 3: want to give more. We are finally being seen for 177 00:08:39,880 --> 00:08:42,959 Speaker 3: what we can really do, and people haven't even seen 178 00:08:43,080 --> 00:08:45,640 Speaker 3: yet what we can really do. It's been a while, 179 00:08:47,040 --> 00:08:49,800 Speaker 3: so I'm just looking forward to giving it my all. 180 00:08:50,400 --> 00:08:54,719 Speaker 3: I love WWA, I love the w universe, and I 181 00:08:54,880 --> 00:08:58,600 Speaker 3: have every intention of giving people what they want if 182 00:08:58,840 --> 00:09:01,200 Speaker 3: I'm allowed to, and if I'm not, I'm still going 183 00:09:01,280 --> 00:09:02,600 Speaker 3: to find a way to give them what they want. 184 00:09:03,480 --> 00:09:05,360 Speaker 1: I think also, by the way, we're going to get 185 00:09:05,440 --> 00:09:09,839 Speaker 1: what we want this weekend at SummerSlam. Any thoughts heading 186 00:09:09,880 --> 00:09:11,719 Speaker 1: into that before we let you go? 187 00:09:12,320 --> 00:09:15,080 Speaker 3: Yeah, I'm one hundred percent going to attempt to punch 188 00:09:15,080 --> 00:09:16,560 Speaker 3: a hole through the back of Sammy's head. 189 00:09:16,800 --> 00:09:19,080 Speaker 1: There you have it, right there, Karen Cross is going 190 00:09:19,120 --> 00:09:20,920 Speaker 1: to punch a hole in the back of Sammy Zine's 191 00:09:21,040 --> 00:09:25,400 Speaker 1: edit SummerSlam this weekend, Life is Fighting. It drops August fifth. 192 00:09:25,480 --> 00:09:27,080 Speaker 1: We cannot wait to get our hands on the book 193 00:09:27,559 --> 00:09:29,200 Speaker 1: before we let you go? Is there anything you want 194 00:09:29,240 --> 00:09:31,040 Speaker 1: to say to people watching or listen to this right now? 195 00:09:31,679 --> 00:09:33,959 Speaker 3: I see you all, and I appreciate you all, and 196 00:09:34,400 --> 00:09:36,920 Speaker 3: I cannot thank you enough for your support to be 197 00:09:37,040 --> 00:09:40,080 Speaker 3: seen and heard when that's all I've really ever wanted 198 00:09:40,280 --> 00:09:43,520 Speaker 3: to do for you in your form of entertainment that 199 00:09:43,679 --> 00:09:46,480 Speaker 3: is pro wrestling. I'm living out my dream and I 200 00:09:46,520 --> 00:09:48,040 Speaker 3: can't thank you guys enough for that. I'm going to 201 00:09:48,080 --> 00:09:49,319 Speaker 3: give you everything I've got. 202 00:09:50,760 --> 00:09:52,720 Speaker 1: Well, Carrie and Man, it's an honor and a privilege 203 00:09:52,760 --> 00:09:55,280 Speaker 1: to get you back here on the show. Everybody right now. 204 00:09:55,320 --> 00:09:56,920 Speaker 1: If you're watching or listening to this right now, go 205 00:09:57,080 --> 00:09:59,880 Speaker 1: pre order Life Is Fighting. Go to Barnes and Noble, 206 00:10:00,040 --> 00:10:01,480 Speaker 1: your local bookstore wherever. 207 00:10:02,360 --> 00:10:05,000 Speaker 2: Pick up a copy. Pick up five copies, and don't 208 00:10:05,000 --> 00:10:06,800 Speaker 2: pick up ten copies. They'll be good gifts. 209 00:10:07,160 --> 00:10:10,480 Speaker 1: And also make sure you support carrying Cross through all 210 00:10:10,559 --> 00:10:12,800 Speaker 1: platforms social media, and buy his T shirt. 211 00:10:12,840 --> 00:10:14,400 Speaker 2: To buy his book and a T shirt. They make 212 00:10:14,480 --> 00:10:16,160 Speaker 2: good Christmas stocking stuffers. 213 00:10:16,960 --> 00:10:20,840 Speaker 3: Yeah, Doomsday, I'll be Doomsday.