1 00:00:00,720 --> 00:00:02,920 Speaker 1: Welcome to the battle Ground Podcast. 2 00:00:08,440 --> 00:00:09,760 Speaker 2: You'll play for all. 3 00:00:11,760 --> 00:00:16,320 Speaker 3: And exclusive interviews with some of your favorite wrestlers abound. 4 00:00:17,280 --> 00:00:26,240 Speaker 1: Stop seeing what's up you guys. Welcome back into iHeartRadio's 5 00:00:26,280 --> 00:00:29,680 Speaker 1: official wrestling podcast, the Battleground Podcast, and Man, Today on 6 00:00:29,720 --> 00:00:32,239 Speaker 1: the show, we have an exciting guest. I mean, the 7 00:00:32,320 --> 00:00:35,880 Speaker 1: dude has made history who you could see every Wednesday 8 00:00:35,920 --> 00:00:37,320 Speaker 1: on to be at eight eastern. 9 00:00:37,640 --> 00:00:38,840 Speaker 3: Let's let's go down the list. 10 00:00:38,880 --> 00:00:42,040 Speaker 1: He's young, he's cocky, and he's got the gold to 11 00:00:42,040 --> 00:00:46,199 Speaker 1: prove it, and he's the first ever WWE Evolve Men's Champion. 12 00:00:46,520 --> 00:00:49,640 Speaker 1: Jackson Drake Joints show Jackson, what's up, dude? 13 00:00:50,080 --> 00:00:52,440 Speaker 3: Thank you? Thank you very much. Nothing, Man, I'm just 14 00:00:52,560 --> 00:00:56,080 Speaker 3: chilling the same old down here in the great city 15 00:00:56,120 --> 00:00:58,720 Speaker 3: of Greensboro and the great stay of North Carolina. How 16 00:00:58,720 --> 00:00:59,600 Speaker 3: are you boys doing? 17 00:00:59,760 --> 00:01:02,560 Speaker 1: Man? And we are excited to have you on and 18 00:01:02,640 --> 00:01:04,600 Speaker 1: let me let's talk about It's been a wild couple 19 00:01:04,640 --> 00:01:06,920 Speaker 1: of months and I got to start right here. Take 20 00:01:07,000 --> 00:01:10,160 Speaker 1: me to that moment, the final seconds of that fatal 21 00:01:10,240 --> 00:01:13,200 Speaker 1: four way you hit the knee on Sean Legacy. Crowd's 22 00:01:13,240 --> 00:01:17,120 Speaker 1: going nuts, refs counting three. What's going through your mind? Right? There, Like, 23 00:01:17,120 --> 00:01:19,240 Speaker 1: did it even click that you were about to make 24 00:01:19,440 --> 00:01:22,200 Speaker 1: history as the first Evolve men's champion. 25 00:01:23,360 --> 00:01:25,640 Speaker 3: No, that part is still honestly hasn't set in the 26 00:01:25,640 --> 00:01:28,760 Speaker 3: fact that I'm the first ever WWE Evolved Champion. No 27 00:01:28,800 --> 00:01:32,560 Speaker 3: big deal, No big deal, right, yeah, no big deal. Yeah, 28 00:01:32,640 --> 00:01:35,160 Speaker 3: but no, Honestly, at that point, I was just so 29 00:01:35,319 --> 00:01:38,920 Speaker 3: happy that it was over like that. That was definitely 30 00:01:38,959 --> 00:01:42,640 Speaker 3: the most strict exciting obviously, but also simultaneously the most 31 00:01:42,680 --> 00:01:46,440 Speaker 3: stressful day of my life. You know. Obviously that was 32 00:01:46,480 --> 00:01:48,280 Speaker 3: the biggest match of my career. You know, I was 33 00:01:48,280 --> 00:01:51,320 Speaker 3: just happy to not be hurt and to have gotten 34 00:01:51,360 --> 00:01:56,000 Speaker 3: through it as smoothly as we did. Awesome. 35 00:01:56,080 --> 00:01:57,720 Speaker 2: Yeah, it was a killer match too. By the way, 36 00:01:58,320 --> 00:02:03,600 Speaker 2: we recently recently saw Evolves the session you success successfully 37 00:02:03,640 --> 00:02:07,880 Speaker 2: defended your title against Bryce Donovan. What does that win 38 00:02:08,280 --> 00:02:10,000 Speaker 2: mean for your legacy as the champion? 39 00:02:11,840 --> 00:02:14,400 Speaker 3: So I grew up watching Evolve, you know, I always 40 00:02:14,480 --> 00:02:17,920 Speaker 3: ordered the DVDs on high spots, and I watched the 41 00:02:17,919 --> 00:02:23,600 Speaker 3: og Evolve all the time. And to be to walk 42 00:02:23,680 --> 00:02:28,880 Speaker 3: into the first ever WWE Evolved Special succession as the 43 00:02:28,919 --> 00:02:33,079 Speaker 3: defending champion and walking out as the reigning champion, you know, 44 00:02:33,280 --> 00:02:40,000 Speaker 3: dream come true. It's wild, absolutely wild. Unfortunately, you know, 45 00:02:40,120 --> 00:02:43,200 Speaker 3: Bryce Donovan, we had to trim the fat. Sometimes as 46 00:02:43,200 --> 00:02:45,000 Speaker 3: soon as as soon as you feel like you're starting 47 00:02:45,040 --> 00:02:47,640 Speaker 3: to get close to somebody, they just you know, uh, 48 00:02:48,560 --> 00:02:50,720 Speaker 3: Fate has different things in store for everybody. 49 00:02:50,960 --> 00:02:55,200 Speaker 1: Yeah, absolutely absolutely, And and you talk about having to 50 00:02:55,200 --> 00:02:57,200 Speaker 1: trim the fat. And of course you got your crew, 51 00:02:57,240 --> 00:03:00,280 Speaker 1: the Vanity Project, the whole squad's there. You move like 52 00:03:00,320 --> 00:03:03,200 Speaker 1: a unit, which is great. But here's the thing. You're 53 00:03:03,240 --> 00:03:06,960 Speaker 1: the champ. Now, how do you balance being the guy 54 00:03:07,240 --> 00:03:10,680 Speaker 1: while still keeping you know, that brotherhood vibe alive, especially 55 00:03:10,680 --> 00:03:12,680 Speaker 1: with you being the champion, kind of have that target 56 00:03:12,720 --> 00:03:13,360 Speaker 1: on your back. 57 00:03:14,720 --> 00:03:16,600 Speaker 3: Listen, if you want to go fast, go alone, If 58 00:03:16,600 --> 00:03:20,359 Speaker 3: you want to go far, go together. Yeah, sure that's 59 00:03:20,360 --> 00:03:24,760 Speaker 3: the same, right. Absolutely no. In the beginning, I you know, 60 00:03:25,000 --> 00:03:29,040 Speaker 3: because we're all so different, I honestly didn't know how 61 00:03:29,040 --> 00:03:30,720 Speaker 3: it was going to go. You know, I don't know 62 00:03:30,720 --> 00:03:33,440 Speaker 3: how the dynamic was going to play out between all 63 00:03:33,440 --> 00:03:37,640 Speaker 3: five of us different personalities. But man, whoever's idea that 64 00:03:37,760 --> 00:03:41,320 Speaker 3: was to throw us together, they just had tunnel vision. Right. 65 00:03:41,560 --> 00:03:43,280 Speaker 3: It's great, absolutely great. 66 00:03:43,640 --> 00:03:48,840 Speaker 2: Yeah, Lightning and a bittle there for sure. You've called 67 00:03:48,840 --> 00:03:52,480 Speaker 2: yourself a standard bearer for Evolve. What specific qualities do 68 00:03:52,520 --> 00:03:55,600 Speaker 2: you think you you define as a champion in this 69 00:03:55,720 --> 00:03:58,440 Speaker 2: current phase of the promotions Evolution. 70 00:04:01,640 --> 00:04:02,200 Speaker 1: Uh? 71 00:04:02,240 --> 00:04:06,040 Speaker 3: Well, like you said, young, let's see King in the 72 00:04:06,080 --> 00:04:12,400 Speaker 3: making future legend. That's another one. I mean, come on, man, 73 00:04:12,640 --> 00:04:14,400 Speaker 3: you guys already know the answer to that question. You 74 00:04:14,440 --> 00:04:16,080 Speaker 3: guys wouldn't be having me on this interview right now 75 00:04:16,120 --> 00:04:17,719 Speaker 3: if you didn't answer to that question. 76 00:04:18,440 --> 00:04:19,320 Speaker 2: It's very true. 77 00:04:19,640 --> 00:04:21,599 Speaker 1: And to think about it when you look at it, 78 00:04:21,960 --> 00:04:25,000 Speaker 1: I mean, you're only twenty two years old and to 79 00:04:25,200 --> 00:04:30,800 Speaker 1: be pushing pushing thirty, you're you're getting close to our age. 80 00:04:31,000 --> 00:04:34,280 Speaker 1: You're twenty two years old, and you're the face of 81 00:04:34,320 --> 00:04:38,159 Speaker 1: Evolves as the champ to carry a new title like 82 00:04:38,200 --> 00:04:42,000 Speaker 1: this at your age under that WWE umbrella. How much 83 00:04:42,120 --> 00:04:44,720 Speaker 1: pressure are you feeling? And do you see this as 84 00:04:44,720 --> 00:04:47,880 Speaker 1: maybe a launch pad into something bigger? Uh? You know, 85 00:04:48,000 --> 00:04:52,000 Speaker 1: the next step up, the nxt s, the raws, the smackdowns. 86 00:04:52,960 --> 00:04:56,760 Speaker 3: One hundred percent, one hundred percent. If your goal isn't 87 00:04:56,800 --> 00:04:58,960 Speaker 3: to make it to raw or SmackDown, or you know 88 00:04:59,040 --> 00:05:01,760 Speaker 3: that that upper rational, then why are you around? You know, 89 00:05:01,880 --> 00:05:04,240 Speaker 3: why are you here? It's definitely a lot of pressure. 90 00:05:04,680 --> 00:05:07,520 Speaker 3: Definitely a lot of pressure, but it's nothing that every 91 00:05:07,520 --> 00:05:12,080 Speaker 3: other champion doesn't feel, you know. But you know, not 92 00:05:12,200 --> 00:05:14,880 Speaker 3: to like get too deep or anything, but me personally, 93 00:05:14,920 --> 00:05:19,240 Speaker 3: I have a lot of people who I definitely feel 94 00:05:19,240 --> 00:05:21,159 Speaker 3: like I owe it to to make the most out 95 00:05:21,160 --> 00:05:23,400 Speaker 3: of this, out of this whole thing. You know, my parents, 96 00:05:24,279 --> 00:05:27,000 Speaker 3: they always gave me everything I needed, everything I wanted. 97 00:05:27,240 --> 00:05:29,320 Speaker 3: You know, I was I was a really dumb kid, 98 00:05:29,360 --> 00:05:30,840 Speaker 3: and I got hurt a lot, and there was a 99 00:05:30,880 --> 00:05:33,600 Speaker 3: lot of doctors that fixed me and put me back together. 100 00:05:33,760 --> 00:05:34,000 Speaker 1: You know. 101 00:05:34,120 --> 00:05:36,880 Speaker 3: So I'm doing it for me. I'm doing this because 102 00:05:36,920 --> 00:05:39,760 Speaker 3: I want to. But you know, there's also a lot 103 00:05:39,760 --> 00:05:42,560 Speaker 3: of people that have invested so much time and money 104 00:05:43,360 --> 00:05:46,760 Speaker 3: into Jackson Drake to get me where I am now. 105 00:05:46,839 --> 00:05:50,480 Speaker 3: So it's definitely important that I let all those people 106 00:05:50,560 --> 00:05:53,599 Speaker 3: know that all that investment didn't go to waste. 107 00:05:53,839 --> 00:05:58,080 Speaker 2: Yeah, we've kind of you know, you we recently you 108 00:05:58,160 --> 00:06:01,039 Speaker 2: commented about uh Donovan no longer being with the group. 109 00:06:01,680 --> 00:06:03,880 Speaker 2: There's been you know, we got some news about some 110 00:06:03,920 --> 00:06:06,520 Speaker 2: people not being renewed with the ID program and everything 111 00:06:06,560 --> 00:06:09,279 Speaker 2: like that. How do those changes impact the you know, 112 00:06:09,320 --> 00:06:11,440 Speaker 2: the morale in the locker room and and how does 113 00:06:11,480 --> 00:06:14,159 Speaker 2: that kind of impact your long term planning as a 114 00:06:14,160 --> 00:06:15,400 Speaker 2: as a as a world champion. 115 00:06:16,600 --> 00:06:20,120 Speaker 3: Yeah, you know, like I said, that's definitely something that 116 00:06:20,960 --> 00:06:23,440 Speaker 3: me personally, It's something I didn't really think about until 117 00:06:23,440 --> 00:06:27,000 Speaker 3: it started happening. Like like I said earlier, you're gonna 118 00:06:27,000 --> 00:06:28,760 Speaker 3: get close to people, or you're going to start to 119 00:06:28,760 --> 00:06:31,000 Speaker 3: get close to people and then next thing you know, 120 00:06:32,000 --> 00:06:35,440 Speaker 3: you know, some of them are gone. And you know, 121 00:06:36,120 --> 00:06:39,760 Speaker 3: like I said, that sucks, but we all, we all 122 00:06:39,839 --> 00:06:41,320 Speaker 3: knew what we were signing up for. We all know 123 00:06:41,360 --> 00:06:43,880 Speaker 3: the nature of the beasts and everything like that. So 124 00:06:44,120 --> 00:06:46,640 Speaker 3: just the best thing to do is be water. Just 125 00:06:46,680 --> 00:06:49,039 Speaker 3: be fluid like water stream and down a hill, go 126 00:06:49,240 --> 00:06:52,240 Speaker 3: up and over any rocks or any anything that gets 127 00:06:52,279 --> 00:06:52,760 Speaker 3: in your way. 128 00:06:53,120 --> 00:06:55,360 Speaker 2: Right, Yeah, well that's that's excellent advice too when you 129 00:06:55,360 --> 00:06:55,880 Speaker 2: think about it. 130 00:06:56,320 --> 00:06:58,640 Speaker 1: Yeah for sure. Now I want to go back to 131 00:06:59,200 --> 00:07:01,680 Speaker 1: your time on the end as if it wasn't just 132 00:07:01,760 --> 00:07:03,520 Speaker 1: you know here recently, because I mean, you've been doing 133 00:07:03,520 --> 00:07:05,919 Speaker 1: this for a little bit now, your indies on the 134 00:07:05,960 --> 00:07:10,840 Speaker 1: time in North Carolina to now holding a WWE branded title. 135 00:07:11,400 --> 00:07:13,640 Speaker 1: What is that one moment that you look back on 136 00:07:13,920 --> 00:07:16,920 Speaker 1: as the turning point that made all this feel real 137 00:07:17,000 --> 00:07:17,360 Speaker 1: for you. 138 00:07:19,240 --> 00:07:23,880 Speaker 3: I'd say one specific moment that really got the gears 139 00:07:23,920 --> 00:07:27,520 Speaker 3: turning was what year was it? It was in October 140 00:07:27,560 --> 00:07:33,000 Speaker 3: of twenty twenty three. That was when my best friend 141 00:07:33,120 --> 00:07:36,160 Speaker 3: Javon Evans, he had just gotten signed and he was 142 00:07:36,200 --> 00:07:38,880 Speaker 3: finishing up with the last of his independent dates, and 143 00:07:38,960 --> 00:07:43,080 Speaker 3: that was to this day. Obviously, that's our last match 144 00:07:43,440 --> 00:07:48,520 Speaker 3: that we've had. You know, afterwards, obviously I know, Okay, 145 00:07:48,960 --> 00:07:51,120 Speaker 3: I'm staying here on the indies for the time being, 146 00:07:51,280 --> 00:07:54,920 Speaker 3: and Javon's about to go be a superstar. So what 147 00:07:54,960 --> 00:07:56,600 Speaker 3: do I have to do to get what do I 148 00:07:56,640 --> 00:08:03,120 Speaker 3: have to do to get Jackson Drake to where Javon going? Yeah? 149 00:08:03,240 --> 00:08:05,280 Speaker 2: Absolutely, And you know we've seen what he's been doing 150 00:08:05,280 --> 00:08:06,960 Speaker 2: on a next t and TNA and stuff. 151 00:08:07,120 --> 00:08:08,360 Speaker 3: Just unreal. 152 00:08:09,720 --> 00:08:13,440 Speaker 2: You know, there's been some comparisons to you of you 153 00:08:13,480 --> 00:08:18,200 Speaker 2: to say a Austin theory, a young Randy Orton, that 154 00:08:18,200 --> 00:08:21,240 Speaker 2: that kind of kill with Austin theory being a form 155 00:08:21,240 --> 00:08:23,600 Speaker 2: of evolved champion. Would that be a match you would 156 00:08:23,680 --> 00:08:26,000 Speaker 2: entertain if if you if he wanted to kind of 157 00:08:26,280 --> 00:08:28,920 Speaker 2: come down and prove his worth against you the champion. 158 00:08:29,960 --> 00:08:33,240 Speaker 3: No, doubt all day, all day. 159 00:08:33,320 --> 00:08:33,480 Speaker 1: Right. 160 00:08:34,880 --> 00:08:37,720 Speaker 3: Actually, there's a picture on my Instagram from like twenty 161 00:08:37,800 --> 00:08:41,520 Speaker 3: seventeen or something. I had just started wrestling training and 162 00:08:41,640 --> 00:08:45,440 Speaker 3: Austin Theory had came to North Carolina for a match 163 00:08:45,559 --> 00:08:49,440 Speaker 3: and to Firestar Pro Wrestling, my training school, and he 164 00:08:49,440 --> 00:08:52,280 Speaker 3: he had like three belts at the time, three championships. 165 00:08:52,640 --> 00:08:55,320 Speaker 3: One of them was the Evolved Championship. I'm not gonna 166 00:08:55,360 --> 00:08:56,960 Speaker 3: lie to you, bro. He was flexing it, you know, 167 00:08:57,080 --> 00:08:59,520 Speaker 3: me and me and Maliki were there. He's like, hey, 168 00:08:59,559 --> 00:09:02,200 Speaker 3: you guys see this belt seth rollins is how this belt? 169 00:09:02,320 --> 00:09:07,880 Speaker 3: This guy's how that belt? That guy's have this belt? Yeah, dude, 170 00:09:07,880 --> 00:09:10,280 Speaker 3: I go spas should say it's a dream match, Jackson Drake. 171 00:09:10,320 --> 00:09:11,360 Speaker 3: This is awesome, Theory. 172 00:09:11,640 --> 00:09:14,440 Speaker 1: Nice, Let's let's put it out there in the universe 173 00:09:14,440 --> 00:09:15,400 Speaker 1: because we're all about that. 174 00:09:15,559 --> 00:09:16,720 Speaker 3: Of course, let's go. 175 00:09:16,880 --> 00:09:20,559 Speaker 1: You can see Jackson Drake and everybody on Evolve Wednesday 176 00:09:20,640 --> 00:09:23,520 Speaker 1: nights on TB at eight eastern uhe. 177 00:09:23,960 --> 00:09:27,520 Speaker 3: Very Future of WWE for free for free. 178 00:09:27,679 --> 00:09:30,280 Speaker 1: Watch it. Not many things in this world are free, 179 00:09:30,320 --> 00:09:32,440 Speaker 1: but you can watch that for free and watch Jackson 180 00:09:32,520 --> 00:09:35,319 Speaker 1: Drake take over the world. When it comes to professional wrestling. 181 00:09:35,360 --> 00:09:38,800 Speaker 1: For sure as we get closer to the end, because 182 00:09:38,800 --> 00:09:41,000 Speaker 1: the Champs time is very precious and I know you 183 00:09:41,120 --> 00:09:44,000 Speaker 1: got other things to do. Uh, before we let you go, 184 00:09:44,280 --> 00:09:46,800 Speaker 1: let's have some fun. If we were to open up 185 00:09:46,840 --> 00:09:49,640 Speaker 1: your playlist right now, we look at your music playlist, 186 00:09:50,360 --> 00:09:52,920 Speaker 1: what is that one song that we're like, huh, I 187 00:09:52,920 --> 00:09:55,880 Speaker 1: didn't think Jackson listens to this song, But okay. 188 00:09:56,280 --> 00:09:58,079 Speaker 3: That's what makes you beautiful by one direction? 189 00:09:59,280 --> 00:10:03,160 Speaker 1: Yes, that's a banker, you know what as a that 190 00:10:03,240 --> 00:10:05,360 Speaker 1: song is awesome, dude. 191 00:10:05,400 --> 00:10:06,079 Speaker 2: One direction? 192 00:10:06,400 --> 00:10:06,600 Speaker 1: You know. 193 00:10:07,120 --> 00:10:09,360 Speaker 2: They they were one of those you know, there's the 194 00:10:09,400 --> 00:10:11,439 Speaker 2: boy band and there's you know whatever. They had some 195 00:10:11,760 --> 00:10:16,520 Speaker 2: banger I'm talking about their Their production value is just incredible, 196 00:10:16,640 --> 00:10:19,680 Speaker 2: so absolutely, very great choice. 197 00:10:20,040 --> 00:10:23,120 Speaker 3: I got fragile masculinity, but it's not that fragile. 198 00:10:25,520 --> 00:10:28,439 Speaker 1: One directions awesome. I saw them years ago. Now we're 199 00:10:28,480 --> 00:10:30,760 Speaker 1: just going off the side of the road over here. 200 00:10:30,880 --> 00:10:32,800 Speaker 1: I saw them years ago when they opened up for 201 00:10:32,880 --> 00:10:37,800 Speaker 1: five seconds of Summer Oh my, and then you know, 202 00:10:37,920 --> 00:10:40,640 Speaker 1: the next thing next year. Then they headline their own shows. 203 00:10:40,640 --> 00:10:42,920 Speaker 1: But uh, we we probably sit here all day long 204 00:10:42,960 --> 00:10:45,560 Speaker 1: talking about one Direction. That's just the fun thing about 205 00:10:45,559 --> 00:10:45,800 Speaker 1: the show. 206 00:10:45,840 --> 00:10:46,880 Speaker 3: You never know what's gonna happen? 207 00:10:47,600 --> 00:10:52,520 Speaker 1: Jackson, Drake ww Evolve, youngest Champion, first champion, the face 208 00:10:52,559 --> 00:10:55,719 Speaker 1: that runs the place at Evolve. Before we let you go, 209 00:10:56,160 --> 00:10:57,760 Speaker 1: what is the one thing that you want to say 210 00:10:57,760 --> 00:10:58,960 Speaker 1: to the fans right now? 211 00:10:59,440 --> 00:11:03,480 Speaker 3: Stay tuned and keep watching. Don't blink because you'll miss it.