Bishop Dyer revealed what he thinks will carry Zilla Fatu far in the world of professional wrestling.
Dyer, formerly known as Baron Corbin, left WWE in 2024 and quickly caught on with MLW. He’s currently a reigning World Tag Team Champion along with Donovan Dijak, collectively known as The Skyscrapers. He also has a recurring host role on Busted Open Radio, where he analyzes the pro wrestling business, which is also often met with criticism.
Speaking to WrestleZone’s Bill Pritchard, Dyer opened up about Fatu, the current reigning HOG Crown Jewel Champion. Dyer and Fatu squared off at House of Glory’s Turf Wars event in Chicago this month, which was the first time they’d ever met. The former WWE star said that his first impression of Zilla is that he has a true passion for the wrestling business, and he’s a much deeper person than some of the other things he’s made headlines for.
“We know a little bit of his story. He got in trouble and spent some time in prison. When he got out, it was like, ‘How do I provide for my family? Do I go back to that life? I don’t want to go back to prison.’ I think there was a big internal struggle for him,” he explained. “Then he decided, ‘You know what, man? My family has made a living doing this wrestling thing.’”
Dyer says Fatu is a true student of the game and knows so many little details about his career. He also said Zilla believes wrestling saved his life, and he’s really thankful for it, which contrasts with the attitude some of today’s talent have.
Bishop Dyer says Zilla Fatu is very self-aware
“A lot of people get in their own heads. They’re not aware of whether they’re getting reactions or not, and they’re not willing to learn. But with him, he’s thankful for the opportunities he’s getting, and I think that will take him much further in his career,” Dyer said.
“He’s thinking about the big picture. He was asking me questions like, ‘How do you do this so it works for TV versus just the audience in the building?’ He’s looking at it the right way in terms of how he wants to present himself. I also found it inspiring when he said, ‘I don’t know who I am yet in this world, but I’m trying to find out.’ Not many people are that self-aware, and I think that’s another thing that will carry him very far.”
Dyer says Fatu is in good hands with Booker T, who coaches him at his Reality of Wrestling. Zilla obviously has a family connection he can lean on, but he’s not just trying to be a carbon copy of any of the Bloodline members you see on TV.
“It would be easy for him to just walk out, hold up his finger, and say he’s ‘The One,’ copying what the Bloodline has done. But he’s trying to make it his own, and I think that’s another special thing about him,” Dyer explained. “He’s legitimately tough, and he wants to learn and get better. I got zero sense of an ego from him, which is great.”
Zilla Fatu isn’t making excuses; he’s trying to make things right
Dyer said that Zilla has an “it factor,” and the things he did at 16 shouldn’t impact what he’s trying to do now. He hasn’t
“I don’t think his [situation] is a mistake that deserves a lifetime of punishment. He did his time, he got out, and he’s been doing everything right since. He hasn’t tried to make excuses for what he’s done or where he’s been. The entire night I was with him, I didn’t hear one excuse about why he got in trouble or anything like that.
“I think for him it’s going to become a great part of his story. One day, he could write a book and say, ‘This is where I came from. This is what I accomplished. You can do it too.’ That could be an inspiration for a kid who’s in the same situation.”
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