JORDAN: TNA recently parted ways with several members of the roster, some you are probably close friends with but this happens all the time in professional wrestling, does their departure affect YOU on a Personal level and does it affect you or the company on a professional level
EC3: There are a couple of those guys who would be great to work with. Aries, Magnus, I never really had an opportunity to work with. Especially now where I plan on going (Being TNA World Heavyweight Champion) I will need some guys to work with. It sucks but at the end of the day this is a business and EVERYONE is dispensable, it’s a machine from the top down and everyone including me, is and should be dispensable. That’s the point of the business, that’s why we always need new talent and we need people to step up. The opportunities are there and we need people to seize them, I plan on doing it and I hope other’s do too.
JORDAN: When you attend Independent Wrestling shows, you sit and watch the ENTIRE SHOW at a monitor and will voluntarily talk to younger talent during the show and answer questions. You are a big TV Star in the prime of your career, WHY do that?
EC3: Because I wouldn’t be anywhere if other guys didn’t take that initiative for me. If people want my advice I will gladly give it to them. If they don’t ask I won’t feel inclined to because maybe they didn’t want to know. But those who do ask I help and I got better because I asked questions. I always watch these shows because I’m still learning, but also maybe I will see something I have never seen before, and I may see something I want to STEAL and use on TV because I am a big star! So thanks for that.
JORDAN: Are you the BEST promo in the wrestling business right now? If not, who is?
EC3: NO..John Cena, Paul Heyman. Yeah.
JORDAN: What goes through the mind of EC3 when crafting a promo?
EC3: You look at the scenario, the story we are trying to tell, the verbiage, in my mind I flip a switch you think about your character and how the character would react and talk. Really personally invest in the character and become the character so the right verbiage comes out. I really emotionally invest in everything that I do.
JORDAN: How do you walk the fine line of being articulate, creative, and humorous and all of the things that go into a great promo while still being relatable so it resonates with the audience?
EC3: That’s a great question because a lot of times I do feel like some of the things I do, I don’t want to say are over people’s heads but I do some things where I say “I GET IT” and I think its hilarious but I have to think broadly about this because not everyone is an IDIOT like me, I am a dumbass so there’s a very fine line in what resonates to a mainstream audience. I try to appeal to different sets of fans, the “smartened up” fan and also the casual fans. I try to throw in a few things that only the “smartened up” fans will get but also a few things for the casual fans. I also try to act like pure scum and make sure that comes across as well.
JORDAN: Some people chant “YOU CAN’T WRESTLE” at you. You are resourceful enough to turn it into a T-shirt and some people affectionately chant it at you, but is there any truth to those chants? Do you have any holes in your game or any grounds for improvement?
EC3: Yeah I think if I didn’t have holes in my game or if I thought I was perfect then I would be SHITTY because I wouldn’t strive to get better. There’s definitely things I need to work on but that will come with being in the ring with guys who are better than I am. Today at #BelltoBell I get in the ring with the best, Kurt Angle. A lot of pressure in a match like that because I haven’t had that “Barn Burner” main event type of match yet. I can barely watch my matches sometimes because it’s weird and awkward and I’m like “OH GOD”, because there’s things that you only notice about yourself and a few other guys feel the same. There’s always things to improve on, but I CAN WRESTLE, COME ON, I am pretty damn good I’m not going to lie to you, maybe people just get mad that my finish actually works?
JORDAN: Fan criticism, internet criticism, rude tweets, do they affect you? Do you care?
EC3: No, again you harken back to the “Man in the Arena” speech. There is only one thing that bothers me when people tweet me to insult me. When they “HASHTAG” the insult, like “You suck you WWE REJECT! #REJECT”. I’m like, WHY the hashtag? You don’t need the hashtag you moron. It bothers me when there’s no creativity involved. If someone burns me creatively, I will favorite and retweet it! But why would I be affected? ME, a professional, living his dream, making money, being a television star, I am “play fighting” with my friends, living my dream everyday, so are your tweets going to hurt my feelings? No.
Nick was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, and lived there until the age of 18, when he decided to pack his flack jacket and move to New York City.
