first things first in town this weekend
for our bragging rights find yourself
enough data for way for the World
Championship tell us a little bit what
we can expect from that out match WOD as
a wrestling fan I think this this match
will steal the show
you know you get four or four guys all
former world heavyweight champions
myself
Rey Mysterio Batista and the Undertaker
the current champion and I think anybody
can walk away with the title in this
match and that's to me why it's
intriguing at least so yeah for very
hardworking individuals who on the show
that is themed bragging rights because
you know the two the two shows are sort
of feuding you know I think I'm worth
better show you know I know the guys in
the match think they're the better show
so it'll it'll be good a lot of a lot of
pride on the line
I think I'll definitely do it and you
did mention you guys being the better
show that's something I want to get to
real quick down before guys in this
match yourself
Batista Undertaker Mysterio four guys
four very different styles I think how
do you see that coming together how hard
is it to know can imagine just for guys
that different to come together I think
it comes together a lot easier than you
would think just because it's it's gonna
be very action-packed you know there's
always gonna be something going on and I
think styles make fights you know
different styles make the fight and you
know raise I fly or you know
Undertaker's unstoppable the T stands
powerhouse and I don't know what I would
be what would you classify me as I don't
know it's a unique thank your own stuff
okay I'm cool which isn't a bad thing no
go back to Smackdown universes rot in
terms of shows we had John Morrison here
I think it was maybe only two weeks
after the draft I keeps talking about on
Smackdown he said thanks very similar
what you just said and one of the points
we talked about was it is it does seem
to be almost like the younger strip show
you got guys like yourself John Moores
they kind of like the upper comers but
yeah they do a good job of mixing you
guys with the
Undertaker's and stereos guys that have
been there a long time I mean how does
it all come together do you kind of see
it the same way it seemed like you got a
good mix of older and younger guys you
know I don't see it as the younger show
age wise or anything like that I just
see I see it as the wrestling show
I see Raw is more of a soap opera soap
opera II kind of environment ECW's sort
of like the training ground for Ryan
smackdown and I think Smackdown is it's
way more of your old-school typical
wrestling show you get more in ring
action and less diva soap opera handles
and you've been on all three shows now I
mean is the one that you prefer now I
mean obviously it seemed like you've
really taken off since you've got the
Smackdown with that just in terms of
timing career-wise there's it just a
form of that show that's kind of allowed
you to kind of find yourself that way uh
it's a good mix of both you know the
right place the right time I think the
people are always wanting something new
and something difficult you know no
matter how good somebody is they they
tend to run their course people did a
little you know tired if I'm gonna get
stale so you know as soon as I was put
on Smackdown it was see there's
something new something different and I
did the thing with Jeff and it's still
new and it's still different and it
hasn't run its course yet so and he'll
was you know you mentioned a few but
Jeff party how was that I'm just in
terms of family actually cuz I think
meet you guys in terms of popularity
wise they're out there towards the top I
mean it seemed like the fans really ate
that up but you guys just feed off of
that energy I'm just going out every
night absolutely and that's oh it was
based off it's to me it was real you
know it was two guys that were fan
favorites and crowd kind of sided with
the the one guy and it made for a very
real dramatic attention and I think the
thing that really worked with that is
there were a lot of your own
personalized you know you were
straightedge and obviously you know jeff
has had his troubles and to put those
two together using a storyline I think
just added an extra element you maybe
don't get which is the rigor or you know
run the middle few precisely like I said
there was a real there's a
underlying tension there you know I mean
just today I had a thirteen-year-old kid
told me that I I made him cry when I
beat Jeff in the cage match yeah you
know you know get that a lot anymore no
that's what I'm gonna ask me how has the
reaction probably more stuff from kids
bands that you know turn to become a bad
guy he's pretty much thrown off as a
good guy we're cheered right away I mean
how many kid you know they hate me I
mean pretty much anybody who attacks
Jeff 40 you know was getting through it
anyway yeah but there's something that
really resonated this time around it
wasn't just the bad guy beating up the
good guy you know I mean they Jeff was
truly loved and admired and you know
people just they they still can't
believe you know what I did yeah you
know and they're still shocked by it you
know people are still really really
really upset and then you don't you
don't get that very much often anymore
though you know real really genuine
reactions you know like I don't think
people people don't just boo me because
I'm the bad guy and they booing because
they genuinely have a great dislike for
me because I'm I can just push the
buttons I can get a skin yeah that's
it's funny like now that I'm older like
when I was a kid obviously you know Bret
Hart was my guy so anybody who touched
Brett you know I'm doing now being over
you know I see guys like yourself you
know Chris Jericho edge you were
technically supposed to be bad guys but
I've watched these guys for yes I was it
kind of like you know they're pretty
good at what they do so that's a
different do you see different reactions
based on maybe the demographically you
know like maybe some older fans are
looking wiser oh yeah and it depends on
what part of the country you're in okay
now certain cities like certain types of
wrestlers
Philadelphia is and always will be they
will love their villains you know yeah
it's just always the way it is a couple
other places are like that I think
Montreal or Toronto and they're like
that you know Brett chanting you know
what 12 years later yeah yeah which I
want to ask you about that you guys kind
of parodied that angle a little bit with
the Undertaker not too long ago how did
that all come about how did you like
your neck as it's funny I mean look at
these 12 years later you know we're
still talking about yeah um you know I I
liked it I didn't like
for the fact of what it was you know I
was working with the Undertaker and then
there's a natural progression of a story
and I don't I don't like dwelling on the
the Montreal Screwjob thing you know I I
just I'm kind of guy that in any and
anything in my life I like new things
yeah just the same old stuff rehashed
and they if kind of beat the dead horse
with that thing and you know to do it
one more time you know it would have
meant more if they never went back to it
and yeah before but you know same
building and everything like you know I
get it but yeah I like new creative
things enjoyment no I think that's I'm
Smackdown it's done really what I mean
rights not that's a bad thing but is
pretty much been your triple agent or
John Cena's your any awards at the top
or what where's you look at the
Smackdown main events the past but they
were using those guys that you already
Undertaker mysterious a good mix of guys
I think that's definitely helped to keep
it fresh for you I agree oh yeah
absolutely yeah I mean I mean it to me
it's a little bit mind-boggling if you
look at the main events for like the
past five years you know it's always the
same guys exactly you know and these
guys are tested and they're reliable but
you can't make new stars without
throwing guys out there
you know and a lot of people think I'm a
new star but I mean I've been I've been
wrestling for 12 years you know so it's
just like yeah you know I mean I know
what I'm doing up there you know my time
should be now I want to take it while I
can
yeah I remember even when you did given
ECW I was looking up some stuff before
you came out of like I think was maybe
was a 2006 it said sunrise yeah I did
get beat on TV in those six and I guess
to me it doesn't seem that long but I
guess it has been a good you know three
years that you've been around but you've
had a pretty good you know on aggression
on that a lot of stuff in three years
yeah I know it goes fast yeah that was
another thing I think ECW was a great
show you know guys like you Kofi
Kingston I got to debut on kind of let
you find your footing a little bit
before you do get to go to the rods of
the Smackdown yeah absolutely that's
what ECW's for you know I think
if you're a wrestling fan you want to
watch ECW because of that because you
could see where the next superstars come
from in a little bit almost kind of like
a cut down version of smack and we're
like you said it is just kind of pretty
much it's wrestling it's not a whole lot
of that soap opera on the back do you
probably know you're gonna get maybe
like three or four good matches and a
couple backstage segments then you know
if you want just an hour of wrestling
that's is where you can go I wouldn't
ask you the straightedge lifestyle
that's what you always wanted to bring
in your gimmick that just kind of
happened or some I always did I mean the
first time I ever did that was I want to
say like I mean I thought the first time
I was in a ring I had my hands act up
and know that I was doing the
straightedge means I'm better than you
so I mean I did that in 1997 okay you
know and that was just something that do
you know the when they first put me on
TV oh I was completely dumbfounded that
they want to make the drug-free create
kid good guy I was like this I was wrong
there's different you know there's
different ways you can skew it and
obviously we're skewing it in a
different way right that's what I was
gonna ask you I mean it seems like you
go if you want to be a good guy you find
out that way you want to be a bad guy
yeah I'm always comfortable this way
it's I mean what you see is what you get
you know obviously I'm not running down
the street you know slapping cigarettes
out of people's mouths but I mean you
know the material works because it's I
mean it's absolutely 100% real and it
comes from I do you find it is easier to
I've heard longer so saying that that's
it's easier to be a bad guy you think
that's the case it's easier to get
people to boo you them is like as long
as you're getting the right I think I
think some guys are good at certain you
know roles you know I one of my trainers
told me that to truly be the villain you
you first must be truly loved no you
know and it's it's very Shakespearean
yeah because you you you need to turn it
all around and you know kind of stab him
in the heart
you know you once you once you really
have their attention and they really
love you yeah you know you
you can flip it it might be easier to
start you know it's easier to you know
kind of stick your tongue out of people
and yeah you know threaten them and give
them the booyah it is a little bit
difficult especially if you have like a
mohawk and tattoos get people to like
you
yeah but um it's different for everybody
I think I think I would agree with that
so it seems to mean more maybe if you do
start off as a good guy I mean it's hard
to keep guys you know good or bad for an
extended period of time you like my
Hogan turn back in the day yeah you've
been good for what better part of two
decades and you know career yeah the
same thing kind of goes with Brett did
the whole anti American thing I think it
means a little bit more if you can build
these guys up as good guys when they do
sorry it's kinda like you know I can't
believe he did that obviously I would
ask you a little bit about on the
Smackdown 10th anniversary DVD
you've grown up watching this stuff
what's some of your favorite moments
from that show I guess whether um you
know you were involved in it or not
because we're featured on their lot and
this is the funny thing they anytime
there's a new DVD you know they want
certain people to come in and talk about
it okay I don't know why I always get
picked
apparently I must be doing good answers
I must but the thing was they rattle off
all these he's uh you know when you
remember this moment do you remember
this one okay and the thing about it was
when Smackdown started I was already
wrestling okay and I was gone like I
mean you know all the time so I would
never actually well I don't remember
half that stuff you know they're telling
me things that happened and I was like
wow ya know and I'm watching it for the
first time and I have to like comment on
it yeah right like yeah I remember that
when I watched it three seconds ago it
was great so now you know the secret
yeah yeah my my Smackdown moments cuz I
was I would always go out of my way to
watch anything and everything
yeah yeah because Eddie Eddie was
awesome so that to me that Smackdown
Smackdown was always like Ray and Eddie
shows in one error that sticks out to
you that was your frenemy did you like
the Hogan error I mean like the new
generation a lot of people still point
back to the Attitude Era yeah but you
know like I said earlier you know I
started wrestling in 97 so that was deep
into the Attitude Era to me I think the
era and I don't even know if you'd have
a name for it but like the the Bret and
Shawn era yeah you know I mean Vince was
indicted by the government on this wacky
steroid charge so all of a sudden he he
pushed to the forefront guys that
ultimately were you know they're my size
they you know and I saw myself on this
one yeah do you know and that's sort of
how the evolution of how I got into it
you know came to be and you know my
favorite restaurant is Japanese
wrestling I just know guys love the
style I love it I was presented as a
sport as a hard hard-hitting you know
I'm in a tight no sport and so you know
once once I got into wrestling outside
of the WWE I just kind of devoured
everything and you know I toured England
extensively went to Japan for a couple
different companies a bunch of different
times did Puerto Rico you know and I
just kind of soaked up everything from
everywhere I go it seems like in terms
of your style because it is very unique
especially your in-ring work you kind of
came about the right time and stuff like
I'm amazed you know taking off and you
use a lot of locks and kicks and stuff
like that it seemed like you know really
came together at the right time it's
tough just outside of wrestling that was
going on yeah now I'm gonna ask you I'm
sure everybody asks you what the CM
stands for I'm not gonna ask me to get
that way if it does stand for anything
but what's either the best story maybe a
fan is told you they thought I stood for
what's one of the best inner just made
up kind of throwaway line there's always
are some good signs in the crowd you
know I can't really say what they mean
you know what they say because it's
pretty not PG but they're you know the
fans are rather creative you know making
sign you don't say
championship material and all kinds of
things about monkeys now all kinds of
other stuff thank you
so you're kind of see that when you're
in there just kind of luck and be like
oh that's a new one you know yeah I
think it's hilarious
nothing beats that you know you know
real quick before I let you go any guy
from any area you wish you could have
faced whether you know current that guy
on the roster you even squared off the
end or someone from back in the day
anybody come to mind around Harley Race
you know without a doubt yeah like I
love to wrestle like good 19 necessarily
1974 Harley Race
yeah I was talking to someone earlier
today you and stone cold especially with
you know your kid if he would have been
there shoot what I mean
a man he's dead
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