EC3 Talks About Winning The TNA World Title, Seth Rollins Congratulating Him, His Post Match Promo
New TNA World Champion EC3 spoke to Busted Open Radio recently about becoming the new champion, and how his life has been since winning it. You can read highlights below:
Becoming TNA Champion:
"Well I do have a heart but it's pumped black full of panda-energy oil. I can take you on a trip down memory lane ? First off, I know that this was built as a Slammiversary match but unfortunately circumstances negated that and we were kinda in a lose-lose situation because if we did it at Slammiversary but filmed TV prior ? you know, it weird, but it did work out. It worked out great, I think Bell-to-Bell was our best show that we've had in a very long time. Everyone killed it on that show, it was great? great matches. The match with Kurt was perfect for what we were doing. It told the perfect story. It was my dream match as a kid to have and to have it for a World Championship was out of control and surreal. I mean, there was some definite knocks on the way, it's been a long journey to get any sort of vindication for success, there's been personal and professional ales that I've had to but I'm here and it's AWESOME."
Staying motivated as a pro wrestler:
"I kind of live my life by a motto, and whether it's in wrestling or it's in relationships with crazy ex-girlfriends or it's any sort of, you know, people who spite me along the way ? "It's not over, until I win". It is not over until I win and I will do everything in my being to prove people wrong. So, it wasn't over until I won. I won. But now it's just getting started. People think it's like a death sentence to be released from WWE, when in fact there are plenty of places around the world to prove yourself? around the world to work and hopefully around the world to build up to be something special and build something great. TNA has afforded me that opportunity to just take the ball and kind of run with it and let me develop as a character, be myself and show who I truly am and I've hopefully repaid themby doing good work."
His post-match promo:
"It was immediately after [the match]. After a brain-rattling 15 German Suplexes and a lot of emotions unfolded. Before that promo took place, you know, cameras go off and my mom and dad were there? I brought them down to watch it. You're getting all misty-eyed with my black heart but you know, we had a nice moment there. Miss Natalie, my girlfriend, was there. She's seen me go through some s–t in the day and you walk back to a round of applause from the guys on the roster? the girls? everyone that works there. And I was like "Wow. Get back to work, guys". This is literally what I said and I completely regret it because it was such an emotional moment for me and I can't help but be an idiot when I speak out loud sometimes but that meant the world to me. If they endorse me, the people in the back, the majority of them, that's the justification I need. So, I am walking back because we're actually filming more TV that day and I still had a whole gamut of activities to do but I took a seat down and this camera showed up in my face. They asked me how it felt to be the new TNA World Champion. It was raw and emotional and I look back on it? I forgot that I did it probably immediately after but ? I look back on it and if it was a "wrestling promo" it may not have worked as much as, like, that was just me. And then it was like, "EC3 cuts expletive- ridden promo taking shots" and before I take any shots, WWE was really good to me for a long while and took care of me and taught me everything that I know and there is a lot of people that still to this day that I keep in touch with and good friends with and a lot of people are happy for me for succeeding elsewhere. There may be one or two guys that ended up being my death sentence there? one might not be there anymore ? but do I need the motivation? No. I've always had the motivation. But if you could add fire to a fire to make it a bigger fire that is what happened and like I said, it's not over until I win."
Who helped give EC3 his chance with TNA:
"Coming over, I was on NXT before NXT was cool and awesome, you know, it was a chop-shop game show, I was on the internet, it was throwaway. We did the redemption thing and nobody cared. It was whatever. Probably people, major players in the office never even watched it or barely looked at it. That's fine because they have better things to worry about. So I was at NXT then and John Gaburick was over in WWE and he's in the truck all the time and he's watching everything. When he came over to TNA, I was free and he immediately brought me in for a try out and next thing you know, I'm dropping Norv Fernum on his head and we're off to the races. He saw something ? a couple of other people vouched for me from over there to him and he brought me in and I was sort of his first "guy" to bring in and you know, regardless if I s–t the bed or didn't, he was going to be behind me because that's wrestling and you get behind "your guys" and give them every chance to succeed even if they fail. Fortunately, it was pretty good and successful thus far."
People from WWE congratulating him:
"You mentioned all those great people (Mick Foley, Seth Rollins) saying nice things and that meant the world to me. I'm a villain and I'm evil, but a lot of people kind of resonated with me personally and the journey I guess and especially with that promo. Foley? Wow. Jim Ross? Wow. And then Seth ? Seth's awesome. We came up similarly ? he was more of a "Super-Indy" while I was more of a guy trying to get signed because that's what I thought I'd be best at. We spent a lot of time at developmental together and we drove a little bit and we're pals but we're not the best of friends ? we're busy with our respective things but for him to be champion, and to say that, that meant a lot, I thought that took balls ? not really because he's the champ and he can do whatever he wants, as he should. It was very, very cool of him and I was just like, "Yeah, that's awesome, Seth. I hate the fact that I'm a year older than you though. Damnit!" No? he's great. He's doing a great job and he deserves every bit of success he's getting too."
Source: Busted Open Radio