Omos Reveals WWE Hall Of Famer Helped Calm Him Before WrestleMania Debut
Former Raw Tag Team Champion Omos sat down in a recent interview with Barstool Sports' Brandon Walker. During the interview, Omos reflected on his first year with the WWE and what he's learned.
"It's been a lot, but I'm just taking it one day at a time and just absorbing every moment," says Omos. "Cause, this is on [me]. I'm learning a lot from AJ [Styles], just listening to him and making sure I'm very present in the moment."
Omos would later go on to discuss his pairing with AJ Styles. He reveals it was a random decision and that he had only wrestled singles matches until that point and that he had to learn about tag team wrestling.
"Pretty much all my training at PC all I did was singles [matches]," shared Omos. "And when I came up [to the main roster], it was like, 'Okay, you're doing tag team now.' So, it was an adjustment mentally for me, and having to learn different spots and when to come in, and hot tags. It was just different. But I've been learning a lot these last four months, so I think I'm getting a hang of it now.
"I think one of the hardest matches we did was the Money In The Bank with the Viking Raiders. That was really challenging for me, but after that it was just like, 'Oh, I get it now. I get the tag team. I can do the spots.' So, yeah."
The 7 foot and 3 inches man also discussed making his WrestleMania debut. He mentions that he had gone to college at University of South Florida in Tampa, so the event was kind of a homecoming for him. He then revealed that being in front of the crowd for the first time was a bit overwhelming for him at first.
"For me, it was insane," Omos quickly answered. "I went to college in Tampa, I went to USF. Going back there, performing on the stage, the first time I came out, the first time the superstars came out, I was so overwhelmed with emotions that Kevin Nash saw me in the hallway and had to bring me down to earth. My emotions were so [motions upward] up here. Because I had never felt anything like that. When I got brought up, it was the ThunderDome, which was fine there. I got used to it. I didn't know the experience of being on T.V. and doing live shows.
"Once I got to Mania, that first audience interaction was insane. Then after going out with the New Day, Xavier Woods and Kofi [Kingston]. But going out there and having that match, and the way that match played out, and you know me, becoming champion on my debut. I just felt goosebumps on my back. And when I [went] out there, I felt the whole energy of the arena come down in there. It was almost like an out of body experience. I could see myself, and everything was so slow. It was magical."
Omos went on to say that basketball crowds in the NCAA do not even compare to wrestling crowds. He goes on to say that wrestling crowds are some of the best in the world.
"I was telling all my basketball friends in tournaments in the NCAA, there's nothing better than wrestling crowds," says Omos. "That is the top of the line. You can hit the game-winning shot and everyone is cheering. But, coming to a wrestling event and hearing the fans go crazy and boo, all that stuff. You just take all of that in, it's just magical. I'm getting chills just thinking about it."
If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit Rasslin' With Brandon F. Walker with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.