Keith Lee Thought He Would Actually Have To Fight Top WWE Star

Keith Lee was a recent guest on Talk Is Jericho where he recalled getting to work with Roman Reigns at Survivor Series 2019. He believes that the crowd reaction at the time got the company interested in him.

"I don't think they expected what happened, with the crowd and the response and all that stuff. I don't think they expected the composure and the control of the people," he said. "And I'll be honest, I don't think I expected it when you're standing in there with that company's two kings. They'll plug it into your brain, 'these audiences are completely different. NXT and the main roster are not the same.'

"I'm like, cool. 'We got to get you over,' and I'm like, 'yeah, let's do what we've got to do.' Then their entire crowd is singing, 'bask in his glory,' to their dismay. And I think that is maybe something that started piquing their interest in bringing me up. But at the end of the day, the thing about that and the Rumble with Brock, it was me being me."

Keith Lee then reflected on his Royal Rumble spot with Brock Lesnar. The Limitless One didn't learn about it until two hours before the show, revealing there was a meeting beforehand to put it all together for the Beast.

"I didn't even know that I was in the Rumble until two hours before the Rumble. They bring in a bunch of people, the entire locker room is full. You're like, 'oh god, I don't want to be in the way, I don't want to take up space from these guys that are here normally. Keep your back against the wall.'

"Then you find out that you're on, and you're like, 'okay, here we go, I don't what's going on.' Then they start sorting out everything, there's a meeting because the Rumble is basically built around Brock. I got to chat with him and everything, we kind of sorted things out. I know that they wanted a moment, and I think that moment was probably between myself and Riddle, but Riddle had heat with him at the time. So they gave it to me."

Keith Lee claimed that Brock Lesnar agreed to a lot of ideas before the show. However, in the ring, he then went against all of that, which led to Keith being ready to fight.

"We didn't do a lot," he said on his work with Brock. "Just from the walk down, and here's what made it. This Rumble happens and everyone's got these ideas. And Brock is like, 'yeah, awesome, sure thing.' Then the bell rings and he is just chucking people. 'Whatever you said you wanted to do doesn't matter anymore because either I don't remember or I don't care.' I was in the back like, 'oh, that's not what they said, I am going to have to fight him because I am not about to lose my shit.'

"My walk out, I had taped up because Undisputed Era had jammed up my ankle the week prior, and I'm like, 'I've got to do this story.' So I am taped up, but I am so adrenaline hyped, like, I am going to have to fight this guy that I am walking down there not selling a thing. So that walk wasn't about the Rumble, it was about, 'I am going to fight this guy.'

"Then I get there and it's like, no, he wants to work, okay. Tell him it's done and make it a show.' He could feel it, he is big selling me coming down and stuff. I'm like, 'that guy just did more for me in four seconds than just about anybody can.'"

Keith Lee also recalled how his, 'bask in my glory' phrase began. This was all down to a conversation from Dusty Rhodes. He also revealed an emotional moment that he shared with Cody Rhodes about it.

"Dusty chatted with me, and he was like, 'Listen, you're a completely different guy on the mic now. I know I've given you shit over the years, but the guy you are now has an aura that I can bask in.' I'm like, 'that's so cool to hear after being told I suck, and then I only suck a little bit a few years ago.' He's like, 'take it and do with it what you will,'" he revealed. "I was like, 'bask in my glory is going to be my new thing,' he's like, 'awesome.'

"The best thing about it — I never got to talk to Dustin about it, but one of my final bits of matches was for a promotion up in the North East of course. And I faced Cody. Mind you, Cody messed himself up a couple of times in this match. But when the match was over, I literally took the mic and told him this story. It was a really special moment to share that with him."

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit Talk Is Jericho with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.