Wrestler

Wrestling is not only my job, it's my life, so when I wasn't able to wrestle, I didn't know what to do with myself.

I had a tryout when I was, like, 19 and totally not prepared. I was 170 pounds with homemade gear. At that point, I realized how far I had to go to even get looked at. Then, when I was 22 or 23, I was much more prepared, and that second tryout went way better.

When you're an independent wrestler, committing a lot of time and effort into honing your craft as much as possible in as many different places as possible will catch the WWE's interest as far as the independent level goes.

For me, travel is one of the biggest perks of pro wrestling. You get to see the world on somebody else's dime.

I think the guys who have been on NXT and got to go to 'RAW' or 'SmackDown' got the full experience. That's what I want.

Any time guys move to 'Raw' and 'SmackDown,' I think that is what has kept NXT so relevant and has kept the fans so invested because they are now conditioned that whoever leaves or comes in, NXT, as a product, is going to give really exciting sports entertainment every time.

I've been really lucky over the years with my health. To me, one major surgery at 27 years old isn't so bad considering my line of work.

When you say the word 'undisputed,' what do you think of? You think of something that is untouchable, undeniable. Myself, Bobby Fish, and Kyle O'Reilly are all of those things.

I was a 19 year old kid; I was 170 lbs soaking wet. I didn't have an identity. I didn't have a look. I didn't have the proper gear. I was just a young guy trying to be a wrestler. So, to be honest, WWE didn't even give me a second look.

I do feel in 2018 that pro wrestling has gone in such a different direction. Before, things were so black and white; now, it's shades of grey. It's not so much good guys and bad guys: there are people who are put in situations who do the right or wrong things, but people react to them like they are stars.

If I was to tell you that I don't want to have a Wrestlemania moment someday, I would 100% be lying to you.

My two main trainers were John Dahmer and DJ Hyde. DJ Hyde mainly taught me how to be tough: I mean, the beatings that he used to give the students as far as wrestling initiations go were as tough as they come, and I'm thankful for it.

I've said this before, and I'll say this again: NXT is like a rock concert, roller coaster ride.

I'm really close with Sami Zayn.

There is nothing that makes me more falsely arrogant, like, wanting to defend myself, than a TSA agent.

I was a 19 year old kid; I was 170 lbs soaking wet. I didn't have an identity. I didn't have a look. I didn't have the proper gear. I was just a young guy trying to be a wrestler. So, to be honest, WWE didn't even give me a second look.

I loved working with Jim Cornette.

I would love, love, love, love a one-on-one match with Tanahashi, and I've never had one before. He's my all-time favorite New Japan guy. I think the guy's a rockstar. He's so cool, just in the ring and in person.

The first time I won the Ring of Honor World Championship, I was a kid - I was 23 years old.

Bobby Fish and Kyle O'Reilly are seriously like brothers to me.