Wrestler

I was brought up knowing that you have to make a living.

When I was a little kid, WWF was all I had access to. After a year or two when I found the indies and could watch wrestling live, it was just as big a deal to me as WWF.

That always catches you by surprise, you know, the amount of inspiration, should you choose to, that you can give to people.

I have not held a singles title in New Japan or Ring of Honor, whether that's the TV title or the world title or something else.

It's been pretty wild, but the teaching schedule is a pretty awesome fit for wrestling. No weekends, all summer, and plenty of sick time.

When I signed with Ring of Honor, looking back now, I don't think I deserved it.

I feel like everything in my life has somehow just fallen into perfect place at the perfect time. I don't know how it happened. It's always like right at the point of my life about to fall apart, and then something amazing happens. I don't know how, but it happens.

I really don't feel like just going to WWE is the absolute end-all, be-all in wrestling.

I want to have fun and I want to bring something new and fresh to fan's eyes and have it be something they enjoy, no matter where it is, no matter what capacity. To have an outlet for creativity. That's been my goal.

That first year I was in Ring of Honor, maybe it wasn't even a year, I was wearing the trucker hat thing and wearing John Deere stuff because I felt like part of what made me different from a lot of guys was that I was kind of a good ol' boy and a southern type of guy.

I had a cousin who dated someone in CWF, so I was traveling to shows by age 10 or 11. I got to work with them later after I started wrestling, and it was awesome.

My life did a 180 when I joined Bullet Club. Joining Bullet Club opened the door to New Japan for me. It made me more valuable.

When I was 19 or 20 years old, I wasn't making a living wrestling. I needed a full-time income.

As a wrestler, sometimes I'm fortunate with some free time.

I was a high school teacher when I joined Bullet Club and started going to Japan.

Doing comedy stuff is maybe more fun, but maybe the serious stuff is a little bit more rewarding.

I found out I was joining Bullet Club and going to New Japan and had probably two or three weeks to get ready for that.

When I signed with Ring of Honor, looking back now, I don't think I deserved it.

For the past, I guess, three years or so when I joined Bullet Club and as a member of The Elite, I was honestly kind of in the shadow of all of my friends.

Around Christmas time, I passed by a Hot Topic at the mall. They had the Christmas decorations up in the front of the store with AC/DC and Metallica, Harry Potter, Star Wars and Bullet Club. So, we are certainly a part of pop culture.