By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
PWMania interview with guest Jack Evans
Host: Brett Deutchman
Interview available at PWMania.com
Creating his catchphrase: “I had joined the show Mat Rats and when they found out I could breakdance, they wanted to give me a Malibu’s Most Wanted gimmick. So I had that ‘yo yo yo wuzzup’ thing going, but it was just so over the top and cheesy. So I tried to take the gimmick and still have it be funny but also cool. I was like ‘I just wanna be Smokey.’ ROH wasn’t gonna let me come out with a blunt though, so I incorporated Smokey into my character with that catchphrase. What’s funny is a lot of younger fans think ‘And you know this, man!’ is a Jack Evans quote because they haven’t seen Friday. And my girl actually loves Friday, even though she hates American comedies.”
On his best moments in Ring of Honor: “Teaming with Generation Next was a really good time. But overall, it was just a fun locker room to hang out in. The thing is though, because it was ROH, there was a lot of pressure to put on a great show, or else Gabe [Sapolsky] wouldn’t be happy. Gabe was usually a nice guy but there were certain spots or angles that you could not mess up or he would spaz out. And when that would happen, he’d become the most intimidating person in the world, especially if it was a Japanese fly-in where they spent a lot of money.”
What keeps him going: “Honestly, one of the things that has motivated me recently was my AEW stint. I didn’t do as well there as I could have, but nonetheless, I was grateful for the experience. I don’t know how likely it is that I’ll be back there, even though I would love to. It’s a very sought-after promotion that everyone’s trying to go to.”
Other topics include his time in ROH, what he’s been up to recently, and more.
Problem for a specialist wrestler like him is that his athletic ability is a shell of what it was ten years ago. Between his guest appearances in TNA and what he did in AEW it was hard to believe that it was the same guy. Without the over-the-top flashy movesets there isn’t a lot of additional substance that makes him stand out.