By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
The Two Man Power Trip of Wrestling Podcast with EC3
Host: JP John Poz
Twitter: @TwoManPowerTrip
Website: www.tmptempire.com
Interview available at Tmptow.podomatic.com
Whether he thinks Control Your Narrative would have grown too quickly: “I think it added too much pressure early (Braun Strowman’s name value being added to Control Your Narrative). So everything happened the way it should have happened. When you have a high level, you know, former main eventer, former worlds champion, you have that pressure to do something immediately and the infrastructure, like I said, wasn’t prepared or ready, so I’m very happy he’s happy, we’re pals, everything is good. I think we would have grown too quickly and probably collapsed under our own weight if things went on as they did too. Just based on that name value and what it attracted that we needed a foundation before we have anything and if we have a struggling foundation but a giant mantlepiece on top of it, dude’s big, it’s gonna crumble.”
On the possibility of returning to WWE: “I guess it’s an internal conversation and it would just depend on the means and the plans so, I would never say never, I would not say no (to a WWE return). But I’m not gonna go, yep! I think about it all the time and it’s not happening because that would manifest failure, which I don’t, so considering, I would consider any option and there’s no ill will or bad blood there.”
His new Co-Op: “ I’m sitting in the future home of the CYN Cooperative. Like CYN was never supposed to be a promotion. It was always supposed to be an idea. Manifestation like minds, talents, becoming your greater self through the art of professional wrestling. So I’m in Cleveland, Ohio. I will have an, I don’t wanna call it a school. Everyone, anyone can have a school. What I have is a cooperative. That’s exciting to take people under my wing, you know, in a way like, because it’s not like I’m Vince Lombardi yet, you know? Because I’m still playing at an extremely high level. I kind of see myself as a master chief in the Navy Seals where I’m gonna train you, I’m gonna drill you, I’m gonna make you better. But also when the time comes, I’m gonna have to lead you in battle. So that’s my position. It’s not a school. Obviously, that’s not my way in the way everyone else does them.”
On CYN: “As a leader, I take responsibility for that because a lot of people saw the opportunity to do things the way things have been done, or they think they’ve been done and make it into something that it wasn’t supposed to be. So when we have, you know, high level names attached and we have a television deal, allegedly, that people get involved that are pushing forward to do things of the status quo, like we should be a promotion. We should have a tour. Yeah, we should. We could, but we have no infrastructure too, if I’m the only one that does anything on that level. So misguided ambition. And you know, when you have something that seems like people can profit off it, people will come out of the woodwork and stick their fingers in it. And I allowed that to happen. So, the idea of a promotion never intrigued me to be a three letter brand, but within this complex I’m building, I do believe wrestling will take place, filmed, televised in front of fans, but it’ll not be under the CYN banner.”
Velveteen Dream: “He’s got his own issues, you know, mentally, I guess. I don’t want to harp on old things, but you know, there was a story where he set up a camera in my bathroom at a party and people peed, and you know, it was recording, it was weird. So I did say that on a podcast once and he fired back, rightfully so. And then, I don’t know, he made me look awesome talking about how cool I am to hang out with, and, you know, I was a party animal that all the chicks loved. I mean, ouch, bro. That hurt… It’s dumb, it’s stupid. I’m not into regrettable past actions. I hope he finds happiness. I hope he finds the best. And if there wasn’t so many issues surrounding legal stuff, I would love to wrestle him. It’s really about like in a mental health age, I do hope he finds peace and happiness and you know, help, if he needs it. Extremely talented, very gifted. You know, I don’t know what that means now. That’s life, unfortunately.”
On the NWA: “I could be the world’s heavyweight champion, I think it would be quite an accolade to become a final version of myself as a three-time world’s heavyweight champion. I think NWA is poised and ready and can be built from the ground up. You know, I’ve been in scenarios before, especially with Impact on, you know, the legend. Like everything was changing where I had to be the focal point in the focus and you know, carry a burden, I guess, and I’m prepared to do that again, but I now have the experience. I can do it. I want to build NWA. I think there’s a plethora of potential to provide something conducive, coherent, and different than everything else, but not different in a sense. It’s so absurd and obscure, but just focus on character and you know, the realism that we can get out of professional wrestling, I think.”
On AEW: “I have interest in anything that would be conducive to business and product. You hear things about like, I would have a conversation with anybody literally, and I think it would be a good conversation. And the fact I’m a better wrestler than everybody too doesn’t hurt. Well, I do less moves and I win more matches. That makes me better. Think about the efficiency rating I have. Doing less and getting more is life’s goal. You know? No wasted effort, no expended energy. You maximize your minutes. I can make that place into a relevant hostile war zone of insanity with a live microphone. I can do that for sure.”
Being released by WWE: “I think one thing that I’ve grown out of is the tired mentality, and I think a lot of people within wrestling carry this resentment. Being released for the first time. I won’t lie and say that I had a vendetta to prove people wrong was not one of my main motivations, and which drove me to great levels of success becoming EC3, becoming a two-time world heavyweight champion, carrying a promotion on my back. Having that ability, which never would’ve happened if I didn’t get released. So I would not be who I am, and I’m very happy with who I am. Looking back on that, it was an awful run. It was not good. I had a terrible run. Started bad, it got worse, and then I had a really bad concussion. Then there was a pandemic that, you know, a lot of people lost their jobs during, so could it have been better? Yes. If it was better, would I be in this position? Who knows? I don’t carry resentment. I can only accept blame and accountability for myself for not doing what probably would’ve been necessary to succeed in that place at that time, which I didn’t do.”
Other topics include CYN, the rant room, the “TV” deal, where it stands right now, his new cooperative, Braun Strowman, TNA, Impact, Dixie Carter, EC3 the gimmick, NWA, Billy Corgan, NXT, Triple H, WWE, Vince McMahon, AEW, Velveteen Dream, and more. H/T to POST Wrestling for partial transcriptions.
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