It's a MizStory

his journey, and obviously his success speaks for himself. But we have and I'm gonna grant you the esteemed privilege of co host of How Men Think. Mr Mike mazzan in with us. Mike, what's that buddy? Hey, I'm doing very very good. I see how important I am to you guys. When Gavin DeGraw doesn't want to show up and no one else wants to show up, but you know what, we'll make this the best episode that has ever been created. And literally they'll be so mad that

they were not involved with this podcast. See. Here's the thing that is, here's the thing. I have to say that they didn't show up, but really, we gave them the boot so that we could have you. Yeah, but but they it's a good trade. It's a solid trade. It's a solid trade. They tune in. They're big fans of the show as well as participants in the show, so they're always listening. So I gotta give them a

shout out at home and make them feel good. But really, Tori, our producer, Tor and I, we just devised and hatch this little plan, like I get these guys out of here so we can get the MSS in here all by ourselves, all by ourselves. Dude, dude, I wanna. I'm I'm so fascinated by your story. Most people will know you from one of two things, from either reality TV or mostly from your success as a w w E

absolute superstar. You have literally one everything there is to win in the w w E that's true, and which is when is it you? It's funny you see you say that I'm more known for w w E like in two thousand five. Was not the case. Like when I got signed to w w E in two thousand five, six, seven eight, I was on the Real World. I did like five challenges. I was like on every reality show, fear Factor, you name it, and uh and literally anywhere I would go, it was always the real world, always

the real world. And then I would say probably in yeah, two ten, maybe maybe even a little bit after like two eleven twelve, that's when it started changing to more w w E than MTV or any type of reality. Um. Because two thousand ten you headline was it WrestleMania, you headline Wrestling and WrestleMania twenty seven against John Cena, the Rock comes out, helps you retain my title as a bad guy in the main event. To win and retain

the w w E Championship, it's absolutely unheard of. It just does not happen in w w E ever, and it happened that year, and it was luckily me of all people, and uh, it's one of the shining moments of my life. I love it. So I want to get more into this journey because that is I mean, winning that is that's the pinnacle of sports entertainment, right, that is that is the top of the mountain in the sports entertainment world. Winning the w w E Championship

is top. But then retaining it or winning it at WrestleMania in the main event, that's where it's at. UM. So I want to get to this. So you are because for our listeners, they see you, they see this ultimate success, and they don't see it and just see it in you. They'll see it in many people, especially on social media, on TV wherever. You see people's ultimate success, but you don't see the years and often decades of

the grind and the rise to that success. So I want to go back to the beginning for you, I mean reading through your bio. In high school, you were basketball and track and field, weren't you. I was in basketball, I was in cross country. I was captain of the baseball team, cross country team. I played every sport like I just loved competition. I loved being involved, uh in in team sports. I like the camaraderie in the locker room. And so yeah, I was really involved with any type

of sport. So the fascinating thing for me, though, is when I look at those two things. Okay, you did basketball, you did track and field or a cross country Um, I believe you were a swimmer too. He did some of that and then to rise to w w E UM superstar and champion of the world. Um, you didn't wrestle in high school? No, you didn't had a wrestling

You didn't like so that's the thing for me. I'm like, Wow, this guy achieved amazing things, but it was his journey that brought him to that achievement versus he wanted that from the get go. That was in high school. I went to Normandy High School, public school in uh in Parma, Ohio, and I, uh, I was involved with cross country. The reason why I wanted to do cross country was just to stay in shape for baseball and basketball. That's that was the number one goal. So I was cross country

just so I can stay in shape. And I liked I liked running, like, I really enjoyed it. And then with basketball. It's actually a funny story. The reason why I got involved with swimming was so basketball. My sophomore year, I was put on the varsity team, and uh then my junior year, I got cut from the team. How does that happen? Yeah, your sophomore year you make the varsity team, and then the junior year you don't. So I forget somebody off. Watch this so you'll see where

I get all my miss from. I go home and it's oh, my dad, I'm my dad. I like, I don't understand how I got cut. He goes, Oh, I know I knew you would. I go, what do you mean? He goes, Oh, I saw the coach out. I almost got a fight with him, and uh. I was like, man, I wonder if this is gonna affect that my son is playing for that coach and uh, well it did. Sorry, And so that so not basketball is in the season

of swimming and and wrestling. I had a choice. I'd always see the wrestlers like shaving weight, not eating so they can get lower. I was like, man, I don't want to do that, Like, there is no way I want to do that. So and I was a really good swimmer. So I went on the swim team and uh I became one of the best swimmers on the swim team. And uh that was my junior year. Then my senior year, that coach got fired. So I went and played basketball for my senior year and I made

the team. So I mean it just goes to show like my junior year I didn't make a team because my dad got me cutting. People when you tell that, like you say that story like okay, yeah, your dad got you cut, Like no, really, my father got me cut from the basketball team. And my senior year that coach got fired, and I got and another coach was on and I made the basketball team once get. So I mean that just goes to show and I was just I was the captain of the baseball team. So

I was always involved with sports. I never realized like I could be a w W superstar. I was a huge fan growing up. Like I loved Ultimate Warrior. I loved the energy, three clothes lines, splash, panting the stage. Well there's Spaceship with the rock pit fuel. I mean I could recite that promo verbatim. And so I was a huge fan. And uh, you know, I I would eat my vitamins because Hulk Hogan told me to eat my vitamins, and uh, but I never thought I could

do it. I mean, these guys were six five pounds of pure solid muscle and just ooze charisma. I mean, these were my heroes, and you never believe that you can be your heroes. So I I just went on with my life and just kind of didn't even think about it. The first time I thought that I wanted to be a w W E superstar was after the real world. The real world gave me the confidence to actually say, you know what, I could do anything. I

want with my life. If I sent my mind to it and I sacrifice everything, then I can do this. So when everyone else on the RAILAD was like, yeah, I want to be a VJ. I want to be a host, I want to be an actor, I want to be a model. I said, I want to be a w W superstar, and everybody laughed at me. Everyone was like, there is no way because at the time it was you had to be six five and like three pounds of pure solid muscle. And how is I gonna do it? I don't know. But I found a

school in um in Los Angele. I want to move to Los Angeles just because I when I when I look at something, I go all right, what are the tools that I need to be successful in this? And the tools are for w w E. I said, Okay, I need to get learned the art of professional wrestling.

There was an independent wrestling school called a Pro Wrestling that was associated with w w E. They weren't signed with w w E, but they had they had the opportunity to talk to w W and say, hey, we got this kid here and get you know my name in the mix. I guess you could say. So I started training there. When I moved to Los Angeles, then I started in acting at school because I was like, all right, what is w w E? W w E is not only athletically gifted, but you must be able to,

you know, tell a story. And how can I figure out how to tell a story? I went to acting classes and then I was like, it's a lot of improv. When you're on the microphone. You better know how to handle yourself on there. If someone says something you, you better be able to say something back really fast. So I went to Improv Olympics, where I learned the art of improv. And then UM I was also when I when I get off the Real World, Beau to Murray.

The production company that um that that produces the Real World sent us to like Sonoma State to learn how to talk in front of an audience. Now, I don't know if you remember Pedro from Real World San Francisco? Remember him? Here it was there was Puck and there was Pedro. Pedro what had HIV? He was HIV positive and he was basically showing the world what it was

like to live with being HIV positive. This guy created something I don't I don't think many people actually talk about this, but he would do speeches at colleges about his experience with being HIV positive, and then after that a lot of other real worlders would talk about their experiences to colleges, Like colleges would hire us to go to their school and talk. Because what is real world.

Real world is basically kind of like leaving your parents, leaving your family, leaving your friends and going somewhere like unknown and living somewhere different. We are experiences on the real world. And since kids in college where it was so huge with colleges, colleges would hire us to go and speak in front of an audience. So I used I utilized that saying, Okay, I can speak in front of a thousand people here, and if I can get this crowd motivated, then I can definitely get the w

w E crowd motivated. So it was basically my practice. So that's kind of where that all came about. Because also in in in your line of work in the w w E UM, you said, um, the ability to speak in front of people or to be witty, to be an engaging conversation with somebody that you're talking to, your competitor or your opponent, whatever, but also the ability to play to the crowd or to manipulate or interrogate or not interrogate, irritate the crowd. You know, like that

is such a really good irritating your crowd. Yeah, that that energy transaction from you to them, and that's kind of sometimes what UM Gavin does on our show, or like the polarity between Gavin and I resonates differently with our listeners, you know, so um the ability to either be a good guy and have the crowd behind you, or be the bad guy and just irritate the crap out of the crowd. Either way, you perk their interests and you have them invested in you. They are fans

of you, even though they might despise you. You have, of course, there's attention. You have the currency of their attention. Good. Yeah, I mean that's that's the whole thing about being a w w E superstar. You have to know how if an audience when you walk out and your entrance music hits and you hear crickets. You have to know how to get an audience behind you, whether they're booing you

or cheering you. You have to figure out a way and their tricks to it I mean, there are easy ways where you just say, you know, uh, if the fans are channing you suck, It's like I couldn't possibly suck. I'm not from Los Angeles and you're in Los Angeles. I mean that's an easy way. Those are easy ways, but then there's also the difficult ways where you just you kind of develop a character. And that's what I said.

You know what, I'm gonna be a character. I'm going to beat someone that literally you can you can be next door, like you could be your next door neighbor and you just can't stand him and you want to punch him in the face. I'm gonna be that guy that that you know, John Cena is gonna be able to punch me in the face for you, because I know you're not gonna be able to do that to your neighbor, but you can in visualize this face as your neighbor and let John Cena just punched it a

bunch of times. So I want to get into that. I'll dive into that right now because it's current, but I also want to get into what you said before and and the steps prior to getting to real world even and then the w W e. Um, but how do you? Because it's so much easier to want to be loved, Like as a professional athlete, playing at home is so much fun. When people are chanting your name, wearing your jersey and everybody is just loving on you.

It's I I also really enjoy when we go to Philadelphia or Pittsburgh and people who and you were getting spit on walking out of the bus into the arena, like people just hated you. That's also getting spit on is not fun. But um, people just hated you. That's also kind of fun to be the villain. But I, given the options, I'd rather play at home, you play, I would I would rather. I would rather be booed. And I think it derives from my dad. My dad

was always the type of person growing up. Whenever he would walk into the into the room, my dad would be like George is here, and be like, oh God. But they loved seeing him, love hearing but that the initial reaction was always ah, he's here, okay. Because my dad was loud, he was obnoxious, and but he has an infectious thing that you just want to be around

him and he's fun. But he's all I'll never forget that the initial reaction to people was always ah, and it's like that that that reaction in w W E like I am able to make sure that an audience absolutely despises me and that that like you say, you'd rather be playing for the home I'd rather be your biggest rivals team, like I would rather be the Cleveland Browns in Pittsburgh and and beat the hell out of

the Pittsburgh Steelers. That's what that, That's what thrives me getting food out of the building, being hated, uh and nothing like. So I'll give you for instance, yesterday it was my I think I think it was ten year anniversary of when I lost the United States Championship in Toronto, Canada to Breadth the hit Man Heart. And it was funny. It came up on Instagram and I was like, oh wow,

like I remember that. And the reason why I remember that is because I was the United States Champion and I when I lost, I never heard a happier crowd. I know, kids went home and talked about the moment that Breadth the hit Man Heart came back and beat the miss for the United States Championship in that arena. I guarantee there were people have moments that they will

remember for a lifetime. And that's a moment. It's a moment that I remember because I remember being a kid, like a ten year old kid, and wanting the sunglasses of Breath the Hitman Heart, and I, you know, every time he would come out in his entrance, he'd always give his sunglasses some lucky kid, and I was just wanting to be that kid. And then there I was in the middle of the ring getting a sharpshooter by Breadth the Hitman Heart, tapping out and hearing the crowd erupt.

And there is no bigger compliment to a bad guy than hearing the crowd erupt when you lose a title, and it's it's oh, it's been like my m O ever since I first started. Like when I won the w w E Championship, I cashed in this money in the bank contract where you could have a w w E Championship match anytime, anywhere, and I chose Randy Orton as the w W Champion, who was the biggest good

guy at the time. Everyone loved him. And it was just after he faced nine superstars and went through a gauntlet match and he's barely standing and I cashed him the money in the bank contract and I beat him and I'm ever forget. There was a little girl in the audience that had a face that they call her the angry miss Girl, and it's solidified my w W

E championship like that face. It was just like it was the meanest, maddest little girl face, like a pouty mean, I'm so mad at the miss face, and it was just it was perfect. I was like, great, and listening to this man, there's a there's a huge component in unselfishness in what you're doing. Oh yeah, Like I love what you said they're about Because breta hitman. Heart was Canadian, right, Yeah, so he win he wins it in Toronto. He was

beloved in Canada. Um. But the fact that you said that, the joy that you get out of allowing a favorite or whatever to to get that eruption from the crowd, it's got to be so internally fulfilling. In almost the quietest way, the cheer isn't for you, but in a way,

the cheer is for you. Yeah, there's no bigger like whenever you, as a bad guy are a champion, whether it's intercontinental, United States Tag Team or ww A. Your job is to be so despised, so hated that whenever you win that title, whenever you retain that title, the people are so angry when you do. So, when you finally lose those titles, the crowd goes electric and whoever beat you for that title is elevated because of what

you just did. And so that's where that's the art of where I guess, I play, where I go, Okay, this is my job. My job is to elevate this title so much that no matter who I lose, this title two is elevated more than they already are. Which is an incredibly unselfish thing when you actually really look at it. Yeah, it truly is, dude, it's it's truly an incredibly You win by it, to write like you in in in the grand scheme of things, you win career, successful, notoriety, fame,

finances everything. Um, so you win by it too, but it is laced with a huge sense of unselfishness. Um, take us to where, take our listeners to where this personality because this isn't this isn't the norm for a lot of people. They don't want to be the villain. You are the Emily, I believe amongst most people. UM, take us to where the myths, which is this w W E personality, this extreme personality, this business or villain.

Take us to how that is born and birth and how all of a sudden you have the insight like whoa, this is something that I can utilize to achieve a goal. So, UM, I tried out for the Real World back in gosh, it had been August of I would say, so a knowledge at this point right theta kai at Miami University of Ohio, and I was in my I was in my college fraternity in my room, and I was watching The Real World New Orleans, and a commercial came on and said, hey, do you want to try out for

the Real World? Now? Back then, it was The Real World, Survivor, Big Brother, Fear Factor. That's it. Those were all the and and that. That was all the reality shows that were out there. Now everyone has a reality show YouTube. There was no YouTube. There was no there was There was barely internet. There was no my Space, no Instagram, no Twitter, no social media, no nothing. Okay, we didn't have camera phones back then. By the way, you want to take something, it was a VHS tape on your shoulder.

So um, so it said try out. And so, you like, I would film a lot of stuff with my handheld VHS camera, always filming our parties, filming, you know whatever. And so I had a lot of tapes. So I edited up a tape. And by the way, editing, I'm not talking about going on my my my Apple like computer and doing it on you know whatever, you know program you had. We didn't have that note. I used a VHS um like uh, a VHS tape recorder and

then my camera. I inserted it into one into my VHS tape and you would press record on it and then press play and then stop and then fast forward it and then you'd have like little squiggles in between. I didn't It was the worst editing job you could possibly think of, but it worked. I sent in a like a two minute tape of just who I was, sit down interview, a little bit of splicing in between

of things that I've done. I put pictures on the on the cover of of the envelope of just me with all my friends, me with my family, and me with a bunch of girls, like whatever it was, you know that I thought would get their attention. So I I drew on it like kick me and so uh they did. I got a call a week later and it said, hey, gonna send you an application. We want you to fill it out. I thought maybe three or four pages, right, fifty pages asking everything and anything about

my life? You ask it and I wrote, and it took me a good three days to write. Great, because you want great answers. You want these answers that are like gonna spark something that they're gonna see and go, we need this guy. So I sent that back. Um, I got a call again and it was for a sit down interview, but not like this. There was no zoom, so I had to put the VHS camera on my TV. I had to have a speaker phone and they would ask me questions on the speaker phone and I would

speak to my VHS tape. Then I would take the tape out of the UH and send it to them. So that's how you kind of did. So I did two of those interviews. Then they had an in personal review. Now did they come to my own university of a hiole. No, they came to Detroit. So I had to drive four hours to Troy and do a sit down interview. By the way, I'm not gonna pay for any of this. This is all for free, because I thought I really

want to get on the show. And mind you, back then, sixty people tried out for this show, and all my friends were like, what's gonna stand you out? And I was like, I don't know, but I'm gonna make this show. I'm gonna get on this show. And so after the in person interview I'll never forget. I was trying to figure out how people cry on TV because I was like, why are people always crying on TV? This is so stupid,

so annoying. After that interview, I understood finally, I was like, oh wow, this is how people Actually, this is what people cry, because they just they dig into you. They want to talk about things that that you don't normally talk about. Like my parents got a divorce when I was in fifth grade. It never affected me. I looked at it like two Christmas is two birthdays. But they started in going in depth with it, saying like, you know, how do you think that affected your father, How did

that affect your mother? How did it affect you? And then you start thinking about these things and you go, well, I don't know, like, and then you start thinking about and you're like, oh, wow, this is how they get people to like cheer up a little bit. Now I didn't cry, but um, finally, uh they called me again. And now, by the way, this is August all the way until December. This is how this is all taking place. And now I don't know if I'm making the show

or not. But finally they call and say, hey, we're gonna put you with five other people in Palm Springs and only uh thirteen of you are going to make it to either the Real World or road Rules. And so they were like, well, which one would you rather be in? And I was like, oh, I'd much rather be on the real world and then I'll do the challenges and so that would be like doing road Rules until I'd have the real world and road Rules and it'd be great. And so uh so finally I went

to Palm Springs. And when I went there, it was the fakest thing I've ever seen in my life. Everyone was like as soon as you meet somebody, people were talking about like, uh, like whether they how how are they politically? Uh, do they believe in abortion or do they believe in uh you know, it was just it was things you would never talk to about with people and now and it wasn't the show being fake, it was the people being fake. But then we were there

for four days. So after the second day, people started getting real and people started acting how they normally would act. And I was like, oh, wow, this is what it's like. Because when I first got there, I was like, God, this is this sucks, like this isn't this isn't that fun. But then after after two days, I was like, Wow, this is something I need in my life, Like this

can teach me a lot about, you know, life. Because I was from Parmer, Ohio, I never I never ventured anywhere like, I never I never went to like New York City or l A like, but I always wanted to. And so this was my prospect of that. What's that. I love the dreamer aspect of that because I'm from a small rural community up in Canada as well. And

you have to have that dreamer aspect of that. The world is bigger than the place you currently live, yeah, and you have to have the confidence to know that you can actually do it, that you that. So everyone in my fraternity I was like, why are you trying out. Why why this Now? Granted they were still supportive, but they were kind of in denial that I was gonna make it. In my mind, I was making it. And it was funny because after the third after the third interview,

they started believing. They were like, dude, I think I might try out, And so the next year everyone was like trying out, you know, And it was funny. And Uh, I'll never forget. When I first got casted, I didn't know if I was going on the real world or if I was gonna be on road rules. They wouldn't tell me. So I flew to Staten Island and they gave me a pager. Yes back then, we had pagers, and they said, you're gonna get a page and you're gonna have to call this number and it's gonna tell

you where to go. So I went on this on the Saten Island ferry. Uh is where my PAGEOT told me to go. So I get I get on the ferry and I first meet up with I believe it was coral Uh and Uh, we have no idea where we're going. We don't know if we're gonna see the RV for being on rodals or We're gonna go into a house and be on the Real World. And it took me to Hudson and uh, that was the Real World house. And I was on the tenth season of the Real World back to New York. Was picked seven

strangers picked to live in a house. And it was a true dream come true. Now to go all the way back a half hour before where you asked me, where did the miss come from? The miss on the Real World? The reason I created the miss on the Real World was because I I wasn't comfortable. I hadn't I was saying the wrong things to everyone. I was bumping I was bumping heads with everyone in the house.

Nobody liked me, and I wasn't used to that because I used to being the person that everybody liked, believe it or not. Uh and uh, I just didn't understand. And I was saying the wrong things, doing the wrong things. You know. But I was like a sponge like I

wanted to learn. I wanted to know about, you know, these people and where they're from and what they're like, and what their lives were like and what they've been through and and nobody was giving me a chance until I started creating a character called the Miss, and the Miss didn't care what you thought. The Miss just said exactly what was in his head and exactly what was

on his mind. And normally I was drunk at the time, but everyone started liking the Miss, everyone started respecting the Miss, and all of a sudden, my roommates, my castmates, were starting to tell me like, Hey, do the miss, Hey do the miss? Hey do them is? And I was like, all right, all right, all right, I'll do the Miss. I'll do the Miss. I'll do the Miss. So the Miss was my coping mechanism for being on the real world and not being comfortable in an area where I

was at. And once I got off the real world, I started thinking, like what do I want to do now, Like I'll never forget. I went home to Parma, Ohio, and I looked myself in the mirror, and I said, what do you want to do with your life? And on my shelf was a Rock was the Rock action figure that my castimates got me. And I looked at that and I go, I want to be a w W superstar. So I go over to my computer. I go on Yahoo and I look up an independent wrestling school.

Found one in in Los Angeles, and from then on, I set my goal. I sacrificed. I was in pain all the time at my independent wrestling school I had, I was there was there were moments of doubt. There were moments where I didn't believe. There are moments was like, well, what am I gonna do with the rest of my life? But I kept going and kept fighting, and kept and

kept doing it. Like my first month of wrestling school, I broke my ankle and it was the only time I've ever broken anything in in in my career of wrestling. But imagine going and into wrestling school your first month, you break something and you're out for two months. But I said, you know what, this is just a minor setback. I used that time to find a trainer, find a nutritionist that can get me in shape while still having a broken ankle, but also going to acting school, improv school,

and still doing challenges. Because I wanted to get my name out there, I developed a T shirt line that people could go on. You know now you can get T shirts everywhere. Back then I was I was the first real worlder to put his name on a T shirt and have a logo, and people would I would literally be anyone that has those original miss T Miss T shirts, like I was packing those in. I made a website where you could buy them, and I was

the person packing it. I would go to the post office every day without like a hundred shirts sending them out like I did everything I possibly could to get w w e's attention. And uhh, And here's another thing. When I was on the Real World and doing challenges, I tried out for Tough Enough season two and they said I wasn't allowed to try out because I was already on MTV. Back then, you weren't allowed to be on two different reality shows. You could only be on one.

And MTV wouldn't allow me to be on Tough Enough until Tough Enough went to the c W where it was part of SmackDown. That was the first time that I was able to try out for Tough Enough. And I'll never forget. I was on the independent wrestling scene and I knew that if you go on Tough Enough, it's not looked it's like frowned upon. And as a w w E town like w W talent, like wrestlers, real wrestlers frowned upon it because you're cheating. You didn't.

You didn't like go to the territories. You didn't. You didn't. You weren't an independent wrestling scene. You weren't developing your skills and making it on your own. You were used using a reality show to get a contract that was bigger than half of the the w w WE superstars is contracting. So I remember calling a guy that I met and I asked him, I said, Hey, should I do this? And his name was Simon Dean and uh and the guy said, dude, you have a chance and

making a million dollars if you win this thing. It's a no brainer. I go yes, But I wan't respect and and and in my mind I didn't think about this like I didn't. I wasn't thinking about the money. I was thinking about the longevity of my career, because I know when people from tough enough go into w

w E, they don't make it. They don't make it because whether back then, it was a whole different mindset, whole different mentality in the locker room, and you were shipped out like you were you were you were cast aside as an outcast, and nobody wanted you there. And so in w w E, you have to be wanted there. So it was a million dollar tough Enough and I was asking Simon Dean if I should do this, and he's like, dude, you have a chance. When a million dollars,

that's it's it's a no brainer. Like who cares what everyone else thinks? It doesn't matter what other superstars take now, this is his mentality. Uh and a lot of other I knew going in to Tough Enough, I was gonna have hell to pay. But it was my way in the door to get to w W eight. And if you have if you have even an inch of that door open, you need to open it wide open. You need to just open that door as far as you possibly can. Dude, I love it that story. It's inspiring.

You're you're not You're a dreamer and a doer, and I think you have to be both in order to achieve success. You have to have a massive dream and then you have to take action. And you have done both of those. So I want to get into more of this, and also I want to get into your your personal success, because that's career success that we've seen for you, but also you are a husband and a father,

a family man. I want to get into a little bit of that right after this quick break back from break with Mike Zanan w w superstar achiever, dude of all things in the world. Um, I love I love your story, I love your hustle. I love people that one when I listen to your story. I love people that create circumstance in the world. And I always say that to two people, to my friends, people in my community. Create the life you want. And you're literally a living

example of that. You're in in university. You dropped out of that to pursue. You hustled and literally managed created the opportunity on real world. You use that to your advantage to literally create a w w E career. Um, I just think you're a shining example of somebody that creates circumstance in the world. Um. So I want to get funny, like you say that. It's like with w w E, Like I look at it and I still

think I'm not done. Like I'm still not where I want to be unless I am the poster child of w w E. I'm hosting every single show out there. I'm an animation. Like I look at the Rocks career and it's like my God and now now even John Cena, Like they are the biggest movie stars out there right now, Like they put butts in seats, people will pay tickets to see them in whatever movie they are, whatever they're doing,

like you want to know what it is that they're doing. Like, uh, now I'm a I'm the new host of a show called Cannonball on USA that's gonna come out this summer. And I was like, wow, now I'm hosting something. What else can I do? And then you know there's Miss and Mrs. My own reality show. And when I got miss and when when when Miss and Mrs Was presented to me, I said, I don't think I want to

do this. And the reason I said I didn't I didn't think I wanted to do this was because when you were back in the day, when you were on a reality show, you were the worst thing on TV, Like no one respected you. And when I was on the real world, I had no respect. I had to fight for everything I got. Nowadays, everything is a realit. They show Instagram's a reality show, YouTube's a reality show. Everyone knows everyone's life. But back then, you weren't allowed to be on any of that stuff. So I was

frowned upon, so I always have that stigma. Like I loved being on the real world. I love everything the real world gave to me. I think MTV and Beauty Murray for putting me on those shows, like, I wouldn't change anything, but I can't. I'm not gonna lie to you and say I was thrown. I was like, I don't know if I want to do miss and misses because of the real world, like the stigma that you get when you're on reality. I thought to get rid of that that reality stigma and hopefully make it cool

to be on reality. And then I realized I was like, you know what, I'm gonna do it because I'm gonna do what I want to do. It's something that I think. My family is interesting, my wife and my my dynamic is amazing. My daughters are absolutely incredible. They're the best

things I've ever done in my entire life. And I want to I want to show that, like I want to show what it is to be a hard working father, but not only that, be a hard worker in w w E and in in hosting whatever I have to host, whether it's Cannonball or an MTV reunion show, whatever it may be you know that I'm hosting. I want to make sure that people know, like, you can do it all. You can be a great father, but you can also do the job that you want to do and the

dreams that you want to pursue. Yes, I love it. And the same goes for a mother, same thing for a mother. You don't have to sacrifice personal or career for the other. You can achieve both. My wife is is living proof. She's still with w w E along like she was a w w E superstar as well. That's how we kind of met. And uh, I'll never forget when she first walked in. I was hosting a show called the deva search for w w E and it's like finding the next w w E, the woman's

w w E superstar. And she walked in and I was My mouth was to the floor because she was the most beautiful person I've ever seen. And then hearing her talk, she didn't speak English, she only spoke French, so I didn't even understand her the first year talking to her, and uh, she had me at at right away.

And um, and you know we've created this family and now watching her with our daughters, she hasn't stopped working, Like we're still filming Miss and Misses and making it the most entertaining, funny show that a family can watch each and every every every week. I mean, if you haven't seen it, definitely go watch Miss and Mrs on demand or on USA Network dot Com. I believe it's still on there and Hulu has it as well. Um you definitely want to, Uh definitely don't want to do that? Awesome?

UM So can I ask you this? And I ask you this out of one appreciation and to curiosity for myself, Sure, I believe that w w E superstars are better at using their platform and creating other opportunities outside of their profession or sport than any other professional sport out there. Better than way, better than hockey players, better than football players, better than basketball players, better than baseball players, um, race car drivers. It's almost unfair though, by saying that, because

we we utilize our audience. We we tell stories in in hockey, in basketball, and baseball, like when you're out in the court, you're out on the ring the rink, like you're not trying to create a story, you're trying to win at all costs. We we drive our w w E is all about story, larger than life characters and telling an incredible story, whether it's in the ring or outside the ring. And that's what we learned. Uh, you know, we're performers, like we only get one take.

We are alive, so if we fumble a word or stumble on something or get lost out there, like you're witnessing it. So I feel like that's a reason that that we excel at at almost everything because w W E is athletics, it's it's it's entertainment, it's it's Hollywood, it's acting, it's it's entertaining, you know what I mean. It's all these different things all wrapped up into one.

So when you put us in, say a movie like I'll never forget when I first did The Marine, I was a lead in a movie and I was like, oh my god. And the director couldn't believe the work ethic of of of me. And I was like, well, isn't everyone liked it? He goes absolutely not, because I wanted to make sure that, like this whole movie was derived was was revolving around my acting ability and my Thank goodness, I you I spent so much time in acting school because it led me to where I am

today and where I was with Marine three. So it's it's it's one of those things, like you know, we are incredibly hard working. We never take days off. We we we go year round. We don't make excuses if we we Sometimes we wrestle injured. I'm not saying hurt, I'm saying injured. Whether it's a bruise, whether it's a sprain, you know, we'll still go full force because that's the type of dedication it needs for our w w E audience.

These people pay a lot of money, hard earn money for their tickets, and we want to give them the show that they want and the show that they deserve. And w w E fans, I've been to a couple events. Um, because I also grew up loving it. I grew up loving it. My mom never let us watch it, but because she thought it was too violent, and then her son goes into professional hockey. We're fighting is legal, um Um. W w E fans are as rapid of fans as any sport or even more intense they are. Yeah, I

mean they're incredible. I mean if if we if we say something is cool, our w w E audience will literally say it's cool, uh and so, or if we say something terrible we at the same instance, like art, we have a very, very um loyal fan base. And that's the incredible part about it. Whether they hate me or they love me, they are incredibly loyal to me. I love it, my friend, UM love the topic for loyalty.

I just love to hear how being a family man, um, how that feels to you because you've had so much success. I've had success in my career. I'm not yet a father, but like, what is a being a husband and a family man like to you? And in relation or perspective to your career, what's that dance? Like hardest thing I've ever done in my life, really being a dad one hundred like to all like and I couldn't imagine if I was a single dad or to any single mother out there, like, I don't know how they do it.

My wife is the rock of this family and she keeps us all together and going and being a dad is the hardest thing because you worry all the time, like you want to be like you see you know, like say my daughter Monroe, she's too she jumps on everything, she tries to crawl on everything, like you keep her out of your vision for even a second. She's into something and you don't know what is and and you're

always like, oh my god, what will happen? But you also want to guide them, you want to teach them, you want to make sure that that that they're given everything that maybe you didn't have as a kid. And and these are all things that I think every parent goes through. And it's it's the toughest thing I've ever done. And I've been choke slammed by the Undertaker, you know, So I mean undertaker. Yeah, so I mean like I uh and but I'll tell you what, it's the most

rewarding thing I've ever done. To see my daughter's face when she is be when whenever I leave and she goes dad da dad da dad dad hug and then she just gives me a hug. It's it warms my heart, like, uh, in my heart. I didn't know there was that much love there until you know, you think it's there with your wife like you think. But once you have a daughter, and I don't know what it's like to have a son.

I have two daughters. But once you have a daughter, and then your second daughter like it just fills your heart with so much love, and you just want to make sure that you protect them and you give them everything they could possibly want. You always want to make them smile when they cry, and you try to use all these tricks to stop them from crying, and it's not working. It breaks your heart and nothing was ever

able to break my heart. Um, and my daughter, if I hear her like just cry for even a split second, it just breaks me. Dude. I have the ultimate respect for that. I admire. I admire anybody who's in a parent It's it's to me, I think the ultimate dream in my life one to get married and to to to have life beyond my own and serve and impact

that life. So I admire you as a parent. I also admire the the dance and the walk that you have done in your life as being a creator of circumstance, achieving your own career aspirations and dreams, and making the way for yourself. And also, and even more importantly, as you stated, being fulfilled and happy in a loving relationship and being a family man. You are a shining example, my friend. That's why I was so excited for this interview because some a lot of people believe you can

have one or the other. I can be successful at the cost of my um personal relationship, or I can have a great personal relationship at the cost of my career success and desires and aspirations and your living proof that that. But it's all It's all dedication, you know what I mean. Like, I am a dedicated husband and a dedicated father. No matter how many things I am doing at work. When I am home, I am there. I am present. I'm not on my phone. I'm not

instagramming or twittering, you know, I am. I am literally there and I'm present, and I am with my family as much as humanly possible. And trust me, as a w W superstar, we travel all over the world. Our seasons never end. And not only am I doing w W E, but I also have Cannonball, which I'm hosting. I have miss and Missus which I am my wife and I are executive producer, and we want to make sure that we are giving a television show that audiences

are going to love and enjoy. And on top of that, I'm still trying to be bigger and better at everything that I am doing. Yeah, I love it. Always happy, never satisfied. I love the hustle, my friend. Exactly, where can people find you? Where can our community are listeners that are inspired by you? Where can they connect with you? And where do you spend most of your your off time?

The time when you're there is no off time. But you can find me on Instagram at at Mike them Is as well as Twitter at Mike the m Is, and you can see me on the USA Network, uh for miss and Missus. It's my wife's and my family reality show. If you want something for the whole family that you can laugh at, that you can have fun with, then you definitely don't want to miss this show. And

also Cannonball is a new show. It's the biggest, wettest and wildest water sports competition that you will ever see. It's funny, it's fun I'm the host of it, and it comes out this summer on the USA Network as well. And then you can also find me on SmackDown Friday night, eight o'clock on Fox. Throwing is awesome. Drowing guys very much for having me, Um dude, I appreciate you so much. Best of best wishes to you, your wife and two daughters.

Stay safe, stay active, uh, and I can't wait to see what you do just as a fan, as a person transitioning from professional sports into other opportunities. You've been a guiding light for me and I'm gonna follow your story more. Um. And also, I just want to say I've always thought it was the coolest thing ever, the inter Continental Champion. I just I love me too. Intercontinental

title is my favorite title of all time. And it's amazing that I am like twenty days away from having the most days of having the intercontinental title ever in the history of w w E. And all I need is like twenty more days. I love it. My man. You know what I feel about you. I feel you've accomplished so much. But dude, I truly feel your your best days are still ahead. You will do more. And three I've got I've got a two year old and a seven month old, so my my, my best days

are definitely ahead of me. It's amazing. What a blessings. Man so much. I appreciate you being on the show. Thank you so much. Thank you. It's been awesome, buddy. That was awesome, man. And I just loved Mrs story. I love the success career wise, I love what he's created career wise, and I also love more the personal success that he's had and the father and the relationship that he's built and how he's um developed that side

of his life as his priority. And with that in mind, we have another special guest to us or with us, we have Spike van Briese in here to talk about a new show about love, about connection, about building a family. Um So, Spike, welcome to how Man Think. How are you my man? Well, thank you, thanks for having me. Um. By the way, your home office slash garage slash bunker is super clean, super tidy, and I'm like, kind of you're probably hoping you actually don't go back to work.

That looks like an amazing workspace. My brother's right. I can take the new normal this way. Um So, tell me a little bit about this new show that's coming out. So it's um new show on Fox. It's called Labor of Love. Give myself and all the listeners the low down on why we're tuning into this thing as soon as it comes out. Well, I think you know, Labor of Love was a labor of that was kind of born out of the question of what is the pathway to parenthood? In right, Like, I think that's really where

it came from. I think, Um, you know, so many unscripted series cover being a parent, but if you be coming one, they don't discuss that a lot, right like we we we it's kind of just set out there. So what we set out to do is it's kind of a national uh conversation that's shifting, I think, right, I think there was a place where it was all dependent upon your marital status and that kind of thing.

And I think what we really see Labor of Love being is a first and foremost a show that says everyone can have it all, um, and it doesn't matter your marital status, it doesn't matter, you know, you know what what what however you get that to that journey, you can do that and a lot of people are taking a lot of alternative roads to do this. So we have our leading lady, Christie Katzman, who is just an unbelievable UM woman. She is um. She has a

really successful career. Uh she graduated with her masters from Northwestern UM. Really smart really you know, just just building a great life. The one thing she found that she was missing when she turned forty was a baby, right, so she really set out that that that's something that that's something else that she wanted. And I think that a lot of women, um, and maybe and men too.

Is what we find out in the series is that a lot of women come to this point in their life where they go, oh, this, I gotta do this, this is this is it's time for me to do this and um, because because they we have biological clocks and and I think that's really what this show is about, is about one woman's journey to parenthood, to becoming a mother,

but also to find love. Right. I think that what we're trying to say is that we've all seen a lot of reality shows where everybody's looking for love, everybody's looking to you know, get married and proposals and all these things. But what we wanted to do was to say, I think that this show is really saying, let's go out there and find women that want to have it all, including love, including a baby, and those two things can be intermixed. Wow, it's it's yeah, yeah, but it's it's

I applaud you because it's a different conversation. Traditionally, they would say you have to find love, you know, then you can believe or then you can have the concept of a family and and modern life is a little bit different. You hear of single people adopting, you hear of just there's different ways to becoming a parent. You do not have to be traditionally married and in love to be a parent, to give love to another human being.

So I think I think the world is sort of challenging this quote unquote prerequisite of the traditional marriage to be a parent. Um. But I love that you're you guys are undertaking a journey to help what was the young lady's name, Christie Katzman Risty to help Christie with this in the pursuit of this. So what is the format of the show? So you have Christie and then you have gentlemen that are also in the same stage of life looking to find love and looking to build

a family exactly. I mean, I think that it's it's you know, I think that it mirrors a lot of similar kind of reality shows, dating shows. There's basically one woman, fifteen men. Um Uh, they are all. We've brought them to a location, We've kind of set them inside of this bubble um and we've had them pursue this conversation along with Will they find will is their chemistry, is

there a connection? Is all all those things. But but like I said, the big through line in the conversation is all about parenthood, what that means, about becoming a parent, what that means for Christie. But all so, what is just absolutely fascinating is what the men started to think about and how the men really started to think about what becoming a parent is and what that's all about. Can you touch on that, because I I really want to be a parent, Like that's that's in my grand

scheme of things. I did life goals in two thousand nine. I did a life goals thing and the very first goal I had was to be a loving husband and loving father. That for me is the ultimate destiny in life. Um. But I think there's a stereotype that men aren't as family oriented as women and it's more important to women to have kids. But I want to challenge that. I want to say, no, it just depends on the individual.

It's not gender related, it's individually related. Um. But the men that you're seeing are they like being a family man, being a father, having life beyond themselves their own? Is that one of the paramount values in their life? Or was not when they entered this and it has become that. I mean, yes, one of the what we needed to find were men that wanted to become fathers, right So setting out that was that was the that was the standard. We were like, look, this is you're coming into this show.

You know what this is all about. This is about you know what that's about. So, yes, they knew that that was part of it. I think what um, what they found out is that I think, like most of us, we think about yes, like you're saying, I would love to become a father, I would love to be a dad,

I would love all those things. I think that when you are put into an environment where that is what you start to think about and that is the discussion that you're having, what we saw in what You'll see is that that conversation starts to get a lot more real, it starts to get a lot bigger. So I think that that was you know, one of the things that I said to them while we were interviewing them to come onto the show is because all of them are

very successful. Right there. We have a Harvard doctor, we have a WOW CEO, a guy from Yale, like just really businessmen people that you know, really successful guys that that. And I said to them, what is it? How much time and effort have you put into your careers, into your education, into your businesses? And they were, you know, it's night and day, right. And then I said how much thought have you put into about becoming a father? Right? And that was kind of the cold water moment for them,

because yes, we think about it. But what they really got asked in this journey was to go, this is this is all you're thinking about. I'm taking your phones, I'm taking to your devices. This is the conversation that you guys are going to be in and it really it gets very real, real fast for that. I really I'm excited to tune into this. UM. Just today, Spike, just today, I've spoke to two friends, UM, two of my best friends, and one found out that they were

pregnant today, pregnant with their first UM. As soon as I woke up, I got the text message from my buddy and it was just a pregnancy test that said pregnant. UM. So that was just this morning. And I spoke to another friend, a guy that I played a decade with professional hockey, and he's awaiting his second baby about a month from now. So it's been the timing of this podcast is amazing. The timing of this show is so relevant.

And then when I was fishing this morning at my lake house and I was fishing, I was just thinking about Um, yesterday there was a father and a son who pulled into our bay here and this dad was fishing with his son and they caught a fish right in front of my bay. And I was watching this and I was talking to these guys. And my dad grew up taking me fish. I grew up with my dad taking me fishing. It was something that I shared with my father and I Instagram story that I was like,

this is life goals. A father out in the boat teaching his son, sharing the experience with his son um to fish, and I was just like, that is life goals. To me. That is so fulfilling and rewarding. And I so look forward to that day. Um. So I'm excited to see other men along this same sort of journey, and it's starting to become more real in my life. Like the pursuit of also the pursuit of want to be wanting to be a father is one thing, but then the actual like like, when I spoke with my

friend this morning. I'm not going to mention his name because everybody doesn't always they're pregnant yet, but um, when I spoke with him this morning, I was like, he was so like excited and jittery and terrified and nervous and just like everything because like the pursuit of it is easy, and then the stepping into becoming a father. Wow, the realization of dreams, real big dreams is sometimes scary. So I'm excited to see like the journey that these

men go on, and then excited to see at the end. Um, does this common bond of values of being wanting to be a parent, does that actually lead to more intimacy and connection with with the lady? Like maybe maybe the intimacy or maybe the connection and chemistry isn't strong or is strong right off the get going, but maybe the shared common values leads to furthering a connection. I don't know, it's funny that you say that too, because I think that what you get and and look, I love reality

dating shows obviously, I think that they're great. I think that that you know, there's so many really great ones out that they're super entertaining but I think that what we have with Labor of Love is that you usually watch two people pursue each other on their chemistry, on how they feel, and all those things adds a whole other layer of steaks. Right, So no longer you just king at this person to go you know, I'm attracted to them. They seem to like some of the same

things that I like. This is more of like you're looking at their each looking at each other and going is this a good is it? Would this be a good partner first of all? Right? And second or first of all parent and then second of all partner, Like can I bond with this person and and raise a

child together? Which I think is you know, that's that's got a lot of steaks in it, right, Like you are choosy and you're really thinking about it, and you're asking questions that you normally wouldn't ask, right, Like you're you're getting to the to the depth pretty quickly. Yeah, wow, I can't wait. I gotta tune into this. So um

oh Tori, which producer Tori has a question. Well, in the first episode, we see them get their seamen tested, So was that something not done prior to them going on like when they see guys get sent home right off the bat because of that. Um, well, I'm not going to give anything away, right, um. I think that when we did that, that that's a dent um um authentic. It was one of the scariest things I've done in my career because you know, you go into a network

meeting and you promise a lot. This is not giving a problem. On the day, I realized when I had the trucks pull up, I didn't know what they were going to do, and I was willing to. You know, look, if they were gonna bail, they were going to bail. But having you know, grown men on national television go give a sample, um, I was. I was in My heart was pounding. I didn't know what they would do. But because men are men, as soon as one went, the other guys were a little bit like you know,

they they straighten their neck. They jumped right into it. And what it really told me out of the gate is that they were all there for the right reasons, that they all wanted this, and it's you know, but man, I don't know if I could do it, to be honest, you out, I don't know, But I guess if it's part of the process. And like you said, I think that right there is a good filter, that's a good that's a good barrier to entry. Is like, Okay, somebody

not here for the right reasons. I'm not going to subject myself to this, but somebody they're truthfully seeking out a true partnership and to become a parent. They're like, Okay, that's that's what it takes. Let's go line me up. Yeah. Do you see any of these dad's being stay at home dad's or were these all men who are just kind of working towards being somebody that could fit the raising a baby roll. I think what you find out

good question, Tory. I think that what you find out during it is that it becomes a conversation, right like it's not it. That's what I like about this. The rule books are kind of thrown out. I think that that Christie and the men all had those different conversations to go, what would we want? How would it work? Right? Like? What what? And then you really see two people instead of going you know, look, you're super cute, blue looks

really nice on you, blah blah blah. Right, you know, honeymoon, you see two people start working it out from a place of going, how do we want to do this? Like your career is super important to you, My career super importance to me like that, and all of those conversations come come up. I'm a single dad and and

I love it, right like, it's that's my journey. And it's been like co parent really well with with my mother's uh, with my daughter's mother, and we have a we have just an amazing relationship and you know, we both just love our daughters so much and and but that's how that's our journey and that's how we worked it out. That takes a lot of communication, that takes a lot of you know, how is this gonna work? Like she's she's you know, we're in this whole thing.

She's been accepted into a couple of really amazing private schools.

She really wants to go to public. Like there's a lot of conversations that we're talking about that you know, we work out as a family now because she's going to be fourteen and god week and a half, And it almost makes me tear up telling man like because because being a father is the most amazing experience for me, right like, and you gotta taste of that when you're looking at that, that that father and their son on the dock, right, Like, you look at that and you

kind of go it starts to go ship. That's something I want. And I think that what men realize from this show, and you will realize, is that we also have biological clocks, right like we Yes, there's a theory that we can have, you know, babies up into a certain age and all these things, but the truth of it is is that everything slows down a little bit, everything stops working different the same way that it did. And and I knew for me, I didn't want to be kind of an old dad, right like I wanted to.

I wanted to be a younger dad so I can move with her, so I can do things with her, so I can do all of that, right. And I think that's part of that biological clock too, right. I think it's great when dads have, you know, kids in

their fifties or whatever. But you know that that was that that's not the journey that I wanted to have, right, And that's what these men really started to get into too, because all of them, including Christie, are I think the youngest person we had on the show was thirty eight, right, So that's a whole different thing to like, we're not seeing you know, you know, young fit trainers and you

know that. I mean, you know what I mean. Like I'm not trying to put anything down, but it's like a lot of these shows are just like really good looking people and they're like if you you know, if you saw there, if you saw where they lived, it's gonna be an apartment with the roommate, you know what I mean, versus it being like these are all established men and and you know, um are are thinking about things a little bit differently. So yeah, I think that that that was a big wake up call to a

lot of the guys too. This like they wanted to start this journey. Once they got into this, they were like, I've never seen fifteen guys want to impregnant one woman so bad in their life really, And um, I think it's super I'm super interested in it. I just am. I'm I'm I'm fascinated by that journey. I want to see what these men go through. I was curious on which was what was the youngest man that you had

on the show. Um, I'm also I agree with you that maybe biological clock for men is maybe a little different, but and it's energetic clock. You know. Like you said, you want to be a young father, you want to be active with your daughter. Um, I'm thirty six. I'm not yet a father, but I feel the same way like my I look at fatherhood as my purpose is to give this new being the best possible life ever.

I do it with my dog, who, if you can see right back, is right back here, sleeping right there, spiking. See my dog just sleeping on the couch. It was comfortable. Yeah, it was raining, It's pouring rain here at my LG house. But I was like, we're running this morning like we are because he loves being outside. He doesn't care about the rain. Um. Maybe not ideal conditions, but who cares. My off as a parent is to give him the

greatest possible life. So, um, I'm gonna be active forever. Um. It's one of the reasons why I'm not worried that I'm thirty six and not yet a father. I'm going to be an active father at sixties, seventy eighty whatever, grandfather. Um, So I want I'm interested just to see I'm also interested to see how these men feel about their careers and the success that they've had and now the lack

of fulfillment that they truly have in life. Successes in career is one thing, but a fulfilled life is happiness across the board and and life beyond ourselves, or a connection with a partner, A lifelong partnership is such an immeasurable amount of joy in a being in a person that you're it's I I don't know that it would be possible to be truly fulfilled in life without that, with just career achievements, a very successful man, which you mentioned.

So I'm super excited to tune into this. How and when can I tune into Labor of Love this Thursday? Yes? One, I believe it's nine pm depending on where you're at on Fox on Fox? Oh yes, any um, any little insider tidbits you can give me, Spike, just you and I talking now, nobody's listens. Just you know, it's it's easy to kind of get in the weeds on this thing to go. You know, this can be feel like a very earnest show, right Like it can be like

like all these things. But the truth of it is is also it was important to me that it's an entertaining show, right and and um, what we really I tried to me and the team really tried to do is make it feel more like a rom com, right and that and it does that really well. So I think it's a really fun, enjoyable watch. But I also think it makes you sit on the sofa, maybe with a partner, and think about life, right. And I think it's a perfect time being in in these very strange

times that we're in. I think, um, it's going to help people reflect and start to go you know, what's what's what's important and what do I want? You know, we all get like can you can look at this as quarantine or you can look at this is solitude? Right, and this is some solitude that we're all getting to reflect and you know what we want in life? And I think that a lot of us want to become parents. So I think this this show really has a lot

of people look at it that way. I love that, Um, the purpose of our show of how men think podcast is should try to um have discussions that maybe men generally don't. And I love I almost see a parallel mission with Labor of Love is I'm sure we're gonna

watch this journey of One woman and fifteen men. But really, you're hoping that the show actually encourages couples and encourages even individuals single people to really have an open and honest discussion with either themselves or their partner about the topic and truth behind being a parent. Because yeah, you say you want to be a parent, that's great to say it, But the truth behind the commitment, the journey, um, stepping into being a parent. You are one, you could

attest to it. But that, I'm I'm sure is a whole different level than just saying yeah, I want to be a parent. So I'm sure the show is going to inspire deeper, more thoughtful, more present, real conversations. Um, and maybe you see a huge baby boom. Well you know, yeah for sure, Oh incredible my brand. Well, spike any other little tidbits or not get to you you want to share with me this, dude, I'm excited to watch this. I'm gonna put on a fire. I'm gonna go catch

some fish, some clean fish. Put it on the barbecue. Put on a fire, have myself just a little self date with labor love. Like I think the only little tidbit I can give you is that in this show, you're gonna be able to watch men experience the physical pains of labor. So the best of our ability. Oh man, oh boy, I bet too. At the end of this, because only one guy is gonna get selected, or however it ends up, these other fourteen guys are just gonna

they're just gonna get bombarded. Tori is gonna be messaging all of them. That's right, that's right. Here's you're gonna get some man tears in this as well, because I think a lot of the guys that didn't get selected, it impacts right like you're if you're in that bubble all of a sudden, you're like, you know what I mean, Like it's an impactful one, right. So because like as a if you're there one, if you're there as a man,

you want to be a family man. That's the reason you're there, and to getting close to that being a reality. You have a potential person, a partner, looking for the same thing, and you're close to that that this is potentially a reality. I could see myself with this person, I could become a family man. Step into that chapter. The greatest being of our version of ourselves and then to have that not happen, it's got to be deflating for these men. So um wow, I'm I'm super intrigued

by this. Spike, thanks for Sharon labor Love. Thursday nights, nine pm Eastern on Fox nine pm Eastern on Fox. Dude, Thank you, buddy. I appreciate you so much. Best to luck to you and the show. Um, and I can't wait to watch absolutely Thanks you guys, Thank you my friend. Appreciate you have a good one too, super powerful episode today. I missed my buddy Gavin, I missed my buddies Rick, Dmitri and Ryan. But I want to thank the MSS for coming on and Spike for coming on, and I

want to thank you guys for listening. Um, I miss you guys. I wish we could connect. No, that was sorry, I was just rambling. Thanks. Super powerful episode today. I want to thank the MSS for coming on. Just a huge fan of his journey what he shared and just encouraging and inspiring UM to hear that you can have everything you want in fulfillment, in career and in family, and that you can have both of them. So I

want to inspire and encourage our community. If that's a debate going on inside your head, follow them is check out his story. UM, that's something that you two can have in your life. And then I also want to thank Spike for coming on and sharing labor of love. UM. Super excited to watch the show. I know what I'm gonna be watching here every Thursday night, UM on Fox. So thank you guys for listening. I'm sending you guys love wherever you're listening to this. I hope you're staying safe.

I hope you're staying active. I hope you're staying creative, and I hope you're still finding ways to connect with loved ones and give love and receive love. So until next week, take care of one another, love one another, and we'll see you back here for another episode of How Men Think