What is good everybody?
This is your man Montezi the Titan theme song King and I'm here on the boot Leg CAV podcast.
You dig me and you know what it is.
This is aw World Champion Swerve Strickland here on Bootleg keVs. Shout us out, check us out. It's gonna be crazy.
Hey. Before we start the episode, we're gonna remind everybody, man, we got one of the biggest radio shows in the country, syndicated in almost one hundred cities all over. Shout out to iHeartRadio. All right, some of the latest cities that we've been able to add. Man, want to give a shout out to ninety three point nine the Beat in Honolulu. That's right, Hawaii, We over there going crazy. I also want to give a shout out Hot ninety eight three
and Tucson. Shout out to Tucson going crazy. Also want to give a shout out to Wild ninety four one in Tampa going crazy. We just got Richmond. We also just got the good folks in Bakersfield at Hot one O four to seven. So we're going crazy on the radio with my partner James Andre Jefferson Junior for the Bootleg keV show, So make sure you tune in and you can listen anywhere on that iHeart Radio app. That's right, let's get into the interview bulet Cap podcast. We got
a special guest in here. Two of them, my guy Swerve Swerve Strickland a w legend, and I'm on tezy Man. Yes, sir, represents Saint Pete. Saint Pete in the building. Yeah you're hey, what you know about icy sharks on Gandy? Oh?
Man, that's right down there off when you wad off right off fourth Street and you take that right, Yes, sir, that's right by the track, Yes, sir, anytime finished gym right there, that's where I be.
They got some goddamn good conks.
Same piece with birth Me and par wrestling par wrestling, but a birth me in music. Oh really yeah, because he just bring me this still does styles and t oh ship sires where we record a man. So you guys have the podcast together, right, podcast?
I have Tz's table. Yes, sir, how long have you? I mean you're pretty you're like what eighty episodes in or something like that.
Yeah, he's the stats guy on it. He's pretty good with it.
Yeah, we're over.
If you add like the swart City podcast and not including the stuff we did beforehand.
It's around like one hundred and something episode.
And then we had like ten ten sold to the w W network at the time, so we had like Drew McIntyre when he was w W Champion on there. We had Rosenberg on their flat Bush.
Are you like the only super like active active wrestler to have their own pod? I don't think so.
At that time, they had like Alexa Bliss's podcast was popping.
I didn't even know. Yeah, I didn't.
Yeah, that was like when it was on the network and all that stuff, and they were just trying to go Yeah, they were just throwing original.
Yeah, that's like the golden era of the WW. I missed the network because there was so much original.
Like Corey Graves was popping on there too. He was doing really well weekly stuff. The New Day had Theirs and they were doing really well.
Yeah. Shout out to h I think is it the video game thing that up up down there, up down down, Yeah, pioneer for sure, freaking pioneer. Shout out woods Man. Are you you gotta be excited? Man? You're in LA. You guys are doing the Crypto dot Com arena, the house Kobe built.
You know, it never been in the building before. Actually no, I'm lying. I was in there for a Wayne concert.
Okay, but but never for a wrestling No, never wrestled there, never. Yeah, so the big deal. I heard it selling really really well too.
That's always a plus. That's always a great thing. Looking at this card, it should be like this is one of the ones, like this should sell very well.
It feels like like all in it's it's kind of massive in terms of just like the amount of like what could have like like just main event after main event.
It looks like they're like and that's the beauty of art, Like this is the This revolution is truly the showcase of what happens when you utilize this roster to the fullest potential and ability with like not only just in house talent, like you know, like Kenny's finally on and killing it, like to Ketch the Hangman MJF who five years of this company six years now, they never interacted one.
So you got that, and then you got myself and Ricochet new to Do, guys that weren't here from the ground up but came through and we want to help this help with this product. You know, Osprey and Kyle Fletcher main event like copeing uh freaking Moxley for the world title, with a lot of implications between just those two matches, you know, and then you got the women. You know, Tony Storm and Maria made. What they built
over the last two years is insane. The story they're telling right with the character arcs MoMA Watanabi versus Mercedes, like she's killing with the TVs title, one of the biggest women wrestlers in the world, if not in history. Then you have like the hurt Sydy Kid defended against the outright Outrunner. So you got the guys coming up from the Tag division that just came out of nowhere,
got hot going against these powerhouse tag teams. So there's a lot of just there's like I feel like any of these can just main have any Dynamite or any pay per view every match for sure.
You know you you in my opinion, and I told you this before, like I follow a w but I follow it very very very like you know online mostly Yeah, now that HBO Max is boom and it's a lot easier to get on the product exactly, But I feel like you had like, if not the most one of the most important title runs at aw because I just felt like, uh, just perspective wise as a fan, like it just felt like it mattered at a level that like it was like it was like, I mean, and
then obviously you and Brian Danielson at Wembley Stadium having just a fucking insane match for you, man, your approach to holding that belt, and like, like what did you learn from that rain? And obviously you know dismatch with Ricochet's to be the number one contender to try to get it back, But what did you learn from your reign as champion because that was the first time you
were like the face. I mean, you are one of the faces of the company, quite literally the face of the company when you're the title holder, But what did you learn from that time? Man?
Making what you do matter in every sense every promo, every time I'm doing a social media plug, every time I'm doing an interview, like off out of the ring and on location, everything had to matter. Everything Like as far as like where that title's being seen had to matter. I had to put it on display, whether it's in a music video with Bun b and West Side, They're holding it. It's on a freaking lowrider, the freaking a
lack you know. In the music video, I got to place it in like the news in Vegas to promote that I need to be here. I need to be here, you know, Nogel Sylvester, who signed BMX, rider, who signed with Jordan or have him holding the belt? So it is everything had to matter. Everything had to have a place and a purpose and a point. So if I'm there, it means something, it matters. And for that to matter,
I had to matter going into that. So everything that I've done before that, like all the matches, all the jump ins, all the run ins, all the like the story, all the promos, all that had to lead into that meaning something. For that championship to matter, then the matches had to deliver. And I feel like that was the best run of world title matches to buy champion for sure, you know. And I and that's that's like, that's hard.
That's a hard bar to like go against with you with Kenny and Danielson going an hour, you know, and Moxley and the Hangman, you know, all those guys, Jericho holding the titles before that, and MJF going a year with it prior to that.
You know, that's a lot to live up to.
So I'm like, I got to be a I got to be a powerhouse, like like roundhouse, like just boem right there to the mouth, right right out the gates.
What was your level of where I mean it? Did you have nerves getting into the program with was Brian because obviously he's one of the greatest of all time. I mean he's an all time babyface too, you know, Yeah, no, no nerves. I mean, you guys put on a fucking masterclass. If anything.
I had to nerve him down because we're like, you know, those shows can run long, and it's we have that certain amount of time window at the end of the pay per view where we can like go off and then like the cushion is like two minute window. And he was concerned about that, and I was like, I got you. I'll steer you where you need to be. And then that calmed him down because I was calm. Yeah, I always feel like that's my job, and that's like why I'm in the position I'm in because I always
have like ice in my veins, cool calm collective. When I was tagging with Keith Lee, like I crack a joke and then our music would play, and then I go out and then he's laughing coming out right behind me, because I'm like, I need him in that mode when he's When Keith Lee's feeling good, you feel.
It, the crowd feels that. You as a viewer, you feel it.
So every opponent, no matter who I'm with, I want Tony at behind the desk to be like, oh, what you need, I'll get it done right, because I want him to feel like, oh, my performer feels good. I feel good right, you know, I need everybody feeling on the top, so I have to feel on.
Top with some of the the darker I guess you you you're very good at being a heel, but not I feel like kind of like an anti hero heel if you will where like you know, I think back to like obviously early Stone Cold, you know rock when he was with the Nation of Domination type shit, but like you really dug in, like especially with with Brian Danielson, Like I feel like that that in terms of like some of the material that was discussed, you know what I mean? Do you like do you guys talk about
what's on or off limits? Or does that take away from a natural reaction in the ring where if you got if you snap on some shit that's maybe his family or something like that. Is it something that you guys go over. I respect him too much not to do that, Like, hey, where's the line? Essentially I know I know where it is.
And if you're like a professional and like you know we're you're cognizant of that kind of shit. You know we're not to go it's obvious. You know what you need, you know what material you need to get the emotion in the reaction from them, Like I know that certain controversial things like maybe in real life that the audience is not going to know. Of course not everybody, And I don't need people going online to dig it up
to find the meaning behind it. I'd rather give you something that this is what we present it on camera, This is what you have to work with, because that's cannon. I don't want to give you off canon stuff where like, Okay, our audience is twenty percent of wrestling, three percent of that's going to know what they're talking about now. I want twenty percent of people to know what we're talking about here, and like, because that's where the investment. That's
where everybody's invested. I'd rather go for the majority of people that know certain things than that makes sense minority, you know what I mean. It's like it's it's almost like in a performance in a rap verse, like putting like if when you're performing.
This, like you want to do the hits. Yeah, you want the hits. And like maybe like this little.
Slide line right here is about like a dude that wrote something in a studio in the song, like he doesn't matter. Like it's like, yeah, maybe certain people in the circle may know that, but like when you're performing and hits, you want that thing to boom, so everybody gets invested in that song.
Yeah, you know what I mean. You've done a lot of stuff with celebrities. Yeah, whether it's Ross Westside Gun bun Bee. I want to know your take on the Traviscott punch. Oh man, that's wild.
That's a that's an exciting that's a very excited artist who finally got to do his dream right.
Well, you know what I mean, Like.
I'm in here and you're in there with the two biggest icons that we have left in this.
Like a top ten iconic moment in wrestling history with the.
Two biggest icons that's ever done it. So of course you're excited, and you're with the world champion of like, so this is the guy that's going to be the one for that era, for this era and moving forward.
So that's a lot of excitement, that's a lot of pressure.
And that's what happens when you get excited with someone who's not in our industry.
You know, it's it's an exciting moment.
It's like, what the hell would we do if like, like I think you like, you know, like I mean a wrestler got on the stage and they would do dumb shit too on the freaking you know, on a concert, you know. But that's like not industry etiquette for you know, so it's just a crossover things like he doesn't know and there's no way they went over that, right, I don't think. I don't believe so yeah, I don't believe so and I feel like they like they wanted that
so they could feel natural. Sometimes you want like just the natural reaction from other people outside of wrestling.
You want them to.
Just just be natural, just flow and feel because.
Then it'll feel real.
But sometimes that stuff happens and it's like, ah, too far, too much, you know, and you know, I don't know. I was like on that golf course with Travis not that long ago. You were telling me, Yeah, he didn't know that was coming, but he was telling me. He's like, I'm excited, man, I'm training with Booker to just want to be wow, Like I'm he was more wanted to talk about wrestling and he wanted to talk about music, and.
That's usually how it is.
Like so he was like excited, and I'm like, oh cool, he's excited. I just I'm like, just make sure you know, take care of yourself and others.
Do you feel like the the heel turn. I saw a lot of people with the hyperpoli. That hyperbole is very high, like oh this is this is bigger than Hogan. I don't think anything will ever be bigger than Hogan because it changed the direction. Still talk about it right exactly literally like Save the Company started money Night Wars and is born like the biggest faction ever. He can say that because we saw the ripple effects of it.
Yeah, what the ripple effects is exactly.
We can't say that. The memes coming out of it, the face it is it's it's hilarious, but it's like, Okay, how impactful is that? That shakes the industry? Right?
Like does it? I don't know if that changes what happens over here. I don't know if it like changes. I mean that's not right. Yeah, yeah, we don't know, like we gotta.
I'm so glad it happened before he retired for sure, because he needed to see it. Absolutely, don't you think? Yeah, I don't. I don't care to see it, but I'm just glad person.
Yeah, but you know, absolutely, I'm just interested to see where he where he takes it.
I'm so interested in what he's gonna wear, Yeah, because he can't wear the colorful. He's got to like what's the fit gonna look like? What's the song gonna be? What the song gonna be? What's the fit going to be? Like? Is it all black? Like? Is like there's some MK ultra shit going on because it almost looked like when the rock looked at that fool, he almost had like some mind control. It was crazy. That was my favorite part. And then when Cody said, go fuck yourself and if.
I'm if I'm him, I don't. I don't wrap my own song either no I don't do it.
No you can't.
No, no, no no.
You've dealt with a lot of celebrities, is there, like okay, for example, like Rick Ross, Yeah, does Rick Ross know you're gonna swerve stomps like a fucking cinder block into someone's chest? Oh yeah, well he's standing there. Oh yeah, he was excited about that. So you're like, look, this is what's gonna happen.
Yeah, He's like, let's do it. Nothing's easy, too easy.
So you guys have like a little powow backstage essentially like hey, this was like was there ever? Because I feel like Ross is like an aw like you know, like was there ever any like real discussion like maybe bringing him on as like a manager or something.
Yeah, it's just like him telling like you a big motherfucker kind of changed some things a little bit.
It was like I don't know.
And then like antony Kin is the mindset of like over is it? But he just keeps moving forward.
You know.
He's always said like, we can revisit it, let's talk about it, Like I like him less, we can visit it, But then this happens. Then this happens, and this happens and then the company is going this way. It's like, oh, you know, I'll let you keep sharing.
I would love to see method man. He's an imposing guy. His fucking jack imposing fellow man, and he could be I feel like Meth could snap on a mic. Yeah. I feel like he has a good He has a good voice for it, for sure. He has a great voice for TV, for radio, for music.
I think for like doing promos and stuff in the ring, it would translate. And you know why I think you have that because we've seen him on def Jam and of course, so I think that's a great character. He Thats what I'm saying. He's a great character in the game. So I think just subconsciously we're all like, oh, just take what he did in the game where he just boom boom boom does this. I'm like that can that
can like transfer right into wrestling. I think that that game has also done that to a lot of like I want to see so and so, and sure, I want to see this rapper Suh Joe getting the ring.
Somebody did a like a recreation of Vendetta about it was like the Kendrick and Drake thing as hell.
I would like to see like, uh, deaf Jam and then like somebody like because you know all the games are on PC and stuffs modem and put like current artists in that.
No even like like I guess what they're kind of doing. That was but it's not a fighting game, But what's Fortnite. There's always you could be Snoop, you could be Weekend Travis. I want them to mod like deaf Jam because like they got to bring the game back. There's no way it's going to happen.
I've heard about I listened to like interviews about that, and there's like it's just licensing.
The problem is is the licensing. And then like because deaf Jam doesn't have as many artists. I mean they still have all the old school guys like I'm sure they could use, but like in terms of the newer guys, there would just be it'd be a licensing head.
And then and then there's like the like this company and this company are like, oh, he can't make this.
Rapper look weak in this and he can't beat and she can't. It's too much ego.
Yeah, yeah, too much, way too much. That's why I was hearing the interviews.
You were at the super Bowl. Yeah, and you got to see Kendrick's halftime show yes on TV. I was freaking the fuck out. Yeah, it was amazing. I was just losing my mind. I was at Fluffy Shot at Gabriel or Glacys. He has a Super Bowl party.
Wowa was x Poc was there? I ran into Tech nine shout out of tech I'm sure he was there. Yeah, I ran into him at the but I brought him on a w on an episode of Rampage once.
He needs to do someone's theme song a Tech nine themes Incredibly, it would be in so good crazy, it'd be so good. But what were your like just being there? Man? Like was it? What did it feel as cool? Like?
It felt cool? But it was just like it was. It was definitely a show and a performance for television.
For TV because I thought that in my head, like if you're sitting up at the rafters, I'm not sure you're getting everything going on.
Yeah, like in certain angles and stuff, especially if you're sitting on this side, you're missing the X part when you're at the x'es and like peekaboo, you're missing like.
You're missing like everyone moving around. Yeah, it's a lot it was so many moving parts.
So if I, like I was in like end zone corner.
Could you even catch some Serena Williams krip walking. No, that's what I'm saying. Oh, that's like a little tidbit that.
Because there's like fifty people over here, Trent like making a formation, and then you have like, oh, snap, there's a spotlight over here.
Who is that? Oh I missed it.
It's gone okay, and then people popping out of the truck and I'm like, oh Sam, they all came over Okay, there's something forming over here. So it's like as a live on it, it's a lot to see and like, but shout out to like the fact of like Kendrick being able to perform and move up and down the fields, four stages, all breath control and this caenus is probably one of the hardest cadences to hit and wrap.
Oh yeah, and like on beat and like on an ear piece. I just like the fact steps it was easy. Yeah, it was just the opposite. I mean that, and to me that's what makes great artists.
Yeah, but it definitely was a performance for the masses because like one hundred million people watching.
All the hits he he did album cuts. He started it off with a song it's not even out yet, which is fucking crazy. Yeah, I'm like, and I'm glad he did it the way he did it. That track list. I'm glad he did that track list.
Some people arguing about the track list, but I'm like, you got all right at the last super.
Bowl, you got he already did those with dre Yeah.
So it's like and that was that was the big ones because like everybody, if you I watched that back again recently, it's like everybody did their big like like no more drama and like like like lose yourself in the club. So everybody hit their bone boom, their.
Hits, hits, hits. So you got that.
Like Kendrick just wanted to create a piece of art that was identifiable to him.
He didn't want to.
Be deep do other people's like shows. But that's what makes him him, that's what keeps him in that his own world. He's bringing us into our world. And for people that do know him and that don't know him, you're being introduced into his world right, and it succeeded. And for the people that do know him, we know why he's here and we know the song we want to hear, so you get.
A bit, you get all of it.
And so I don't know why people say, no, he should have done this, he should have done this. How about just being invited into his world and just enjoy the That's the best part. He brought everyone into his world, exactly for sure. That's why we listened to Kendrick albums. What's His World?
Indeed, that's the whole point. You were at super Bowl with Mercedes. I got to meet her with Snoop at Snoop's release party, and I was just like, he like introduced her, like I was like, yep, yeah, but uh, you know, I know you guys are friends, and you know, her coming to the company was such a big deal. She's obviously one of the greatest wrestlers of all time, let alone female all time and important to one hundred percent. What are what are the things you think like just
adding her to the roster. It's been over a year now, you know, obviously she killed it in New Japan. What do you think it did for the company? Bringing somebody like that.
Over It shows that this is a place to be. It shows, like I feel like when we talk about competition in wrestling. The competition is the fact that we can get that talent and we can also match the deals, and it's like it's an option. So when it comes to like that, that's where negotiation power. That's what makes Mercedes who she is, and that brings her stock and it brings everyone else up. And so yeah, and it's like, now it's for the talent. Now where the talent can
make that choice, we have the option. We can steer the ship, empower and generate our value. And like Shannon Sharp said on Club Chase, she your value is what someone's willing to pay for you in your service. So now it's like, okay, our value goes up. But like Sasha Banks had value, Mercedes has more value now because
of all Leat Wrestling existing. Same thing going the other way, Cody had more value because of what all Leat Wrestling was able to do and perpet same with Punk, same with Moxlei coming to aw our values increasing, going back and forth, Ricky starks to Saints, his value increased for them to draw that interest for him, and it's just only powering everybody's value.
To go up more.
So hopefully that increases the value of pro wrestling in general. So everything goes up, and so I feel like Mercedes was the one that does do that, do that big for the women right now. It makes Becky Becky Lynch look like a little hmmm, or it makes New Dago hmm. I wonder maybe it makes Charlotte go hmmm. I wonder maybe it makes all those top level people that you thought would never in a million years abandoned ship or look for somewhere else to go.
It opens that door a little bit.
That's where competition lies in this industry.
So it did. It did wonders for me too.
It brought my value up to make history in Wembley and then with the Dynasty and.
Yeah, I mean she signed a pretty crazy contract. Yeah yeah, very very little bit of rats, thank you, thank you, you're you're, you're, you're with them. I think I read till twenty twenty nine or something like you're locked in. Yep, there's nowhere else I would rather be.
No.
I mean, you know, it's funny say that, Like a lot of people say it's like, oh, that's just a pr he's supposed to say that ship. No, I mean that shit from the bottom of my heart. There's no other place I'd rather be and not do. I have bad days and opposed to good days of course, like this is this is a job. I have frustrations here and there, but I worked through those frustrations better here than I did in other places anywhere else in the world,
whether it be Lucha Underground, mlw WW, NXT. I've like found Tony Kahan and me have always worked through frustrations and and I've.
Always let you cook too.
Yeah, but there's certain times I'm like, ah, we didn't cook as best as we could have been able to cook. And I'm I'm someone I'm not going to have ask that.
Was there a match that you had that you were disappointed with? Were you thought the expectations were super high and you were like, man, like I did, it wasn't what I hoped it had been. Oh for sure. I felt like.
The tag title match dropping them to Acclaimed could have been better. And that was one of those moments I'm like, I'll never go through a match where I left something on the table and I was like, no, everybody, I don't care who's involved.
Everybody put their ship and I was like, I will never like, you don't have to do that again.
Yeah, yeah, I can't like y'all whoever can be like happy having that feeling like, no, not when you I'm in this and I have to like if I'm raising it, y'all got to raise this ship and like and since then I haven't had anything.
I was like, oh man, there could have been more for you know you how how how scary is it to stab someone with some scissors on TV? Oh? Terrifying? I think everything we do is scary, terrible. I mean, you've done some crazis, but it's like, you know, you just I always tell.
People for me to stab or be stack well both, but it's like, you know, I saw you had ricochet with the scissors and I was just like, yeah, I mean you got to be a real fucking professional to pull that out.
You gotta swing you can't right, you have to swing that right, And like it was one of those I'm swinging through you, Trevor, because I have to get it back to him. And if you're giving something back to someone that got you, it has to be tenfold. It has to be bad shout out to Cody Rosa, Travis Scott. It has to be bigger on the comeback, especially as the good guy babyface, it has to come back tenfold. So with a prop involved, it's always sketchy, you know,
it's a variable. Yeah, that's why, like me dvding Hangman on the cinder block on our Texas Death, he had to go back full fold with a power bomb on it at the cage to bring that back around.
Yeah. That's the other thing too, Like there's not fake cinder blocks. People don't understand, like, yeah, I saw you. You know Maven he's got a YouTube chant right now. Yeah, I like his stuff. He was explaining like the thumb tack thing, and so he just like went through like like are the these are the thumb tacks that wrestlers use? And he was like and they were just real thumb tacks.
He's like, no, they're real. He's like, there's no, there's no like you know, bullshit thumb tacks, Like yeah, and that's what.
And so it makes you think, like it makes you look back at like Orton going through that ship and his knees and Rick Flair having him in his elbow.
That's that's really there.
Yeah, but the cinder block's gotta be fuck. That's brutal, That's why I'm the only one that uses it. I'm the only one stupid enough to actually do it.
Yeah, and did did like when you first introduced this, like is does do you have to talk to Tony and say, hey, I know this might be Uh.
No, I told him, Hey, Tony, we're using cinder block.
Okay, that's dope.
If anything, I had Dustin Rhodes as like producer on it, and he was like he was worried about the staples.
Staples.
He was like, He's like, can we just get that cleared?
Can we just can we just?
I just I don't want to, you know. And then I was like.
To him, he just started his own Uh didn't he just start a uh?
To Dustin in general, man, that like he's been the guy behind a lot of my great matches, like and he always like he doesn't tell me what to do, but he suggests things and where they should go, and he always puts like a perspective on where I'm like, oh, now you got me really thinking. And then I'm like, how would you do it? And he's like, well, I would go this way with it. But he never tells me what to do. He never lets the performer like
he doesn't. You don't tell the performer what. You don't tell the rapper how to rap.
This is my perspective, what you want, this.
Is what like you guide them, which is what MANTESI did with me, helping me learn how to make music. He always just guided me in the direction where he thought that me the fit me the most, instead of like that's where like and I'm glad I got that, rather than I sound like this rapper all that, and he's like, no, I'm letting you find your own voice.
So how long have you have you guys been hanging eight years and then you brought him into the music game. Yes, yes, I did, Yes I did.
Just so you just know, you just know when somebody's got it, or with somebody you believe somebody can do it.
You know.
It was just a random conversation. We was in Tennessee at a wrestle show. I was doing some commentating and one day I just said to him, I said, Bro, I believe you could rap.
Bro, And he's like yeah, I was like, Bro, I just saw to see it. You have the look of one.
So if you go in the studio and you and you try this, then I think it could work out for you. But the way I was raised is like, look, man, you have to get a blank canvas a lot of times and just put art out there. When you get in the studio, get comfortable with your voice, get comfortable with what you're saying, find out who you are as an artist. And the main thing I told him, I said, Man, I'm good, but I don't want you to sound like me.
Don't sound like me. Be your own own person, because a lot of times when people do try to mentor or try to do things, they kind of make the mistake or want them to be just like them, and the kind doesn't work out because it's like, well, why are you having a car? Already got you so I don't need a car copy, I said, man, be your own man. So when we made all these all these records together, said Mandas, put the blank cameras out to you, direct the records and I can fill in because I
know I know what I'm doing already. And when he started figuring out, each song got better, each project got better better until he got comfortable with with who he is. Now he's five six years into his career. So I just seen the growth. But that was imperative. I said, look, man, be your own man, bro be your.
Own man, and truth be told.
When like I first first started stepping in the booth, in the booth in Saint Pete with T, he was like the booth is tiny, so it felt like a psychophagus in there for me, and I'm like, oh man, it's just me. I don't have TZ in here to help.
Me be in my ear.
You know, you're tightening there, and it felt like it's like Daredevil getting getting into that freaking time that chamber. I was like, I felt I felt like kind of lost, and I was unsure of myself so much it felt like the wrestling grind started back over again, all the way back to year one. And so now I was like, okay, now I gotta find that comfortability. The same way I find the comfortability in the wrestling, I gotta find it
in music. And it was without him I wouldn't have as quick as I did because he was drilling me over and over and over again, Pauls.
And like just like making sure, like I just I just played that. So he was but he was just kept He's like like like he made sure.
And then he also put me on records like with like Mickey Fax and John Connor and these are like spinners, and I had to go after these guys.
I'm like, fuck, what do I like? Where? Where's the where do Where's the gear that I shift into? And he would guide me into that.
Then like I would challenge him with like music Soul Child on the record, and then like so he had to step back into like spinner, spinner spinner mode and go be vulnerable because I'm an R and B soul at heart like and music So Child was my favorite single of all time.
He just recorded. He was just here two nights ago with music, so they were they had like a six hour session right here.
We recorded with him in Atlanta till like four in the morning.
We were like up, like no, we're not tired. We're here with our legends.
So like getting him to be in a vulnerable place talking about those relationships we talk about like our girls are tripping, our baby moms, dealing with our kids and stuff, and like his health concerns and bringing those up in the records and being vulnerable and then like these introspective like past to go on to like Okay, we're down, but then we also coming back up and then like having like music really like watch him as his process and him just be like, no, that's good.
Stay there.
I'm like, okay, so I am going the right way. Instead of being like no, no, that's no, He's like no, this is fine. But now he's just want to fluff and add color and all these things to it. So like I'm I'm blessed with like the cast of people that I got to work with flat Bush Zombies, like then meet like being on a record that we have coming out soon.
We got some great wrestling bars too incredible and.
Meach is just like so far out and he got me from like our first project when we did body Art.
You know, he was one of our first features ever that we ever had on a record together. So like.
Connor, shout out him, Shout out Flint, shout out shout out Clint Michigan, shout out Bumbe for taking Big Pressure and taking it to the next level. That crazy Houston co sign, you know, fire Man Prophet, Anthony King, like all these guys played a part in like truly like molding me to be something in the industry. I want to say I made it in the industry, but like I have a place in it now and I'm still finding my footing, but now I feel like I can just go into a studio like hey we got to beat on.
Yeah, I can like oh yeah. The thing is, lastly, the thing I wanted to instill with him is like look, man, it's just confidence. Is like.
It's like once you once you go in the studio, Like that's why I kind of threw them in the gall lit. I said, here's John Connor, here's Mickey faxt So once you know that, you can go with those these guys and hold your own and they're like not turn them.
I think Mickey FAXTX literally might teach a rap course he does. He does.
He's like one of them one with like that, and then like getting the advice back from him like Okay, I didn't do good enough, that's okay.
Once I once I, once I heard the records and I heard the responses to those records, I was like, he's he's he'll be fine.
Yeah.
But one thing I like I'll say about like just not just music, but everything, like any type of like craft. And nowadays people are are really afraid to hear they did bad and something right. I feel like people are scared of that and they run from it, so they don't even try, or they fail or they're not good at it, and they hear everybody tell them they're not
good at something and say they just stop. Like people ask me for advice in wrestling or whatever at conventions or when I'm signing meeting people, They're like, what's the biggest advice. I'm like, don't stop. You can slow down, you can go fast, but you don't stop. You never stop, because like Terry Taylor once again going back to him and then performance Center classes, He's like, you know what's going to happen if you quit, that's a zero percent chance that you get a zero. But you don't know
what will happen if you keep going. You might get it too. You might get a ninety, you might get at fifty. But you know what you'll get if you stop. If you quit, you said guaranteed zero. So like ever since, in my mind, I'm like, no, no, I'm a little.
Slow right now. Things are dragging a little bit. I'm in a rut, but I'm not going to stop.
I'm gonna figure it out and let the sometimes I let the universe come back to me. And I was like, because I've exhausted everything I can to it. I've given out everything. I've made the emails, I made the calls, I've been over to the I drove it, did the drives. I've been over here, like I've crafted this, I set this up, everything signed, everything's here, I've done everything I can. Like, you know what, I'm gonna sit back and I'm gonna play my game for like six hours. I'm gonna go
to the gym. I'm not gonna answer my phone. I'm not gonna make any posts. I'm not gonna tweet something out of just brain dead necessity or you know, I'm not gonna add anything more because I've exhausted everything I can. So I'm just gonna sit and then maybe two weeks from now that email out of nowhere comes in or we're going to here we like, hey, we got to show and come through like boom that dude boom he shows up there, like oh snap, that's what we was
trying to get to. They just start coming to you naturally. So that's what music has been doing for us majorly over the past couple of years. It's like West Side, Oh for sure, Okay, yeah, Yeah.
You've got his promotion too. That's dope. Shot. Fourth rope man. Yeah, Zilla's got the belt right now, shout out Zeller Bro. He's next up too, He's gotta be He's next up. I'm surprised Tony has an uh you know, because I think he's been that show. You know, the inevitable. The inevitable is he's going to pop out, you know, if they need a new bloodline. Guy time comes in first, you know.
But like he's been the shows, and like I was always love It's like like one thing I love about aw locker room.
It's never like oh you're.
Coming over here, you got the No, it's like, oh, it was good for sure. Like that's the same thing with Stephan Cure, like oh, come on, have this match show out.
Yeah, you get a deal, You get a deal.
Cares is one quick point I want to make, if I want to say this too publicly, is that I'm proud of him and what he's doing because he's you know, I told him, I said, hey man, you know I want you to take this church the right way and not only hold the hold the caveat, but also to like just support him as a brother too, because sometimes when you're too directly involved in it or too involved in it, like me as somebody to say quotation found
forever and people say that. But the thing about it is like, sometimes I could you could be too invested in it, and it could stunt somebody's growth because your emotions could be too much intagg Right. So the first thing that I said, without all of this, even in wrestling, or when he started incorporating musical and wrestling, I said, bro,
make sure you establish your own identity. I want to make sure that when it comes to anything that you're doing that it doesn't always have to have Montez's name attached to it.
You gotta make your own. You got to do your own. That's why a lot of people are like, oh, why was it teasing here or there?
He's fine, he's doing he's doing his thing. You know, he has to build his own, his own legacy. We have our legacy together, you know what I mean, with everything that we've done over these eight years. But it's also good for him to branch out, to be his own man, to take these these these leaps and bounds that he's taking it. So, when I see what's going on in hip hop and wrestling and what he's doing.
I'm super proud of him, and he's taking it and handling it the right way because not everybody can do it without.
It being corny or way is how are you able to walk the line without it being corny? Right? And he doesn't do that. So it's such a good job all the shit you do, because you could be the corny rapper wrestler guy and it's just over the top and it doesn't. I just feel like you've done such a good is a list of at I just like.
It's kind of like just I'm just being myself. I'm not being what Swerves Strickland is. I'm being who Stephan is. And I always go back to that core. I never try to lose myself in either one of these identities. I find the core first and what feels right and like and sometimes you get lost in like, oh you need this type of record, you need a club wrecker, you need this type of wrect, you need this.
I'm like, yeah, but it has to feel.
What I would say for me, who would I be in that situation? Yeah, I'm like, I don't talk about like getting shot and I've never been shot. I don't talk about like you know, like because that's not who I am. And that's also where he helped guide me, just like no, you don't have to just say that.
Be yourself yourself, that's what happened. I mean, I feel like that's I mean, obviously we know a lot of artists of pop not being themselves, but like now, more than ever, the more trans like like the Internet makes everything so transparent that the artist, like fans know.
What's your what's your view on that? I was like, what you want to hear or hear?
I want to hear people be themselves like if I like. That's kind of the thing with Drake that I never really like, Like, Drake's talented, he makes great music. Obviously you know he's Drake, But I never was like a Drake head because I felt like once when he first came out, I felt like he was being himself when he was doing this like like so far gone to
me was like Drake being himself. I felt like there just became this thing where he became like a like a tough guy kind of and I'm like, well listen, ain't why fuck with you? Bro? Like you know what I'm saying, Like That's why I liked Kanye. Kanye was someone working out the gap and fucking was wearing polo and ship and like, no one else is doing this, So I like to feel like, you know, if I'm listening to you, even if I'm listening to some like clips or Push a Tear or some shit like and there.
I mean, I know, push It. He hasn't sold cocaine for some time, but like, I know he did, so it makes the music great, like and I love push like, but yeah, I think I think as an artist, like you always should just be yourself because then you really you can't nobody can call you out if you're if you're in hip hop and you're just doing you, nobody can use like that at the end of the day.
I think, like when you put the mask on and you wear it for so long, it dies out quickly. Yes, yeah, Like that's why you see the three year runs, the four year runs, the two.
Years as Like. I think there was that twenty sixteen seventeen eighteen like SoundCloud run where a lot of artists cracked off antics and like social media bullshit. That was a scary time, super scary that was actually really scary and it was just a lot of bullshit music and people were getting signed just based off of their Instagram followings. Like dude, that Supreme Patty Kid got a record deal. I don't know who that is. That's the kid who used to wear the Supreme headband. He used to score
lemons in his eyes. Not a clue. He got a record deal. It's insane. How long does it last? No, he didn't. I don't think you put it. I think he maybe put out two songs in there, like straight to the World Star. But that's like, you know, that's the era of music that birth like fucking six' nine and all that Boy, yeah you know Smoke purpose and, yeah, yeah and it's like The Smoke purp shit was, like you, know nice, guy but like And Little, Pump it's, like,
yeah what happened A Little? Pump he had a two year run where he was Hottest fish grease and then you, know now he's doing OnlyFans nineteen eighty. Five i've. Arrived, Yes jacob called the whole. Era saw it.
And you, see like a lot of when a lot of artists get, bigger to the point if they don't keep that sense of grounded around them or within, them they.
Start to lose touch of.
Reality that's why a lot of people go back to a lot of guys' first albums because that was their most. Authentic right, now they're an album number, seven, eight, ten year in their career and you, Start i'm kind of.
Yeah i'm thirty two. NOW i think that's what's great About LIKE i Think cole's done a good job of like Like cole's just such a normal. Guy it just happens to. Rap so it's, like no matter, what if you're listening To, coal he's never given you anything that is like his true, self you.
Know to, ME i always that's WHY i always related to like A tyler. Creator for me, PERSONALLY i always felt like our career paths are very like parallel because like WHEN i came on the, SCENE.
I was like.
Nineteen he came on, nineteen and it was just like radical making some really saying some a lot of wild shit into an audience that doesn't necessarily like lend itself to hip hop and culture very, well skater like mosh, pit like a lot of like gratuitous. Stuff and for, ME i was LIKE i was like just finding. Myself it was, like, yeah he was rapping about some wild, shit wild, shit but he also had a lot of,
competition Like Big shaw was hot at the. Time he said like that whole Like drake came on, air Like kendrick started coming, up so all these like also like that's when DOUBLE xl started like really putting out the.
Freshman so all those never and, yeah he never was a friend.
Ever he was never even played ON bt for like ten. Years, sure so he was always not. Accepted and that's HOW i felt in wrestling for like a long. TIME i wasn't accepted as like one of the best black wrestlers or that that audience and. STUFF i kind of, like just stay true to myself.
And started just.
Growing i'd rather start down at the beginning and then just do nothing but. This and that's What tyler. DID i feel like he really didn't start really start taking off UNTIL i would say Flower.
Boy but, yeah Flower boy was the first. ALBUM i think that like it was, like, OH i THINK i think he got a lot OF i think he always had a huge fan base and he always Had i'm A wolf. FAN i Loved wolf And goblin And. BASTARD i love those. Projects BUT i think you're right for Flower boy was the first. ALBUM i feel like we're like people who were like BECAUSE i knew a lot of people in the industry who were just turned off By, tyler And i'm, like this was, Brilliant LIKE i said the,
same BUT i feel like Flower boy. Was and Then igor was such a critically acclaimed that's where that's that's where it just. Become it became pop culture as opposed to sub pop.
Culture, yeah AND i feel like that's WHERE i was. Around like my Flower boy era Was Luke underground and it was like.
That was the hell Of war.
Match but like even people talk about that match with me And, fox it was the match with me And marty The, moth The weapons Of Mass destruction match that really popped crazy and that put me on the map because it was like two guys that were just, like, oh there are some cool characters on the, show but they're not. Anybody and then just like, Boom it's, like, whoa we didn't know, that we didn't. Know now we
want to see more from these. Guys and Then marty ended up going to like season, four winning The World, championship the top title on the, show AND i went to The trios and, stuff but people wanted to see more from. That and THEN, nxt, well ACTUALLY i would they evolve and. STUFF i started Beating. RIDDLE i started
beating like, like start winning all these, Titles Davey. RICHARDS i started winning all these like these big indie world, championships AND i started getting in the ring With kenny and The bucks right and, overseas AND i started like really worse the best in the. World and then N xt came and then that's where that's kind of my igor. Moment and then ONCE i came to A w that was my call me if you get lost moment right Now i'm at, now right Where i'm, At i'm At
Chroma Copia. Stag and that's WHY i felt LIKE i had to Wear Chroma copia WHEN i came out at full gear because that album came out like maybe a two great.
Albums love. It it's such a great.
Album that album came out two weeks. BEFOREHAND i was, LIKE i was, like what AM i going to? Wear what's my coming out stage at this point in my. Career and then he came out with that, album dropped the the The Saint chroma like teaser. TRAILER i was like that's. It that's Where i'm. At SO i Credit tyler his album and Like Story, JOURNEY i feel like we're very parallel with one another in that.
Sense i'd like to see him at a wrestling. Shows wrestling is catered to everything he, is, SURE i don't think he's in it at, all by the, way probably. NOT i THINK i think he would have to go and be, like, Oh i've been missing out on. This you gotta do it at the, Time like what the fuck is? This why NONE i ever go to a? Show oh my? God this is like SO i can see him like tripping on the front, road just like what the? Fuck LIKE i.
CALL i called him out on a couple of interviews and then like tagged him on a bunch of like WHEN i wore The chromocopia gear for the, Entrance LIKE i feel.
Like drake had that, moment you, know Where drake was like what HAVE i been? Missing, Yeah i'm so kind of. Interesting they didn't show him ON. TV i think he didn't want to OR xo is pretty tied in with the wie with the other, company and, uh you know it was In toronto and The weekend has had the song for like five years political movements, there And travis and him aren't necessarily they're not the. Best who is
right now with? Them twenty One savager our buddies with, him you, KNOW i THINK i was with twenty one twenty One savage And. Drake, Listen drake kind of got, deserted you, Know god bless.
HIM i don't know if you saw like this thing, online the YouTube, thing there's a million thought pieces on one so, much there's so many thought. Pieces i'm like the tree and yeah there's one that's like a it's like a three hour jiant and it's so. Good and it's like like they used the, culture used him just as much as he used the. Culture because THEN i was, like uh, yeah like all, right, cool, yeah.
Yeah it's. GREAT i don't want to talk too much about, it just Like i'm just happy that The euphoria was performed at the Super bowl because that's my favorite song and the whole. BEEF i don't think that one fit. THOUGH i didn't EVEN i didn't give. IT i was just LIKE i got It. Euphouria, yo when you do something like the gritty with the with the, shovel is that something you know you're hitting or is that Like i'm gonna. Fly you'll be surprised how MUCH i make
up in the ring on the. Fly And i'll just do. IT i.
WILL i will change the trajectory of what like what's supposed to. Happen AND i was just, like let me just cut, here let me go like it's another LIKE gps and on a on a car.
Ride we know we got to go To. Florida we'll get. There let's stop, Off let's get someone to stop here at the. Target it's, like let's just go over. HERE i want some.
Shoes you, want you want some beef, jerky you want Some. Wendy's let's stop. In BUT i will eventually get us back on ninety five and going.
Down and that's HOW i knew he could do, music because if he could freestyle like, THAT i can't by he.
Can he can come up with, concepts you know WHAT i? Mean and. MUSIC i knew.
It you know WHAT i mean was if you can do that and like everything you say you might, do you just kind of do a three sixty for like five minutes and then get back to where you. Go that's a talent, man and make it entertaining for, sure and like physical, combat that's.
Different.
Man that's also how you find yourself playing arounds what we used to do as. Kids for, sure you played around with your friends and your. Brother you slammed. Them you just went in the backyard and you just you didn't come up with a. Plan you just went around and climbed the, tree jumped in the, sandbox buried, this found it two weeks. Later did this you like he came up with. Sticks we're going to sword fight. Now now we're gonna hide and. Seek now we're going to
play hide and zeke like freeze. Tag now we're gonna do this like you just. Played and that's where you find out who you. Were you found out who that one friend is at, Cheats you found out that one friend that always does this but he's always too. Rough you found out like you found out your personalities as, kids and that's what you end up. Becoming and, yes that's what kind of, like either that's the glue or
that's what separated. Everybody you, knew you knew who's going to stick around for a little, while but you also knew who was like, okay they're over. There that's what we do in. Wrestling you know who's, Like, okay these guys are going to stick. Together that's that's when you make the. Clicks that's where you make D. X that's where you Make New. Day you found the guys that played, around.
They're, like oh, yeah, yeah that's.
Cool but that's also where you find out who's like also the op that's where you find the seth rollins in the the. Shield that's also where you find like Like jericho with The jericho appreciation in society and the inner, circle who's going to split off and go these ways and stuff like?
That you have you done his cruise by the way? Twice how is? That? Oh good? Time, money good? Time he was with? Me we performed? Money what are? They? Are? There are there women who? BOOK i just think. ABOUT i just think about like a boat full of wrestling, fans which it is so it's like, cool but it's like is it? Cool you know What i'm? Saying, like are there any itches on the? Boat you know What i'm, Saying like that are? There like wrestling with the ratio is,
small it's got to be, great but they. Are But i'm saying and to, me it's like any women that are, THERE i would assume are they with their guys some you would think some of there for.
Purposes and let's let's Say i'll say this that if there are women of a quiet taste that you would like, you they're THEY'RE i don't like.
WOMEN i just like. One they are they're being. Occupied somebody already spotted on. Them that's. Right, yeah but it looks like it's be fucking, fun like to take a kid on or. Something, yeah, kids a family. Shit this family.
Shit there's adult, shit like different floors for. It there's like fifteen.
Floors that's.
Crazy, yeah so's it's endless. Entertainment there's always something to do that you can't, like you should not be in your room unless you're.
Sleeping that's. It they say that you are one of the wrestlers that will bring the best out of anybody you work. With is that something you're proud.
Of, yes that's Something i've been doing for over ten years AND i feel like. That like a lot of people don't Like Will, osprey his gift is the five star. Match he's a five star match. Machine kenny is the best a bount. Machine, LIKE i feel like that's my gift in this, generation this, era like, like but a lot of those, guys that's kind of what separated me from.
Them like they're all great in their own, senses which is, Amazing and that's always super hard to find what makes you great in this era because every body's.
Talented for.
Sure everybody can go you, know LIKE mjf is the, microphone you, know that's his. Gift Like hangman is the the just the defiant babyface and the best, storyteller that's his. Gift you, know my gift is to find what's inside of you and truly like grasp onto. That And i'm, LIKE i know exactly what to do with, this AND i know exactly where to place, it and THEN i know when it's time to use it that you didn't even. Know and THEN i bring it out and THEN i use. IT i use, IT i use it to EVENTUALLY i
stop using. It and now you're using. It i'm not even doing anything. Anymore you're just. On you found who you, are and now you're just. Gravitating Like hangman's now we haven't touched Since. September now he's just. Gone he's just doing his. Thing and now it's transpositioning and transferring over to other talents throughout these next. MONTHS i feel like that's my gift and that's What. Tony that's Why tony found the value in, me because like HE'S i DON'T
i don't just do for. MYSELF i do for. EVERYTHING i need. This LIKE i said WHEN i, said.
Uh, damn you're The undertaker of the, Company i'll take. That, Yeah i'll take.
That like wherever they put you in, with it's like it's going to. Go and it's also whoever you put me with. It it doesn't have to have title. Implications it doesn't. Matter it has to be about WHO i say. Ship it's like going, crazy it's who.
AM i and who are?
You you don't get with me unless you know who you are and that's the beauty of.
That and surely not one of them ones in, wrestling unless you could be the guy without having to have the belt you don't.
NEED i mean think about Like, Punk like right, now it's Like punk Still. Punk it doesn't matter if he's got the belt or. NOT i felt Like taker was like always that. Guy it never was about whether he had the. Belt At, mania it was like it's wrestleman who was facing, him who gets the opportunity to face it. Exactly it was like its own, title like its own. Opportunity we'd be, like oh, ship, yeah absolutely Great. Wyatt.
YEAH i felt like that's WHERE i found who what my value, was because now you can like for the next five years however Long i'm signed here with A W it's, like, man there's so much more That, like there's so much other roster members that, could like we haven't really seen be brought. OUT i could probably be the one to do. That but it's also you got
to work to get to. Me you got to work to get to that, point AND i need To and that's Why i'm very shelld away in certain ways on the roster because when you're a sweer of this that you it means something for, sure you know WHAT i, Mean AND i.
Want that and it's going to be a. Thing it's not going to be, like, yeah you And ricochet obviously are going at It. Sunday you guys have similar, UH i would, say kind of trajectories with the old company in terms of probably you, know fans might, say what it was. Underutilized you were obviously under. Utilized he HAD i didn't even get a chance at least he had a, chance right at least he was like he had he had THE i forgot what the belt was called.
The United, states he had a moment with The purple belt that he had never. HAD i thought he had The Whore's Your, race but he had a speed. Title the speed title is What i'm thinking.
Of, yeah but how cool has it been to just work with? Him because he is a sick ass, Talent, like, yeah he's got a fucking deep.
Bag AND i don't think people really really understand how important he was to wrestling in our, generation like the how serious and how big of an impact he had in twenty ten and twenty eleven over In Dragon gate In, japan him And poc were changing the business because we thought the athleticism couldn't reach a certain height. Anymore after we've Seen raymonsterio do what he did IN wcw two
early two, thousands then we. Didn't we didn't think there was any where you can go higher Than Matt sidel Shooting Star, press even though we were Seeing Billy kimmen do, it you, know and certain guys like. That but the, athleticism just Like ring Of honor And Dragon gate and stuff like that when they were doing those, things those labs, together you go over To, japan you're seeing like this twenty three year old kid do a double moon salt
off the top. Rope and before that on The, indies he was doing on Like Little Iwa Mid south shows in the middle of Like, Louisville kentucky off a ladder to the outside of people double moon, salt and then like he go to the park and everything they changed wrestling six. Thirties they're just popping off springboards like a Dragon kid And yeshino And.
Masato it was just so.
Much it was LIKE i never seen anything like, that and he just went like globally viral and then taking that to THE us WITH pwg and doing all the stuff that he was. Doing then bringing The osprey comes in from THE, uk they, merge and then they do what they did in twenty seventeen with the best of the super juniors when they do the infamous you, Know International Super international Super junior. Spot it was just, like man, like that's how big he was and he still is to this.
Day. Now is like through all those.
Times if you're a fan watching and following his career since, then you never understood who he was and what he was. About never understood the identity about.
That that's. Facts, yeah you just be like he's a great, wrestler but why DO i? Care?
Yeah or you just seen the? CLIP i was, like who was?
That? Right do you? Like?
Yo that's the guy who hit The Paul and that's THE i always wanted to, Like, OKAY i got to take. Away that's the GUY i want you to be, like That's ricochet doing. That that's how you become a.
NAME i almost feel like that is more important than the business. Is if you can make people care about, you the wrestling could just be okay as long as People, yeah but this is a w we still have to, perform you. GUYS i would say A w is Like Kendrick lamar AND ww is like. Drink like you, Know i've always said that you have to RAP. Td you. Can't Just adrian from made that great. REFERENCE i was, like on the wrestling, front for.
Sure, yeah WE'RE, Td and like it's almost like you get the big box office movies and all that stuff over, there but over there you.
Don't get green, screen you don't get. Wires can you freaking? Act?
Right and that's WHAT aw is you have to act in order to perform in our. Films we're a twenty. Four the performances and acting has to be.
Perceived is like the wire AND ww is like fucking you, Know Chicago. FIRE i won't even know in, order but, like but you can enjoy both. THAT i see, THAT i see what you're. Saying you can Enjoy, yeah you can enjoy it.
Both you can enjoy both for sure and like and both are. Successful that's the beauty of. It it's, like it's just like and So rickychet's probably in my, opinion going to find more success with A w because his talents are going to be utilized and he's going to be.
Heard he's going to be.
HEARD i feel, like once you find your voice and your you are. Heard we know how to tapp into an emotion and people know how to feel about what you're. Saying, now every time he comes out instant, boo we, Know oh that's Ricochet god damn, it he's coming. Out oh somebody come out and beat This. Ricochets so now we know his. Name now you can do all the athleticism if you want, to if you choose. To but you
have it and everybody knows actually he doesn't. Suck we hate, him but he doesn't, suck, right you know WHAT i. Mean it's kurd angle. Effect we hate, him but we know he can beat your.
ASS i feel like that happened With jacob, recently where you're just, like, oh we're supposed to hate this, guy But Jesus, christ he's so. Good he's so. Good he's so, good he has always been, good so, massive but he's just. Flying it's just he's so, good he's so, good and he has a great body. Control somebody Like penta who
you've worked, with, right, yeah how cool has it? Been obviously he's that always been that, dude but it's been like like he's he's obviously on a bigger platform now AND i feel like they're, like how, cool just as somebody who's worked with him two different. Companies did you work with him At Lucia? Underground, yes he was my first match actually it was a. Trios you, know he very well could be you, KNOW i think obviously there's like a conscious effort to kind of like him be
the Next. MYSTERIO i hope.
So, well you can't say, that but what you can't say he's going to be the Next mysterio because there will never be another and there will never Be and that's that's that's the difference right. There it's a, product and so they're trying to copy another. Product you can't do. It you can't do. It you can't make Another. Sena you can't make Another, dwayne you can't make Another ray.
Maisterio he sure did try to make Another. Goldberg shout out to right. Back you can't do.
It you can't do. It and we've seen it many. Times you cannot make another what that?
Is but how cool has? It but just been to see him get this like like, THIS i.
Mean i'm happy for him And i'm proud of. HIM i want to see where it. GOES i want to See penta Have penta's, lane and that's where the marketing is On penta Being penta in this and also shedding back and seeing like Who penta, is What penta, is what's the, motive what is the? Meaning what does he want to? Do what is his and how is he going to do? It that's what separates all these characters from being. Characters you, Know Steve austin wonned The World.
Championship well so does he so, does he so. Does like this everybody everybody, want Like Mick foley wants, It but how are they going to do it compared To austin doing. It austin is going to drive a truck beer like he's, like you, know some some of the guys in that era weren't going to Hit. Vince that's just not who their character. Is austin has no problem Stunning vince or women Or grandma's Bob Ba ray will put somebody through a, woman a grown, woman an old
woman through a, table you. Know but there's certain characters that, wouldn't like you know WHAT i, mean that's what separates. Them Jeff hardy's not going to do, that right because that's Makes Jeff Hardy Jeff. Hardy that's the motive, why, guys who's going to push the? Boundaries that's what made me me, LIKE i will go in your house now AND i Made hangman because he will burn it down for.
Sure there's other characters that won't go that. FAR i know, You, uh working With Adam copeland's a big deal for. You, obviously he's one of the greatest of all. Time, absolutely there's a good chance you guys end up having a thing.
This weekend decides decides a, lot, right and that's what that's the point of. This like there's two matches one doesn't. Want one depends on another correct and the other depends on the.
Other that's the. Stakes but just the potential or the of just putting your brain in a situation where you guys have a thing, going, like it's got to be pretty cool to think.
About it's it's it's, Wild like nine year old me is like you're up in that ranks of like possibly challenging guys that you looked up. To the REASON i wear long, jackets it's because Of copeland and, stuff and it's, like, man you could face them for The World, championship like in the next. Month the implications are there. Now it's like it's not far fetched. Anymore just like it is that same FEELING i had WHEN i Wrestled Raymond stereo and the Six. Man it's, like whoa wait a, minute
let me take a step. Back i'm actually like taking the six one. Nine i'm actually like like Basing irana from The Greatest ever do, this and like it's.
Almost like you're in, it so you don't you DON'T i always tell people, this, like, yeah whatever level of success you, reach sometimes you got to stop and like like oh.
SHIT i always have made this metaphor Like i'm. Chopping i've been chopping trees for fifteen sixteen, years and like WHEN i first, started it was, like there's a, Forest there's no WAY i can get through any of this right until you start chopping. Yep and Now i'm, like, WOW i look, Back i'm like there's miles of trees THAT i, chopped and of like forces That i've gotten. Through and SOMETIMES i need to stop and just like and and and let me, yeah let me, yeah let me.
Enjoy LIKE i might be done chopping.
TREES i might be like a fourth of it. Left, ye there might be.
MORE i don't, know But i'm going to like there's TIMES i got to sit back and Realize i'm, like, Yo i'm more than. Halfway i've like three fourths of it probably at this point of doing What i've set out to. Do WHEN i was a, kid you, KNOW.
Mantezi you got a new song with The Russell, yes, sir stomp out man right, here make. Sure how did you guys? Connect?
Man SO i reached out to him shout to shout out to his whole team Is mitchell shout to the whole squad from Good Penny. MAN i reached out to him and they are such, good humble. PEOPLE i sent him the record AND i didn't hear anything back for a few. Months you know how the game, go send a, Record, hey this is, what this is, what this is What i'm?
Thinking?
Right he sent it, right but he sent it back like two. MONTHS i just get a random, email like you said about sitting back putting the, universe AND i forgot about. IT i didn't think about. IT i just sounded as far as, email let me send it to. HIM i, center you, know he does his offer based. Thing hit him up AND i didn't hear anything. Randomly it just said stomp out Versu. Orussell hit me back to said hey you. Guys he, said, yeah he loved the.
Record here you. Go and, honestly it was funny because when you hear the, record it was just his. VERSE i didn't have anything to. IT i just sent him to beat and it wasn't, like, hey just wrap right. HERE i got the whole.
Structure he would send somebody like an open verse right.
NOW i didn't do the open. VERSE i just sent him a beat and let him do it and THEN i worked around.
Him oh that's.
Joke so you, know the record has been doing. Phenomenal shout out to him man for the. Opportunity it's it's been making good waves out of, here, Man And I'm i'm proud to have him, man because he's the hottest independent rapper out killing it right, now you know WHAT i mean on one of. Them so it's it's dope to see that with his. Moves such a good, dude AND i watch all this. Content it's such a good guy and couldn't be happier for, him AND i couldn't be happy to have the, Record so it's it's.
Dope you uh coming up In, tampa were you like influenced many of the juke ship like The Tom Gesu.
Yeah tom G Man Tampa tony shout out TO u, mental that's how mental that he's he's my.
Mental and THEN i linked him With, strizzle so he was the first one to book us to. Perform, Absolutely, LIKE i don't think people understand like when you Like tampa has like its own genre of hip. Hop, yeah people don't get.
It strizzle taught me the, whole the whole business side of the. Industry he taught Me shout out To Crystal strizzout out To TOM, g shout out to uh RATED, r all that, man shout out to all them. Guys, yeah it was funny because WHEN i moved down To, florida it was you taught me From New, york BUT i moved To.
Florida so WHEN i.
Moved To, FLORIDA i had a whole branch of other side of, music which motivated me and helped me in different. Ways it gave me a listen to music in a different way outside of just WHAT i was raised up.
On, so, yeah when you go to THE i, mean the club's a little different there, now but ten years ago you to A tampa. CLUB i remember WHEN i first moved To, tampa AND i remember like half of the Songs i'd never heard of my fucking. Life And i'm a CLUB. Dj i'd be, like what the fuck is this? Show but everybody in the crowd knew that, Shit like everybody knew. It everybody knew.
It, crazy crazy, bro you, Really i'd be, Like, yo the world is really bigger than what we think it. Is because there was times like WHEN i go to Sky piranha all them clubs and they be playing these songs and the whole crowd knows it and you might not know, it but everybody it's just it's bubbling in that. Radius AND i, REALIZE i, see all you need is one and even if it's, regional it can definitely you get people.
Moving you got, something and then you're doing something with your bringing out evans and yes, Page yes.
Sir april, twelfth they are they're doing a boxing fight just got announced In New.
Mexico shout out to shout out to those. Guys.
Uh they just had the press. Conference tickets go on Sale. Monday the great thing about it Is rashad hit me. Up that's one of my best, friends one of my inspirations That i've met and he's become one of my best friends.
Now so he's, Like, YO i want you to make something for.
Me so you, know he's been helping me, training get my, physical get my physical back, right and he's, LIKE i just want you to to do the song for. Me SO i just produced something for him and made something for him AND i, Said, yo CAN i come. Out he's like why don't you just walk me to the. Ring just come to walk me to the ring When i'm about to go Fight, RAMPAGE i, said say. Less SO i produced the. SONG i produced a song for, him And i'll be walking them to the ring during
this fight Versus. Rampage they have a boxing. Fight the press, conference Hilarius. Rampage jackson's, hilarious funny, dude great, personality and you Know rashad isn't the same prosperous. Guy you, know he's more chill, now more. Orser but it's funny because that evens out in the. Promotion so it's funny watching their. Dynamic But i'm excited to go out there to be
able to do, it and, MAN i can't. Wait, biggest, honestly the biggest placement of my, career, themes biggest placement live on pay per.
Views like writing a theme song like how do you pull? For like are you? Like because it's obviously that's a that could. CHANGE i, mean there's so many theme songs that we could think of where it's.
Right that's why it's important for rustlers to have personality for.
Sure, Absolutely and the thing Is i've been doing it eleven Years Now i've been making theme songs for eleven, years SO i was. AROUND i started in twenty fourteen making theme, songs SO i was, around like in the exception before everybody was doing. It SO i started to SEE i had a formula years ago before it became very, popular you. Know so NOW i have a format of popular way that many people do, IT i kind of go the other, way, right you. KNOW i always believe
that you have to make the song something that. Universally anybody. Here IF i gave you a, record a wrestling, record AND i gave it cav played us in the club wrestling, RECORDS i don't know if it's gonna.
Work WHEN i lived In tampa And i'll be doing what the funck was the club in fucking On South Howard, Drink, YEAH i. WAS i used TO Dj wednesdays At. DRINK i remember one Time shamus walked in AND i fucking this is a black hood. Club he was, glowing faded, out played his fucking. Theme SO i got on The it was like the most it was Like, Shamous, Fandango Billy kit and, uh who else? WAS i Saw Johnny Pehouse he's back, Right, Oh penthouse great place, Yeah, Hey
penhouse is kind of the spot out. There now it wasn't and now it. IS i heard, yeah and there used to be across the. Street was It, Dollhouse? Dollhouse, yeah, yeah and shout out to the uh the spaceship two thousand and.
One.
Shout, out shout out. Mans they used to have The hibachi truck in the parking, lot right two thousand and. One, yes, yes.
Sir the Thing the last POINT i wanted to make was like IF i sended you a record AND i, said, HEY keV played this record and you'd be like a wrestling, record BUT i. Didn't you don't want to make it sound like a wrestling. Record you want to make it sound something that is, universal even if it's something for a. Wrestler you want to make something that's that's. Universal i'm. Not i'm not gonna say nothing about body slaming and suplex with. Somebody i'm not gonna do.
IT i think the key is to a good wrestling theme. Song it's figuring out the part where the crowd either sings it to the top of their lungs or reacts in a way, yep LIKE i think of Like cody song or just all the great songs like you want to evoke, Emotion I'm i'm also like a, weirdo Like i'm driving around listening to fucking theme songs like their fucking. Album Sometimes i'm The i'll be, like you, know let me throw on fucking old school TRIPLE. H, sure, bro
time to play the. GAME i always said BRO keV always said.
This i've been making wrestling rap things songs eleven years of my, life And i've. TRIED i will never make a song better than Under Real Wolf. Pack i'll never make a theme song better than, that And i've, TRIED i have, tried but That Kevin, Nash Scott, hall don't turn you back on the wolf for.
Hours the name of the old school guy who was making all those, songs he. HASN'T i forget his. Name, Johnson, Yeah Jim.
Johnston Jim, johnson greatest, ear greatest, ear because he could do anything any.
Genre cho That jericho break The Walls down is one of the, like come, On, BRO i was, like this is.
COLD i want to hear this anywhere everywhere for, sure at any, moment that thing is. Cold for. Sure there is like a subgenre of like wrestling rap kind of shot to our, Boy Mega Ran mega shot To Mega, man absolute. Legend that's it's my. Guy we go ten years. In, yes my. Brother we're both From. Phoenix well he's From, philly but he came up In.
PHOENIX i call, HIM i call him the undertaker of what we do because he was he was there a little bit before, me BEFORE.
I got my. Shine so he was like the killing. It and then he's also got like the the gamer rap.
Too, yeah he just Did current On New.
Day, yeah he's fucking shout out to make. It you, know he has a Crazy did you ever tell you the story about how he ended up playing the drums At? WrestleMania he. Didn't he posts a video about, it so, funny he explained. It it was like the biggest accident, ever, like and then he ended up like being a part of the, band you, know which is wid that's.
Wrestling you slip and fall into something and, yeah so you know somebody knows, somebody, man can you do?
This can you can?
You?
Yeah you guys stand over there just playing with that. Guy what's that? Face?
YEAH i can't tell you how many things out There and he's, like hey, man you want to manage me in his. Match i'm, like, okay, yeah and it wasn't it wasn't. Called he just asked me to do, it like you, know you never you never.
Know that'd be the funniest gig is to be Like Paul, hayman or to be like you, know you, know just a manager where you can just get off and not get fucked. Up you, know take a spot every now and, then you, know every once in a, while you got a little super. Kick, yeah while, yeah, anyway well LOOK i appreciate you guys pulling. Up Man sunday should be.
Dope, Unreal like the bar is high for. Everybody everybody gotta come. Correct it's Like osprey's on, there come, Correct kenny's on here to catch on, loaded come, Correct copeland's.
On, there come.
Correct it's gonna be, Crazy mercedes on, there come, Correct tony's on, there come. Correct so like and then me And, ricochet do.
You feel like THE Hbo max thing is going to just? Change BECAUSE i feel like for me as like a, fan and.
Like you CAN i think this pay per view and The dynasty coming up you can order On Amazon prime.
Now, ah which is much better that nobody.
Has that's a game changer as. Well so like everything is becoming more convenient.
And respect The Bleacher. REPORT i Love Bleacher report for like scores and news and. Ship BUT i was, like, wait you can watch stuff on yeah And FIGHT. Tv FIGHT tv has been a big. Thing shout out To Prime. Absolute.
Yeah so like everything's more. Accessible, boom watching in your, car watching on a big long plane. Ride it's, like that's where we, are and that's that's the testament to the growth of ALL eat. Wrestling man shout Out Tony, kahan shouting shout out Man. Surrey all you guys are in the back doing your.
Things unlimited Freaking jaguars tickets if you want to, Go, yeah, yeah yeah go Watching.
Tony tony brought me On Monday Night football AND i got to Meet Roger goodell on the. Field, yep introduce. Me told him like just got staple his. Face it was, Incredible, yo that's so. Sick, yeah play my song a big pressure on in the arena on the warm. Up got to meet like the Whole Monday Night football R g. THREE i got to meet Like Kurt.
Warner it was. Crazy tony has been. Amazing, well, LOOK i appreciate you, guys pulling. Up you're down to do a freestyle? Too oh, yeah, man, okay so we'll do that a separate piece of, content but shout out Your instagram so people can follow you and go follow the.
Music and, yes, sir you guys hit me up at T Z jones on everything X, twitter, things at nature www Dot tz's table dot com for everything, merch, music motivational. Content you, KNOW i mean myn tztv dot com as. Well you guys can hit, that uh that website as well for. Everything if you guys want to book me for, anything how a mere dropping uh for for me For tz's. Table we were dropping once a month right. Now, okay what about for your guys'.
Thing we've been on a hiatus right. Now we're gonna pick back up probably in a little, bit but going. On it's getting once once once.
Once my, man got that got that bells, like focus on, that. Bro there's there's eighty nine pieces of content dropping Eighty what will you got to make a miss us a little, bit we'll be.
Back we'll be back.
There it is.
SWERVE i appreciate. You good, luck. MAN i hope we hope we GET i really am. Hoping i'm pulling for you versus. Copeling that's What i'm hoping possibil result Of sunday. Results that's the.
Thing you got some, results you got some, steaks you got something that you can't. Predict it can go any which way on two different. Matches it's all imployed for the next couple of shows and the next pay per view and where our championship is going to go for the rest of twenty twenty. Five so check it Out ALL Eat wrestling Every wednesday, NIGHT tbs eight o'clock Pm Eastern.
Time we're doing some major things and this is where the FORMER Aw world, champion first BLACK Aw world champion in the company's.
History let's Go Serve. Strickland YE i appreciate, you Brother boom