Source: David Maurer of The Daily Progress
Christopher Daniels recently spoke to The Daily Progress regarding his character in iMPACT Wrestling and his beginnings in the business. Below are some of the highlights from the full interview, which you can read by clicking here. Enjoy!
On Becoming the Good-Guy-Gone-Bad:
When I started out in 1993, I was just Christopher Daniels. About two years in, I decided to take a ride on the dark side, and the name “Fallen Angel” got across the idea that I once was good, but now I’m bad. Yeah, I’m the baddest of guys, and I’m having a blast. I have a great time getting under the skin of the fans and sort of bait them to see how far they’ll go to watch me get beat up. It’s interesting, because the kids are always going to want the good guy to come out on top in the end. But when they become teenagers or get into their 20s, they sort of gravitate toward the evil guy. I guess it’s that anti-authority figure, the guy getting away with it, that they then want to cheer for.
On Professional Wrestling as a Part of the Culture:
I tell people that professional wrestling is pretty much the closest you’re ever going to come to real-life superheroes and supervillains. We tell stories of good and evil. We dress up in colorful costumes and we go and do battle for good or for evil, or whatever our story is. During the past couple of decades, the story has become the main focus for what draws everybody in. I feel that professional wrestling is something you get acclimated to as a young child. It’s very rare that you get adult fans who didn’t watch it as kids. The adults who come to our shows are usually fans from way back.
On Injuries in Professional Wrestling:
In 2001, I landed on my head really badly. It turned out to be a badly pinched nerve, but I actually fractured a bone in my neck sometime early in my career and didn’t find out about it until I saw a chiropractor who took some X-rays. What usually gets you is the wear and tear. It’s very rare that you’re going to get hurt in one specific match or move. But the truth of the matter is, almost every time we take a fall, our necks whiplash. Our lower backs take such a beating, as well as our knees. Part of my job is to hit the gym every day and make sure I’m in the best shape I can be.
