Source: Benjamin Leatherman of the Phoenix News Times
Recently, iMPACT Wrestling’s rising star Bully Ray was interviewed by Benjamin Leatherman of the Phoenix News Times. Topics covered during the interview include whether he would ever go back to WWE, what it’s like for WWE to compete against TNA, how he pisses people off when he has the microphone, and the problem with banging strippers (yes, you read that correctly). You can read some highlights of the interview below or click here to read the entire thing. Enjoy!
On Competing Against WWE
When I sit back and look at the scope of professional wrestling these days, I definitely think TNA offers a much better product than anything else that you see right now. In my opinion, it’s ’cause we give more variety of wrestling. Things like the X-Division, which are a bunch of high flyers, great personalities, great in-ring wrestlers, great brawlers. We’re a much better buffet of pro wrestling than anything else out there. TNA has only been around for 10 years, so basically still in their [infancy]. I think the company’s doing really well. I think what you see on TV is very entertaining and I see a tremendous light at the end of the tunnel with this company.
On Whether He’d Ever Go Back to WWE
Pro wrestling is a business just like any other business, and you always go where the best opportunities and the best money is. So whenever it comes time to negotiate, I always leave myself open to make whatever the best decision is in my world, in my best interest. Sticking with TNA right now was in my best interest. When my contract is up with TNA, you never know. I might retire, I could end up with another company. You never know where you’re going to end up and you never know if a company’s gonna still want you around. So you always leave things open-ended. It’s a smart move.
On Reinventing Himself from Tag Teaming
Well, you have to reinvent yourself in this business. I was part of the most successful tag team in the history of pro wrestling, other than the Road Warriors, for 15 years. Twenty-three major world tag team titles and I’ve done just about everything you could possibly do as a tag team on the planet. So when you decide to venture off and go into a singles career, you gotta do something drastic and you gotta do something quick. You gotta make people forget that you were the part of a tag team. In only a short amount of time, I’ve gone from one of the most successful tag team guys of all time to an extremely successful singles competitor in just about a year and a half.
On Pissing People Off on the Microphone
How do I get people to get pissed off and hate me? It’s just me. There’s no acting, there’s no nothing. What you see is what you get. What you see on TV is the way I am in real life. You don’t like me? I don’t care. I don’t care if people like me, I don’t care if people hate me, love me, wanna name their first born after me, wanna throw a brick through my window. Don’t give a damn. You gotta respect me for what I’ve done. This is real personality. When you hear me…I don’t cut promos. I just talk. I just say what comes into my mind. What you saw in ECW, what you saw in WWE…In WWE, I didn’t have as much time to really get [things] off my chest what I wanted to. in TNA, I do. There’s no character here, buddy. No character, whatsoever.
On Devon Leaving iMPACT Wrestling
[Kayfabe Answer]: I really could not care less about Devon. I haven’t cared about Devon in almost two years. If Devon didn’t let Chris Sabin kick out of the 3-D, I would’ve never blasted him in the back of the head and turned on him. Devon is not my concern. I have one business interest in Devon outside of TNA and that is [our] professional wrestling school, the Team 3-D Academy. Other than that, I really don’t care about him.
[Less Kayfabe Answer]: I’m giving you my legit answer. I…really…don’t…care. Whatever he does with his time, and whatever he wants to do is fine. We have one business interest that is extremely successful, so we choose to continue with that successful business interest, which is our wrestling academy. Other than him deciding not to sign, his business. He doesn’t want to be with TNA, his business. Whatever he decides to do with his life, his business.
On the Drawbacks of Banging Strippers
Banging strippers? Venereal disease. Haven’t you ever banged a stripper before?
